Automobile air conditioning
Encyclopedia
Automobile air conditioning systems cool the occupants of a vehicle in hot weather, and have come into wide use from the late twentieth century. Air conditioners
use significant power; on the other hand the drag of a car with closed windows is less than if the windows are open to cool the occupants evaporatively. There has been much debate on the effect of air conditioning on the fuel efficiency of a vehicle. Factors such as wind resistance, aerodynamics and engine power and weight have to be factored into finding the true variance between using the air conditioning system and not using it when estimating the in actual fuel mileage. Other factors on the impact on the engine and an overall engine heat increase can have an impact on the cooling system of the vehicle.
A company in New York City in the United States, first offered installation of air conditioning for cars in 1933. Most of their customers operated limousines and luxury cars.
The Packard Motor Car Company
was the first automobile manufacturer to build air conditioners into its cars, beginning in 1939. These air conditioners were optional, and cost US$274 (equivalent to about US$4,000 in 2007). The system took up half of the entire trunk space, was not very efficient, and had no thermostat or independent shut-off mechanism. The option was discontinued after 1941.
In 1953 Chrysler Corporation offered air conditioning in their luxury Imperial model as a factory-installed option.
In 1954 the Nash Ambassador
was the first American automobile to have a front-end, fully integrated heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system. The Nash-Kelvinator corporation used its experience in refrigeration to introduce the automobile industry's first compact and affordable, single-unit heating and air conditioning system optional for its 1954 Nash
models. This was the second system for the mass market with controls on the dash and an electric clutch, the first being the 1954 Pontiac Starchief, which was introduced in December of 1953, while the Nash system did not come out until after the May of 1954 forming of American Motors. Marketed under the name of "All-Weather Eye
", the Nash system was described as "a good and remarkably inexpensive" system. Entirely incorporated within the engine bay, the combined heating and cooling system had cold air for passengers enter through dash-mounted vents. Nash's exclusive "remarkable advance" was not only the "sophisticated" unified system, but also its $345 price that beat all other systems.
Most competing systems used a separate heating system and an engine-mounted compressor, driven off of the crankshaft of the engine via a belt, with an evaporator in the car's trunk to deliver cold air through the rear parcel shelf and overhead vents. General Motors made a front mounted air conditioning system optional in 1954 on Pontiacs with a straight-eight engine that added separate controls and air distribution. The alternative layout pioneered by Nash "became established practice and continues to form the basis of the modern and more sophisticated automatic climate control systems."
The innovation was adopted quickly, and by 1960 about 20% of all cars in the U.S. had air-conditioning, with the percentage increasing to 80% in the warm areas of the Southwest. American Motors
made air conditioning standard equipment on all AMC Ambassador
s starting with the 1968 model year, a first in the mass market with a base price starting at $2,671. By 1969, 54% of the domestic automobiles were equipped with air conditioning, with the feature needed not only for passenger comfort, but also to increase the car's resale value.
It is claimed that a new type of air-conditioning, called TIFFE, for automobiles that operates similar to a refrigerator
will come into production in 2015. It is said to reduce gasoline consumption by 15%.
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
use significant power; on the other hand the drag of a car with closed windows is less than if the windows are open to cool the occupants evaporatively. There has been much debate on the effect of air conditioning on the fuel efficiency of a vehicle. Factors such as wind resistance, aerodynamics and engine power and weight have to be factored into finding the true variance between using the air conditioning system and not using it when estimating the in actual fuel mileage. Other factors on the impact on the engine and an overall engine heat increase can have an impact on the cooling system of the vehicle.
A company in New York City in the United States, first offered installation of air conditioning for cars in 1933. Most of their customers operated limousines and luxury cars.
The Packard Motor Car Company
Packard
Packard was an American luxury-type automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana...
was the first automobile manufacturer to build air conditioners into its cars, beginning in 1939. These air conditioners were optional, and cost US$274 (equivalent to about US$4,000 in 2007). The system took up half of the entire trunk space, was not very efficient, and had no thermostat or independent shut-off mechanism. The option was discontinued after 1941.
In 1953 Chrysler Corporation offered air conditioning in their luxury Imperial model as a factory-installed option.
In 1954 the Nash Ambassador
Nash Ambassador
Ambassador was the model name applied to the senior line of Nash automobiles from 1932 until 1957. From 1958 until the end of the 1974 model year, the Ambassador was the product of American Motors Corporation , which continued to use the Ambassador model name on its top-of-the-line models...
was the first American automobile to have a front-end, fully integrated heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system. The Nash-Kelvinator corporation used its experience in refrigeration to introduce the automobile industry's first compact and affordable, single-unit heating and air conditioning system optional for its 1954 Nash
Nash Motors
Also see: Kelvinator and American Motors CorporationNash Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the United States from 1916 to 1938. From 1938 to 1954, Nash was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation...
models. This was the second system for the mass market with controls on the dash and an electric clutch, the first being the 1954 Pontiac Starchief, which was introduced in December of 1953, while the Nash system did not come out until after the May of 1954 forming of American Motors. Marketed under the name of "All-Weather Eye
Weather Eye
The Weather Eye was a trade name for a Nash Motors-designed fresh-air automotive heating and ventilating system first used in 1938. This "Conditioned Air System" is characterized by a cowl-mounted outside air receiver that then passes fresh air through a heater core utilizing hot engine coolant for...
", the Nash system was described as "a good and remarkably inexpensive" system. Entirely incorporated within the engine bay, the combined heating and cooling system had cold air for passengers enter through dash-mounted vents. Nash's exclusive "remarkable advance" was not only the "sophisticated" unified system, but also its $345 price that beat all other systems.
Most competing systems used a separate heating system and an engine-mounted compressor, driven off of the crankshaft of the engine via a belt, with an evaporator in the car's trunk to deliver cold air through the rear parcel shelf and overhead vents. General Motors made a front mounted air conditioning system optional in 1954 on Pontiacs with a straight-eight engine that added separate controls and air distribution. The alternative layout pioneered by Nash "became established practice and continues to form the basis of the modern and more sophisticated automatic climate control systems."
The innovation was adopted quickly, and by 1960 about 20% of all cars in the U.S. had air-conditioning, with the percentage increasing to 80% in the warm areas of the Southwest. American Motors
American Motors
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
made air conditioning standard equipment on all AMC Ambassador
AMC Ambassador
- 1958 :American Motors planned to produce a stretched a wheelbase version of the Rambler platform for Nash dealers to be the new Nash Ambassador, and another for Hudson dealers...
s starting with the 1968 model year, a first in the mass market with a base price starting at $2,671. By 1969, 54% of the domestic automobiles were equipped with air conditioning, with the feature needed not only for passenger comfort, but also to increase the car's resale value.
It is claimed that a new type of air-conditioning, called TIFFE, for automobiles that operates similar to a refrigerator
Refrigerator
A refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
will come into production in 2015. It is said to reduce gasoline consumption by 15%.