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This study investigates the cycle performance and potential advantages of the replacement of fin-and-tube evaporator with parallel flow micro-channel evaporator, in R134a roof-top bus air conditioner (AC) system. The heat exchangers for bus AC system are featured by a stringent space height limitation. The configuration of inclined four piece or six piece micro-channel evaporators was proposed to satisfy this space requirement, instead of original two piece fin-and-tube evaporators. Additionally, the individual superheat control method with thermostatic expansive valve (TXV) in each evaporator was adopted to improve refrigerant distribution. Three kinds of micro-channel evaporators were designed and equipped in an 8-m roof-top bus AC system. Except the replacement of evaporators, TXV and connecting pipes, other cycle components were kept same.

The heat pump with low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants is imperative for the electric vehicle (EV) to slow down global warming and extend the driving range while meeting passengers' thermal comfort in low ambient temperatures. However, there are no appropriate refrigerants. To provide long-term and environmental-friendly refrigerants in the heat pump for EVs, herein, we reported newly developed low-GWP refrigerant mixtures, i.e., DL3B, whose GWP is lower than 140, the flammability (lower flammability limit and burning velocity), saturation pressure, lubricant miscibility, material compatibility were experimentally tested. A test bench that can investigate the performance of an R410A prototype was built. The drop-in tests of the DL refrigerant were carried out to evaluate the capacities and COPs for both cooling and heating modes in the EV heat pump system.