Experimental Investigation on Energy Consumption and Emissions of Automotive Air Conditioning for Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Heavy-duty vehicle air conditioning, as a primary energy-consuming accessory within the vehicle, has a significant impact on the actual fuel consumption of the vehicle and possesses substantial energy-saving potential. In order to understand the fuel consumption levels of heavy-duty vehicle air conditioning and clarify the influence of environmental conditions and test cycles on both fuel consumption and carbon pollutant emissions, this study utilized environmental chambers, sunlight simulation equipment, chassis dynamometers, and other devices. A series of energy consumption tests were conducted on the air conditioning system of a light-duty truck under different environmental temperatures, light intensities, and test cycles. The following conclusions were drawn: 1) Under different environmental conditions and test cycles, the energy consumption of vehicle air conditioning varies, with an overall contribution to total fuel consumption ranging from 10% to 15%; 2) The total fuel consumption of CHTC-LT is higher than that of C-WTVC, but the air conditioning energy consumption is lower under CHTC-LT conditions; 3) The energy consumption of vehicle air conditioning increases with higher environmental temperatures and sunlight simulation intensity; 4) Activating the onboard air conditioning system will increase the total emissions of carbon pollutants from the vehicle, and the higher the environmental temperature and light intensity, the greater the emissions of carbon pollutants.