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Worldwide scrutiny of the global warming impact of R-134a has presented the automotive industry with a pressing challenge to search for suitable alternative refrigerant(s). HFC-152a, referred to as R-152a in the air conditioning and refrigeration industry, is touted as an alternative [1, 2] to R-134a because of its lower global warming potential (GWP). R-152a is more environmentally benign than R-134a with GWP of 120 versus 1300. This paper is a follow up to the work on the potential applications of R-152a presented at the 2003 Vehicle Thermal Management Systems Conference (VTMS6) [3]. It documents continuing progress in applying R-152a to vehicle climate control systems. The paper compares R-152a cooling performance and energy performance to comparable R-134a system designs, including direct and indirect expansion systems. Also discussed are efforts to provide safe system operation with R-152a refrigerant.

As automotive power-train systems become more efficient, less waste heat is available for vehicle passenger cabin warming. As a result, alternative heating technologies are being investigated to alleviate this shortcoming. One alternative is to operate the existing A/C system in reverse (heat pump mode), thus providing supplemental heat. Recently, the environmental impact of refrigerant emissions has come under global scrutiny. The concern is their potential for global warming. Thus, the environmental characteristic of merit that makes for a more benign refrigerant in terms of emissions is lower Global Warming Potential (GWP). R-152a is a more environmentally benign refrigerant compared to R-134a with a GWP of 120 vs. 1,300 [1] and [2]. Both refrigerants are hydro-fluorocarbons - HFCs - (contain no chlorine) and hence, have zero ozone depletion potential. An environmentally benign refrigerant touted as a potential replacement for R-134a, is CO2.