Improving Fuel Consumption While using Air Conditioning in Vehicles

Automobile air conditioning systems do not run free of charge. In fact in the hot parts of the world they can account for up to thirty per cent of fuel consumption. Even in Switzerland, with its temperate climate, the use of air conditioning systems is responsible for about five per cent of total fuel usage, rising to around ten per cent in urban traffic, as shown by a new study undertaken by Empha on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Furthermore, two thirds of the additional fuel usage could be saved if air conditioning systems were simply turned off when the air temperature falls below 18 degrees Celsius. Generally, Ac usage does increases the fuel consumption as the compressor is coupled to engine and to run the compressor, engine has to do more work. More work means more power required to do more work which in turn means more fuel required to generate more power. So longer the ac usage, more fuel is consumed. So this paper studies the variation in fuel consumption of an automobile when using air conditioner and gives the idea to reduce fuel consumption while using ac in automobiles.