Air-conditioning and Refrigeration systems are widely used in many industries for cooling and preservation, and the evaporator is a crucial component responsible for heat absorption. The choice of refrigerant has a significant impact on the evaporator's performance, affecting the overall efficiency of the system.
This paper investigates the effect of three common refrigerants, R134a, R407c, and R1234yf, on evaporator performance. A comparative analysis was performed using the conventional air-conditioning system consisting of a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator.
The evaporator performance was evaluated based on the cooling capacity, Refrigerant Side Pressure Drop (RSPD) and Superheat (SH). The results show that evaporator has highest cooling capacity with R134a, followed by R407C and R1234yf. In comparison to R134a, R1234yf had the lowest refrigerating effect followed by R407C. However, R1234yf has the lowest Global Warming Potential (GWP) value out of all the three refrigerants.
These results suggest that depending on the thermal conditions of the AC system, evaporator performance varies accordingly. However, R1234yf is more expensive and has a slightly lower cooling capacity than R407c & R134a at low evaporation temperatures, which should be considered before selecting a refrigerant for a specific application. In conclusion, the choice of refrigerant has a significant impact on the evaporator's performance in refrigeration systems. The findings of this study provide insight into the performance of three commonly used refrigerants and suggest that depending on the requirements and standard guidelines either of the three refrigerants i.e. R134a, R407C and R1234yf with higher thermal performance at a specified condition can be used. However, other factors such as cost and application requirements should also be considered when selecting a refrigerant.