Air conditioning in a car

Made by: Kareem.M.Fareed

Chapter4: Air conditioning in a car

Introduction: Before we start talking about the air conditioning we must first know what does the word air conditioning means. As we know from the air conditioning course that Air conditioning is the process of providing comfortable indoor conditions which is done by controlling the air velocity, humidity, cleanliness and temperature. When we apply this definition on cars we can get that the air conditioner must satisfy the following: It must be compact and light weighted. The compressor must be mechanically driven by sort of belts. As for comfort conditions the air conditioner aims to provide: Good interior climate Good air distribution so as not to harm the passengers. Comfortable interior temperature. Clear windows during operation, such that the temperature difference provided by the device doesn t cause any vapors condensation on the windows. Individual adjustment. Simple operation, such that anyone could deal with the unit even if he is not well educated or familiar with this sort of devices. Till the late 1950 s there wasn t any cooling nor heating in the cars used back then, after that in Europe when winters come people started to find out that these cars needs heating systems as they are unbearable to be in during the winters. So here came the first simple heater HZ car heater : Where a simple on and off heating cycle was first introduced, in this cycle they used a heat exchanger or a serpentine which transfers the heat coming from the engine coolant flowing through it to the air being forced on it via convection and radiation, but unfortunately this cycle wasn t controlled at all.

(Figure 4.1: HZ heater)

After that came the next generation of the HZ heater which was controlled by a valve which regulates the water flow rate according to the required temperature. Then when scientists discovered the concepts of air conditioning and made the first primary air conditioner which was made of a wet cloth on which air stream was passed. After that they worked till they made a liquid which was called Freon. This liquid boils at -29 or -26.5(R134 and R12 respectively).

(figure 4.2: More evolved HZ type)

Not too long from that discovery we found the KL air conditioning unit appeared in the 1960 s car models : where the car cabin could be cooled by a simple air conditioning cycle. This included simple mixers and motor derived flaps to provide some sort of control or manual control. Also a charcoal filter was introduced for the first time. Then came up in the most recent models the HAV and KLA automatic controlled air conditioning devices : In which more flaps and motors were introduced to the system and direct mixing between hot and cold was available, also recirculation option was added such that fast cooling was available too, as well as the multi-compartment cooling and most importantly the heat booster which had great importance especially for diesel engines as it uses electricity to provide heating in order to maintain the heat required for the engine to start as the water used may be cooled when used in heating. The latest and state of the art is the K-KLA intelligent climate control unit : This model provides more accurate control on temperature via:
y

Air flow rate.

y y

water flow rate Mixing.

It is also provided with water control valves and a new charcoal is added in order to increases the filtration and suck the humidity, as well as its control flaps to control its usage whether it is on or off and air bypass flaps, Multi sensors were added to the cycle too in order to provide maximum efficiency. We will handle the K-KLA in this report as it is the one used nowadays in the recent Mercedes-Benz cars.

Second: Air conditioning cycle and its components:

The cycle works in much as the same way as a refrigerator. An evaporator converts the refrigerant from a low pressure liquid into a low pressure gas by absorbing the heat from the passenger s compartment where fresh air is blown on the evaporator coil and then the low pressure gas is sucked by the compressor which increases its pressure, then sends it to the condenser for reversing the process and converting the high pressure gas into a high pressure liquid. After that the liquid goes to the dryer in order to remove air bubbles and humidity before going to the expansion valve where the sudden drop in pressure occurs that is followed by a sudden drop in temperature. Please check (figure4.3) The evaporator is normally located just behind the dashboard so that it can absorb heat from the interior of the vehicle, while the condenser is at the front, to ensure a free flow of air over it to help cool it down. These effects are used to cool down the interior of a vehicle and of course the system is entirely enclosed.

(Figure 4.3 simple air conditioner cycle)

The components of the cycle:

Cabin dust Filter:

Passenger compartment filters (Pollen or Cabin filter) improve the incoming air into the vehicle interior. The filter is located in the vehicle fan air intake duct where it filters out dust, contamination, pollen and bacteria. Charcoal filter element: If a filter element with a layer of activated charcoal is used, poisonous gases, unpleasant odours and humidity can be eliminated from the vehicle interior and intake air. It is located just after the dust cabin filter with individual on/off flaps as it is very expensive and can be used up rapidly especially in Egypt, these flaps can change the air flow away from the charcoal filter completely.
Blower motor and blower regulator

They are located on the air conditioner housing in front of the passenger side just before the evaporator and heater coils. The blower motor derives fresh air from the filter then onto the evaporator or heating coils and then to the interior passenger compartment. The blower regulator controls the supplied voltage to the motor with respect to the air flow rate required, in order to reach satisfactory conditions.
Air-Conditioning Compressors

The AC compressor is driven by the engine via a poly-V-belt or multiple V-belts and compresses or pumps the refrigerant in the system. There are different types of compressors, but the one used in Mercedes systems is a reciprocating compressor. Also this compressor works continuously so, it is subjected to wear such that there is a mechanism which is connected to the temperature sensor which makes the compressor on idle state, which means that it is working but there is no load on the compressor. The compressor sucks in the working fluid coming from the evaporator(to the expansion valve)which is in gaseous state at low temperature and low pressure, compresses it and then transfers it to the condenser in the gaseous state at high temperature and high pressure. Condensers The condenser is required to cool down the refrigerant heated up by being compressed and convert it to liquids state. The hot refrigerant gas flows into the condenser at the top transferring heat to the surroundings through the piping and fins. After cooling the refrigerant exits the condenser at the lower connection in a liquid state. To achieve that, it is positioned in the front of the car before the cooling fan. Condenser Fans and fan control unit

Condenser fans are used to suck the air in order to cool the engine radiator and the air conditioner condenser. These fans are designed as suction-type fans (behind condenser toward rear of vehicle). The air served by them helps the refrigerant returning to liquid in the condenser and engine cooling in all vehicle operating states. The control unit is used to regulate the speed of this electric fan.
Receiver Drier

The purpose of the filter/drier is to remove foreign particles as well as moisture and air from the refrigerant, because as we know that air and moisture is the enemies of any air conditioning cycle. In addition it also serves as a refrigerant reservoir. It has a compensation chamber and in some cases an observation glass. The liquid refrigerant enters the filter/drier through the inlet connection, flows through a filter and exits the component through the outlet line. The upper section of the filter/drier serves as a compensation chamber and the bottom section as a refrigerant reservoir and filter chamber.
Evaporator

The evaporator serves as a heat exchanger between the surrounding air inside the compartment and the refrigerant in the air-conditioning system. The evaporator is located in the evaporator housing and operates like a heatexchanger, it consists of numerous cooling coils connected by fins. As the high pressure liquid refrigerant, throttled by the expansion valve, then injected into the evaporator, it is no longer under pressure. The evaporating temperature of the liquid refrigerant at this pressure is very low (about -29 degrees) which is below that of the air passing across the evaporator. Therefore, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air and evaporates into a vapour, thus cooling the air which is then forced into the compartment via the blower. Expansion Valve The expansion valve is the separation point between the high and low pressure stages in the refrigerant circuit and is installed in front of the evaporator. In order to achieve optimum refrigeration capacity in the evaporator the refrigerant flow is regulated by the expansion valve depending on the temperature.

(Figure 4.4: expansion valve)

The liquid refrigerant coming through the filter from the condenser flows through the valve body and expands into the outlet line to the evaporator. This high reduction in pressure results in a decrease in the temperature as the enthalpy remains constant. In order to achieve optimum refrigeration capacity in the evaporator the refrigerant flow is regulated by the expansion valve depending on the temperature. If the temperature of the refrigerant increases entering the evaporator, the thermostat in the expansion valve opens and with it the valve, increasing the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator. If the temperature of the refrigerant drops entering the evaporator the thermostat closes and with it the valve, decreasing the flow to the evaporator. Heating heat exchanger: The engine coolant water is used to heat up the air passing by the heat exchanger and then going to the passenger s compartment. Hot water is driven inside the heat exchanger through a pulsed valve. Pulsed valve: This valve regulates the amount and flow of the hot engine coolant water into the heat exchanger, according to the required temperature and thermostats. Front air conditioner housing flap actuators: It is located on the air conditioner housing and is used to adjust the air direction and mix the hot and cold streams to give the required output temperature. Also it is used to regulate the distribution of air inside the cabin. As for the recirculation flap motor it is located around the blower such that it could change the flow direction from fresh air to recirculation air, but it only works for 30 minutes so as not to sophisticate the passengers. Heater booster: It is located before the heat exchanger as it uses electricity in order to boost the heat capacity of the heater and in case of diesel cold start it can replace the heat exchanger as all the heat from the coolant will be required for starting ,thus no losses is preferred. Sun sensor: It is located at the upper centre area of the dash board. It is consisted of two level sensor as it measures the light intensity and solar radiation at the two sides, thus regulating the air conditioner to compensate the increasing heat at one side and the lowering the air conditioning at the other side of the car. Coolant thermostat: It is located on the cylinder head. It is used for switching from short cooling circuit to larger cooling circuit, as well as the emergency shutdown for the air conditioner if the engine heats up or is not working well. So in brief we can say that this thermostat ensures that the engine is running smoothly and efficiently. Outside air sensor:

It could be found in the centre behind the front bumper and it registers the ambient temperature to keep the cycle working at a constant efficiency. Heat exchanger sensor: It measures the temperature of the heat exchanger, thus regulating the amount and flow of water. Duct and inner cabin sensors: They measure the temperature in ducts and inside the car and compare them with the required temperature. Humidity sensor: It is used when the charcoal filter is switched on, such that it measures the amount of humidity present.

Third: water and air regulated air conditioning systems

I. Water regulated air conditioning:

The outlet air temperature of the air conditioning system is controlled via the temperature of the heat exchanger and the evaporator. Where the pulsed valves control the flow of water through the heat exchanger, it can be fully opened or fully closed. The opening and closing times are a function of the target temperature that has been selected; also the evaporator and condenser sensors are used for regulation. Now let s deal with cooling, mixing and heating: Cooling: When the maximum cooling is selected or if there is no heating required, the pulsed valve closes preventing the supply to the heater heat exchanger and fresh air or re-circulated air is directed to the air outlets without being heated by the heat exchanger.

Mixing process: For mixing, the pulsed valve opens according to the heat requirement of the interior compartment. the lower the heat required gets the less time the pulsating valve opens such that, less amount of warm coolant water passes through the heat exchanger, so the heat output is decreased. Heating: For maximum heating selected, the pulsating valve is fully opened constantly such that, the air or re-circulated air is heated by the heat exchanger coil.

II.

Air regulated air conditioning:

The air temperature is reached via direct mixing of warm air coming from the heat exchanger coil and fresh air coming from the evaporator coil which is done by the blend air flaps. The evaporator and interior compartment sensors are responsible for this regulation of air. Now, we will discuss this system for cooling, heating and mixing: Cooling: When the minimum temperature is selected and there is no heating is required from the air conditioner the fresh air is directed by the flaps which are actuated by motors through the evaporator and past the heat exchanger where the flaps directing to it are fully closed, then it comes out to the compartment without being heated. Mixed temperature: When an intermediate temperature is selected the blend air flaps are regulated according to the desired temperature thus mixing both hot and cold streams to achieve this temperature. Also as the temperature required the more the fresh air is directed through the evaporator and fewer amounts passes by the heat exchanger and vice versa. Heating: For the maximum temperature is selected the drawn fresh air is directed to the heat exchanger without passing by the evaporator as its flaps are completely closed. Then the air is heated by the hot heat exchanger and after that is directed to the compartment.

Fourth: air conditioning problems and trouble shooting

The most common complaint that is always on the data sheets that the air conditioner isn t working properly. Diagnosis steps: 1. Visual inspection on belts, fits, fan and leakage trails, as well for wear. 2. Actual values check: by comparing the temperature and pressure readings with the actual values. 3. Programming and adaptation: which means making the unit compatible with the weather of our country. 4. Short test. 5. Pressure gauges measurements as the pressures must be as follows( L.P 2 2.5 bars and for H.P 10 17.5 bars) 6. Recovery: which includes recovering the gas from the cycle, filtering it then returning it again. If there was a leakage in the system we do the following steps:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Evacuate the system of the gas. Connect a compressor and pressure gauges Compress air to 1.5 bars Apply soap on the external parts Visual inspection for leakage Change the defaulted part with a new one. Sometimes the Freon oil is visible which means that the part (condenser or expansion valve) is leaking. 8. Recharge the cycle by performing 1- vacuum 2-oil recharge (about 10 grams for lubrication) and 3- Freon recharge.

And to check for leakage you may follow the following steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. Mount the pressure gauges. Get the Freon gas out of the system. Mount a compressor to make a vacuum inside the cycle. If the pressure gauges(which is below zero now) rises, it means that there is a leakage in the cycle.

If the leakage was not an external leakage it means that the evaporator is leaking and it is changed by removing the steering wheel and the complete dash board then dismount the air conditioner housing. After that open the housing and replace the old evaporator with a new one, then mount everything to its place. If the compressor is defaulted it will give a L.P lower than 2 bars and a H.P more than 18 bars. And it is changed by dismounting the manifold and belts, then dismounting the old compressor and changing it with a new one. This step is usually followed by a system cleaning which is done by gasoline pumped through the system to clean the system from burnt compressor chips. Any trouble shooting is followed by charging in the end.

(figure 4.5: Recharging a car with Freon gas via bosch)

(Figure 4.6: connecting the pressure gauges, blue for L.P and red is for H.P)

To check the tank for defaults you do the following steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Dismount the drier or tank. Blow air with your mouth through it. If it is blocked, then it is full of chips and particulates. Change it if it is blocked. Mount it to its place.