Nuzul Hidayat, Wawan Purwanto, M. Yasep Setiawan, Ahmad Arif, Wawan Aries Widodo, Nuraini Lusi, Jackly Muriban
The study concluded that the embedded system effectively minimizes the car's AC operating temperature and power consumption. Consequently, fuel consumption decreases significantly, and vehicle engine emissions are reduced. The technology's efficiency was tested in an actual car using a numerical-based simulation and data collected from a 1-h engine idling test. Two experiments were also conducted to verify the condensate water flow rate and when the condenser temperature activates the system. The solution improved the car's AC while decreasing engine exhaust pollutants. To evaluate the system, we conducted measurements with and without intelligent control in a workshop prototype under controlled conditions, and real operation to verify the desired behavior of our system. Measurements on a workshop prototype show that the required average COP is 1.65 when spraying is disabled, and the workshop is passively cooled. Measured COP reached its maximum of 4.08 when the intelligent activation of the workshop cooling. The comparison of the workshop prototype's operation with that of the intelligent workshop system shows that low-cost embedded platforms can be used for thermal control. The use of sensor feedback and automation resulted in the compressor operating less and cooling more effectively. The study contributes to a better understanding of the role of microcontroller-based systems in intelligent vehicles and motivates future research on integrating such systems with other intelligent vehicle components to enhance passenger comfort while reducing the vehicle's overall energy footprint. © 2026, Politeknik Negeri Padang. All rights reserved.
Department of Automotive Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politeknik Negeri Banyuwangi, Indonesia; Centre for Research and Innovation, Jabatan Pendidikan Politeknik dan Kolej Komuniti, Malaysia
