Identify and Define Air-Conditioning Parameters Affecting Fuel Economy and Validation on Actual Vehicle

Abstract

Due to limited fuel resources, strict emission norms, and to fi ght with the present threat of global warming, devising techniques to improve the fuel economy in automobiles is need of the hour. Also, the establishment of new automobile industries is increasing more competition among the industries and because of this reason manufacturer wants to deliver pioneering products with the best quality and value to their customers. In addition, air conditioning is critical system as it is second most energy consuming unit in vehicle. The role of HVAC system in vehicle is to balance variation of cabin loads for maintaining thermal comfort for passengers. Efficient design of new HVAC systems and considerable improvement in existing systems can lead reduction of total energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in large scales. This research works has two main purpose: (1) to identify the relation between air- conditioning parameters & the fuel economy of automobile application and (2) Improvement in fuel economy of existing HVAC system. An intelligible model has propounded for the vehicle HVAC parameters and validated on actual vehicle. The proposed model can be employed for calculating vehicle thermal load and sizing of HVAC system component. Graphic user interface (GUI) model has built using MATLAB. The mathematical equation used for developing the model is based on basic principles of heat transfer, fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, etc. The results of the model can be integrated into conventional design work ow and can predict design parameters in early stage of design. To reduce energy consumption in air-conditioning, one of the possible ways is improvement the heat transfer. The second part presents reduced fuel consumption by some modi fication in existing system. The prototype vehicle is tested on Pune highway. The results show enhancement in heat transfer and reduction of refrigerant pressure in condenser.