DENSO Develops Cold Storage Evaporator that Limits the Rise in Cabin Temperature During an Idle Stop

KARIYA, Japan, Sept. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- DENSO Corporation has developed a Cold Storage (CS) Evaporator, which limits the increase in vehicle cabin temperature during an idle stop when stop/start technology is employed. The newly developed CS Evaporator is equipped with a cold insulator, located in the heat exchanging area, which stores cold energy to be used to cool in-vehicle cabin air while the engine and air-conditioning cycle is off in the idle-stop state.

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"Air-conditioning systems with our CS Evaporator can limit the increase in cabin temperature when the engine and air-conditioning are off during an idle stop," said Akio Shikamura, senior executive director of DENSO's Thermal Systems Business Group. "This helps maintain occupant comfort while also increasing the vehicle's fuel efficiency."

The Evaporator  
An evaporator is a component driven by engine power that is used in the air-conditioning cycle. How it works is the cold refrigerant exchanges heat with warm air to send cooled or dehumidified air to the cabin. For conventional air-conditioning systems, when the engine stops during an idle-stop mode, the air-conditioning cycle also stops, which may impact cabin temperature. In order to cool the cabin on higher temperature days, the engine needs to remain on to continue the air-conditioning cycle, which is not fuel efficient.

DENSO's CS Evaporators:   
The CS Evaporator has the same basic structure and is the size of a conventional evaporator but it can store cold energy more quickly and discharge cooled air more slowly. To accomplish this, DENSO installed a closed case with inner fins and a cold insulation inside. The cold insulation case is placed between refrigerant tubes, which the cold insulator directly and efficiently extracts cold energy from during the air-conditioning cycle. When the air-conditioning cycle is stopped, cooled air is slowly released from the cold insulation container via the outer fins connected to the refrigerant tubes. With these functions, storing cold energy can be completed even in a relatively short time of vehicle travel and cooled air can be supplied to the cabin for a long period of time.

This product will be used in the Wagon R, which was launched in Japan on Sept. 6 by Suzuki Motor Corporation. DENSO will progressively make the CS evaporator available for a greater number of vehicle models worldwide.

DENSO will continue its effort to develop environmental technologies which can help increase fuel efficiency while reducing CO₂ emissions, as well as improve occupant comfort.

DENSO Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electric, electronics and information and safety. Its customers include all the world's major carmakers. Worldwide, the company has more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 35 countries and regions (including Japan) and employs over 120,000 people. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012, totaled US$38.4 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 9.5 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.globaldenso.com, or visit our media website at www.densomediacenter.com

In North America, DENSO employs more than 14,000 people with consolidated sales totaling US$6.2 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012.

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SOURCE DENSO Corporation