Behaviour of refrigerant mixtures with gas/liquid injection

In this paper, the impact of gas/liquid injection on the behaviour of new alternative refrigerant mixtures such as; R-410A, R-507, R-407C, and R-404A are discussed, analysed and presented. The test results were obtained using an air–source heat pump set up with enhanced surface tubing heat exchanger under various gas/liquid injection ratios. Performance tests were conducted according to the ARI/ASHRAE Standards. The performance data demonstrated that as gas/liquid injection increases compressor head pressure and discharge temperature decrease and this has a positive effect in protecting the compressor. The effect of gas/liquid injection on mixture behaviour varies from mixture to another depending upon the mixture composition. Furthermore, hot gas injection appears to have a significant and positive influence on the COP. The performance of refrigerants R-407C and R-404A has been enhanced with 5% gas injection and mix of gas and liquid 5% injection, respectively. The data presented in these figures also show that other hot gas injection ratios and gas/liquid mix degrade the heat exchanger performance. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of magnetic field on the performance of new refrigerant mixtures

Performance test results of new alternative refrigerant mixtures such as R-410A, R-507, R-407C, and R-404A under various conditions of magnetic field are discussed, analysed and presented. The test results were obtained using an air-source heat pump set-up with enhanced surface tubing under various magnetic field conditions. Performance tests were conducted according to the ARI/ASHRAE Standards. The test results demonstrated that as magnetic field force increases, compressor head pressure and discharge temperature slightly increase as well as less liquid refrigerant is boiling in the compressor shell. This has a positive effect in protecting the compressor. The effect of magnetic field on mixture behaviour varies from one mixture to another depending upon the mixture's composition and its boiling point. Furthermore, the use of magnetic field appears to have a positive influence on the system COP as well as thermal capacities of condenser and evaporator. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance evaluation of R-22 alternative mixtures in a breadboard heat pump with pure cross-flow condenser and counter-flow evaporator

This paper presents results of performance tests for R-22 and four alternative fluids (R-134a, R-32/134a (30/70%), R-407C, and R-410A) at operating conditions typical for a residential air conditioner. The study was performed in an experimental breadboard water-to-water heat pump in which a water/ethylene glycol mixture was used as the heat transfer fluid. The heat exchangers representing the evaporator and condenser were counter flow and cross flow, respectively. In tests performed at the same capacity, R-410A had the highest coefficient of performance. Test results for the system and data characterizing the performance of the heat exchangers and compressor are presented. The impact of the wide variations in the different alternative fluid properties on the system's operation and performance is particularly noted. The benefit of the liquid-line/suction-line heat exchange cycle is also addressed.     

Energy efficiency analysis of a new ternary HFC alternative

In this paper, energy efficiency results are presented for a new HFC ternary blend proposed as a substitute for CFC 502 and HCFC 22. The blend is composed of R-23/R-32/R-125. Performance evaluation test results were obtained after an experimental heat pump set up with a 3 kW rotary compressor. The refrigerants tested in this study under different conditions were HCFC-22, as a reference base refrigerant and R-410a (HFC-32/HFC-125), R-407c (HFC-32/HFC-125/HFC-134a), as well as quaternary mixture; HFC-32/HFC-125/HFC-143a/HFC-134a. The experimental data showed that our proposed HFC ternary blend R-23/R-32/R-125 has superior performance compared to other proposed HFC alternatives such as R-410a and R-407c, under the same conditions. Pressure ratios and head pressures were compatible with new compressors to be used in new systems. Furthermore, experimental results demonstrated that the ternary blend R-23/R-32/R-125 is the best performing replacement for R-22 in heat pump applications and low temperature equipment. Experiments also showed that the heat pump system using R-23/R-32/R-125 was stable and experienced reasonable head pressures. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prediction of condensation of refrigerant mixtures under magnetic field inside enhanced surface tubing

Two phase flow heat transfer characteristics observed under magnetic field during condensation of refrigerant mixtures R-404A, R407C and R507 as well as R-410A were observed, analyzed and presented in this paper. Experiments showed that magnetic field tends to enhance the condensation characteristics at lower Reynolds numbers. The data clearly indicated that values of the condensation heat transfer coefficient of refrigerant mixtures under investigation were significantly influenced by the Magnetohyrdodynamic (MHD) effects depending upon the type of refrigerant mixture. The proposed correlation appears to predict the heat transfer coefficient with an average deviation of ± 10.     

Experimental investigation of two phase flow condensation of alternatives to HCFC-22 inside enhanced surface tubing

This paper presents an experimental study of two phase flow condensation of some alternative zeotropic refrigerant mixtures to R-22, inside air/refrigerant horizontal enhanced surface tubing. The alternatives considered in this study are; R-507, R-404A, R-407C, and R-408A as well as R-410A. It was evident from the condensation experimental data that R-408A has the highest heat transfer rate compared to the other blends under the investigated range of refrigerant mass flow rates and heat flux. However, when the thermophysical properties are factored in, the condensation data showed that R-410A has the highest heat transfer rate at Reynolds number higher than 2.35E+7 Furthermore, experimental data of two phase condensation pressure gradient data across the test section at different Reynolds numbers showed that R-410A has the highest convective pressure drop among the blends under investigation.     

Exergy losses in refrigerating systems. A study for performance comparisons in compressor and condenser

A study is carried out to describe irreversibilities in one stage refrigerating process for vapour compression cycle with refrigerant mixtures R-404A, R-410A, R-410B and R-507 as working fluids. They are calculated as exergy losses by an algorithm developed on the basis of thermodynamics. The proposed relationships have been derived from exergy balances on the system components. Emphasis is placed on parameters influencing the losses and the related results are presented through Grassmann diagrams (diagrams of exergy fluxes). Furthermore, detailed information on the variation of cycle's exergy efficiency with evaporating and condensing temperatures is given. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study of viscosity and thermal conductivity effects on condensation characteristics of some new alternative refrigerant mixtures

In this paper, a numerical study of the impact of the transport properties on the condensation characteristics of certain refrigerant mixtures is presented. New correlations have been developed to calculate the thermal conductivity and viscosity of some alternative refrigerant mixtures such as R-507, R-404A, R-407C, and R-410A. In addition, new improved condensation correlations have been developed and presented for predicting the heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop. The results clearly showed that the condensation characteristics were well predicted using the newly proposed correlations with mean deviation of ±10 and 20% for the heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop respectively. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Behaviour of new refrigerant mixtures under magnetic field

The behaviour of some new alternative refrigerant mixtures such as R‐410A, R‐507, R‐407C, and R‐404A under various conditions of magnetic field are discussed, analysed and presented. The effect of magnetic field on mixture behaviour varies from one mixture to another depending upon the mixture's composition and its boiling point and consequently on the thermophysical properties. Furthermore, the use of magnetic field appears to have a positive influence on the thermal capacities of the condenser and the evaporator depending upon the refrigerant mixture's thermophysical properties. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cooling characteristics of ground source heat pump with heat exchange methods

The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of the cooling performance for a water-to-water ground source heat pump (GSHP) by using the counter flow and parallel flow methods. The GSHP uses R-410A as a refrigerant, and its main components are a scroll compressor, plate heat exchangers as a condenser, an evaporator, a thermostatic expansion valve, a receiver, and an inverter. Based on our modeling results, the heat transfer rate of the counter flow evaporator is higher than that of the parallel flow evaporator for a heat exchanger length greater than 0.42 m. The evaporator length of the GSHP used in this study was set to over 0.5 m. The performance of the water-to-water GSHP was measured by varying the compressor speed and source-side entering water temperature (EWT). The cooling capacity of the GSHP increased with increased compressor RPMs and source side EWT. Also, using the counter flow method, compared to the parallel flow method, improves the COP by approximately 5.9% for an ISO 13256-2 rated condition.     

Influence of liquid injection on two‐phase flow convective boiling of refrigerant mixtures

In this paper, an analytical study on the influence of liquid injection on heat transfer characteristics of two‐phase flow boiling of some refrigerant mixtures in air/refrigerant horizontal enhanced surface tubing is presented. Correlations were proposed to predict the impact of the liquid injection the thermophysical properties of refrigerant mixtures as well as the heat transfer characteristics such as average heat transfer coefficient of R‐507, R‐404A, R‐410A, and R‐407C in two‐phase flow boiling inside enhanced surface tubing. It was also evident that the proposed correlations and the experimental data that the liquid injection has significant impact on the heat transfer coefficient. In addition, the proposed correlations were applicable to the entire heat and mass flux, investigated in the present study under the liquid injection conditions. The deviation between the experimental and predicted under liquid injection were less than ±20, for the majority of data. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaporation Heat Transfer Coefficients of R-446A

ABSTRACT

The present study investigated the evaporation heat transfer coefficients of R-446A, as a low global warming potential alternative refrigerant to R-410A. The evaporation heat transfer coefficients were obtained by measuring the wall temperature of a straight stainless tube and refrigerant pressure. The heat transfer coefficients were measured for the quality range from 0.05 to 0.95, the mass flux from 100 to 400 kg/m²s, heat flux from 10 to 30 kW/m², and saturation temperature from 5 to 10°C. The evaporation heat transfer coefficient of R-410A was verified by comparing the measured evaporation heat transfer coefficient with the value predicted by the existing correlation. The evaporation heat transfer coefficient of R-446A was measured using a proven experimental apparatus. When the heat flux was 10 kW/m², the evaporation heat transfer coefficient of R-446A was always higher than that of R-410A. But, when the heat flux was 30 kW/m², the evaporation heat transfer coefficient of R-446A was measured to be lower than that of R-410A near the dry-out point. The effect of the tube diameter on the R-446A evaporation heat transfer coefficient was negligible. The effect of saturation pressure on the evaporation heat transfer coefficient was prominent in the low quality region where the nucleate boiling was dominant.     

Two‐phase flow convective condensation of refrigerant mixtures under gas/liquid injection

The influence of gas/liquid injection on two‐phase flow condensation heat transfer characteristics of some refrigerant mixtures in horizontal enhanced surface tubing is presented. Correlations were proposed to predict the impact of the gas/liquid injection on the heat transfer characteristics such as average heat transfer coefficient of R‐507, R‐404A, R‐410A, and R‐407C in two‐phase flow condensation inside enhanced surface tubing. The data also revealed that gas, liquid and gas/liquid injection is beneficial at certain gas/liquid injection ratios to the heat transfer coefficient depending upon the Reynolds number and the condensation point of the refrigerant mixtures in question. It was also evident that the proposed condensation correlations and the experimental data were applicable to the entire heat and mass flux, investigated in the present study under gas/liquid injection conditions. The deviation between the experimental and predicted under gas/liquid injection were less than ± 10, for the majority of data. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of thermophysical properties on two-phase flow convective boiling of refrigerant mixtures

In this paper, an analytical study on the influence of thermophysical properties on heat transfer characteristics of two-phase flow boiling of some refrigerant mixtures in air/refrigerant horizontal enhanced surface tubing is presented.Correlations were proposed to predict the thermophysical properties of refrigerant mixtures such as thermal conductivity and viscosity as well as their impact on the heat transfer characteristics such as average heat transfer coefficients, and pressure drops of R-507, R-404A, R-410A, and R-407C in two-phase flow boiling inside enhanced surface tubing. In addition, it was found that the refrigerant mixture's pressure drop is a weak function of the mixture's composition.It was also evident that the proposed improved correlations for predicting the thermophysical properties were applicable to the entire heat and mass flux, investigated in the present study. The deviation between the experimental and predicted value using new and improved correlations for the heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop were <±20 %, for the majority of data.     

Experimental Study on R-410a Evaporation Heat Transfer Characteristics in Oblong Shell and Plate Heat Exchanger

The evaporation heat transfer experiments were conducted with an oblong shell and plate heat exchanger without oil in the refrigerant loop using R-410A, a mixture of 50 wt% R-32 and 50 wt% R-125 that exhibits azeotropic behavior. An experimental refrigerant loop has been established to measure the evaporation heat transfer coefficient h _r of R-410A in a vertical oblong shell and plate heat exchanger. Four vertical counter-flow channels were formed in the oblong shell and plate heat exchanger by four plates having a corrugated trapezoid shape of a 45° chevron angle. The upflow of the boiling R-410A in one channel receives heat from the hot downflow of water in the other channel. The effects of the refrigerant mass flux, average heat flux, refrigerant saturation temperature, and vapor quality of R-410A on the measured data were explored in detail. The results indicate that a rise in the refrigerant mass flux causes an increase in the h _r . Raising the imposed wall heat flux was found to slightly improve h _r . Finally, at a higher refrigerant saturation temperature, the h _r is found to be lower. Based on the present data, an empirical correlation of the evaporation heat transfer coefficient was proposed.     

Study on performance of a heat pump water heater using suction stream liquid injection

Liquid refrigerant injection into a suction line is an effective and practical method to reduce the discharge temperature when a scroll compressor operates at high compression ratios. In the present study, correlations among the compressor suction temperature, discharge temperature, heat pump heating capacity, power consumption, coefficient of performance (COP) and the quantity of suction liquid injection are established. The paper presents experimental analysis and a comparison with calculated results of the heat pump water heater (HPWH) performance with suction liquid injection in different conditions. It is found that the suction liquid injection explicitly lowers the discharge temperature of the compressor and the heating capacity of the unit, but the power consumption increases with COP decreasing. In addition, the highest injection ratio must be controlled fewer than 5%. The suction liquid injection has a better effect on the HPWH at the temperature ranging from ?15 °C to 20 °C. Within this temperature range, the 5% ratio suction liquid injection decreases the discharge temperature of the compressor by 10 °C, while the heating capacity of the HPWH decreases by less than 5%, power consumption increases by less than 1.5%, and COP decreases by less than 7%.     

Prediction of convective boiling characteristics of alternatives to R-502 inside air/refrigerant enhanced surface tubing

In this paper, an experimental study on the heat transfer characteristics of two-phase flow boiling of alternative azeotropic refrigerant mixtures to R-502 on air/refrigerant horizontal enhanced surface tubing is presented. Correlations were proposed to predict the heat transfer characteristics such as average heat transfer coefficients, as well as pressure drops of alternatives to R-502; such as R-507, R-404A, R-407B, and R-408A in two-phase flow boiling inside enhanced surface tubing. In addition, it was found that the refrigerant mixture’s pressure drop is a weak function of the mixture’s composition. It was found that the correlations were applicable to the entire heat and mass flux, investigated in the present study for the proposed blends under question. The deviation between the experimental and predicted values for the heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop were less than ±20% and 35%, respectively, for the majority of data.     

Thermodynamic Performance of Nonazeotropic R-134a/R-143a Refrigerant Mixtures

A study of the thermodynamic performance of nonazeotropic refrigerant mixtures (NARMs) involving R-143a/R-134a was completed. The aim of the study was to identify possible replacements for R-12. Two refrigeration cycles were considered, the vapor-compression cycle and the internal heat exchanger cycle. Our results suggest that the nonazeotropic R-143a/R-134a mixtures studied yield comparable performance to R-12 when the internal heat exchanger cycle is used.     

Influence of gas/liquid injection on two‐phase flow convective boiling of refrigerant mixtures

An analytical study on the influence of gas/liquid injection on heat transfer characteristics of two‐phase flow boiling of some refrigerant mixtures in horizontal enhanced surface tubing is presented. Correlations were proposed to predict the impact of the gas/liquid injection on the heat transfer characteristics such as average heat transfer coefficient of R‐507, R‐404A, R‐410A and R‐407C in two‐phase flow boiling inside enhanced surface tubing. The data also revealed that gas/liquid injection is beneficial at certain gas/liquid injection ratios to the heat transfer coefficient depending upon the Reynolds number and the boiling point. It was also evident that the proposed correlations and the experimental data that the gas/liquid injection has significant impact on the heat transfer coefficient. In addition, the proposed correlations were applicable to the entire heat and mass flux, investigated in the present study under gas/liquid injection conditions. The deviation between the experimental and predicted under gas/liquid injection were less than ±20, for the majority of data. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two phase flow heat transfer of binary mixtures inside enhanced surface tubing

The primary heat transfer parameters such as coefficient of heat transfer and pressure drop observed during condensation of binary azeotropic refrigerant mixtures R-410a (R125/R32: 50/50), and R-507 (R125/R143a: 50/50) are presented in this paper.Experiments showed that for Reynolds numbers higher than 4.2 E06, R-410a appears to have greater heat transfer rates more than the other blends under investigation. Furthermore, it is quite evident from this data that R-507 has the highest pressure drop among the refrigerants under investigation.