Management of connections for passenger car air-conditioning using CO₂

Abstract

An EU regulation prescribes that from 2011, with a transition period up to 2017, all new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles must contain an environmentally-friendly refrigerant. The German car manufacturers have decided in favor of carbon dioxide “CO₂” (R744) as the new natural refrigerant for vehicle air-conditioning systems. In addition to environmental friendliness, CO₂ air-conditioning systems also offer higher efficiency than current R134a systems. For a better management of connections Voss Automotive developed new connection systems and sealing design, which allow the pressures four times higher and operating temperatures twice as high in a CO₂ air-conditioning system.