Recent advances in performance enhancement techniques and the perspective of solar energy for automobile air-conditioning system-a critical review

Abstract

The fluctuation in temperature in the vehicle cabin causes discomfort for occupants. To maintain a comfortable temperature in the cabin, the importance of the air-conditioning system (ACS) increases in automobiles. In situations like dense traffic and the parking of vehicles in open spaces (under direct sunlight), the vehicle's cabin temperature increases. The comfortable condition for occupants in the vehicle cabin is achieved by ACS which consumes energy from the engine or battery, which affects the fuel economy or cruising range, or average performance of the vehicle. When the engine is “Off”, achieving comfortable conditions in the cabin or operating ACS becomes impossible. In this review, the authors have reviewed various passive and active cooling technologies to enhance the performance of ACS, which leads to an improvement in the performance of conventional or hybrid, or electric energy-based vehicles. The influence of distinct parameters on performance indices of ACS and overall vehicle performance has been summarized in tables. The renewable sources of energy to reduce the soak temperature in the cabin and to operate ACS in automobiles have also been explored and reviewed. In the end, the critical conclusion and the future scope of renewable energy-operated stand-alone ACS have been elaborated concisely.