Thermally Operated Mobile Air Conditioning Systems

R. de Boer
Presented at the 3rd European Workshop Mobile Air Conditioning, Vehicle Thermal Systems and Auxiliaries, Torino, Italy, November 26-27, 2009

ECN-M--10-002

January 2010

TOPMACS was part of the EU 6th framework program (STREP) research

Timeline: March 2005 March 2009

The TOPMACS Initiative Object : to develop innovative Mobile Air Conditioning Systems with a low to zero impact on the environment.
The Consortium: 1 Car Manufacturer 1 Truck Manufacturer 1 major A/C supplier 1 advanced material supplier 5 of the most acknowledged excellence Centres in the EU

The TOPMACS people

The TOPMACS Focus

The innovative A/C System main Features

Powered by the engine waste heat Use refrigerant with no GWP (compliant with the new EC regulation) The core of the system is a sorption heat pump

Project Motivations

To meet the new EC regulation on refrigerant To meet the EC new regulation on CO2 emissions target To significantly reduce the fuel consumption due to the A/C usage To lower the A/C impact on the engine

The TOPMACS A/C & Engine System Concept

The use of waste heat to power the airconditioning has energy saving potential Waste to ambient Loss Saving Loss

Current

Exhaust

Heat Usable work

Cooling by radiator
Interior heating

Driving power
Lighting, radio, etc.

Airco

Exhaust

Heat
TOPMACS

Cooling by radiator
Airco

Interior heating

Usable work

Driving power
Lighting, radio, etc.

The TOPMACS Project major Outputs

4 First Generation Prototype Units with 4 different technologies 1 Demontrator Car equipped with a silicagel-water cooling system 1 Demonstrator Truck equipped with a zeolite-water cooling system 1 Upgraded Activated Carbon-Ammonia cooling system bench prototype 1 MeH Mechanical Compression based cooling system bench prototype 1 Advanced Simulation Tool able to reproduce the overall system and all technologies 33 Papers and participations to international events 27 Students participated to the project, 3 Post-Dot Scholarship

The TOPMACS Sorption Cooling Systems main results

Key Results No GHG emission due to refrigerant Small CO2 emission due to A/C operation Low to zero fuel consumption due to A/C usage No impact on vehicle handling (no mechanical compressor attached to the engine) Coupled with a small fuel burner can provide the 50 45 cabin preconditioning. 40
35

kW/m3

30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Cooling Power Density Increase vs Commercial Systems

Sortech ACS 05

NAK 20/70

MYCOM ADR

CNRTOPMACS

ECNTOPMACS

UWTOPMACS

Compared to the state of the art TOPMACS Sorption Systems improve the Cooling Power Density up to 9 times!

3rd European Workshop - Mobile Air Conditioning, Vehicle Thermal Systems and Auxiliaries Presentations
A passenger Car with an air conditioning system working on the engine waste heat

A passenger Truck with a thermally operated air conditioning system

Adsorption cycle MAC powered by vehicle cooling loop

3rd European Workshop - Mobile Air Conditioning, Vehicle Thermal Systems and Auxiliaries

A passenger car with an air conditioning system working on the engine waste heat
Robert de Boera, Simon Smedinga, Daniela Magnettob, Stefano Mola, Walter Ferrarisb, Abdelmajid Taklantic
a ECN,

Energy research Centre of the Netherlands

b CRF, c Valeo

Centro Ricerche Fiat, Italy Thermal Systems, France

Content

The Thermally driven AC system concept Prototype sorption cooler development and laboratory tests On board installation and test Redesign and system integration study Conclusions and discussion

Sorption Cooling basic principle

A dry sorbent material (silica-gel) adsorb fluid (water) which evaporates generating the cooling effect. Heat is needed to dry the sorbent material making it ready for a new cycle

With 2 reaction bed a continuous cooling process can be realized

Sorption Cooling System process scheme

Basically an heat pump working on 3 temperature levels

condenser
Cooling to ambient 35C

Imput power engine waste heat

Engine cooling water 90C

Thermal compressor
Cooling to ambient 35C Cold to cabin 5-15C

Evaporator

Conventional mechanical compression A/C

Evaporator

Mechanical compressor

Expansion valve Filter / dryer

Condenser

Radiator

Engine
36 16-3-2009

Condensate

Air-heater

Topmacs Thermal compression A/C System

The Thermal compression A/C System is based on the sorption cooling technology

TOPMACS Grande Punto with Sorption cooling with indirect conderser/evaporator layout

The Sorption Cooling System design

The Sorption cooler operation requires three process circuits: Heating Cooling Chilling circuit for the sorbent material regeneration (Input power) circuit for the reaction beds and SC heat rejection to provide the cabin cooling usefull effect (Useful effect)
Target operating conditions of the adsorption chiller
Temperature [C] min Heating - supply - return Cooling (condenser incl.) - supply - return Chilling (evaporator) - supply - return 5 5 5 5 5 5 setpoint 90 85 33 40 15 11.4 max 95 90 0.72 45 60 0.48 45 45 8 2,0 12 6,0 Flow setpoint m 3/h 0.72 l/min 12 Power kW 4,0

The SCS Prototype development and laboratory tests@ECN

Condenser

Silicagel section

Check valves

Silicagel section

Evaporator

Characteristics Refrigerant: water Sorbent material: silica-gel HEXs+ pipes+valves: stainless steel + aluminum Silicagel Weight 9 kg Total Weight 85 kg

ECN team: R. de Boer, S. Smeding.

The SCS Laboratory tests results

Operating temperatures:

Thermal powers

Depending on the varying operating temperatures, the system can deliver 2.5kW cooling power COP 0.3 0.5.

SCS Laboratoty tests results

Varying chilled water temp.
2,5 P evaporation [kW ] 2,0 1,5 1,0 0,5 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 T evap [C]
P evap - Tchilling in P evap - Tchlling out COP - Tchilling in COP - Tchilling out

Varying cooling y water temp.

2,5 P evap o ra tio n [kW ] 2,0 1,5 1,0 0,5 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 T cooling [C]
P evap - Tcooling in P evap - Tcooling out COP - Tcooling in COP - Tcooling out

70% 60% 50% COP 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

70% 60% 50% COP 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Varying heating y water temp.

2,5 P evaporation [kW ] 2,0 1,5 1,0 0,5 60 65 70 75 80 85 T heating [C] 90 95
P evap - Theating in P evap - Theating out COP - Theating in COP - Theating out

Varying cycle time.

2,5 P e v a p o ra tio n [k W ] 2,0 1,5 1,0 0,5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 cycle time [min]
P evap COP

70% 60% 50% COP 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

70% 60% 50% COP 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 100

Grande Punto A/C Overall System layout

ENGINE BAY CABIN TRUNK

Cabin Air Cooler

On board system overall characterisitcs: ECN Sorption Cooling System Heating loop connected with the engine coolant + heat recovery from the exhaust gas Cooling loop connected with an additional radiator Chilling loop connected with the air cooler placed into the standard HVAC module

Radiator for SSCL

Cabin Heater

Engine Radiator

Engine

Sorption System

Exhaust Gas Heat Recovery

The Grande Punto installation

Air Cooler Sorption cooler

G.Punto 1,4 gasoline

CRF Team: S.Mola, D.Magnetto, W.Ferraris, L.Cancedda, A.Secondi, S.Sandri, F.Cavallaro

Additional radiator

The Grande Punto installation

Sorption Cooling System

Air cooler

ST Evaporator Heat rejection module

Air cooler installation in the HVAC module

Control and acquisition system

Labview interface

On board tests
Test conditions Ambient temperature 20C & 28C Vehicle speed constant & NEDC

4 3,8 3,6 3,4 3,2 3 2,8 2,6 2,4 2,2 2 1,8 1,6 1,4 1,2 1 0,8 0,6 0,4 0,2 0 0 100 200

6000
SS Chilling Power [kW] EngineSpeed

5000

Cooling Power (kW)

4000

3000

2000

1000

NEDC
300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 0 1200

Time (seconds)

Vehicle speed (rpm)

Average Coolig Power 900W DT to air 12,5C

On board performance overview

Chilling power [% of Pnominal]

160% 140% 120% 80%

on board measurements

70% 60% 50% COP 40% 30% 20%

P nominal - T chilling P nominal - T cooling P nominal - T heating P i l ll
on board measurements

100% 60% 40% 20% 0%

10% 0%

COP - T chilling COP - T cooling COP - T heating COP all

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 Treduced [C]

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 Treduced [C]

On board performance comparable to bench scale tests

Conclusions

World

first passengers car with sorption cooler working on waste heat of engine is installed and working

The

present prototype peak cooling power is unable to provide the Standard CoolDown Performance, but it is suitable to mantain the steady state conditions

Powering

heat to the System with a small fuel burner could provide the car cabin preconditiong and allow the cooling system downsizing

The

system is able to mantain the cooling power for the time of the cycle (good option for stop&start powertrain)

Conclusions

The

chosen switching control works properly in fluctuating flow and temperature conditions

During

dynamic driving conditions the system provide constant cooling power

The

additional radiator to reject the heat of the Sorption System has limited performance

The

cabin heat exchanger could perform better

Design

study indicates the possibility for location in the engine bay

Sorption cooling system reactors redesign

Liquid distribution Condenser Vapor distribution

Silicagel reactor bed

Check valves

Silicagel reactor bed

Evaporator

Sorption reactors beds

Vapor ducts

Current cooling system reactors design

New cooling system reactors design

Two reactors + Check valves Indirect condensation & evaporation Use of serial exchangers Stainless steel + aluminum Dimensions: 900 x 400 x 500 Weight : 85 kg Silicagel : 9 kg

Integrated sorption reactors, Vapor and liquid distribution valves Direct condensation & evaporation Molded plastic + aluminum Dimensions: 460 x 220 x 420 Estimated weight : 15 kg Silicagel : 4 kg

Sorption cooling system reactors redesign

Water tank Coated fins Tubes

Reactor housing

Current design: 3 exchangers by sorption reactor bed

Mechanical tubes and fins exchangers

Assembly of exchangers and reactor bottom housing

Sorption Reactor Design One mechanical tubes and fins exchanger by reactor bed 4 rows tubes by exchanger Fins coated with sorbent sheet material Common molded plastic housing for the two reactor beds

Fiat Punto vehicle integration

Fiat Punto vehicle integration summary

Expansion vessel

Sorption reactor Engine

Sorption reactor

Battery

Use of sorption cooling system with direct condensation and evaporation Implementation close to engine and dashboard No major interferences with vehicle structure and with engine Minor interferences with some components of the engines compartment (tubes, ducts) Expansion vessel & battery need to be repositioned

Next steps

The development of adsorption cooling technology for MAC application requires further research and development effort. These efforts should include:

purposely developed heat exchanger further reduction of system volume and weight application of an air cooled condenser and a direct driven evaporator increased integration in the car/engine system is an important issue to improve

performance, volume weight

Thanks for your attention