KERPEN, Germany — Visteon Corp. has designed a system set to improve fuel economy in future vehicles. The company’s latest generation R744 system consumes up to 25 percent less incremental fuel compared to conventional R134a systems. The efficient operation helps to reduce the overall fuel consumption of the vehicle by approximately 0.3 liters per 100 km at the same cooling performance as traditional systems at an ambient temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, leading to a reduction of CO2 tailpipe emissions by 7g/km, the company said.
Visteon said it has delivered more than 30 prototype vehicles with R744 air conditioning systems across different platforms to more than 12 vehicle manufacturers. These vehicles
and Visteon’s own test fleet have been undergoing extensive trials in hot and cold climates, the company said.
“We have been developing R744 climate systems and components since 1999, and have achieved significant improvements in both system efficiency and cooling performance," said Nurdal Kucukkaya, Visteon vice president. "Today, we can offer a production-ready and complete R744 climate system which not only meets upcoming European legislation on greenhouse gases but also helps our customers improve fuel economy."
Visteon’s in-depth system expertise and state-of-the-art development tools were applied to optimize the design of components and fully utilize the favorable thermodynamic properties of the natural refrigerant R744. By designing standardized and compact components, Visteon has developed a package and cost-efficient system which can be integrated in parallel to the phaseout of existing R134a systems.
As a part of the system, Visteon has designed a new fitting technology called VisCO2nnect. Unlike conventional metal seal fittings, VisCO2nnect has a patented design which assures the required level of pressure and supports easy assembly and serviceability, the company said.
"With our innovative fitting technology, we have been able to demonstrate a high level of system competence," said Kucukkaya. "Our customers have confirmed that VisCO2nnect has redefined industry standards in R744 fluid transport development."
The company also has developed a range of compressors to support all vehicle classes from small and compact to luxury vehicles. All compressors have been through extensive component and vehicle testing.
In addition, Visteon is working on future R744 applications supporting hybrid vehicles. The key component is a compact designed electrical compressor, which allows for efficient package utilization and integration in parallel to conventional compressors. Visteon said it is actively working with various original equipment manufacturers to develop a modular compressor, which can be easily adapted to mild and full-hybrid applications.
