When summer, trucks, RV(Recreational Vehicle), or vans also need cooling the room, but seems not easy to do that.
Meanwhile, many manufacturers are focusing onto solving this problem, because it is a big potential market as well, that is why parking air conditioner comes.
What Is Parking Air Conditioner
A parking air conditioner is a kind of portable air conditioner used in trucks, vans, cars, RV,or other transportation vehicles.
It refers to the equipment which uses the on-board battery DC power supply (12-48V) to make the air conditioner operate continuously when the vehicles stopped to wait or rest, meanwhile adjust and control the temperature, humidity, flow rate, and other parameters of the ambient air in the vehicle, so as to fully meet the comfortable cooling needs of truck or other vehicle’s driver.
Due to the limitation of vehicle storage battery and the poor user experience of heating in winter (too hot in the cab causes the driver to feel sleepy, which is very dangerous), the parking air conditioner is mainly only cooling function.
Component Composition
It generally includes a refrigerant-medium delivery system, cold source equipment, terminal equipment, and other auxiliary systems, specifically includes condenser, evaporator, electric control system, compressor, fan, and pipeline system.
The refrigeration system uses the safe and environmental friendly refrigerant R134a, meanwhile the parking air conditioner is a kind energy-saving and electrically driven air conditioner.
Compared with traditional vehicle air conditioners, parking air conditioner doesn’t need to rely on vehicle engine power, which can save fuel and reduce environmental pollution.
The terminal device uses the cold capacity from transmission to specifically cool the cab and provide a comfortable rest environment for vehicle drivers.
Parking air conditioner internal structure
Classification and Installation
Parking air conditioners are mainly divided into two types: split (knapsack) and integrated.
There are two types of split parking air conditioner, see below please ↓
Split parking air conditioner
Integrated parking A/C
Integrated parking AC special working places
Super silence design
Features of Split (Knapsack) Parking Air Conditioner
1) Small size, easy to carry.
2) Position is changeable, nice appearance.
3) Easy to install, one person can do it.
Features of Integrated Parking Air Conditioner
1) No need to punch holes, no damage to the vehicle body.
2) No indoor unit, save space.
3) No pipeline connection, fast cooling.
According to market research, the installation of parking air conditioners has become a trend, not only to save fuel and money, but also no pollution and emissions.
What Type of Parking Air Conditioner Should Select, Any Attention On the Installation?
1) First of all, take a look at the model, the general heavy truck can install parking air conditioner, some models of the medium truck can do, but the light truck is not recommended.
2) Whether the model has a skylight, whether it is a mainstream model, semi truck, or box type, the matching parking air conditioner is selected according to the characteristics of the vehicle body.
In general, we recommend choosing an integrated parking A/C when the truck with a skylight, and choosing a (knapsack ) split parking air conditioner if there is no skylight.
3) Finally, take a look at the size of the battery, we recommend selecting 180AH or above.
Tips: According to whether with an inverter can be divided into non-inverter parking air conditioner and inverter parking air conditioner. The latter is more expensive than the former.
There is a video about the installtion of split (knapsack) parking air conditioner for China market, if any question, contact us freely.
Factors Affecting the Duration of Cooling
1) Battery capacity
The amount of electricity stored in the car battery directly determines the service time of the parking air conditioner.
The commonly used battery specifications for trucks are normally 150AH, 180AH, and 200AH.
2) Temperature setting
The higher the temperature set, the lower the power consumption and the longer battery lifespan.
3) External environment
The lower the outdoor ambient temperature, the less the heat load of the cab needs to cool. At this moment, the compressor runs at low frequency and saves electricity.
4) Vehicle body structure
The truck body is small, the space that needs to cool is small, at this time, the time for high-load cooling is short, and the lifetime is long.
5) Vehicle body tightness
The more airtight the truck body is, the more power is saved when it is used. External hot air can’t enter, the cold air inside is not easy to lose, the temperature stability in the truck can be maintained for a long time, and the inverter parking air conditioner can run at ultra-low frequency, which is the most energy-saving model.
6) Input power
The smaller the input power of parking air conditioner is, the longer the service time is. The input power of parking air conditioners is generally in the range of 700-1200W.
Low Voltage Protection
Because parking AC is directly connected to the truck battery, many drivers worry its cooling performance will be good only for a while, sometimes it’s embarrassing not to start a fire because the battery is out of power. Therefore, the “power-off voltage protection function” of parking air-conditioning is particularly important.
The power-off voltage of most brands of parking air conditioners in the market is fixed, and the protection voltage is generally set between 21V -22V.
If the power-off voltage of the parking air conditioner set to 21.5 V, the battery discharges and the voltage decreases continuously when you use the parking A/C for a long time. When the voltage reaches 21.5V, parking A/C will alarm and stop.
Some Attentions When Using Parking Air Conditioner
1) Air outlet should be upward because the cold air will sink, which will increase the cooling effect.
And the direction of the air outlet shouldn’t adjust randomly.
Air outlet be upward
2) The air conditioner should not be used for too long.
Long-time running air conditioner will increase the load of the refrigeration system, which is not good for your health as well. You can turn it off every 2 hours then turn on again.
3) Don’t sleep in a closed cab with the air conditioner on.
Because of the poor ventilation in the cab, if the CO (carbon monoxide) discharged from the engine infiltrates into the cab may cause poisoning.
4) Ventilate before turning on the air conditioner.
Before driving (in summer), firstly ventilate and cool down then turn on the internal circulation air conditioner. Pay attention to alternate use of internal and external circulation to allow fresh air entering into the compartment.
5) Start the engine before turning on the air conditioner.
Should have a good habit of turning on the engine before switching on the air conditioner (before driving), and turning off the air conditioner before turning off the engine (when parking) .
6) Do not smoke in the air-conditioned cab.
When the doors and windows are closed, the smoke can’t get out and it will irritate the eyes and respiratory system.
Advantages of Inverter Parking Air Conditioner
1) Quickly reach the set temperature
Since the compressor of inverter parking air conditioner can be operated at the maximum speed (means the maximum power) within a period of time, the cab can quickly reach the set temperature. However, ordinary air conditioner can only operate at a fixed power.
2) Energy saving
Compared with non-inverter air conditioners, inverter type can save 15%-30% of electricity. It can effectively extend the battery life of the parking air conditioner.
3) Low starting current
There is no impact of the starting current on the battery, which also reduces the impact of pulse interference on other electronic components in the cab.
4) Small temperature fluctuation
Use the method of changing the compressor speed to change the power control temperature.
Avoids the defects of large fluctuations in-cab temperature and uncomfortable feelings that are normally caused by the on/off operation control method, which is adopted by non-inverter air conditioner.
Tips: There is the video about inverter compressor advantages, enjoy!
Four Misunderstandings In the Use of Parking Air Conditioner
1) The lower the set temperature of the air conditioner, the faster the cooling speed of the air conditioner
This is the maximum misunderstanding in the use of air conditioners, especially for inverter air conditioners, many users have this wrong idea. The refrigerating capacity of air conditioners is variable, and it is also related to the set temperature. But when the set temperature is lower 2 to 3 ℃ than room temperature, the air conditioner will operate at the highest load, and the air conditioning operation mode will no longer change. The ultimate goal of usage is to reduce and maintain the appropriate temperature in the cab.
So the correct setting temperature for the air conditioner should be the temperature at which you feel most comfortable (24 to 26 ℃).
Setting the appropriate setting temperature for parking AC is more conducive to prolonging the use time of the air conditioner.
2) Set the air outlet volume of the air conditioner to minimize, so that the air outlet temperature is the lowest and the air conditioner cooling is faster
This setting will result in: when the ambient temperature is relatively high, the temperature in the cab will cool down more slowly or even with no drop.
Although the air volume is adjusted to minimize, the outlet temperature will be lower, but the air volume will be reduced at the same time.
The cooling capacity of air conditioner = air volume X (interior temperature-outlet temperature) X a constant coefficient.
From this formula, we can know: the air volume is a very important parameter that affects the cooling capacity of the air conditioner.
To make it simple, the cooling capacity of the maximum air volume may be more than 2 times that of the minimum air volume!
In this way, do you think the maximum wind temperature drop is slower than the minimum wind temperature?
3) The lower the outlet temperature of the air conditioner, the better the cooling effect of air conditioner
This is a standard for most users to judge whether the air conditioner is good or bad, but it is wrong.
If I tell you that when you detect that the outlet temperature of your air conditioner is lower than 5 ℃, you may buy substandard air conditioning products.
Because such air conditioners will bring a series of product problems, as well as all kinds of product failures.
But how much degree is the air outlet temperature of the air conditioner indeed? For a parking air conditioner, the air outlet temperature should be 8 to 12 ℃ lower than the interior temperature of the cab.
Remember that the comparison of cooling effect of air conditioner is based on the formula: air volume X (interior temperature – air outlet temperature ) as the final judgment standard.
When the outlet air temperature of a excellent parking A/C is lower than a certain temperature value, it will automatically protect the system to ensure the long-term and reliable operation of your air conditioner.
4) The top integrated parking AC doesn’t need to add refrigerant, and doesn’t need maintenance at ordinary times as well
Top integrated parking air conditioner is more reliable than split air conditioner, which can reduce a lot of maintenance, but it still has to do certain maintenance.
After one summer’s operation, you should open the top cover and the return cover to clean the drainage channel of the air conditioner, otherwise, it may overflow from the air outlet and other places because of dust blockage in the coming year.
Clean up the garbage on the surface of the two heat exchangers, with water or brush, to ensure its performance won’t decline for a long time.
Electrical connection terminal inspection: each terminal carries out dust removal, rust removal, and maintenance to ensure safe and reliable electrical connection.
We advise you use a skilled service supplier to doing all cleaning and maintenance works If you have enough budget.
The air conditioning system had better run at least 10 minutes every two weeks so that all the electrical parts of the air conditioner can work well.
Conclusion
Finally, you must correctly understand and use a parking air conditioner: it allows the driver to rest in the cab when parking. Drivers try to avoid parking in the sun and find a shady place to park and use the parking air conditioner. In addition, the original air conditioner (if have) can be used to reduce the temperature in the cab to the right degree and then turn on the parking air conditioner to maintain the temperature inside the car.
Meanwhile, using the sunshade to block the cab window glass can better reduce the power consumption of the air conditioner, maintain the temperature in the cab, and prolong the battery life of the parking air conditioner.
Any comments?
Welcome leave a message or repost.