Description / Abstract:
This SAE Recommended Practice establishes uniform cold weather
test procedures and performance requirements for engine coolant
type heating systems of bus that are all vehicles designed to
transport 10 or more passengers. The intent is to provide a test
that will ensure acceptable comfort for bus occupants. It is
limited to a test that can be conducted on uniform test equipment
in commercially available laboratory facilities. Required test
equipment, facilities, and definitions are included.
There are two options for producing hot coolant in this
recommended practice. Testing using these two approaches on the
same vehicle will not necessarily provide identical results. Many
vehicle models are offered with optional engines, and each engine
has varying coolant temperatures and flow rates. If the test is
being conducted to compare the performance of one heater design to
another heater design, then the external coolant source approach
(Test A) will yield the most comparable results. If the test is
being conducted to validate the heater installation on a specific
vehicle model with a specific engine, then using the engine to heat
the coolant (Test B) will be more appropriate.
Defrosting and defogging procedures and requirements are
established by SAE J381 which is hereby included by reference.
This document will be reviewed and revised as required with
advancements in technology and changes in environmental laws.
Purpose
This procedure is designed to provide bus manufacturers with a
cost-effective, standardized test methods to provide relative
approximations of cold weather interior temperatures.