Transport Air Conditioning

Transport air-conditioning refers to air-conditioning found within the cabin of cars, lorries, buses and trains. The transport sector is particularly problematic in terms of emissions due to high leakage rates.

Cool technology options include CO₂ and hydrocarbons. Though at the present there are no hydrocarbon based mobile air-conditioners sold on the OEM market for passenger cars, the use of hydrocarbons is technically feasible, as demonstrated by the large number of cars that have reportedly been converted from CFCs and HFCs to hydrocarbons. Refrigerants should only be used in equipment that has been designed for their use, to ensure efficiency and safe use. HFO-1234yf is being widely adopted in passenger car air-conditioning as an alternative to HFC-134a. However, HFO-1234yf and other HFOs are not considered Cool Technologies due to concerns over their long-term environmental impact. Some German car companies are using CO₂ in a number of car series, based on concerns over the safety of HFO-1234yf. CO₂ is expected to become a more attractive proposition as the electric car market grows.

Volkswagon

Sector

Air Conditioning Transport

Application

Car

Technology Type

MAC

Refrigerant

Carbon Dioxide

Manufacturer

Volkswagon

Country

Germany

Energy Efficency

In 2013, Volkswagon, the world’s third largest carmaker, announced that the company plans to use CO₂ as the refrigerant of choice in MACs. The decision by VW follows Daimler’s (November 2012) findings that the chemical refrigerant R-1234yf (HFO) is unsafe for use in its cars, and their decision to further invest in the development of CO₂ mobile air conditioning. Volkswagon estimates that 3-5 years will be needed before the commercialization of CO₂ MACs. Other companies exploring the CO₂ option for MACs include: Audi, BMW and Porsche.

Source

http://www.r744.com/news/view/3965

TransAdelaide Bus Company

Sector

Air Conditioning Transport

Application

Bus

Technology Type

Dessicant

Refrigerant

Propane

Manufacturer

TransAdelaide Bus Company (now Operated By Torrens Transit)

Country

Australia

Energy Efficency

TransAdelaide Bus Company (now operated by Torrens Transit) in Australia installed hydrocarbon air conditioning in the drivers’ compartment, while the passengers’ compartment is cooled by desiccant cooling.

Website

http://www.transitsystems.com.au/

Regie des Transport de Marseilles

Sector

Air Conditioning Transport

Application

Bus

Technology Type

Refrigerant

Carbon Dioxide

Manufacturer

Regie Des Transport De Marseilles

Country

France

Energy Efficency

In 2015, Regie des transport de marseille (RTm), a French bus line operator, began piloting the use of CO₂ refrigerant in two of its new buses. The new system is said to benefit from improved thermodynamic properties, high volumetric cooling performance and good thermal transmission efficiency. It is expected that the use of this technology will extend the buses operating distance by 40% compared to a conventional R-134a system.

Source

http://www.r744.com/articles/6465/french_transport_provider_rtm_shelves_r134a_for_co_sub_2_sub

Deutsche Bahn

Sector

Air Conditioning Transport

Application

Train

Technology Type

Refrigerant

Carbon Dioxide

Manufacturer

Faiveley / Konvekta

Country

Germany

Energy Efficency

Energy savings on the pilot trains have been around 10% compared to the R-134a systems used previously

Deutsche Bahn, a German railway company and Europe’s largest railway operator, aims to use natural refrigerants for air conditioning in new trains by 2020. The first DB Bahn train to be fitted with CO₂ air conditioning was a Siemens VT642 train, in Chemnitz (Saxony) in 2016. Since then the company has carried out a few more projects with a CO₂ air-cycle system.

BVG

Sector

Air Conditioning Transport

Application

Bus

Technology Type

Refrigerant

Carbon Dioxide

Manufacturer

Konvekta

Country

Germany

Energy Efficency

BVG is Germany’s largest local transport company. In 2010, the company installed CO₂ air-conditioning in seven buses in Berlin. The A/C systems were provided by Konvekta. Most new city buses and all long-distance buses in Germany are equipped with A/C systems with an average HFC leakage of 13-14% a year, or a total of 140,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.

Source

http://www.r744.com/articles/1206/span_style_color_rgb_255_0_0_update_sp...

Valeo

Sector

Air Conditioning Transport

Application

Bus

Technology Type

Heat Pump

Refrigerant

Carbon Dioxide

Manufacturer

Valeo

Manufacturer Country

France

Energy Efficency

French automotive company Valeo has launched a CO₂ heat pump for cooling and heating buses.
The system is a modular, reversible, HFC-free heat pump that heats, cools and demists electric vehicle cabins.
The CO₂ version can operate in temperatures as low as -20°

Source

http://www.r744.com/articles/7923/valeo_launches_co2_heat_pump_for_buses_at_busworld

OKA

Sector

Air Conditioning Transport

Application

On/Off Road Vehicles

Technology Type

MAC

Refrigerant

Propane

Manufacturer

OKA

Manufacturer Country

Australia

Energy Efficency

OKA, the Australian manufacturer of on/off road vehicles is the first OEM in the world to use hydrocarbon refrigerant in their mobile air-conditioning systems. The company states that by adopting hydrocarbon refrigerant, OKA produces more efficient, more environmentally sustainable, less toxic and higher performance AC systems all at a lower price.

Source

http://greencooling.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/20101207-hychill-oka-mr-final.pdf

Konvekta CO2 Heat Pump

Sector

Air Conditioning Transport

Application

Bus

Technology Type

Heat Pump

Refrigerant

Carbon Dioxide

Manufacturer

Konvekta

Manufacturer Country

Germany

Energy Efficency

This heat pump is designed to offer air-conditioning for electric buses. Unlike other systems it doesn’t require an additional diesel heater to supply hot air.The company claims that the adaptability of the system enables optimum operating conditions for the battery, allowing an increase in range by up to 40%.

Source

https://www.konvekta.de/en/products.html

Konvekta

Sector

Air Conditioning Transport

Application

Bus

Technology Type

Refrigerant

Carbon Dioxide

Manufacturer

Konvekta

Manufacturer Country

Germany

Energy Efficency

Konvekta has had some success outside of Deutsche Bahn with CO₂ MAC in buses in Germany and Austria. “The vehicles with CO₂ in operation are roughly 100 vehicles,” Michael Sonnekalb of Konvekta.

Website

https://www.konvekta.de/en/products.html

ECOLINE Transcritical

Sector

Components Compressors
Air Conditioning Transport

Application

Bus
Ship
Trailer
Train
Transcritical

Technology Type

Reciprocating Compressor
Transcritical

Refrigerant

Carbon Dioxide

Manufacturer

Bitzer

Manufacturer Country

Germany

Energy Efficency

Semi-hermetic reciprocating compressors for transcritical CO₂ applications

Website

https://www.bitzer.de/us/us/transport/bus/

ClimateWell

Sector

Air Conditioning Transport

Application

Transit Vehicles

Technology Type

Refrigerant

Water

Manufacturer

ClimateWell

Manufacturer Country

Sweden

Energy Efficency

ClimateWell systems run using heat, water and glycol, and do not require a refrigerant. The systems are particularly well suited for transit vehicles, recreational vehicles and contruction vehicles as air-conditioning can be used while the engine is off.

Website

http://www.climatewell.com/our-history