Modelling of reciprocating and scroll compressors

This paper presents simple and thermodynamically realistic models of two types of compressors widely used in domestic heat pumps (reciprocating and scroll compressors). These models calculate the mass flow rate of refrigerant and the power consumption from the knowledge of operating conditions and parameters. Some of these parameters may be found in the technical datasheets of compressors whereas others are determined in such a way that the calculated mass flow rate and electrical power match those given in these datasheets.The two models have been tested on five reciprocating compressors and five scroll compressors. This study has been limited to compressors with a maximum electrical power of 10 kW and for the following operating conditions: evaporating temperatures ranging from −20 to 15 °C and condensing temperatures ranging from 15 to 60 °C.The average discrepancies on mass flow rate and power for reciprocating compressors are 1.10 and 1.69% (for different refrigerants: R134a, R404A, R22, R12 and R407C). For scroll compressors, the average discrepancies on mass flow rate and power are 2.42 and 1.04% (for different refrigerants: R134a, R404A, R407C and R22).     

Viscosity of Gaseous R404A, R407C, R410A, and R507

This paper presents new measurements of the viscosity of gaseous R404A (52 wt% R143a, 44 wt% R125, 4 wt% R134a), R407C (23 wt% R32, 25 wt% R125, 52 wt% R143a), R410A (50 wt% R32, 50 wt% R125), and R507 (50 wt% R143a, 50 wt% R125). These mixtures are recommended as substitutes for the refrigerants R22, R502, and R13B1. Measurements were carried out in an oscillating-disk viscometer. The obtained values of the viscosity are relative to the viscosity of nitrogen. The experiments were performed at atmospheric pressure over the temperature range 297 to 403 K. and near the saturation line up to pressures of 0.6 P _crit. The estimated uncertainty of the reported viscosities are ±0.5% for the viscosities at atmospheric pressure and ± 1% along the saturation line, being limited by the accuracy of the available vapor pressure and density data. The experimental viscosities at atmospheric pressure are employed to determine the intermolecular potential parameters, and , which provide the optimum representation of the data with the aid of the extended law of corresponding states developed by Kestin et al. A comparison of the experimental viscosity data with the values calculated by REFPROP, both at atmospheric pressure and along the saturation line, is presented.     

Calculation of thermodynamic properties of R407C and R410A by the Martin–Hou equation of state — part I: theoretical development

A theoretical development of the thermodynamic properties of two mixtures of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, i.e. R407C and R410A (in the superheated vapour state), is carried out. The modelling is based on the Martin-Hou equation of state, which has long been used for pure hydrofluorocarbons (e.g. R134a) with good results. Since R407C and R410A are very well investigated refrigerants, the analytical procedure here derived concerns with those thermodynamic properties of R407C and R410A (in the superheated state) that are not published in the current specialised literature. They are: compressibility factor, isentropic and isothermal compressibility, volume expansivity, isentropic and isothermal exponent, speed of sound and Joule–Thomson coefficient. These properties may be used as a theoretical basis for research into the optimal HFC-mixture for compressor efficiency and for performing cycle calculations in the vapour-phase region for systems working with R407C and R410A.     

HFC-161及其应用

介绍ODs替代品HFC-161的性质及应用实例，通过分析与实验说明这些混合制冷剂能够分别替代R410A，R407C，R404A和HFC-134a，均具有环保性能优异、能效比高、用量少、与原系统兼容等特点。     

Formation Conditions of Clathrates Between HFC Alternative Refrigerants and Water

There are two promising candidates as alternative refrigerants for air-conditioners and heat pumps. The first is R407C, which is composed of HFC-32 (23 mass%), HFC-125 (25 mass%), and HFC-134a (52 mass%). The second is R410A, which is composed of HFC-32 (50 mass%) and HFC-125 (50 mass%). In this study, formation conditions of clathrate compounds between water and HFC alternative refrigerants such as HFC-32, HFC-125, HFC-134a, and their mixtures, R407C and R410A, were investigated. Phase diagrams of clathrates of these HFC alternative refrigerants and their mixtures were determined. From the phase diagrams, the critical decomposition temperature and the critical decomposition pressure were determined. The relationship between the critical decomposition points for the clathrates of HFC-32, HFC-125, HFC-134a, R410A, and R407C were studied. It is found that R407C and R410A form clathrate compounds with water under the evaporating temperature condition in the refrigeration cycle of air-conditioners and heat pumps.     

Thermal Conductivity of the Refrigerant Mixtures R404A, R407C, R410A, and R507A

New thermal conductivity data of the refrigerant mixtures R404A, R407C, R410A, and R507C are presented. For all these refrigerants, the thermal conductivity was measured in the vapor phase at atmospheric pressure over a temperature range from 250 to 400 K and also at moderate pressures. A modified steady-state hot-wire method was used for these measurements. The cumulative correction for end effects, eccentricity of the wire, and radiation heat transfer did not exceed 2%. Calculated uncertainties in experimental thermal conductivity are, in general, less than ±1.5%. All available literature thermal conductivity data for R404A, R407C, R410A, and R507C were evaluated to identify the most accurate data on which to base the thermal conductivity model. The thermal conductivity is modeled with the residual concept. In this representation, the thermal conductivity was composed of two contributions: a dilute gas term which is a function only of temperature and a residual term which is a function only of density. The models cover a wide range of conditions except for the region of the thermal conductivity critical enhancement. The resulting correlations are applicable for the thermal conductivity of dilute gas, superheated vapor, and saturated liquid and vapor far away from the critical point. Comparisons are made for all available literature data.     

R404A和R410A应用于平行流冷凝器的模拟分析比较

采用分布参数法对平行流冷凝器建立数学模型，对目前广泛使用的制冷剂R134a和低温制冷剂R404A和R410A在平行流冷凝器中的换热和流动性能进行模拟计算和分析比较。分别在相同和不同工况下。比较3种制冷剂的换热系数及压降等换热和流动性能参数。结果表明，在采用平行流冷凝器的汽车空调工况范围内，R410AR404A的流动和传热性能均优于R134a，更适宜用于汽车空调用平行流冷凝器。     

Capillary tube selection for HCFC22 alternativesSélection de capillaires pour les frigorigènes de remplacement du HCFC22

In this paper, pressure drop through a capillary tube is modeled in an attempt to predict the size of capillary tubes used in residential air conditioners and also to provide simple correlating equations for practicing engineers. Stoecker's basic model was modified with the consideration of various effects due to subcooling, area contraction, different equations for viscosity and friction factor, and finally mixture effect. McAdams' equation for the two-phase viscosity and Stoecker's equation for the friction factor yielded the best results among various equations. With these equations, the modified model yielded the performance data that are comparable to those in the ASHRAE handbook. After the model was validated with experimental data for CFC12, HFC134a, HCFC22, and R407C, performance data were generated for HCFC22 and its alternatives, HFC134a, R407C, and R410A under the following conditions: condensing temperature; 40, 45, 50, 55°C, subcooling; 0, 2.5, 5°C, capillary tube diameter; 1.2–2.4 mm, mass flow rate; 5–50 g/s. These data showed that the capillary tube length varies uniformly with the changes in condensing temperature and subcooling. Finally, a regression analysis was performed to determine the dependence of mass flow rate on the length and diameter of a capillary tube, condensing temperature, and subcooling. Thus determined simple practical equations yielded a mean deviation of 2.4% for 1488 data obtained for two pure and two mixed refrigerants examined in this study.     

Flow condensation heat transfer coefficients of R22, R134a, R407C, and R410A inside plain and microfin tubes

Flow condensation heat transfer coefficients (HTCs) of R22, R134a, R407C, and R410A inside horizontal plain and microfin tubes of 9.52 mm outside diameter and 1 m length were measured at the condensation temperature of 40 °C with mass fluxes of 100, 200, and 300 kg m⁻² s⁻¹ and a heat flux of 7.7–7.9 kW m⁻². For a plain tube, HTCs of R134a and R410A were similar to those of R22 while HTCs of R407C are 11–15% lower than those of R22. For a microfin tube, HTCs of R134a were similar to those of R22 while HTCs of R407C and R410A were 23–53% and 10–21% lower than those of R22. For a plain tube, our correlation agreed well with the present data for all refrigerants exhibiting a mean deviation of 11.6%. Finally, HTCs of a microfin tube were 2–3 times higher than those of a plain tube and the heat transfer enhancement factor decreased as the mass flux increased for all refrigerants tested.     

Performance degradation of a vapor compression refrigeration system under fouled conditions

Performance degradation due to fouling in a vapor compression cycle is investigated for various applications. Considering the first set of refrigerants i.e. R134a, R410A and R407C, from a first law standpoint, the COP indicates that R134a always performs better unless only the evaporator is being fouled. In contrast to this, from a second-law standpoint, the second-law efficiency indicates that R134a performs the best in all cases. Considering the second set of refrigerants i.e. R717, R404A and R290, from a first law standpoint, the COP indicates that R717 always performs better unless only the evaporator is being fouled. In contrast to this, from a second-law standpoint, the second-law efficiency indicates that R717 performs the best in all cases. Volumetric efficiency of R410A and R717 remained the highest under the respective conditions studied. Furthermore, performance degradation of the evaporator often has a larger effect on compressor power requirement while that of the condenser has an overall larger effect on the COP. A new performance degradation law is presented in light of the data generated, which can reduce the amount of experimentation and help predict relevant quantities of the refrigeration system.     

Refrigeration system performance using liquid-suction heat exchangersPerformance d''un système frigorifique utilisant des échangeurs liquide-vapeur à l''aspiration

Heat transfer devices are provided in many refrigeration systems to exchange energy between the cool gaseous refrigerant leaving the evaporator and warm liquid refrigerant exiting the condenser. These liquid-suction or suction-line heat exchangers can, in some cases, yield improved system performance while in other cases they degrade system performance. Although previous researchers have investigated performance of liquid-suction heat exchangers, this study can be distinguished from the previous studies in three ways. First, this paper identifies a new dimensionless group to correlate performance impacts attributable to liquid-suction heat exchangers. Second, the paper extends previous analyses to include new refrigerants. Third, the analysis includes the impact of pressure drops through the liquid-suction heat exchanger on system performance. It is shown that reliance on simplified analysis techniques can lead to inaccurate conclusions regarding the impact of liquid-suction heat exchangers on refrigeration system performance. From detailed analyses, it can be concluded that liquid-suction heat exchangers that have a minimal pressure loss on the low pressure side are useful for systems using R507A, R134a, R12, R404A, R290, R407C, R600, and R410A. The liquid-suction heat exchanger is detrimental to system performance in systems using R22, R32, and R717.     

冷冻冷藏用制冷剂R404A的替代品对比分析

基于现有的R404A涡旋式压缩机,模拟分别采用R404A,R407A,R407F,R134a和R1234ze制冷剂时的压缩机性能,计算5种制冷剂系统的理论循环COP,并对各典型工况进行对比分析。计算结果表明,R407A和R407F可直接应用于R404A压缩机,而R134a和R1234ze替代R404A时压缩机设计变更较大,4种制冷剂系统能效均较R404A系统有较大提高。     

Hydrocarbons as refrigerants in small heat pump and refrigeration systems – A review

Due to the concern for the effects of the release of HFC refrigerants on the global environment caused by the high global warming potential of these substances, there is a large interest in Europe and elsewhere for the use of hydrocarbons as refrigerants. This article presents a comparison of the properties and performance of hydrocarbons as refrigerants in small-size heat pump and refrigeration systems (<20 kW cooling). A listing of several commercially available systems is also presented. The designs, safety precautions and performances of some of these systems are described.As a general conclusion, it is shown that using hydrocarbons will result in COPs equal to, or higher than, those of similar HFC systems. It is also shown that components suitable for hydrocarbon systems are available on the market, even though the number of large-size hermetic compressors is limited. A major concern, which should not be taken lightly, is the safety issue. Reduced charge through indirect systems and compact heat exchangers, outdoor placing of the unit, hydrocarbon sensors and alarms and forced ventilation are all steps which may be applied to reduce the risks under normal operation.     

Two-phase heat transfer coefficients of three HFC refrigerants inside a horizontal smooth tube, part I: evaporationCoefficient d'échange diphasiques de trois fluides frigorifiques HFC à l'intérieur d'un tube lisse horizontal, première partie: évaporation

This paper presents experimental heat transfer results obtained during the evaporation of Isceon 59, R407C and R404A in a horizontal tube. The results have been compared with existing correlations which characterise the evaporative heat transfer coefficient to assess the validity of these models for refrigerant mixtures. The results compared well with the (Gungor K.E., Winterton, R.H.S. Simplified general correlation for saturated flow boiling and comparisons of correlations with data. The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering Research & Design 1987;65(2):148–156 and Shah M.M. Chart correlation for saturated boiling heat transfer: equations and further study. ASHRAE Transactions 1982;88(1):185–196) correlations over a 0.2 to 0.8 vapour quality range. These correlations, however, did not accurately predict the results obtained during the dry-out at high vapour quality. A model, developed by (Kattan N., Thome J.R., Favrat D., 1998. Flow boiling in horizontal tubes: part 1 — development of a diabatic two-phase flow pattern map. Journal of heat transfer, transactions of ASME, Vol. 120, pp. 140-147; Kattan N., Thome J.R., Favrat D., 1998. Flow boiling in horizontal tubes: part 2 — new heat transfer data for five refrigerants. Journal of Heat Transfer, Transactions of ASME, Vol. 120, pp. 148–155; Kattan N., Thome J.R., Favrat D., 1998. Flow boiling in horizontal tubes: part 3–development of a new heat transfer model based on flow pattern. Journal of Heat Transfer, Transactions of ASME, Vol. 120, pp. 156–165), was found to express the local variations in heat transfer during the whole evaporation process. This model was modified to fit the three new refrigerants. The modified Kattan model offers a good prediction of the heat transfer results, with a standard deviation of 6.1%.     

Comparison of experimental pressure drop data for two phase flows to prediction methods using a general model

In this paper, existing and new two phase pressure drop data are used to run an extensive comparison to predictive methods. The database used is for seven refrigerants (R22, R134a, R404A, R407C, R410A, R417A, and R507A) over a wide range of operating conditions. The procedure used for the comparison is a model of general validity since it is independent of the data reduction procedure. Four quoted methods and a new one by Moreno Quibén and Thome are used. The statistical analysis showed that the methods by Grönnerud and by Moreno Quibén and Thome are equally the best. Segregating the data by flow regimes and taking into account for the prediction of the data trends, the method by Moreno Quibén and Thome is able to give reliable predictions in all the range of vapour qualities, especially in the regions of the intermittent flow and dry-out.     

Performance of a finned-tube evaporator optimized for different refrigerants and its effect on system efficiency

This paper presents a comparable evaluation of R600a (isobutane), R290 (propane), R134a, R22, R410A, and R32 in an optimized finned-tube evaporator, and analyzes the impact of evaporator effects on the system coefficient of performance (COP). The study relied on a detailed evaporator model derived from NIST's EVAP-COND simulation package and used the ISHED1 scheme employing a non-Darwinian learnable evolution model for circuitry optimization. In the process, 4500 circuitry designs were generated and evaluated for each refrigerant. The obtained evaporator optimization results were incorporated in a conventional analysis of the vapor compression cycle. For a theoretical cycle analysis without accounting for evaporator effects, the COP spread for the studied refrigerants was as high as 11.7%. For cycle simulations including evaporator effects, the COP of R290 was better than that of R22 by up to 3.5%, while the remaining refrigerants performed approximately within a 2% COP band of the R22 baseline for the two condensing temperatures considered.     

Condensation of refrigerants in horizontal microfin tubes: comparison of correlations for frictional pressure drop

This paper presents a comprehensive comparison of eight previously proposed correlations with available experimental data for the frictional pressure drop during condensation of refrigerants in helically grooved, horizontal microfin tubes. Calculated values are compared with experimental data for seven refrigerants (R11, R123, R134a, R22, R32, R125 and R410A) and eight tubes and with mass velocity from 78 to 459 kg/m² s. The tubes had inside diameter at the fin root between 6.41 and 8.91 mm; the fin height varied between 0.15 and 0.24 mm; the fin pitch varied between 0.34 and 0.53 mm and helix angle between 13 and 20°. The results show that the overall r.m.s. deviations of relative residuals of frictional pressure gradient for all tubes and all refrigerants taking together decreased in the order of the correlations of Nozu et al. [Exp. Therm. Fluid Sci. 18 (1998) 82], Newell and Shah [Refrigerant heat transfer, pressure drop, and void fraction effects in microfin tubes. In: Proc. 2nd Int. Symp. on Two-Phase Flow and Experimentation, vol. 3. Italy: Edizioni ETS; 1999. p. 1623–39], Kedzierski and Goncalves [J. Enhanced Heat Transfer 6 (1999) 161], Cavallini et al. [Heat Technol. 15 (1997) 3], Goto et al. (b) [Int. J. Refrigeration 24 (2001) 628], Choi et al. [Generalized pressure drop correlation for evaporation and condensation in smooth and microfin tubes. In: Proc. of IIF-IIR Commision B1, Paderborn, Germany, B4, 2001. p. 9–16], Haraguchi et al. [Condensation heat transfer of refrigerants HCFC134a, HCFC123 and HCFC22 in a horizontal smooth tube and a horizontal microfin tube. In: Proc. 30th National Symp. of Japan, Yokohama, 1993. p. 343–5], and Goto et al. (a) [Int. J. Refrigeration 24 (2001) 628], i.e., this final correlation (Goto et al. (a)) gives the best overall representation of the data.     

Flow-boiling of R22, R134a, R507, R404A and R410A inside a smooth horizontal tube

Flow boiling heat transfer coefficients of R22, R134a, R507, R404A and R410A inside a smooth horizontal tube (6 mm I.D., 6 m length) were measured at a refrigerant mass flux of about 360 kg/m² s varying the evaporating pressure within the range 3–12 bar, with heat fluxes within the range 11–21 kW/m². The experimental data are discussed in terms of the heat transfer coefficients as a function of the vapour quality. The experimental results clearly show that the heat transfer coefficients of R134a are always higher than those pertaining to R22 (from a minimum of +6 to a maximum of +45%).     

风冷螺杆热泵机组制冷剂替换试验研究

对R22、R407c、R134a三种制冷剂的基本物性及热力性能进行了分析比较，并在风冷螺杆热泵机组基础上进行了替换试验研究。结果表明：R407c为最佳替换R22的制冷剂；R134a替换后能效比较高，但制冷（热）量衰减过多，同时R134a的运行压力过低不太适合热泵工况。     

板式蒸发器换热性能的数值模拟Ⅱ:结果及分析

在已建立的数学模型的基础上,对板式蒸发器换热能力进行了数值模拟.针对应用较广的R134a和R410A制冷剂来比较和分析板式蒸发器在小的温差下的换热性能.在三种不同的计算工况下简要分析了各种热力参数的变化对蒸发器整体换热性能的影响.不同的制冷剂,其换热系数和压降差别较大,相同工况下采用R410A替代R22,板式蒸发器的换热性能可提高8.5%～10.0%,且压降可大幅降低.