Thermo King unveiled at the IAA Transportation 2022 in Hannover, Germany, the new Athenia MkII heat pump with R-744, an environmentally friendly, natural refrigerant. The new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technology has been designed specifically for electric and hybrid buses.
The new Athenia MkII R-744 heat pump is an “all-in-one” rooftop unit with heating, cooling and fresh-air control. Simultaneously the unit is according to Thermoking designed to protect the bus driveline batteries by providing cooled or warmer water to condition them during charging and discharging. An integrated Battery Thermal Management System optimizes overall energy use. The “all-in-one” unit can also utilize waste heat from other sources in the vehicle to further optimize energy usage. The R-744, often named CO2, is a natural, non-toxic, non-flammable and non-ozone-depleting refrigerant with global warming potential (GWP) of just 1. With the new Athenia MkII R-744 heat pump Thermoking states that no additional heaters or boilers are needed. The unit is capable of operating in heating mode in ambient temperatures as low as -25°C and deliver cooling when the temperature is as high as +50°C.