Transient Air Conditioning Simulation Using Network Theory Algorithms

An efficient air-conditioning system is an important factor for the commercial success of an automotive product, because of the thermal comfort for the passengers being an important incentive for the purchaser. A simulation tool is presented that makes it possible to design and optimize A/C refrigerant circuits together with the engine cooling system in a very early stage of the design process. This tool is based on networks including the enhanced heat exchange theory which also takes into consideration refrigerant phase changes. A graphical user interface and predefined simulation models which are based on the respective geometry of the system components make it easy to create a virtual vehicle for mathematical analysis of the various heat and mass flows. High flexibility and short calculation time together with high accuracy enable the engineer to make efficient investigations.