2009 A/C SERVICE REPORT:

R-1234yf
BY PAUL WEISSLER Changes are coming to the world of air conditioning service. We know what they are, but its difficult to say when theyll arrive. For now, understanding the challenges ahead will have to suffice.

NUMBERS G A M E
As we speculated it would be in our 2008 report, the new refrigerant is R-1234yf, a minimally flammable chemical selected for its ultra-low global warming impactjust 4, vs. 1430 for R-134a, but with a nearly identical temperature-pressure curve and similar other characteristics that mean it would require only moderate changes to existing auto a/c systems. Since last year, R-1234yf has passed a string of toxicity tests, and although there are long-term toxicity tests still underway, theres now really no doubt about the basic safety of the substance. It has greater density than R-134a, so it will require specific calibration of the expansion valve and a larger diamePhotoillustration: Harold Perry; photos: Wieck Media & Jupiter Images

THE(NEW)

A
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re you just getting into a/c service? You couldnt have picked a more turbulent time. The most dramatic aspect: Well be switching to a new refrigerant, and, unless theres a last-minute change of heart in Germany, maybe a second one on a few cars.

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2009 A/C SERVICE REPORT

Photo: Paul Weissler

The new electronic leak detectors that meet the SAE J2791 standard are expected to perform well with R1234yf, based on some preliminary evaluations. Shown are (clockwise from top right) the Robinair 22791, the Tracer TP-9364 PRO-Alert and the Techno-Tools D440A.

This refrigerant identifier display (DET-1, etc.) on the Neutronics Ultima ID HVAC Refrigerant Identifier may not seem to mean anything, but its what comes up when the identifier detects R-1234yf. Only a factory software change was made, and identifier owners will be able to get a similar modification to pinpoint R-1234yf. Identifiers that directly read the new refrigerant will eventually be available.

ter low-side hose. There would be a small loss of efficiency with existing condensers and evaporators, but these heat exchangers can be redesigned to compensate. R-1234yf cooling performance should be comparable to that of R-134a. R-1234yf also has zero ozone depletion potential (no danger to the stratospheric ozone layer, the issue that killed R-12). However, there are no plans to retrofit existing R-134a systems as we did to R-12 systems in the early 1990s. In part because of the flammability factor, retrofit would be impractical, so industry plans are focused on continuing R-134a production for as long as needed for service, even after the phaseout. That means you can confidently invest in one of the new recover/recycle/recharge machines that meet the SAE J2788 standard for high performance and accuracy (or if you prefer, one that will meet the H standard, toosee The Hybrids Issue, on page 22), without fear of it becoming obsolete. At this time it also appears that the new electronic leak detectors, which meet the SAE J2791 standard for identifying a wider range of refrigerant leaks with less false-trig-

gering, will perform similarly in an R1234yf system. The new refrigerant seems to have lower permeability than R-134a (will seep out less) with present and next-generation refrigerant hoses.

New equipment will be required to recover, recycle and recharge the new R-1234yf refrigerant.
Although current refrigerant identifiers cant directly pick out R-1234yf, with some factory modifications they can produce a so-called fingerprint identificationi.e., a readout that a technician will know means a system contains about 95% or more of the new refrigerant. The modification will

be a moderate-cost change to any later-model Neutronics-made identifier, including those it makes for other marketers. Eventually, Neutronics will produce an identifier that specifically gives the percentage of R-1234yf, as well as other refrigerants and air. Although R134a and R-1234yf are close in their pressure/temperature relationship, if mixed during prior service, there can be enough of a difference in pressure gauge readings to throw off diagnosis. There will be new recover/recycle/ recharge equipment required for R1234yf. While the refrigerant seems to be environmentally benign, the EPA mandates that all chemical refrigerants must be recovered and recycled. Furthermore, the expected higher cost of the refrigerant and critical nature of todays smaller refrigerant charges emphasize the need for accurate recovery and recharge. An R-1234yf machine also will be important from a shop service operations standpoint. The new R-1234yf machines will require different engineering, to provide the safety margin needed with a flammable refrigerant. Although R-1234yf is minimally flammable, the machines will likely have

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Photo courtesy Neutronics

This chart shows what happens to suction (low-side) and discharge (highside) pressures if R-134a is added to an R-1234yf system. The horizontal numbers (0.1, 0.2, etc.) refer to 10%, 20%, etc., of R-134a, and the peak discharge pressure is reached at about a 50-50 mixits approximately 8% higher than pure R-1234yf. The peak suction pressure (3% higher) is at about 22% R-134a, and drops below the base line of R-1234yf at about 67% R-134a.

enough margin to be used also with R152a, a mildly flammable refrigerant that although not in any companys firm plans today, might eventually find some application. R-152a has been 12L Sphere Containing R-1234yf and Air

tested in secondary-loop systems, where the refrigerant circuit is completely underhood, and is used to chill an antifreeze solution that then is circulated through a heat exchanger in

Automotive Cable

Photo courtesy DuPont

Automotive Cables High-Current 12-Volt/1020 CA Battery 12-Volt Switch

Movable 9.5mm Copper Electrode Stationary 9.5mm Copper Electrode

This DuPont test setup was made to see if a high-amperage arc from a shorted 12-volt battery could ignite R-1234yf in a combustible mixture with air. The sphere contains the mixture, and the switch was thrown to create the arc. The refrigerant requires such high ignition energy, it did not ignite.

the underdash HVAC case. It has possible cost advantages in vehicles with rear HVAC. When will the R-134a phaseout begin in the U.S.? We cant give you a date. No carmaker has officially announced a changeover, although all but the German manufacturers (VW/Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche) have made it absolutely clear R-1234yf is their choice. The current economic turmoil has created other priorities. The first announcements could come at any moment, and once the ball is rolling, youll see itll be nearly unanimous. However, the refrigerant changeover subject arose because the European Union set a legal mandate to use a low global warming refrigerant on all new-vehicle platforms starting Jan. 1, 2011. Although the U.S. is under no such deadline right now, the globalwarming-conscious in the Obama administration in Washington, plus regulators in California and other states, are anxious to matcheven beatthe EU deadline, with an enthusiastic push from such influential nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) as the National Resources Defense Council. During the recent convention of the Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide, the EPA had an all-day session titled R-1234yf Commercialization Meeting, with presentations intended to assess the service industrys preparations. It covered everything from the equipment that will be needed for the new refrigerant to what technicians will have to learn to work on such systems. We can tell you that a U.S. switchover at the start of 2011 is unlikely. Its just not enough time for all the work that has to be done, and the normal bureaucratic sequencing to be completed. R-1234yf still is just part of the way through an EPA regulatory procedure that wont produce an official proposal until later this year, so the official okay for its use wont come until 2010. Several states have laws against use of flammable refrigerants, and the EPA is working to get them modified so R1234yf can be used legally in all states. Engineering standards are still in development, and the components that

Source: Honeywell

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2009 A/C SERVICE REPORT

Left: The Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center checked R-1234yf for flammability on a hot surface, starting out with a thermocouple (arrow) on the exhaust manifold to measure real-world temperature. The reading peaked at 1075F. Right: The engineers then heated a steel plate in an oven to even higher temperatures starting at 1292Fand sprayed refrigerant onto the plate.

must meet them havent undergone durability testing. All the carmakers know pretty much how the legal issues will sort out, so before they even announce theyre making the change, theyre getting ready as fast as possible. Our current best guess: If all the ducks line up, maybe a few cars sometime late in 2011, with the real

changeover starting on new platforms in 2012maybe. One issue: No one has said how soon the chemical companies can even produce R-1234yfor how much. Producing R-1234yf requires a more complex process than making R134a (thats why the price will be higher), so to what extent some R-134a manufacturing facilities can be used is a

question those companies decline to answer now. In mid-2008 they said they could meet an end-of-2010 date to supply an adequate amount for the limited 2011 needs they saw. We expect some updated production estimates and a better feel for the changeover by late spring or early summer. And whats a new platform anyway?

The Hybrids Issue

t one time we thought hybridseven plug-inswould be only a small market factor, but theres a push for more stringent fuel economy standards, particularly in California and the Northeast states that follow the California lead. That seems to indicate well have lots more hybrids nationwide, which is likely to mean more high-voltage electric-drive compressors. The H (for high-voltage) version of the SAE J2788 standard for recover/recycle/recharge equipment is complete, and is going through the SAE review system. J2788H requires a machine to be able to repeatedly service conventional R134a systems with PAG (poly alkylene glycol) oilusing only one set of service hoses. The machine must next be able to service high-voltage electric-drive compressor systems without crosscontamination between residual PAG oil in the hoses and lines, and

the POE (polyol ester) oil the highvoltage hybrids use. The H standard sets a limit of .1% cross-contamination. Thats safely below the 1% PAG-in-POE limit needed to avoid potential danger to a technician touching the compressor under system operating conditions that could result in high-voltage leaking

High-voltage electric-drive compressors, with specitic lubricant requirements, are coming into greater use. This two-mode compressor is used by GM and other carmakers.

from the high-voltage compressor electric motor windings to the compressor body. The equipment manufacturers know what they have to do to meet J2788H, and some actually have labtested their equipment. So as soon as the standard is official, the H machines will be available. An H machine will not be permitted to have oil and/or dye injection, so if you want these features, youll have to get a J2788-only (no H) machine. At this time, an informal EPA advisory says it cant permit manufacturers to retrofit to the H standard those J2788 machines already sold, because the SAE J2788 standard covering them already is part of the Clean Air Act. But if a no-modifications method of gaining equivalent safety when servicing high-voltage compressor systems becomes available, were sure that technicians will find out about it.
Photo: Wieck Media

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Photos courtesy Hyundai-Kia

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Like lots of things in regulations, it isnt really defined by the European Union. It isnt just new sheet metal, or just a new powertrain. What if the platform chassis is a modified version of an existing one, as is common? (Youd be surprised how few all new cars really fit that description.) However, no manufacturer selling whats perceived to be a brand-new model in Europe as of Jan. 1, 2011, wants to explain its no-its-nota-new-platform rationale to European regulators. So there may be some delayed introductions that year if the carmakers need some extra time for the a/c changeover. Although the European Union put in a three-year delay (from 2012 to 2015) for European market vehicles to meet stringent total carbon dioxide emissions regulations, it didnt touch the R-134a phaseout. Now lets look more closely at the new refrigerant itself, which actually was discovered about a half-century ago, and well explain that because R1234yf is listed as a minimally flammable refrigerant, it never got consideration for use in a/c systems before global warming became an issue. So what does the phrase minimally flammable really mean? It means it can be used as an a/c refrigerant with direct expansion for absorbing heat in the underdash evaporator. But the system itself also requires safety mitigation per the EPA, to prevent a flammable concentration from accumulating in the passenger cabin in a worst-case evaporator leak scenario. What would that safety stuff be? Will the system need sensors to detect leaks and a vent valve to blow the refrigerant out before it conceivably could reach a flammable concentration in the passenger compartment even in a worst-case leakage scenario? Last year we thought vent valves would be the approach, and, yes, that remains a possibility. What weve heard since leads us to believe that at the very least there will be requirements for a more robust evaporator that passes severe durability and crash tests, along with eliminating refrigeration line joints in the dashboard. The minimally flammable description is not a euphemism. R-1234yf really is difficult to ignite, and it gets the lowest possible flammability classificationA2Lof ISO (International Standards Organization). DuPont and Honeywell, two chemical companies that are jointly developing the refrigerant (Europe-based Arkema is another)

Section 609 Certification

emember when you got your EPA-required 609 certification so you could legally buy R-12 and continue to service a/c systems? The training program and the test dealt with recycling R-12 and R-134a, and saving the ozone layer. If you look back on it now, certainly with global warming more on everyones mind, youd think, Boy, is it outdated. However, if you have a new technician and you have to get him certified, the news is that the EPA realized that, too. So it had those organizations that certify technicians prepare comprehensive updates for EPA review and approval, and get them ready for the start of this year. Previously certified technicians are grandfathered in, and therefore are not required to take the new test. But when shop owners see the subjects of the new coverage, they should decide if the newest technician in the shop should be the only one with the most up-to-date information. The Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide is one of the organizations that has updated its Section 609 training and certification materials. The updated MACS program is already online

(at www.macsw.org), including an open book certification test that requires a higher passing grade than a proctored test. MACS train-

MACS new 609 Certification Training Manual, which is approved by the EPA, is the text on which the organizations 609 test program is based. Self-tests are available online at www.macsw.org . Training with proctored tests will be given at MACS clinics this spring.

ing programs, with proctored tests, will be given throughout the country this spring. The new training program still covers the ozone layer issue and so do some test questions, but the primary emphasis is on new technology, equipment and techniques. Some of the subjects that werent in the old program or tests include a number of things that, ideally, an a/c technician should have since learned, but perhaps has not. Among them are: system visual inspection; more complete refrigerant recovery and more accurate recharge techniques, even without the latest equipment; maintaining your equipment; all the applicable SAE standards, including equipment that meets the J2788, J2810 (refrigerant recovery only) and J2791 (electronic leak detection) standards; use of J2791 electronic leak detectors; trace dyes, including applicable SAE standards, and proper use; field-assembled hoses; best repair practices. And theres a lot more, so its far beyond a few reminders for the grandfathered-in.

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Photo courtesy MACS Worldwide

have performed many flammability tests, including high-amperage arcing to simulate a shorted battery or blower motor, but R-1234yf requires such high ignition energy, nothing happened. What about a refrigerant spray (say, after a stone chip puncture on a condenser or a sudden failure at a joint) on a really hot surface, such as a cherry-red hot exhaust manifold? The most definitive work weve seen was done at the Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center near Detroit, where peak exhaust gas temperatures on a 4-cylinder were measured at over 1600F, and a thermocouple measured the peak exhaust manifold surface temperature at 1075F. Armed with that information, the engineers heated a thick steel plate (simulating the manifold) to 1292F, well above the peak manifold temperature, and sprayed a mixture of 21 oz. of refrigerant with 3% oil, then 6%. In each case the refrigerant did not ignite, although the oil did. They repeated the test with a flame on the hot surface and, under that condition, the oil and R-1234yf did ignite. However, they tested the refrigerant alone with the plate heated to 1600F (the peak temperature of the exhaust gas) and it did not ignite. Accepting that the risk of flammability is very small, R-1234yf still would be the first mass-production deployment of an automotive a/c refrigerant with any such issue at all. As a result, everyone is being super-cautious, and well have to see what the carmakers decide to do. If they choose a heavyduty evaporator design, that could force changes in the designs of aftermarket evaporators, and a technician would have to install an evaporator that meets the OE design to maintain the EPA-required safety mitigation. The only other refrigerant under active consideration that has a lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) number is carbon dioxide (called R-744 when used as a refrigerant). It has a GWP of 1, so its become the basic unit for measuring global warming impact. The number is so low the refrigerant would not have to be recycled. Inasmuch as carbon dioxide is dry ice, you can assume its a good refrigerant; its been used in commercial refrigeration

since the 1800s. However, it requires an ultra-high-pressure cycle (2300 psi on the high side, about 500 psi on the low side) and doesnt condense until its below 88F. So it almost never goes through a gas-to-liquid phase change, requiring a lot of expensive electronics for efficiency. At high ambient temperatures, R-744 efficiency is lower than that of R-134a or R-1234yf. The high pressures mean high costs for sealing. General Motors estimated the cost for R-744 parts alone at $350 over the cost of an R-134a system, and ended up canceling supply contracts when components failed durability tests. In addition, carbon dioxide is a potential asphyxiant, so excessive leakage from an evaporator, combined with normal human respiration, could result in a passenger cabin atmosphere that affects the drivers ability to operate the vehicle. Therefore, the EPA also requires safety mitigation for carbon dioxide as a refrigerant. An odorant in the refrigerant is one approach being considered. So far the German manufacturers havent given up on R-744, the announced choice of VDA (the German auto manufacturers association VW/Audi, BMW, Daimler/MercedesBenz/Smart and Porsche). The German government environmental agencies and German environmental NGOs still are pushing for carbon dioxide as the natural refrigerant, but many performance and other problems remain to be solved. Without customers other than VDA members, the costs would remain high. There is speculation that very limited introductory use of carbon dioxide, in a few low-volume cars sold in Germany, might be done to showcase the system and see if the problems can be solved with real-world experiences. But unless something dramatic happens, the German manufacturers would face falling behind the rest of the world in use of low global warming refrigerants. Furthermore, there is no R-744 system ready for hybrids, even more of an incentive to join the move to R-1234yf.
This article can be found online at www.motormagazine.com.
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