Experimental evaluation of HCFC-22 replacement by the drop-in fluids HFC-422A and HFC-417B for low temperature refrigeration applications

Abstract The Regulation CE-1005/2009 has banned the use of virgin HCFC-22 in Europe from the 31st December 2009, because it contains chlorine, although its use is allowed up to the 31st December 2014 if it is recycled. Now, manufacturers are developing different free-chlorine drop-in solutions to replace the HCFC-22 in the existing equipment by non-ozone depleting substances in order to exhaust its remaining life. This work focuses on the experimental evaluation of two HCFC-22 drop-in solutions for low temperature applications, the HFC-422A and the HFC-417B, in a double-stage vapour compression plant driven by a compound compressor in an evaporating temperature range between −31 and −17 °C and in a condensing temperature range between 30 and 48 °C. The experimental results show that there is a reduction in cooling capacity and in COP with regard to the HCFC-22 operation, which is analysed and discussed in the paper.

[1]  Akhilesh Arora,et al.  Thermodynamic analysis of R422 series refrigerants as alternative refrigerants to HCFC22 in a vapour compression refrigeration system , 2009 .

[2]  Alfonso William Mauro,et al.  Experiments during flow boiling of a R22 drop-in: R422D adiabatic pressure gradients , 2009 .

[3]  Ramón Cabello López,et al.  Experimental Energetic Analysis of the Liquid Injection Effect in a Two-Stage Refrigeration Facility Using a Compound Compressor , 2007 .

[4]  Ramón Cabello,et al.  On-site study of HCFC-22 substitution for HFC non-azeotropic blends (R417A, R422D) on a water chiller of a centralized HVAC system , 2010 .

[5]  Ramón Cabello,et al.  Experimental Energetic Analysis of the Subcooler System in a Two-Stage Refrigeration Facility Driven by a Compound Compressor , 2009 .

[6]  Rita Mastrullo,et al.  An analysis of the performances of a vapour compression plant working both as a water chiller and a heat pump using R22 and R417A , 2004 .

[7]  Rodrigo Llopis,et al.  Experimental evaluation of the inter-stage conditions of a two-stage refrigeration cycle using a compound compressor , 2009 .

[8]  Rodrigo Llopis,et al.  Performance evaluation of R404A and R507A refrigerant mixtures in an experimental double-stage vapour compression plant , 2010 .

[9]  Reinhard Radermacher,et al.  Vapor compression heat pumps with refrigerant mixtures , 2005 .

[10]  J. Fernández-Seara,et al.  Vapour condensation of R22 retrofit substitutes R417A, R422A and R422D on CuNi turbo C tubes , 2010 .