TRANSITION OF ENGINE POWERED AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM TO

THE SOLAR POWERED AIR- CONDITIONING SYSTEM IN A BUS: A

FEASIBILITY STUDY

MUHD ZULPATTAH BIN MOHD YUSOFF

This report is submitted to

Faculty of Technology Management and Technopreneurship (FPTT)

Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka

In partial fulfilment for Bachelor of Technology Management (Innovation)

Faculty of Technology Management and Technopreneurship

Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka

JUNE 2013

TRANSITION OF ENGINE POWERED AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM TO THE

SOLAR POWERED AIR- CONDITIONING SYSTEM IN A BUS:

A FEASIBILITY STUDY

MUHD ZULPATTAH BIN MOHD YUSOFF

UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

i

SUPERVISOR VERIFICATION

„I acknowledge that have read this research project and in my opinion this research

project is sufficient in terms of scope and quality for the award of Bachelor of

Technology Management (Innovation)‟

Signature : ……………………………..

Name of Supervisor : Dr. Chew Boon Cheong

Date : June 2013

ii

DECLARATION

“I declare that all parts of this report are the results of my own work except for the

quotations and references, the sources of which have been acknowledge in the

bibliography”

Signature : …………………………………..

Name : Muhd Zulpattah Bin Mohd Yusoff

Date : June 2013

iii

DEDICATION

This thesis is dedicated to my parents and my family‟s

for their endless love, support and encouragement.

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, I have to thank my parents for their love and support

throughout my life. Thank you both for giving me strength to reach for the stars and

chase my dreams.

I would like to sincerely thank my supervisor, Dr. Chew Boon Cheong for his

guidance and support throughout study, and especially for his confidence in me.

Finally I would like to thank the beginning teachers, mentor-teachers and

administrators in our university division that assisted me with this project. Their

excitement and willingness to provide feedback made the completion of this research an

enjoyable experience.

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ABSTRACT

Developing and generating a better way of the fossil fuel exertion is necessary in

today‟s transportation technology since the fossil fuel is a source that is non-renewable

resources. Fossil fuels are of great importance in transport systems because they can be

burned and producing significant amounts of energy to move the vehicle along.

Generally usage of the air-conditioning system in the transportation will increase the

usage of the fossil fuel, since the fuel is used to power the air-conditioning system. The

additional energy resources as solar can be used in a vehicle to generate adequate energy

to power the air-conditioning system instead of solely depending on the engine which

render to the increase of the fuel consumption. In this feasibility study, the solar panel

can be implemented in a bus to power the air-conditioning systems. This solar panel

allows it to harvest the sun's energy and turn it into the electricity. The research was

grounded in an exploratory study. A qualitative case study approach was adopted,

backed up by three data collection methods which were interview, observation and

document analysis. These data collected was analyzed to get the efficient way to implant

the solar application in buses. As the research‟s conclusion, the solar application will

perform extremely well in powered the air-conditioning system in a bus. The

consumption of the fossil fuel is lowered and the efficiency of the engine is enhanced

since the energy input is maximized for the movement of the bus. Besides, this

application also benefits to the environment as it produces lower carbon which

minimizes the effect of the greenhouse effect.

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ABSTRAK

Membangunkan dan menjana cara yang lebih baik menggunakan bahan api fosil

adalah perlu dalam teknologi pengangkutan hari ini kerana bahan api fosil adalah

sumber yang tidak boleh diperbaharui. Bahan api fosil adalah sangat penting dalam

system pengangkutan kerana mereka boleh dibakar dan menghasilkan sejumlah besar

tenaga untuk bergerak kenderaan. Secara umumnya penggunaan system penghawa

dingin dalam pengangkutan akan meningkatkan penggunaan bahan api fosil. Sumber

tenaga tambahan sebagai solar boleh digunakan di dalam kenderaan untuk menjana

tenaga yang mencukupi untuk kuasa system penghawa dingin dan bukan semata-mata

bergantung kepada enjin yang menyebabkan kepada peningkatan penggunaan bahan

api. Dalam kajian ini, panel solar dilaksanakan untuk bas menjana kuasa bagi system

penghawa dingin. Penggunaan panel solar membolehkan ia untuk menuai tenaga

matahari dan mengubahnya kepada elektrik. Kajian ini berasaskan kepada satu kajian

penerokaan. Pendekatan kajian keskualitatif telah digunakan, dan disokong oleh tiga

kaedah pengumpulan data yang temubual, pemerhatian dan analisis dokumen. Data-

data yang diperolehi dianalisis untuk mendapatkan cara yang berkesan untuk mencipta

system kuasa solar dalam bas. Sebagai kesimpulan kajian ini, aplikasi solar akan

melaksanakan sangat baik dalam berkuasa system penghawa dingin dalam bas.

Penggunaan bahan api fosil dapat diturunkan dan kecekapan enjin dipertingkatkan

kerana input tenaga adalah memaksimumkan bagi pergerakan bas. Selain itu,

permohonan ini juga memberi manfaat kepada alam sekitar kerana ia menghasilkan

karbon yang lebih rendah yang mengurangkan kesan rumah hijau.

vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER TOPIC PAGE

DECLARATION ii

DEDICATION iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv

ABSTRACT v

ABSTRAK vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS vii

LIST OF FIGURES/DIAGRAM xii

LIST OF TABLES xiii

NOMENCLATURE xiv

LIST OF SYMBOLS xv

LIST OF APPENDICES xvi

1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem 2

1.3 Objectives 4

1.4 Scope 4

viii

1.5 Limitation 5

1.8 Summary 6

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 7

2.1 Introduction 7

2.2 Conceptual Perspective on System

Innovation and Technological

Transitions 8

2.3 Theoretical Concept 9

2.3.1 Theoretical Concept of Engine

Powered Air- Conditioning

System 10

2.3.2 Theoretical Concept of Solar

Powered Air-Conditioning System 12

2.3.3 Comparison between Engines

Powered with Solar Powered 13

2.4 Application of the Solar Powered

Air-Conditioning 14

2.4.1 Energy Efficiency of

Solar Powered Air-Conditioning

System 15

2.4.2 Other Benefits 16

2.5 Newest Application of the Solar Power 17

ix

2.6 Technical factors 19

2.6.1 Demand and Usage of This New

Technology to the Organization 19

2.6.2 Technology Life Cycle 20

2.6.3 Competitive Advantages That

The New Technology Brings 21

2.7 Market Factor for Technology Adoption 23

2.8 Summary 24

3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 25

3.1 Introduction 25

3.2 Research Design 26

3.3 Mixed method 27

3.4 Primary and Secondary Data Sources 29

3.5 Location of Research 29

3.6 Method of Primary Data Collection 30

3.7 Validity, Generalisability and Reliability 31

3.7.1 Internal Validity 32

3.7.2 External Validity 32

3.7.3 Construct Validity 33

3.8 Establishing reliability of case study 33

3.8 Summary 34

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4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 35

4.1 Introduction 35

4.2 Investigation on the Implementation of

the Solar Powered Air –Conditioning

System to Replace the Engine

Powered System in a Bus. 37

4.2.1 Extraction from the Theoretical

Framework 38

4.2.2 Research Finding 41

4.2.3 Suggestion/ Researcher Opinion 44

4.3 Bus Performance Enhancement

through the Implementation of the

Solar Powered Air-Condition System 46

4.3.1 Extraction from the Theoretical

Framework 46

4.3.2 Research Finding 47

4.3.3 Suggestion/ Researcher Opinion 49

4.4 Innovative Solution on the Application

of the Solar Air- Conditioning System

to Improve the Engine Performance 50

5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 53

5.1 Introduction 53

5.2 Summary of Finding 54

5.2.1 Implementation of the

Solar Powered Air

–Conditioning System to

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Replace the Engine Powered

System in a Bus. 54

5.2.1.1 Government Support 54

5.2.1.2 Technical Support 55

5.2.2 Solar Powered Air-Condition

System Can Enhance the

Efficiency of a

Bus Performance 56

5.2.2.1 Improves the Bus

Performance 56

5.2.2.2 Reduction of Fossil Fuel 57

5.2.2.3 Environmental

Condition 58

5.3 Conclusion 58

5.4 Recommendation 60

5.4.1 Recommendation for practitioners 60

5.4.1.1 The Solar Panel Installation 63

5.4.2 Future Prospect of this Research 65

REFERENCES 67

APPENDICES 69

xii

LIST OF FIGURES/DIAGRAMS

NO TITLE PAGE

1 The Bus Air Conditioning Refrigeration Cycle 10

2 Solar Powered Air-Conditioning For Vehicles 13

3 The Sun-Bus Power System 18

4 Technology Life Cycle 20

5 Operation System of the Solar Powered Air-Conditioning

in a Bus from a Plan View 61

6 Installation of the Solar System on the Roof

of a Bus from a Side View 64

7 Typical Roof Mount Solar Power Railing

Installation Penetration Detail 64

8 Prefabricated PV Module Support Railing For

Roof- Mount System 65

xiii

LIST OF TABLES

NO. TITLE PAGE

1.0 Comparisons between Engines Powered AC

With Solar Powered AC 13

2.0 Solar is the Best Technology to Use in a Bus 41

3.0 Demand for this Technology 42

4.0 Respondant Vote for the Government Support for

Taking Over for This Implementation 43

5.0 The Mean Result of Government Support 44

6.0 The Existing of Repair Ability 45

7.0 Improves Engine Performance 47

8.0 Result of Reduction in Fossil Fuel 48

9.0 The Environmental Condition 49

10.0 Gantt chart forPSM I 77

11.0 Gantt chart forPSM II 77

xiv

NOMENCLATURE

UTeM UniversitiTeknikal Malaysia Melaka

AC Air-conditioning

DC Direct Current

PV Photovoltaic

VFD Variable Frequency-Driven Compressor

CO2 Carbon Dioxide

PLC Product Life-Cycle

TLC Technology Life Cycle

R&D Research and Development

e.g Example

HR Human Resource

xv

LIST OF SYMBOLS

°C = Celsius

°F = Fahrenheit

% = Percentage

P = Significant value

β = Beta

N = Total numbers

V = Voltage

xvi

LIST OF APPENDICES

NO. TITLE PAGE

A Permission Letter for Research 72

B Questionnaire 73

C The Gantt Chart 77

1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

In this modern world, the fossil fuel is one of the important resources of the non

renewable energy. This type of the energy sources being used in almost vehicle for

burning and produces the enough power to allow the movement of the vehicle. This

research addresses the investigation of the transition of the engine powered air-

conditioning to the solar powered air-conditioning in a bus. A fresh perspective will be

offered, which builds upon the notion of transition. The main motivation for using the

notion of transition is that while it link to the concept of sustainable development, it has

a better chance of advantages that it shift the attention from a vague end goal of

stimulating transition processes as a more concrete step.

According to Mill (1831), the first of the leading „peculiarities of the present age is,

that is an age of transition‟. By the times passing by, now we have a better option to use

the precious sources of non renewable energy to minimize and enhance the usage of it.

A new kind of energy sources or renewable energy such as solar energy can be applied

as the substitute of the non renewable energy to support the energy supply to use in

2

vehicle. White and Bruton(2007) state that entire industries can be created or can

disappear quickly because of new technology. By the level of the technologies that we

have today, we can enhance the energy generation to be applied in the transportation

system which can help us to protect the environment toward the greener world.

According to Solomon (1983), “every community is closely linked to its

environment; people live, work and relax in it. They develop new technologies to make

their living conditions better~ their ways of thinking, as an example, how they explain

everything around them expresses their view of life and is influenced by the

environment”. The environment is giving us many benefits so far, it was a perfect time

for us to pay back them by protecting them with using safest source of power which has

almost 0% of the pollution effect.

1.2 Statement of Problem

Almost of the buses that moving on the roads across the globe for hot climate

countries have been equipped with the air-conditioning systems that used to create a

lower temperature in the bus and make it more comfortable for the passengers. The air

conditioning system however gives some bad effect to the usage of the fuel and also

produce gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) that can damage the ozone layer. By using

the air-conditioning system, the usage of the fossil fuel will be increased as the engine

needs to use many fuels to make the burning process to produce the energy to work the

system.

Climates in the different parts of the world vary with the season of the year has

changed the level of comfort for human toward the temperature. Thus, there is a need for

the control of the environment for human comfort as well for some specific

3

equipment, material or process. By the knowledge of the human kind, the air-

conditioning system has been created. According to Ameen, the first attempt to produce

artificial cooling was made in 1755 when Cullen built an apparatus to make ice

artificially by vaporization of water at reduced pressure. This experiment was followed

by others over the years. By the times goes by, today we have the air-conditioning

system in the vehicle.

The air conditioning system in the vehicle used many of the fossil fuel to operate.

According to Johnson (2002), the amount of fuel used for air conditioning is significant.

In absolute terms, 7.1 billion gallons of gasoline (27 billion liters) are used in the US for

air conditioning light duty vehicles. Put in relative terms, the air-conditioning fuel use is

equivalent to 6% of domestic petroleum consumption, or 10% of crude oil imports. As

the research goes deep into the context of the air-conditioning system of a vehicle, more

problems can be found impact of the systems. However it is not a best way to

completely remove the system because it was some of a good system but just need some

transition to enhance the usage and minimize the side effect to the environment.

In this research, the researcher has set form the specific questions which are:

1) How the solar powered air-conditioning system can replace the engine

powered Air-conditioning system in a bus?

2) How the solar powered air-conditioning system can enhance the efficiency of

the engine performance of a bus?

3) How to implement the solar powered air-conditioning system in a bus?

4

1.3 Objective

The objective of this study is to investigate the transition of the engine powered

air-conditioning system to solar powered air-conditioning system in buses. The aim of

this study is to minimize the usage of the fossil fuel and give some fresh idea of

innovative solution for implementing the solar application to power the air-conditioning

system in buses.

The objectives of the study are stated as below:

1) To investigate how to implement the solar powered air –conditioning system to

replace the engine powered system in bus.

2) )To investigate how the implementation of the solar powered air-conditioning

system can enhance the efficiency of the bus performance

3) To suggest an innovative solution on the application of the solar air-conditioning

system to improve the engine performance.

1.4 Scope

The scope of this study is to investigate the transition of the engine powered air-

conditioning system to solar powered air-conditioning system in buses which consider

the usage of the fossil fuel for the air-conditioning system, solar application and

environmental safety. The result of the study will be analysis to suggest the innovative

solution for applying the application of the solar energy to generate power for the air-

conditioning system in a bus.

5

The respondent for this research are mainly divided into two groups. The first

category consists the executive from the manufacturer of the bus or the bus operation.

This group respondent is the group that decided the innovation in the bus and the system

that has build in the buses. The second group consists the group of the maintenance and

the driver of the buses. The useful information that's been collected will be taken to

conduct a good conclusion.

1.5 Limitation

There are several limitation states in this study. Firstly, the study is to investigate

the transition of the engine powered air-conditioning to solar powered air-conditioning

in buses. Therefore, the result and the outcomes of the study is only reliable to the air-

condition system of a bus only. Secondly, this research only does a research about the

transition of energy sources to power the air-conditioning system in bus which two

sources of energy will be taken as a variable which are engine power and solar power.

Therefore the other sources of the energy will not be included in this research. Besides,

the outcomes of this research will be analyses to make an innovative idea to implant the

solar power into the buses. Thus, the construction of the buses will not be done. The

outcomes of this research will generate the blueprint of the solar power air conditioning

in bus only. Lastly, the researcher assumed that all respondents have provided honest

and correct answers for this feasibility study.

6

1.6 Summary

The transition is the best solution to overcome the increasing of the fossil fuel for

the air conditioning system in a vehicle. By using the solar power to power the air-

conditioning systems in the buses, we can save up about 10 to 20% of the usage of

overall fossil fuel in a bus. This research is one of the innovative plans as the solution

for the environment pollution and help to sustain the renewable energy to use in the

vehicle. According to Pfeiffer (2006), a sustainable system is one which, over its

lifetime, produces the energy required to develop and maintain itself.

In this research, the solar power will be taken as the crucial point to replace the

engine power to power the air-conditioning system in a bus. The efficiency of the usage

of fossil fuel and the environment safety will take to determine the success of the

research.