The
Mobile Air Conditioning
(MAC) sector
comprises around
6000 enterprises,
of which approximately
every third enterprise
is in the unorganised
sector. Since
2003, most new
units have been
fitted with HFC-134a
compressors.
But a large population
of vehicles,
approximately
2 million, continues
to depend on
CFC-12. If no
retrofit option
is available,
this sector will
still require
a significant
amount of CFC-12
for servicing
beyond 2010.
The
technical options
to address
CFC phase-out
in this sector
are:
NCCoPP
addresses the issue by providing
training programmes for MAC
technicians. The first Training
Cell to conduct MAC training
programs was established in
Bangalore and pilot training
programmes were conducted
in 2005. Thereafter more training
cells were established and
training programs conducted
with support of trained trainers.
For the training, a Manual
for Good Servicing Practices
and Retrofitting of Mobile
Air-conditioning System using
HFC and HC Refrigerants has
been developed by IIT Delhi
with the support of other
NCCoPP consultants.Research
at IIT Delhi and supplementary
trials under NCCoPP have demonstrated
that retrofit with hydrocarbon
blend refrigerants offers
a low cost solution, which
compares in performance to
the original CFC-based system.
On a global scale, especially
in countries like Australia,
USA and Canada, more than
2 million cars operate safely
with AC units retrofitted
with hydrocarbon refrigerants.
Retrofit with HFC 134a results
in higher retrofit costs,
depending on the approach
chosen and may lead to reduced
performance of the MAC unit.
More details on retrofit can
be seen from the presentation
by Prof. R.S. Agarwal
Mini MAC Training of Trainers program
Training
of Trainers (TOT) programme
for Mobile Air Conditioning
(MAC) was conducted at Chennai
under NCCoPP project from
10th to 12th December 2005
and a second programme was
conducted at New Delhi from
17th to 18th March 2006.The
key objective of the programme
was to prepare trainers to
organize and facilitate MAC
training programmes on a regular
basis:
Report-Mini
MAC ToT Conducted at Chennai
