Delphi’s Innovative Climate Control System Provides Passenger Comfort on Award-Winning Saturn Aura

Patented technology can help vehicle manufacturers reduce development time and costs
Release Date: February 28, 2007

TROY, Mich. — Delphi Corporation’s (PINKSHEETS: DPHIQ) patented climate control technology, Set & Forget, is featured on the 2007 Saturn Aura midsize sedan, which was recently named North American Car of the Year presented at the NAIAS in Detroit. The technology is also featured on several other General Motors North American and international vehicles.

Designed by Delphi, the Set & Forget Automatic Climate Control (ACC) System is a significant new technology offering intended to help improve customer comfort by considering changing weather and environmental conditions and then automatically adjusting the cabin temperature accordingly. For Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), it also reduces vehicle development time and costs.

ACC systems have become standard equipment for mid-to-luxury vehicles. They use a computer-controlled heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system to maintain a comfortable driving environment in a vehicle cabin when the vehicle goes through changing ambient conditions such as rain, snow or sunshine. Delphi has a long history of supplying ACC systems and was among the first companies to offer ACC systems in the mid-1960s.

Set & Forget takes this technology to the next level, using advanced mathematical algorithms and computer controls to better manage changes in the environment both inside and outside the vehicle. Improved performance is achieved through innovative designs that allow greater control over various aspects of the system behavior. The system calculates the thermal energy needed for passenger comfort and then automatically controls the HVAC module to deliver the proper amount of airflow at the right temperature to the right outlets.

The simplified development process is realized by promoting seasonal independence, so that refinements made for summertime operation do not adversely impact system performance for wintertime, and vice versa.

Set & Forget was first introduced in 2005 on the Pontiac G6. Subsequently, GM launched this technology in China on the Buick GL8 and Buick LaCrosse. GM is also using Set & Forget on North American vehicles including the Saturn Aura and Aura Green Line hybrid. The technology is slated for additional GM models and is available to any OEM.

According to Dr. Prasad Kadle, chief engineer for Advanced Thermal Components and Systems, Delphi Thermal Systems, Delphi was able to launch a Set & Forget ACC system for GM in China in just one year. “The ability of Delphi’s Set & Forget technology to meet aggressive program timing is definitely a plus for OEMs striving to bring quality products to the marketplace at a fast pace,” he said.

Reduced development time also translates into reduced development costs. Traditional ACC systems can take several years to develop for a particular vehicle program. It is not unusual for the development to continue after a program has been launched into the marketplace.

“There’s an underlying logic to Set & Forget that makes it much faster to apply to a specific vehicle design, which helps us meet the manufacturer’s program timing requirements,” Kadle said. “Relying on thermodynamics and mathematics gives us an edge in software development and system calibration —and we can foresee opportunities to reduce ACC system costs by using Set & Forget as a platform.”

In addition, Set & Forget can serve as a foundation to launch other high-tech applications such as an adaptable system that will automatically adjust its behavior to suit different drivers or passengers. The Set & Forget system can also be integrated to function cooperatively with other technologies such as heated-and-cooled seats, energy efficiency systems and auto defog systems.

For more information about Delphi and its subsidiaries, visit Delphi’s media room at www.delphi.com/media.