Influence of Receiver Capacity on the Refrigerant Charge and on the Performance of an A/C System 1999-01-0871

Refrigerant charge and internal volume of the components have influence on the performance and reliability of an Air Conditioning system. A low refrigerant charge can create problems to the compressor for an improper lubrication of its parts, while an excess of refrigerant charge can increase the condensation pressure substantially with negative effects on the air temperature at the dashboard. Internal volume of the A/C components influences the refrigerant optimum charge, and among these the internal volume of the Receiver has a sensible impact on the refrigerant charge. Lower refrigerant charge is in addition the general demand of car makers both for cost reduction and for environmental reasons (less refrigerant lost in the atmosphere per car in case of car accident or leakage).

The purpose of the paper is to present the results of experimental analysis on the influence of the refrigerant charge and receiver capacity on the performance of an A/C systems.