Cadillac XTS first U.S. car with R-1234yf A/C - SAE International
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`Cadillac XTS first U.S. car with R-1234yf A/C
`14-Feb-2012 09:01 EST
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`Art cle
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`Cadillac XTS will be the first U.S. car with an R-1234yf air-conditioning system.
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`We’re “almost” ready for R-1234yf, the new low global warming auto A/C refrigerant that is being used in place of R-134a to meet European regulat ons and
`gain U.S. EPA fuel economy credits. “Almost” applies despite the fact that R-1234yf already has been installed in a small number of cars in Europe since last
`winter and is coming to Cadillac dealers in a matter of a few months.
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`The major problem is R-1234yf supply. A large plant in China, a joint venture between DuPont and Honeywell, reportedly is ready to go, but Chinese
`government requirements for additional documentation apparently have delayed the needed approval for product on to start. So the only supply of R-1234yf is
`from a pilot plant operated by Honeywell, as the company holds patents covering applications for the refrigerant. Although overturning these patents is the
`object of lawsu ts and complaints with regulatory agencies by potential competitors in Europe and the U.S., at this time the refrigerant is single-source.
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`Honeywell has focused on delivering most of the available R-1234yf to Europe, where a European Commun ty regulat on mandates a low global warming
`refrigerant for all new platform vehicles since Jan. 1, 2011. Car companies have juggled production and introduction schedules to conform to the regulat on and
`deal w th the supply problem. However, Honeywell has a supply contract with General Motors and, desp te the shortage, will provide enough refrigerant for the
`new Cadillac XTS, the larger-than-CTS luxury sedan coming in late spring, and then also for the ATS, the smaller-than-CTS sports sedan to be introduced in
`mid-summer. GM will earn fuel economy-related carbon diox de emissions cred ts for the change.
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`EPA approvals awaited
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`The issues go beyond the refrigerant supply into what seems like incredibly small tems that remain but still are legally required. U.S. EPA regulates auto A/C
`refrigerants under the Clean Air Act, prohibiting venting and requiring they be recovered and recycled and, if needed, recharged (RRR) into vehicle systems. For
`R-134a, EPA has referenced an appl cable SAE standard, J2788.
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`Although R-1234yf itself, some new parts, and service equipment have the EPA's OK, the agency still has to accept the SAE-specified fitting on the refrigerant
`tanks for the R-1234yf service equipment, and while there’s no objection, the mandatory approval process is not fast. Ward Atkinson, chairman of the SAE
`Interior Climate Control Standards Committee (ICCC), has asked EPA for expedited review so equipment and tanks already engineered can be used.
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`A related issue, a barrier in the sense of a shop’s bankroll, is the size of the refrigerant tank. The cost of R-1234yf—estimated at about $70 lb ($154 kg) to the
`professional installer—would represent a $2000 investment to fill the standard 30-lb (13.6-kg) tank. A $2000 expenditure would be a large amount for a
`refrigerant supply that with one or two exceptions (primarily for acc dental damage to the A/C) might not even be tapped for years to come. So EPA has been
`asked to approve a smaller size, perhaps one with a 10- to 15-lb (4.5- to 6.8-kg) capacity.
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`And the expense for refrigerant would be in addition to perhaps $7000 or more for the R-1234yf service equipment. Per the forthcoming EPA regulations, which
`will be tied to the Clean Air Act, R-1234yf will have to be serv ced with new RRR machines that meet SAE J2843 (or the refrigerant recovery-only J2851). This is
`equivalent to the currently used R-134a and J2788 (and J2810, refrigerant recovery only standard).
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`Refrigerant identifiers important
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`R-1234yf is mildly flammable, so R-1234yf standards require serv ce equipment and evaporators with safety features to cover this factor, and w th J2843
`machines also the integrat on of new refrigerant dentifiers. Because R-1234yf is perhaps 10 to 12 times the price of R-134a, there is concern that R-1234yf
`systems will be charged with R-134a if they leak, or even just topped up with this less-expensive refrigerant. Performance would be about the same w th a full
`charge of either one in an R-1234yf system, but global warming reduct on benef ts would be lost. There also would be a problem with a 50:50 mixture of
`R-1234yf and R-134a, wh ch would produce refrigerant pressures 8% higher than normal.
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`http://articles.sae.org/10663/
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`2/8/2016
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`Cadillac XTS first U.S. car with R-1234yf A/C - SAE International
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`So all SAE J2843-compliant machines must have a built-in dentifier or a USB port for a valid R-1234yf signal from a handheld identifier before they will allow
`refrigerant recovery. And these identifiers are covered by two SAE standards: J2912 for handhelds and J2927 for built-ins. Current identifiers cannot even
`identify R-1234yf w thout modif cation, and in any case would not have the software and USB port to provide the signal to the RRR machine.
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`The new dentifiers also will be able to determine if the tank or system contains R-40 (methyl chloride), a highly toxic, flammable, and dangerously reactive (to
`aluminum) refrigerant that has been found in systems and counterfeit R-134a tanks overseas and, in one case, in several containers that got to the U.S.
`Current-generation premium dentifiers with dig tal displays can tell a technician only if a virgin R-134a tank actually contains nothing else, including 0%
`air/noncondensable gasses. The dentifiers may interpret R-40 as air/noncondensables and therefore display a separate number indicating significant
`air/noncondensables content, so a technician who believes he bought virgin R-134a should be susp c ous.
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`Although all RRR machine manufacturers have prototype SAE J2843-compliant equipment developed, the limited market potential makes it likely only car
`dealers will be customers for the present. SPX Service Solut ons’ Robinair Division and Bosch Automotive Aftermarket Divis on’s RTI Group showed R-1234yf
`machines at the recent trade show of the Mobile Air Conditioning Society Worldwide. But just a few days after the show, Bosch announced t was acquiring
`Serv ce Solutions, so some consolidation of the Robinair and RTI brands’ equipment lines can be expected.
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`J2911 postings to appear on website
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`All the new R-1234yf serv ce equipment and some components (such as hoses and evaporators) must be certified to their applicable standards and to SAE
`J2911, a new, overarching standard that covers certificat on to 11 SAE standards at this point. J2911 was wr tten to deal with an issue that had been raised
`sotto voce in the equipment industry’s competitive atmosphere: does a particular machine, tester, or part really pass the appl cable SAE standard? In theory,
`certification is voluntary, only applying if the manufacturer advertises or claims in labeling that equipment meets a particular standard.
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`However, "voluntary" doesn't mean much with the regulatory requirements of EPA when it comes to RRR machines, and now the dentifiers that work w th
`them, and also the A/C evaporator for R-1234yf systems.
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`In add t on, OEMs require that all A/C service equipment and parts approved for their dealers meet the applicable SAE standards for the dealers to obtain
`warranty reimbursement. So for all pract cal purposes, SAE standards set the rules.
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`As AEI has noted, all the key laboratory results for certif cation testing to one of the standards must be provided in tabular form to SAE, for posting on the
`special mobile A/C database website (MACDB.sae.org). Results will appear over the dated signature of the manufacturer’s CEO or equivalent. Website access is
`open to anyone—government agencies, competitors, etc.—and if anyone wishes to publicly quest on the numbers, he is free to pursue the subject in any
`appl cable way, including with regulatory agencies. Because this format is so new, companies have been given added time to comply.
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`When the webs te is populated, t initially will provide data for these SAE standards: J2064—Refrigerant (R-134a, R-1234yf) Automotive Air Conditioning Hose;
`J2788—R-134a Recovery/Recycle/Recharging Equipment for Mobile A/C Systems; J2791—R-134a Refrigerant Electron c Leak Detectors, Minimum Performance
`Cr teria; J2810—R-134a Refrigerant Recovery Equipment for Mobile A/C Systems; J2842—R-1234yf and R-744 Design Criteria and Certif cat on for OEM Mobile
`A/C Evaporator and Serv ce Replacements; J2843—R-1234yf Recovery/Recycle/Recharge Equipment for Flammable Refrigerants in Mobile A/C Systems;
`J2845—R-1234yf and R-744 Technician Training for Service and Containment of Refrigerants Used in Mobile A/C Systems; J2851—R-1234yf Refrigerant
`Recovery Equipment for Mobile A/C Systems; J2912—Performance Requirements for R-134a and R-1234yf Refrigerant Diagnost c Identifiers for Use with Mobile
`A/C Systems; J2913—R-1234yf Refrigerant Electron c Leak Detectors, Minimum Performance Criteria; J2927—R-1234yf Refrigerant Identifier Installed in
`Recovery and Recycling Equipment for Use with Mobile A/C Systems, and of course J2911—Certificat on Requirements for Mobile A/C System Components,
`Service Equipment and Service Techn cians to Meet SAE J Standards.
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`Although J2842 and J2845 also reference R-744 (carbon d oxide as a refrigerant) A/C systems, there are no mass production systems in planned OE use at this
`time and therefore no actual certifications of same to the standards. Since 2007, R-134a equipment has been eligible for certif cation to SAE J2788 and J2810,
`later to 2791, all prior to publication of J2911. Whether or not to provide “grandfathering” exemptions for continuing production models, use original laboratory
`data for the new J2911 website listings, or set a time limit for a new series of lab tests is still to be dec ded. At the same time, ICCC is considering the addition
`of existing and work-in-progress standards for J2911 certificat on, including those for A/C ultraviolet trace dyes.
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`Author:
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`Paul Weissler
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`Sector:
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`Automotive
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`Topic:
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`Vehicles and Performance
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`Fuels and Energy Sources
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`Interiors, Cabins and Cockpits
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`Transportation Systems
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`Environment
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`Ment ons: Cadillac
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`http://articles.sae.org/10663/
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`2/8/2016
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