April 3, 2013
General Motors' German brand Opel said on Wednesday that it had found no evidence in a crash test on its new Mokka SUV that HFO-1234yf could catch fire in a collision and release toxic fumes. They said a realistic test conducted together with the independent testing agency TÜV Rheinland had failed to ignite refrigerant that leaked from the system after impact.
The test is the first to be published since Daimler said in September that HFO-1234yf, the only air conditioning coolant on the market that conforms to a new European Union directive on greenhouse gases, could be the primary source for a vehicle fire.
Opel began installing HFO-1234yf-based systems in its Mokka model at the start of the year but Daimler is violating the EU directive by continuing exclusively to use the non-flammable R134a.
Opel research and development chief Michael Ableson said there was "no alternative in the near future to refrigerant HFO-1234yf. Other possibilities such as CO2-based refrigerants are still in the development stage and are years away from entering the market".
CRASH SIMULATIONS
Daimler says frontal crash simulations that it conducted internally last August showed that a fire could ignite under the hood of a car when the new Honeywell refrigerant, mixed with air conditioning lubricant, came into contact with the manifold of a turbo-charged petrol engine at around 650 degrees Celsius (1,200 Fahrenheit).
Opel said on Wednesday it had crash-tested a 1.4 litre turbo-charged Mokka at a speed of 50 km/h (31 mph) against a movable deformable barrier, meant to simulate driving headlong into the last car in a tailback.
It said the impact had damaged the air conditioning system, causing a leak near the Mokka's hot engine manifold, but without causing a fire.
Gunnar Pflug, head of the traffic safety centre at TÜV Rheinland, said the test had been designed and conducted under TÜV Rheinland's supervision to recreate the extreme conditions that Daimler says are necessary to induce a fire. It included reaching an engine temperature more than 100 degrees Celsius higher than that recorded by Daimler.
"Much faster speeds and there would have been nothing left of the engine compartment, basically," he said. "What we did was no standard test, this was the first of its kind."
Manufacturer Honeywell concedes that the mixture is indeed flammable and releases toxic gases when burning, but argues that Daimler's simulations employed 'ideal' conditions expressly designed to create a desired effect.
Daimler, Mercedes' parent, says simulations as opposed to real crash tests were necessary because each car deforms differently during impact, even if the same test parameters are always applied.
Pflug said this was only partly true.
"The same parts are not always damaged exactly the same way down to the millimetre, but if it isn't the third air conditioning fin that breaks, then it's the second or seventh," he said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/03/gm-honeywell-daimler-refrigerant-idUSL5N0CQ3GL20130403
Showing posts with label air-conditioning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label air-conditioning. Show all posts
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Germany makes new offer over EU-Daimler refrigerant spat
March 13, 2013
Germany has written to the EU executive with a new set of proposals aiming to break a deadlock over German carmakers refusal to use HFO-1234yf.
"Germany has just sent us a new letter with proposals on how to comply with the directive. We are examining now this new offer. We cannot impose fines on Daimler, but we need to have the directive applied correctly in all member states," an EU official said on condition of anonymity.
Following an earlier exchange of letters, the Commission confirmed on Wednesday that it had received a letter dated March 5 from the German authorities and would "reply in due time".
While the Commission is relying on Germany to enforce EU law and cannot directly fine carmakers, it has said it will start infringement procedures against member states for breach of a new law that forbids the use of any air conditioning fluids with a global warming potential exceeding 150 times the impact of carbon dioxide.
The Commission does not prescribe which coolant is used provided that it meets the criteria, but the problem is that any alternative Daimler can develop will take time.
"In principle, we have nothing against Daimler if it plans to develop a new refrigerant. The industry has already decided on a refrigerant, but if this is changed in respect of the new rules, we have no problem," the Commission official said.
Germany's letter makes certain suggestions, which the sources did not disclose. An EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Germany had in addition asked the Commission to grant more time to German authorities.
"We feel that the security concerns raised by some car producers should be taken very seriously. Therefore, we feel that it would not serve the desired purpose if we forced car producers to use 1234yf," the diplomat said.
Honeywell says its coolant is highly efficient and safe and has been subject to comprehensive, independent testing.
"Daimler had six years to solve this issue. No other carmarker has reported any safety issues," Paul Sanders, a managing director at Honeywell, said in an interview.
"We continue to work with the Commission and member states authorities to enable the full implementation of the directive (EU law)."
Officials at Daimler could not immediately be reached for comment.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/eu-daimler-idUSL6N0C5AXI20130313
Germany has written to the EU executive with a new set of proposals aiming to break a deadlock over German carmakers refusal to use HFO-1234yf.
"Germany has just sent us a new letter with proposals on how to comply with the directive. We are examining now this new offer. We cannot impose fines on Daimler, but we need to have the directive applied correctly in all member states," an EU official said on condition of anonymity.
Following an earlier exchange of letters, the Commission confirmed on Wednesday that it had received a letter dated March 5 from the German authorities and would "reply in due time".
While the Commission is relying on Germany to enforce EU law and cannot directly fine carmakers, it has said it will start infringement procedures against member states for breach of a new law that forbids the use of any air conditioning fluids with a global warming potential exceeding 150 times the impact of carbon dioxide.
The Commission does not prescribe which coolant is used provided that it meets the criteria, but the problem is that any alternative Daimler can develop will take time.
"In principle, we have nothing against Daimler if it plans to develop a new refrigerant. The industry has already decided on a refrigerant, but if this is changed in respect of the new rules, we have no problem," the Commission official said.
Germany's letter makes certain suggestions, which the sources did not disclose. An EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Germany had in addition asked the Commission to grant more time to German authorities.
"We feel that the security concerns raised by some car producers should be taken very seriously. Therefore, we feel that it would not serve the desired purpose if we forced car producers to use 1234yf," the diplomat said.
Honeywell says its coolant is highly efficient and safe and has been subject to comprehensive, independent testing.
"Daimler had six years to solve this issue. No other carmarker has reported any safety issues," Paul Sanders, a managing director at Honeywell, said in an interview.
"We continue to work with the Commission and member states authorities to enable the full implementation of the directive (EU law)."
Officials at Daimler could not immediately be reached for comment.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/eu-daimler-idUSL6N0C5AXI20130313
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Daimler, Audi, BMW, Porsche and VW to develop CO2 MAC systems
March 7, 2013
Daimler, Audi, BMW, Porsche and Volkswagen have announced that they will drive the development of CO2 (R744) technology in Mobile Air-Conditioning (MAC) systems. However, out of the manufacturers’ group, only Daimler development chief Thomas Weber is quoted as saying “We are delighted that we were able to agree on this sustainable and safe solution together with Audi, BMW, Porsche and Volkswagen, with the involvement of the VDA.”
Daimler regards the technical challenges for developing MAC systems for high-pressure CO2 technology to be “manageable”. In Geneva Weber told journalists that for safety reasons 1234yf, so far favoured by the automotive industry, would not be considered an alternative and “for this reason we have clearly tasked our engineers to develop a CO2 MAC system.”
http://www.r744.com/news/view/3957
Daimler, Audi, BMW, Porsche and Volkswagen have announced that they will drive the development of CO2 (R744) technology in Mobile Air-Conditioning (MAC) systems. However, out of the manufacturers’ group, only Daimler development chief Thomas Weber is quoted as saying “We are delighted that we were able to agree on this sustainable and safe solution together with Audi, BMW, Porsche and Volkswagen, with the involvement of the VDA.”
Daimler regards the technical challenges for developing MAC systems for high-pressure CO2 technology to be “manageable”. In Geneva Weber told journalists that for safety reasons 1234yf, so far favoured by the automotive industry, would not be considered an alternative and “for this reason we have clearly tasked our engineers to develop a CO2 MAC system.”
http://www.r744.com/news/view/3957
Volkswagen to use CO2 as future refrigerant for air conditioning systems
March 8, 2013
At the Geneva International Motor Show, the Volkswagen Group announced it's officially choosing CO2 (R744) as the future refrigerant for its air conditioning systems.
https://www.volkswagen-media-services.com/medias_publish/ms/content/en/pressemitteilungen/2013/03/08/volkswagen_to_use.standard.gid-journalisten.html
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