Efficient and ‘Green’ Vehicle Air Conditioning System Using Electric Compressor

Reducing energy consumption and ensuring thermal comfort are two important considerations in designing vehicle air conditioning system. Alternative approach to reduce energy consumption proposed in this study is to use an electrically-driven compressor (EDC) powered by a 12-volt lead-acid vehicle battery which is charged by the alternator. This system makes the speed of compressor to be independent of the engine crankshaft speed. Typical belt-driven compressor of automotive air conditioning system (AAC) caused cooling capacity to vary with engine speed. The current research activity focuses on the experimental investigation on cabin temperature and fuel consumption of a 1.3 liter 5 seater hatchback vehicle on roller dynamometer at variable speed of 1800, 2000, 2200, 2400 and 2500 rpm with internal heat load of 1000W at temperature set-point of 21 °C. The overall experimental results show that the performance of EDC is better than the conventional belt-driven system with the opportunity for a better energy control.