Development of High Efficiency Swing Compressor for R32 Refrigerant

In the age of global warming, energy saving features and overall reduction of environmental impact are critical components that must be addressed when developing new HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) units. We chose R32 refrigerant, with its lower LCCP (life cycle climate performance) as a more sustainable choice than R410A. However, R32 has its drawbacks. Due to its smaller molecular weight, internal leakage loss is higher for R32. Moreover, high discharge gas temperature decreases the reliability of the compressor, and makes a large overheating loss increase. In this study, we will describe the technologies (reducing the piston pressurizing force, heat-insulating structure, optimizing the port diameter) that were developed to overcome these drawbacks. We will also present the performance and reliability of the newly developed high efficiency swing compressor series for R32 refrigerant.