Numerical Studies on R22 Refrigerant Compressor Using Environment Friendly Working Fluids

Abstract:

Vapour compression refrigeration is the most widely used method in domestic and commercial air conditioning and refrigeration systems. R22 (difluoromonochloromethane) is the most widely used HCFC (hydro chlorofluorocarbon) refrigerant in residential, commercial, industrial and transport cooling systems. Montreal protocol in 1987 banned the use of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbon) due to their adverse impact on the environment causing ozone depletion and global warming. HCFCs are also being phased out, though they are less destructive than CFCs. The present work explores compressor performance using alternate environment friendly working fluids so that R22 can be replaced in future. The refrigerants used for the studies are R134a (tetrafluoroethane), R290 (propane) and R600a (isobutane). Compressor performance is analysed by varying refrigerant mass flow rate, evaporator and condenser temperatures and studying their effect on compressor size, power and discharge temperature. A numerical simulation code has been developed in MATLAB using refrigerant properties taken from REFPROP.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 493)
• Pages: 21-26
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.493.21
• Online since: January 2014
• Authors: K.G. Sai Shreenaath, Jigar Golecha, L. Bruno Augustin, M. Suresh
• Keywords: Alternate Refrigerants, Compressor, Numerical Simulation, Vapor Compression Refrigeration

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