Air Conditioning Hybrid Electric Vehicles while Stopped in Traffic

Abstract

HEVs idle their engine during the stops to meet the cooling and heating needs. But, idling decreases fuel economy and increases engine wear and emissions. The report explores alternative strategies for air conditioning the HEV during the stop times. Simulation analyses are used to identify fundamental differences and new technology tradeoffs encountered in HEVs. An analysis of cooling and heating loads on a car under typical weather and driving conditions is combined with efficiency estimates for an advanced a/c system to compare different cooling strategies in terms of fuel usage and overall system COP. Options considered include belt and electrically driven compressors, with thermal and electrical storage technologies. The results of this parametric analysis narrow the range of cooling and heating strategies to be considered for detailed analysis and prototype testing.Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Project 14