Thermal Management for Sustainable and Comfortable Mobility
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The central theme of this year’s IAA Expo is “Sustainable Mobility”. You know Behr as a specialist for climate control and cooling, but what do these really have to do with sustainability?
Thermal energy flows are an important part of a vehicle’s total energy balance. Even in state-of-the-art diesel engines, just under one-third of the fuel’s energy input is actually available to power the vehicle. This is due to the irrefutable laws of thermodynamics. The object of engine cooling is to channel approximately two-thirds of the power away from the engine as is directed to the wheels. Otherwise, the engine could not run!The air conditioning, in turn, is supposed to generate approximately 8 kW of cooling performance during peak loads at a minimal excess fuel use. You could air condition a single-family home with this.
In the following presentation, I would like to show you how Behr, as a specialist in vehicle air conditioning and engine cooling, is contributing to sustainable and comfortable mobility:
- ECO-A/C: By increasing efficiency and by promoting the natural coolant R744, we are lowering the HVAC system’s CO2 emissions.
- PHYSIO-CONTROL®: We physiologically air condition the passenger to an optimum level so that he also feels subjectively comfortable.
- ECO-COOL®: Our engine cooling systems assist in fulfilling strict emissions standards at minimal fuel use.
- Hybrid Thermot-tronics:We contribute to the success of hybrid vehicles through comprehensive thermal management.
ECO-A/C
The trade name ECO-A/C comprises our products for sustainable vehicle air conditioning.
In the past, Behr already focused its developments on the improvement of thermal efficiency, regardless of the coolant used. In the last ten years, we have reduced the additional fuel usage of our HVAC systems by a good 25%, to a current annual average of 0.5 l/100 km.
The additional usage must always be calculated on a yearly average and always for a driving cycle, not for an individual operating point. At very high external temperatures and in stop-and-go traffic, selective values can result in a few liters per 100 km. These momentary usages, as they are publicized on various occasions, have, however, nothing to do with the actual additional usage over the entire year. This is about energy, not momentary performance.
By 2012, we want to achieve an additional reduction of more than 20%, which corresponds to a reductionof the CO2 emissions caused by air conditioning to 9.6 g per 100 km.
How can we achieve this?Through a number of improvements to the refrigeration cycle, the HVAC unit, and the control system. Above all, harmonization of the individual components is particularly important here. On the circulation side, we continue to work on increasing the efficiency of the evaporators and condensers. We integrate an additional component, the interior heat exchanger, into the refrigeration cycle. In addition, we reduce the heat input into the HVAC unit as well as the power requirements of the electrical components. With our joint venture, Behr-Hella Thermocontrol (BHTC), we are also improving the control concept.
From 2011, the current coolant R134a will be forbidden for use in air conditioning of new vehicle types throughout the EC. The car manufacturers represented in the German car manufacturers’ association VDA are the first companies in the world to agree on the use of the new coolant R744, that is to say carbon dioxide. The global warming potential of R744 is less by a factor of 1,000 than for R134a. Therefore the leakage portion of total CO2 emissions does not apply to R744, so that by converting to the new coolant, the CO2 emissions caused by air conditioning will be reduced by a total of 30%.
Beyond this, R744 offers a higher comfort level because the cooling of the heated vehicle cabin occurs much more quickly: the comfort point is achieved approximately ten minutes faster. R744 has slight disadvantages at extremely high temperatures in stop-and-go traffic. However, these can be reduced through a well-conceived design of the cooling module. 14 years ago, Behr was the first manufacturer to begin working on R744 and has since been the leader in this field. An innovative leader needs to have great staying power!We are happy that the advantages of R744 could be confirmed during this long development period.
PHYSIO-CONTROL®
Together with BHTC, we have set new benchmarks in vehicle air conditioning with the PHYSIO-CONTROL® climate control system introduced in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in 2005. PHYSIO-CONTROL® offers individual air conditioning styles, commands an intelligent air-flow control and enables a variable temperature distribution between head and foot areas.
The next step to optimal thermal comfort is the newly developed Behr comfort vent. Here, the passenger can also influence the type of outflow and choose between a diffuse or a spot air flow.
With these products, we fulfill the socially and individually increasing desire for more comfort. Current studies have shown that we are on the right track:In a study recently published in the journal Automobil Produktion, a majority of the drivers surveyed responded to the question, “How could your air conditioning be improved in your opinion?” by answering with ‘a draft-free ventilation’.
A study commissioned by us with industry analysts Frost & Sullivan came to the same conclusion: the majority of drivers would like a draft-free air conditioning system.
ECO-COOL®
The trademark ECO-COOL® comprises all new classical thermal management components for combustion engines. For us, sustainability means the reduction of emissions, specifically particles, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons, at minimal fuel usage.
Comprehensive thermal management means customized engine cooling, finely tuned for every driving situation. Integrated into the thermal management is cooled exhaust gas recirculation (single-stage or two-stage), without which the coming NOxthreshold values cannot be achieved for diesel engines. In addition, cooled exhaust gas recirculation can be combined with an indirect charge air cooling. The latest examples for our first-to-market developments:
- Since the beginning of this year Behr has been supplying charge air coolers for low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation to a commercial vehicle manufacturer in North America.
- The world’s first direct air/EGR cooler went into series production in Europe.
Cooled exhaust gas recirculation is becoming more interestingfor turbo-charged gasoline engines with direct injection as well, as it can lead to a considerable decrease in the amount of CO2emissions.
Behr Thermot-tronik has developed a so-called MTC valve for optimum control of exhaust gas recirculation in diesel engines. This valve is a world first, and will go into series production in 2009. It combines the function of a bypass valve with that of a continuous control valve. This principle permits both lower costs and greater reliability. By combining the MTC valve with our EGR coolers in a single exhaust gas recirculation module we save packaging space and assembly costs.
Hybrid Thermot-tronics
As a specialist for thermal management, Behr also contributes to making hybrid vehicles more powerful and more comfortable. We summarize these products under the term Hybrid Thermot-tronics.
A storage evaporator that is ‘piggybacked’ on the air conditioning evaporator bridges the non-air conditioned start-stop mode in hybrid vehicles. The storage evaporator is a cooling battery filled with a latent medium, which is cooled by the refrigerant from the evaporator. For example, if the vehicle is stationary at a red light, the air conditioning compressor is also inactive. The latent medium melts and thus cools the vehicle interior for up to 50 seconds – long enough for an average red-light phase.
The electrical components and electrical batteries of modern hybrid vehicles require special cooling. Even if the electrical components, which have optimum working temperatures of 60°C, can be cooled with a low-temperature circuit, we reach the limits of refrigerant cooling for a lithium-ion battery, which has a maximum working temperature of approximately 40°C. The battery cooling thus requires a connection to the vehicle’s air conditioning system. One way of battery cooling is to use coolant for direct cooling of the battery module. Cooling the battery with air, cooled down by the vehicle’s air conditioning system is another way. The third way is to cool the battery in a secondary cycle.
The implementation of these battery cooling methods also presumes, naturally, that the system supplier will deal intensively with the thermal demands of high-performance batteries.
Conclusion
Behr contributes to a sustainable and at the same time comfortable mobility with its products:
- We decrease additional CO2emissions from vehicle air conditioning, also by promoting the new, natural coolant R744.
- We provide draft-free and individually adjustable interior air conditioning in a way that passengers feel really comfortable.
- Our cooling systems assist in fulfilling emissions limit values at minimal fuel use.
- Ultimately, we contribute to the success of hybrid vehicles through our thermal management.
With the innovative products that we have pioneered, we create the solid basis for an attractive future for our company. Our growth is assured.
This is documented by a few numbers from the first half of 2007: we were able to increase sales by five per cent to 1.72 billion euros. Adjusted to include currency effects, the increase approaches ten per cent. The number of employees rose by three percent to 19,157 – in Germany as well, by the way. Our investments came to 68 millioneuros, at the same level as the previous year. You will find additional information about the first half of the year in the press kit.
Ladies and gentlemen:
Allow me to return, once more, to the main topic of my remarks. The social and individual needs and the coming legal requirements will present vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers with great challenges. Challenges that we can only overcome together and by working in partnerships. Only by combining our forces can we summon the necessary expertise in order to achieve mobility that is both sustainable and comfortable. The need for this mobility remains unchanged and we all experience this intensively at trade shows such as the IAA Expo.
Thank you.
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