Honeywell claims that a research project carried out by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has concluded that safety concerns raised over a new low-CO2 mobile air conditioning refrigerant it has developed are based on ‘unrealistic testing’.
Honeywell said that SAE International has reiterated that it has a “high level of confidence” that Honeywell’s new low-global-warming-potential mobile air conditioning refrigerant, HFO-1234yf, is safe for use in automobiles.
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SAE initiated the latest Cooperative Research Project (CRP) after Daimler raised questions about the refrigerant’s flammability. SAE said the CRP’s latest evaluation was expanded based on Daimler’s concerns, but that “the CRP has found that the refrigerant is highly unlikely to ignite and that ignition requires extremely idealised conditions.”
“The SAE CRP team of OEMs has also identified that the refrigerant release testing completed by Daimler was unrealistic by creating the extremely idealised conditions for ignition while ignoring actual real world collision scenarios,” the SAE said in its announcement. “These conditions include specific combinations of temperature, amount and distribution of refrigerant, along with velocity, turbulence, and atomisation, which are highly improbable to simultaneously occur in real-world collisions.”
A Daimler test on the new refrigerant last year involving a simulated leak resulted in the coolant bursting into flames, triggering a row between Daimler and Honeywell.
From the start of this year, the EU has demanded the phase-in of the new low-CO2 refrigerant – already in use by many manufacturers – instead of a previous industry standard.
However, the German authorities have sought special arrangements to address Daimler’s concerns, such as a grace period or financial compensation. There has also been some support for Daimler’s position from other German automakers. However, the EU has appeared reluctant to countenance further delay.
See also: ANALYSIS: Low-CO2 refrigerant produces heated dispute
