The ability of owls to glide silently makes them a formidable predator, which inspired automotive supplier Mahle to design a ‘bionic’ cooling fan for electrified vehicles that is quieter and more efficient, using artificial intelligence to develop fan blades that mimic the wings of nocturnal birds of prey. Mahle analysed parts of the animal kingdom … Continue reading Silent flight inspires quieter cooling fans
Nissan, in collaboration with Malaysian radiative cooling specialist Radi-Cool, has developed a revolutionary paint technology and proven it can significantly reduce vehicle interior temperatures, reducing the load on cabin comfort air-conditioning with the potential for other applications such as transport refrigeration and other thermal management solutions. “This is especially important in the EV era, where … Continue reading Radiative cooling paint could reduce air-con load
Toyota is using the demanding Super Taikyu race series as an environment to stress-test and refine its hydrogen technology and has come up with a way of addressing the ‘boil-off’ problem that has been limiting the adoption of liquid hydrogen as an automotive fuel. Intense endurance racing conditions push Toyota’s hydrogen technology to its limits, … Continue reading Toyota proves hydrogen boil-off solution in endurance racing
Just when we thought we might have a solution to the problem of high global warming potential refrigerants, global action against the use of “forever chemicals” linked to a multitude of products including synthetic refrigerants new and old raises a question over the long-term future of products like R1234yf – but mounting pressure to address … Continue reading Taking the fight to PFAS ‘forever chemicals’
The global push towards decarbonisation in the transport and logistics sector has sparked a wave of innovation in refrigerated container and trailer technologies including hybrid and fully electric systems, as well as advanced energy recovery solutions. Companies worldwide are introducing groundbreaking designs aimed at reducing emissions, improving efficiency, and meeting evolving environmental standards. These advancements … Continue reading Refrigerated transport ready for the future
Australia’s reputation as a global leader in lifecycle refrigerant management (LRM) took centre stage at the United Nations Thirty-Sixth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP) and the Thirteenth Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention (COP) in Bangkok. Among the delegation was Ian Stangroome, a director of VASA and a board … Continue reading Montreal Protocol meeting highlights Australian refrigerant stewardship as envy of the world
By the time you read this, we will have announced the inaugural winner of the ARC Award for Refrigerant Management in the automotive category. The winner is someone who keeps her workshop, equipment and paperwork very tidy and is meticulously compliant. Quality is a hallmark of her business. Quality is also a hallmark of ARC … Continue reading ARC Insights: Audit feedback
Ford announced at the recent ATMOsphere MAC Summit in Berlin that it aims to tackle the challenge of electric vehicle thermal management with the use of R290-based full secondary loop heat pumps. Developed with Denso, the technology uses propane as a refrigerant and is said to surpass traditional direct expansion systems by demonstrating significant efficiency … Continue reading Ford and Denso explore hydrocarbon refrigerant for EV thermal management
The automotive sector is driving a boost in the number of young Australians pursuing refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) as their career of first choice, reflected in the latest licensing data released by the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC). Over the past five years, both Refrigerant Handling Licences (RHLs) and Refrigerant Trading Authorisations (RTAs) have experienced significant … Continue reading More young Australians choosing cool careers
Scientists have observed a significant drop in the levels of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in the atmosphere. The most common, R22, poses a significant threat due to being an ozone-depleting substance with a high global warming potential (GWP) 1760 times that of carbon dioxide. A study led by the University of Bristol and published in scientific journal … Continue reading Atmospheric HCFC levels may have peaked
