The following is a press release about the future of A/C system for cars.
*-------------------------------Y2KOTA-------------------------------*
Don Mallett
Y2K QC 4.7L Auto SLT+
http://www.mallettservices.com/y2kota.html
http://www.dakota-truck.net/profiles/dakota/QwkvWz@DAJFf6/profile.htm
*-------------Straight home & no playing in the puddles!-------------*
Press Release from the Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE)
Recent changes in European automotive A/C System
refrigerants presented at SAE Alternate
Refrigerant Symposium in Phoenix.
Warrendale, PA, June 20, 2003 - When it comes to
automotive environmental regulations, sometimes
laws happen in Europe and eventually find their
way across the Atlantic. One kind of emission
produced by automobiles comes in the form of the
refrigerants in automobile air conditioners, and
the regulatory focus of the European community
(EC) is once again on making a change.
European Commission representative Dr. Matti
Vainio will present an overview of the EC
timetable for phasing out refrigerant R-134a at
the SAE Alternate Refrigerant Symposium, July
15-17, 2003 at the Resort Suites Hotel in
Scottsdale, Arizona. Dr. Vainio's presentation
will take place Tuesday morning. Automotive
engineers and suppliers of automotive air
conditioning systems from around the world
attend this 5th SAE event to share ideas and
information about what has remained a hot
technology area of automotive design and
government regulatory focus.
The Europeans are moving to phase out R-134a as
a refrigerant because it is on the Kyoto
Agreement "hit list" of gases thought to
contribute to global warming. R-134a itself was
mandated in the U.S. as a replacement for
CFC-12, commonly known by its trade name "Freon"
due to CFC-12's depletion of atmospheric ozone.
Most of the European nations signed the Kyoto
Protocol that calls for cutbacks in carbon
dioxide emissions and the release of other
global warming gases.
Following Dr. Vainio to the podium is Dr.
Stephen Andersen of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, who will present "A Voluntary
Agreement to Enhance HFC-134a Systems Worldwide."
Dr. Andersen's talk will cover the benefits of
producing enhanced HFC-134a systems.
Ward Atkinson, Chairman of the SAE Interior
Climate Control Standards Committee
stated "Alternate refrigerant mobile air
conditioning systems must provide at least the
same level of consumer acceptance for
performance and reliability as production
HFC-134a systems. One of industry activities
is the SAE industry and government sponsored
Alternate Refrigerant Cooperative Research
Program providing a directly comparative
engineering evaluation of existing HFC-134a and
other refrigerant technologies."
The replacement most often mentioned is a CO2
system having an advantage of no net increase in
global warming gases. Another alternative
refrigerant being considered in Europe is
HFC-152, which is less harmful to the ozone
layer but is somewhat flammable, having a lower
global warming affect as compared with HFC-134a.
The industry is currently evaluating these
alternate refrigerant systems for performance,
efficiency and their production feasibility as
a replacement for HFC-134a systems.
During the SAE Alternate Refrigerant Symposium
there will be technical presentations and
demonstration vehicles using CO2, HFC-152a and
secondary loop systems.
SAE Media Contact: Steve Yaeger - 724-772-4068, syaeger@sae.org
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