Air conditioning and global warming

Air conditioning
and global warming
Europe’s legislated phaseout of
R-134a, remaining issues with CO2
systems, and new proposals for
R-134a replacements give engineers
many challenges, hard choices to
make, and not much time.
by Paul Weissler

T he European Commission (EC) deadline for the regu-

lated phaseout of R-134a is just over four years away,
starting with new platform vehicles in 2011 and ex-
panding to include all vehicles by 2017. If a high-pressure carbon
dioxide (CO2) system is to be the EC replacement, commitments
to component suppliers must be made by mid-2007. Despite the
looming deadlines, it was apparent at the recent SAE Alternate
Refrigerants Symposium in Phoenix that the world’s car makers
still have no firm plans.
Two new fluid possibilities from Honeywell and DuPont were
proposed at the symposium. The new alternative fluids require
risk assessment and a consensus decision on pros and cons, but
there are only proposals for refrigerant evaluation groups—one
in the U.S. with ties to SAE, with others in Germany and Japan.
It is uncertain whether a unified approach will emerge, with
participation by the possible refrigerant suppliers.
Although R-134a is listed by the Kyoto Protocol as a global
warming gas, the rest of the world (and even Europe, until it
completes the phaseout) is committed to enhanced R-134a, the
SAE IMAC (improved mobile A/C) initiative that aims for 50%
reduction in R-134a leakage and a 30% improvement in system
efficiency with improved heat exchangers and more efficient
compressors.
Multi-lip compressor shaft seals, integration of components
to reduce joints, and even metal seals originally developed for
CO2 systems could help reduce leakage below the current levels
and far surpass EC upcoming limits of 40 g/yr for single systems,
60 g/yr for duals. In fact, tests cited by the Japanese Automobile
Manufacturers Association (JAMA) indicated that some new-car
systems have leakage rates of under 10 g/yr. Improving system
efficiency with improved heat exchangers and more efficient
compressors would also help to lower fuel consumption, the
major factor in total A/C global warming emissions. Enhanced
R-134a also creates a moving target for CO2 to become a worthy
alternative.
New refrigerants offered
A new refrigerant must be nonflammable, nontoxic, and envi-
ronmentally acceptable. As with R-134a, any new refrigerants
must pose no ozone depletion effect and must have a global

52 DECEMBER 2006 aei aei-online.org


warming potential (GWP) under 150 to meet EC regulations. At
present, no suitable single-component refrigerants have been
identified.
The Honeywell and DuPont chemicals are two-ingredient
blends with pressure-temperature curves that are almost identi-
cal to R-134a and reportedly near-equal coefficients of perfor-
mance.
Honeywell’s Fluid-H, which has a GWP under 10, combines
tetrafluoropropene (CF3CF=CH2), a new molecule, and trifluo-
romethyl iodide (usually referred to as CF3I), an existing flame
retardant that is the secondary component. Together the two
components form an azeotrope, meaning the fluid does not
separate under operating conditions, a valuable characteristic
that makes it similar to a single-component refrigerant such as
R-12 and R-134a.
Fluid-H breaks down quickly in the atmosphere, which helps
to lower GWP. Tetrafluoropropene is gone in 12 days, CF3I in
just four. R-134a, which has a GWP of 1300, lasts over 12 years.
Honeywell’s Mark Spatz told the Phoenix meeting that Fluid-
H is not likely to be as stable as R-134a (it contains stabilizers to
aei-online.org
Air conditioning and global warming
deal with this factor). He added that R-12, long used as an A/C
refrigerant, was also unlikely to be stable.
Cooling performance was demonstrated at the Phoenix meet-
ing using a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta GLI converted by Valeo and
a 2006 Hyundai Accent changed over by Visteon. Minor chang-
es were made to calibrate for Fluid-H’s greater mass, with the
result being “an absolute match” on performance, according to
Visteon’s John Meyer.
Although Fluid-H has passed flammability and early toxic-
ity tests, long-term and other testing still is under way, including
those for the known cardiac sensitization effect of CF3I. Present
U.S. EPA short-term exposure limits for CF3I are 2000 ppm in
human-occupied enclosures, although there is some indication
that these limits might safely be raised. Further, the amount in
Fluid-H may be slightly adjustable, and the dilution effect of an
azeotropic blend might be helpful. Honeywell said test results
will determine if further testing or risk assessment is needed. It
expects to have a go-or-no-go decision by mid-2007.
Use of CF3I also raises some concern regarding the potential
for a stratospheric ozone depletion effect. Although CF3I is not
regulated under the Montreal Protocol, widespread use (e.g., as
an A/C refrigerant) might move the United Nations
Environmental Program to raise the level of concern, which could
threaten CF3I’s long-term future.
Less is publicly known about DuPont’s DP-1 blend. Barbara
Minor, Engineering Fellow at DuPont Fluoroproducts, said OEM
and Tier 1 testing is under way, but did not identify the compa-
nies. She added that third-party tests of a DP-1 drop-in to an
R-134a system showed nearly equivalent performance.
Toxicology and other tests show good results to date, she told
the SAE symposium.
Minor named no ingredients in the blend, which is a zeo-
trope, meaning that ingredients do separate during system
operation. She said only that the major component is a new
compound, the secondary component is a commercially avail-
able refrigerant, and the blend’s GWP number is 40. Glide,
which is defined as the difference between vaporization and
condensation temperatures, is 4ºC (7ºF), similar to long-used
commercial refrigerant R-407C. However, DuPont has not yet
provided any other information needed by A/C system engi-
neers to determine if DP-1’s glide poses a system performance
problem.
When R-12 was phased out, zeotropes were passed over in
favor of a retrofit to R-134a because of problems with fraction-
ation, or changes in refrigerant characteristics caused by leakage
of the higher-pressure component. However, today’s systems
leak a lot less and are getting increasingly tighter, so if worst-case
fractionation is acceptable from the standpoint of performance,
safety, and toxicity, and the refrigerant is otherwise suitable,
DP-1 could be chosen.
Although none were announced at the SAE symposium,
representatives from other refrigerant suppliers quietly passed
the word they would soon announce low-GWP refrigerants for
consideration.
Flammable refrigerants, generally regarded as unacceptable,
are also available. A possible exception is the mildly flammable
R-152a, an efficient single-component refrigerant with a similar
pressure-temperature curve to R-134a and a GWP of 122. EPA
would require safety venting or use in a secondary loop (refrig-
eration system underhood, with heat exchange from nonflam-
mable fluid for cabin cooling). Even if a near drop-in R-134a
aei DECEMBER 2006 53
 Air conditioning and global warming

1 R-134a system Condenser

CO2 (also called R744) operates at five
Modulator to 10 times the pressures of R-134a and
Compressor has a critical point temperature of only
Expansion
valve 31ºC (88ºF); above this temperature, con-
densation cannot occur. Solutions to date
are reported to have been costly.
Evaporator Earlier this year at an EC forum in
Austria, Renault said it had seen few CO2
system possibilities for smaller, low-
CO2 system Gas cooler priced cars, and the rated durability for a
CO2 compressor it was shown was only
Compressor 100,000 km (62,000 mi). Renault added
Internal heat exchanger that, although performance in highway
(double tube) driving was good, there was an unaccept-
Expansion
able drop in performance for urban use
valve and at idle.
Accumulator
Evaporator
Even makers of large, premium cars
are cautious. Some suppliers have said
they will be ready to quote prices in 2007,
said BMW’s Joachim J. Wiesmueller at
that EC forum, but added “only some
2
Mechanical
Compression efficiency components” have fully met specifica-
efficiency Low-friction tions.
Reduced coating on
re-compression piston Wiesmueller added that, although he
Electric power loss saw a bottom line of 3-4% lower global
consumption
Compression
warming emissions with an advanced
Self-boosting
clutch efficiency CO2 system vs. enhanced R-134a, prob-
Reduced suction lems with cost, noise, and cooling under
Mechanical pressure loss
efficiency certain high-temperature conditions per-
Reduced friction sist. R-134a advocates cite the possibility
loss on lip seal that low-cost CO2 systems might be used
instead of the electronically controlled,
Mechanical
efficiency variable-displacement, high-efficiency
Low-friction Compression systems tested under the SAE Cooperative
bearing efficiency Research Group programs for applica-
Minimize gas tions such as fixed-displacement com-
leakage
pressors, particularly for economy cars.
Although this approach would deal with
Mechanical OCR the R-134a phaseout, unless advanced
efficiency improvement CO2 systems quickly followed, total A/C
Low-friction Oil-return global warming emissions would go up
coating on mechanism
swashplate due to higher energy use.
Even the 3-4% reduction seen by
BMW’s Wiesmueller conflicts with data
replacement is identified, plants must be built and time must be from JAMA, which were also presented at the EC forum. Tohru
allotted for routine validation. Ikegami of Toyota and Koji Kikuchi of Nissan said JAMA stud-
ies and road tests showed that R-134a had an overall efficiency
Challenges with CO2 systems advantage and lower global warming emissions than carbon
Because the proposed Honeywell and DuPont fluids are not dioxide, even when the effect of R-134a leakage is included. They
validated, work on CO2 systems continues, and there is a sense added that CO2 systems in economy cars with 1.0- and 1.5-L
of urgency because of the problems the engineers must solve in four-cylinder engines would degrade performance and increase
a short time. fuel consumption, which would probably distort the market for

1 In a comparison between CO2 (also called

R744) and R-134a systems, not only are
individual components different because
2 Illustration shows improvements under
way to increase Sanden piston compressor
efficiency.
of the pressure differences, but also CO2
requires an IHX (internal heat exchanger)
and accumulator.

54 DECEMBER 2006 aei aei-online.org

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 Air conditioning and global warming
3 a 35
30
25
Pressure, bar
20
15
10
5 Fluid-H
0
-40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100
Temperature, °C
8
b
7
CO2
6
Pressure, MPa
3
2 DP-1
0
-40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100
Temperature, °C
such cars. Fuel-economy tests on 1.5-L cars with both systems
showed lower fuel economy with CO2 systems—12% at 20ºC
(68ºF), and 9% at 25ºC (77ºF). Acceleration tests for 0-120 km/h
(0-75 mph) on 1.0-L cars with both systems showed a 48% in-
crease in times with CO2 systems, the JAMA researchers said.
JAMA researchers added that the combination of global
warming emissions from R-134a leakage and the energy neces-
sary to operate the A/C, vs. only CO2’s operating energy, indi-
cated R-134a was still the favored solution in Tokyo, Barcelona,
and Phoenix, while CO2 was ahead only in cooler Frankfurt.
Their conclusion: “CO2 is not a global solution.”
Engineers apparently need more time to address CO2 costs
and improve high-temperature efficiency—but is time available?
The 2011 deadline is EC law, but the rest of the world is planning
to use enhanced R-134a. “Regulatory isolation” pushes CO2 costs
more than €200 higher than R-134a costs, according to BMW,
perhaps even €300 higher, according to Renault.
Further, laws would have to be changed for CO2 systems to
be sold in Japan and the U.S. For example, some U.S. states list
CO2 as a toxic substance. Although EPA said it would work to
remove U.S. barriers, it proposes safety venting in case of
evaporator leakage, because of CO2’s effect on human respira-
tory and nervous systems. With low volume outside Europe, it
also would be difficult to create a widespread service infrastruc-
ture for convenient repair in non-European countries.
3 Pressure-temperature curves
for Honeywell’s Fluid-H (a) and
DuPont’s DP-1 (b) are very close to
4 JAMA saw lower total global
R-134a, whereas CO2 operates at
much higher pressures. Also, they
have critical points very close to
R-134a’s.
56 DECEMBER 2006 aei
9
TEWI (refrigerant recovery rate: 0%)
Initial leaking
4
Accident/maintenance
Total equivalent warming impact
8
Un-recovered refrigerant
7 Refrigerant leaking
(TEWI), CO2 kg x 1000
Power consumption
6
R-134a 5
4
3
2
1
0
R-134a CO2 R-134a CO2 R-134a CO2 R-134a CO2
Tokyo Frankfurt Barcelona Phoenix
5
R-134a
Unless the industry quickly identifies a low-GWP, near-drop-
in alternative that can be used alongside R-134a systems, new
vehicles might have to be designed to accept two very different
systems. Although dual production would appear to be costly
for the low volume of CO2-system vehicles that might initially
be exported, it could be done, explained Harald Riegel of Behr
GmbH. Since the size of components is comparable, he proposed
two packaging choices for CO2 systems. Under the first alterna-
tive, the secondary heat exchanger would be packaged as a co-
axial tube with the gas cooler in a front-end module, comparable
to an R-134a condenser with an integrated receiver. With a single
module at the front, one set of refrigerant lines would be suitable
for all engine applications. As a second alternative, if packaging
permitted, a spiral-type secondary heat exchanger could be
mounted atop a CO2 accumulator.
The EC ban on R-134a has not led to a smooth transition to
an alternative refrigerant or even worldwide consensus. In fact,
as deadlines for engineering production decisions draw nearer,
the number of possibilities keeps growing. aei
warming emissions with enhanced
R-134a in three of four cities it
5 Unlike R-134a, CO2 has such low global
warming impact that residual amounts
are not recovered from vehicles
studied. and recycled, merely vented to the
atmosphere.  A CO2 service machine such
as the experimental one shown, merely
installs a new CO2 charge into the system.
aei-online.org
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