Performance considerations in adopting

zero-ODP and low-GWP refrigerants

Eiji Hihara
The University of Tokyo

Contents

Introduction
Performance of natural working fluids
Performance of low-GWP refrigerants
Conclusion

1/28

Background
1.

R-1234yf is developed for mobile AC.

2.

For residential and commercial AC, R-32, R-1234yf, mixture with R1234yf are considered as candidates of next refrigerant.

3.

The new refrigerant/refrigerant mixture must balance the system

efficiency, GWP, and safety.
Annual shipment in
Japan

Current refrigerant

Low-GWP refrigerant

Domestic refrigerator

4.3 million

isobutane

isobutane

Mobile air-conditioner

4.75million

R-134a

R-1234yf

Residential airconditioner

7.75million

R-410A

Commercial airconditioner

7.44million

R-410A

?
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Thermodynamic properties of low-GWP

refrigerants
R-410A

R-32

R-1234yf

R32/R125
(50%/50%)

CH2F2

CF3CF=CH2

Boiling temperature

-51.6C

-51.7C

-29C

Critical temperature

72.5C

78.1C

95C

2088

650

ASHRAE A

ASHRAE A

ASHRAE A

Flammability

ASHRAE 2L

ASHRAE 2L

Lifetime in the air

5.6 yeas

11 days

Chemical formula

GWP(100years)
Toxicity

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Latent heat

Refrigerant

Latent heat
kJ/kg@25C

R410A

186.5

R32

270.9

R1234yf

145.4

R22

182.7

Propane

335.7

25C

Small latent heat of R-1234yf causes a large mass flow rate and a
large pressure drop.
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Trade-off problem

Changing refrigerant is an important option to solve

environmental problem.
Current refrigerant R-410A GWP=2088
New low-GWP refrigerant R-1234yf: GWP=4
But the COP is very low for residential use.

Small latent heat

Low GWP

Trade-off
problem

Large mass flow rate

Large pressure drop
Low COP
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Contents

Introduction
Performance of natural working fluids
Performance of low-GWP refrigerants
Conclusion

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Fundamental heat pump cycle

Temperature
Cooling conditions
Evaporating temp.: Teva

Cooling conditions
Condensing temp.: Tcond

Heating conditions
Evaporating temp.: Teva

Heating conditions
Condensing temp.: Tcond

9C
45C

subcooling : 5C

P
3

-3C
30C

Subcooling

5C

Superheat

5C

Compressor efficiency

1.0

1
superheat : 5C

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Performance of Heat Pump Cycles

(direct-expansion fundamental cycle)
R407C

R407C

heating
R410A

R410A

R22

R22

cooling

heating

CO2

CO2

cooling

propane

propane

ammonia

ammonia
0

5
COP

5000

10000

15000

20000

Capacity per suction vapor volume, kJ/m3

8/28

Revised heat pump cycles for ammonia,

propane, and carbon dioxide
Refrigerant

Problem

Revised cycle

Ammonia

Flammability
High temperature
of discharge gas

Liquid injection and

secondary refrigerant
cycle

Propane

Flammability

Secondary refrigerant
cycle

Carbon dioxide

Low COP

Internal heat
exchange cycle

R22, R410A,
R407C

Non

Fundamental cycle

9/28

Secondary Refrigerant Cycle

Cooling conditions

Fundamental cycle

Secondary
refrigerant cycle

9C

4C

45C

45C

-3C

-3C

30C

35C

Evaporating temp.: Teva

Cooling conditions
Condensing temp.: Tcond

Heating conditions
Evaporating temp.: Teva

Heating conditions
Condensing temp.: Tcond

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Transcritical Cycle
with Internal Heat Exchanger for CO2

heat exchange

1
h

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Liquid Injection Cycle for Ammonia

In order to decrease the

discharge gas temperature, small
amount of liquid ammonia is
injected to the compression
process at the intermediate
pressure.
P6 P1 P2

x+1

x
6

1
4

1
h

12/28

Performance of Revised Heat Pump Cycles

R407C
R410A
R22
heating

CO2

cooling
propane
ammonia
0

COP

R22, R407A, R407C: fundamental cycle

Propane: secondary refrigerant cycle
Carbon dioxide: internal heat exchange cycle
Ammonia: liquid injection and secondary refrigerant cycle
Compressor efficiency: 1
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Brief summary
The performance of basic cycle of natural working fluids was compared
with conventional refrigerants.
1. R22 has the highest COP.
2. Concerning ammonia, two-stage compression with liquid injection
cycle improves the COP and decreases the compressor discharge
temperature. But due to the flammability, the secondary refrigerant
system reduces the COP.
3. For propane the potential performance is similar to R22, but the
secondary refrigerant system reduces the COP.
4. The COP of carbon dioxide is very low.

14/28

Contents

Introduction
Performance of natural working fluids
Performance of low-GWP refrigerants
Conclusion

15/28

Objective
Calculate cooling and heating COP using three pure
refrigerants and a mixture; R-410A, R-32, R-1234yf and
R-32/R-1234yf(50%/50%).
Evaluate the performance of heat pump considering the
effect of the connecting tube.
Estimate total equivalent CO2 emission by using LCCP
method.

Performance of low-GWP refrigerants is compared with that

of conventional refrigerants.
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Calculation Conditions
Test condition

Rated cooling
capacity

Half cooling
capacity

Rated heating
capacity

Indoor dry bulb temp. [C]

27

20

Indoor wet bulb temp.[C]

19

Indoor air flow rate [m3/min]

3.0

Outdoor dry bulb temp. [C]

35

29

Outdoor wet bulb temp.[C]

Outdoor air flow rate [m3/min]

Capacity[kW]

12.0
1.3

0.65

1.6

)Based on JIS C 9612:2005

17/28

Heat Pump Model

Cooling mode

Suction Tube
Length: 7.5[m] I.D.:5.5[mm]

Indoor Heat Excahnger

Outdoor Unit

Discharge Tube
Length: 7.5[m] I.D.:5.5[mm]

Expansion Valve

Outdoor Heat Exchanger

Four way valve

Compressor

Heating mode

Indoor Heat Excahnger

Discharge Tube
Length: 7.5[m] I.D.:5.5[mm]
Outdoor Unit
Expansion Valve

Compressor
Four way valve

Outdoor Heat Exchanger

Suction Tube
Length: 1.0[m] I.D.:5.5[mm]
18/28

Heat exchanger model

Indoor heat exchanger

Outdoor heat exchanger

Refrigerant

Air

Air
Fin-tube HEX

Fin-tube HEX

Refrigerant
Row

Column

Total
length
[m]

I.D.
[mm]

Fin
thickness[
mm]

Fin
pitch
[mm]

Row

Column

Total
length
[m]

I.D.
[mm]

Fin
thickness
[mm]

Fin
pitch
[mm]

7/6

8.645

6.4

0.1

1.3

10

8.0

6.4

0.1

1.3

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COP ratio to R-410A

COP on the rated & half cooling

capacity conditions

1.
2.
3.

2.5
2

1.5

R-410A
R-32
R-1234yf
R32/R1234yf(50/50%)

1
0.5
0

Rated cooling
capacity

Half cooling
capacity

On the rated cooling capacity condition, the COP of R-1234yf is about 60%
of R-410A. The COP of R32 is the highest.
On the half cooling capacity condition, the difference becomes small.
The COP of R-32/R-1234yf mixture is better than that of R-1234yf.
20/28

Mass flow rate and pressure drop in

cooling operation
Ratio to R410A

4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0

R-410A
R-32
R-1234yf
R32/R1234yf(50/50%)

G[kg/s] ratio at P[kPa] ratio P[kPa] ratio G[kg/s] ratio at P[kPa] ratio P[kPa] ratio
through
through suction half capacity
through
through suction
rated capacity
evaporator at tube at rated
evaporator at
tube at half
rated capacity
capacity
half capacity
capacity

The COP of R-1234yf is very low due to its large pressure drop.
The effect of pressure drop is not so large on the half capacity condition.

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Ratio to R-410A

Results on the rated heating capacity

condition
3.5

R-410A

R-32

2.5

R-1234yf

2
1.5
1
0.5
0
COP ratio

Mass flow rate ratio Pressure drop ratio Pressure drop ratio
through evaporator through suction
tube

The COP of R-1234yf is not so small because in heating operation

the suction line tube is short.
22/28

LCCP Evaluation
Life Cycle Climate Performance
Climate impact is presented as an amount of equivalent CO2
emission.
LCCP is consists of two factors: direct impact and indirect impact.
Three different annual operation times for the heat pump are
assumed.
normal: 1430h for cooling, 2889h for heating
1/2: 715h for cooling, 1445h for heating
1/3: 477h for cooling, 763h for heating

Direct Impact

Indirect Impact

Regular emission of refrigerant during

operation and end-of-life emissions
from the recovery of refrigerant at the
end-of-life of the heat pumps.

Electricity consumption during

manufacturing, operation and
end-of-life of heat pumps.
23/28

Indirect CO2 emission ratio of heating operation

Indirect CO2 emission ratio of cooling operation
Direct CO2 emission ratio

1.2

1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2

Normal

Time 1/2

R-1234yf

R-32

R-410A

R-1234yf

R-32

R-410A

R-1234yf

R-32

0
R-410A

Total equivalent CO2 emission

ratio

Comparison of total equivalent CO2 emission

Time 1/3

Direct impacts of R-1234yf and R-32 are negligibly small, because indirect
impact accounts for a substantial portion of total equivalent CO2 emission.
R-32 and R-1234yf are better refrigerants than R-410A.
24/28

Drop-in test of R-1234yf

APF

Performance and Reliability Evaluation of a Room Air Conditioner with Low GWP Refrigerant, Takashi

Okazaki et al. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

25/28

Drop-in test of R32/R1234yf mixtures

Experimental Study of Low GWP Refrigerants for Room Air-Conditioners , Hideki HARA et al. DAIKIN

INDUSTRIES, LTD

26/28

Conclusion
1. Performance of ammonia and propane is similar to R22. But we
do not recommend them for direct expansion systems due to
their flammability and toxicity.
2. The COP of pure R-1234yf is very low, because the large
pressure drop occurs in heat exchangers and suction line pipe.
3. Indirect impact strongly affects the total equivalent CO2 emission
when operation time of heat pump is long.
4. Performance of mixed refrigerant (R-1234yf/R-32) is better than
pure R-1234yf.

27/28

Thank you for your attention!

28/28