FMEA of CO2 Air Conditioning

Systems

On SAE 2000 Automotive Alternative Refrigerant Systems Symposium

July 11-13, 2000, Resort Suites Hotel, Scottsdale, AZ

by Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Hussels

RISA Sicherheitsanalysen GmbH, Germany
e-mail: ulrich.hussels@risa.de
The RISA Company
n Founded in 1990, situated in Berlin,
Germany
n 10 specialized engineers from research
institutes of the Technical University of
Berlin
n Working areas are safety analysis and
software development (databases)
n Customers from nuclear-, automotive-
and LPG-industry
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Where this kind of Analysis
is needed (examples):
n Higher amount of energy in a small
amount of space (high energy density)
n Nuclear Power Plants: reactor core
cooling, pressure
n Automotive: velocity, pressure
n LPG: great amount of inflammable and
explosive fluid/gas mixture

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Initiators and Core Team
members

OBRIST
__ENGINEERING__

n Robert Mager, BMW AG (Chairman)

n Jrgen Wertenbach, DaimlerChrysler AG
n Baroto Adiprasito, Volkswagen AG
n Ralf Kneke, Denso Automotive Deutschland
n Frank Obrist, Obrist Engineering
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Aims of the analysis for a
prototypical CO2 AC-System
n Diagnosis of potential effects of failure events
n Determination of countermeasures
n Proof of mastering all relevant effects
n Confirmation of the usability of CO2-
technology regarding to safety and product
liability
n System-FMEA as a basis for a design-FMEA

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Form of the Analysis

n System-FMEA based on SAE J-1739

n Additional classification for
consequences to human health
n Instructions to reduce the risk priority
number if it is greater than 108 to get a
balanced risk level over all failure
events

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Risk Priority Number
RPN = Severity x Occurrence x Detection

Severity 1 - 10 (8 = Very High, 9 Hazardous

with warning)
Occurrence 1 - 10 (4 - 6 = Moderate)
Detection 1 - 10 (3 = High)
RPN 1 - 1000 (9 x 4 x 3 = 108, according
to an engineering judgement )

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Table-Layout
Responsibility
Potential Potential Potential Cause(s)/
Current Design Recommended (for the Rec- Actions

Occur

Detec
Class

RPN

RPN
Det
Occ
Sev

Sev
Item Function Failure Effect(s) of Mechanism(s) of
Controls Action(s) ommended Taken
Mode Failure Failure
Action)

Com- Transports Loosening Refrigerant 9 B Material faults, 1 Quality control 2 18 Oscillation 9 1 1 9

pressor the medium; of fasten- pipe de- loosening of fas- tests
Compresses ings taches, ex- tenings
the medium ternal leaks
Gas Conducts Blockage Low cooling 6 A Bends, blockages 2 Deformation 10 120 Parallel proce- 6 2 6 72
cooler heat to the in refriger- capacity, guard, layout; dures, pres-
external ant flow increase in design of com- sure sensor
environment pressure ponent switched in
front of the gas
cooler, plausi-
bility control
via regulation
control

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Scope of the Analysis

n 23 components within the system with

n 107 failure events
in respect to
n 3 operating modes,
n 3 (+2) vehicle running modes and
n 3 environment conditions

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PI-Diagram
internal heat
expansion valve exchanger pressure temperature
with safety system sensor sensor 1
p T
savety valve LP

gas cooler
evaporator

compressor with
accumulator safety system and filling socket
filling socket auxiliary unit

hose line
piping savety valve HP
HP high pressure
LP low pressure

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Results

n An automotive CO2 AC-system is safe:

n General rules for the arrangement of the
components have to be taken into
account
n Safety components and/or systems
have to be present
n Critical components are detected

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Outlook
n Development of common safety-
standards for an automotive CO2 AC-
system
n Systematic sampling of all failure events
from existing prototype-systems
n Evaluation of specific failure rates during
the operation of prototype system hours
n Performing a fault- and event tree
analysis
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Further Activities

n Further activities should be done to gain

international acceptance

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