XERIC’s Objective
Energy-friendly climate-control system
XERIC is a European Research and Innovation project. Its objective is to develop an energy-friendly climate-control system capable of reducing at least 50% the energy used for passenger comfort throughout the year (i.e., heating, cooling and dehumidifying).
XERIC’s climate control system should:
• reduce by more than 50% the energy used for passenger comfort;
• have a lifetime superior to 10 years;
• enable easy industrialisation and customisation for electric vehicles currently on the market;
• cost between 1200 and 3000 € per vehicle.
XERIC’s objective is to develop an energy-friendly
climate-control system to extend the range capability
of electric vehicles in all weather conditions.
Developing a hybrid system
With current technologies, air is dehumidified thanks to climate control systems based on a vapor compression cycle which cools air below its dew point. Alternatively, desiccants can be used to dehumidify air without cooling it below its dew point. The use of desiccants is an efficient way that allows controlling temperature and humidity independently.
XERIC’s partners work to develop a hybrid system integrating the two systems currently used: it will combine a liquid desiccant cycle to operate on latent heat (i.e., humidity control) with a traditional vapor compression cycle to deal with sensible heat (i.e., temperature control).
In such a system the vapor compression cycle operates at higher refrigerant evaporation temperature and at lower condensation temperature. The result will be energy saving.
This combination is possible thanks to the use of an innovative three-fluids-combined membrane contactor (3F-CMC) that will be developed in the framework of XERIC; the 3F-CMC simultaneously works with air, desiccant solution and refrigerant.
XERIC will develop a hybrid system in which air is
dehumidified without reaching its dew point.
XERIC at a glance
Download XERIC’s brochure to learn all about XERIC at a single glance: