Designing a climate control system for a new highway tractor is a multi-phase project. This paper outlines the process and the various challenges each step presented, starting with outside temperatures and going through zone controls, register placement, system design, heat transfer components and testing.
From the different steps emerged a multiple heater/evaporator system with performance superior to existing designs. The system has three sets of controls which provide a means of regulating the temperature in the driver, passenger and sleeper areas of the cab.
The paper also describes the various packaging concepts investigated, how the choice of vacuum as a power medium for the controls was selected and briefly outlines the testing conducted on the new design.
