Air Conditioning / Heating / Air Filtration

[Snick]

All A/C's draw from the engine power, regardless if they're electric or belt driven, ultimately (unless you've got a large battery array such as in a hybrid. In that case, electric draws from the battery mostly until it reaches a certain state of charge, whereupon the A/C draws down the motor once again.)

Most modern cars have variable compressors which can constantly vary the load on the engine to meet the requested cooling demand or to allow the car to accelerate when a limit switch is hit. Some ECU's pay attention to throttle position TPS and vary the AC compressor load inversely--yet another of the benefits of drive by wire--increased efficiency.

 

[lkptpete]

I asked Mr Vassallo that question when they were out here in Chandler a while back. He told me they will be using the a/c units that are found in the rear of minivans. Apparently they do not draw down on the engine.

So would this be an electric compressor? Not up on rear minivan A/C units....

 

[GaPawn]

I asked Mr Vassallo that question when they were out here in Chandler a while back. He told me they will be using the a/c units that are found in the rear of minivans. Apparently they do not draw down on the engine.

When they say they are using parts from the rear of a minivan, I suspect they are referring to the condenser, which is the "radiator/coolness exchanger" part, not the compressor, which is the part that is attached to the engine and works off the the belt that the engine turns. Minivans use one compressor that is largish in size, because they often have to service a front AND rear condenser, assuming that the mini van has "rear air".

I suspect that the compressor will be VERY small due to the low cubic feet that must be cooled in an Elio. Prolly something from a small subcompact auto that will not suck any more energy from the engine than is absolutely necessary.

Just guessing on this, but a compressor from a mini van is likely over kill in this case....

 

[lkptpete]

Somewhere else (maybe on this forum or the other board. Why there are two separate Elio forums I have no idea...) ANYWAY.... Someone posted an idea for vents in the A pillars to minimize the need for using A /C. If you are old enough to remember cars with triangle vent windows.... If you opened them ALL THE WAY they would force a lot of air into the car and keep you pretty cool as long as you were at speed.

 

[zelio]

Somewhere else (maybe on this forum or the other board. Why there are two separate Elio forums I have no idea...) ANYWAY.... Someone posted an idea for vents in the A pillars to minimize the need for using A /C. If you are old enough to remember cars with triangle vent windows.... If you opened them ALL THE WAY they would force a lot of air into the car and keep you pretty cool as long as you were at speed.

To each his own. We get just enough very hot weather here that I really don't want to drive without AC. Even though I rarely use it, at least I have the option if I need it. If you don't want to use yours all you have to do is leave it off. Frankly, driving with the windows open at highway speeds is very noisy and not the least bit pleasant in any weather. :-) Z

 

[lkptpete]

Didn't mean not to have A/C, just to have some effective passive vents (not open windows that foul up airflow around the car) to minimize the need to use the A/C

 

[lkptpete]

Didn't mean not to have A/C, just to have some effective passive vents (not open windows that foul up airflow around the car) to minimize the need to use the A/C

The vent window example was just to remind people how much air that can be funneled into a car

 

[skygazer6033]

Somewhere else (maybe on this forum or the other board. Why there are two separate Elio forums I have no idea...) ANYWAY.... Someone posted an idea for vents in the A pillars to minimize the need for using A /C. If you are old enough to remember cars with triangle vent windows.... If you opened them ALL THE WAY they would force a lot of air into the car and keep you pretty cool as long as you were at speed.

Nowhere in the text of that link do I see a reference to what type of air conditioning compressor will be used...

I just saw a youtube cg video of the elio engine. It appears to have an a/c compressor mounted beneath the alternator. Looks like a Harrison v5 variable displacement unit. I've also read the condenser unit is from a Dodge minivan.

 

[wheaters]

VW Beetles (the old air cooled ones) had hot air from the engine channeled through the sills and A pillars. Problem was, if water got in there, when you turned on the heating to clear the windscreen it would vapourise the water which would then steam up the windscreen......

Water did get in, especially if the windscreen rubbers were old; condensation from the lower windscreen corners dripped down into the A pillars....

An eco-cycle all of its own. In wet weather You needed wipers on the inside more than on the outside!

 

[carzes]

I asked Mr Vassallo that question when they were out here in Chandler a while back. He told me they will be using the a/c units that are found in the rear of minivans. Apparently they do not draw down on the engine.

Out of curiosity I did some limited research and I can't find many references to rear ac systems that use anything but one engine driven compressor running two evaporator setups, (one for rear cooling). The only references I could find regarding an actual separate rear system used two engine driven compressors. Maybe the rear one is a smaller compressor? In either case it would still impose a load on the engine as do ALL power driven accessories since the engine is the source of all energy for the vehicle regardless how you convert it. Unless there are plans to install pedals.