SAE Cross Country A/C Comfort Evaluation

The model for Life Cycle Climate Protection [LCCP] that has been developed under the guidance of the Interior Climate Control Committee has been expanded to consider global regions and the impact of vehicle populations in each region. As part of this project, there have been discussions concerning the impact of relative perceived comfort by the different world regions and how this might be comprehended in the model. The model uses an A/C on percentage for each region based on a comfort model developed by NREL [National Renewable Energy Lab]. Some have questioned if this is correct for all regions, as perceived comfort may be different in each region. In order to obtain actual comparison data on the different acceptable occupant comfort level requirements, the SAE Interior Climate Control Standards Committee conducted a mini-ride to evaluate perceived comfort by evaluation team members from different global regions. This was an extension of the SAE I-MAC project to provide an insight into comfort and A/C usage for use in the LCCP model and for use by the industry.

This SAE paper presents the results of the two-day trip including how the different test teams operated the system to maintain their comfort and an estimate of energy requirements required for the different weather conditions encountered.