Energy Savings on Automotive Air Conditioner Using Liquid-Suction Heat Exchanger Subcooler

Abstract

The present study describes a numerical analysis of the effect of subcooling using liquid-suction heat exchanger (LSHX) on the performance of automotive air conditioner. Besides increasing the cooling capacity, subcooling using LSHX also generates superheating in the suction of the compressor, where the superheating ensures only vapor phase of refrigerant entering the compressor suction and reduces the risk of damage to the compressor. The results show that the refrigeration capacity improvements and COP improvements up to 11.86% and 5.64%, respectively, for the subcooling of 1 K to 10 K and the condenser temperature of 40°C to 50°C.