Testing of Very Low GWP Alternatives for R-404A

DOI: 10.18462/iir.compr.2017.0236

Session: Refrigerants low GWP, oils. Chaired by Vaclav Havelsky, Martin Dieryckx, Joachim Gerstel

Accept state: Submission accepted

Authors

Abstract

R-404A has been the global industry standard HFC refrigerant for commercial refrigeration in both small and large systems. However, due to its high global warming potential (AR4 100 year GWP = 3922), lower GWP alternatives to R-404A are urgently needed. In particular, the European F-Gas regulation which came into effect in 2015 requires commercial hermetically sealed systems to use refrigerants with <150 GWP by January 1, 2022 and an overall reduction of 79% in the total carbon dioxide equivalents of refrigerants placed on the market by 2030. Regulations on high GWP HFCs in other regions are also being proposed. To address this need, very low GWP hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) refrigerant mixtures named R-454A and R-454C have been developed. R-454A and R-454C are mixtures of HFO-1234yf and HFC-32. HFO-1234yf is in the formulation to dramatically reduce the GWP and HFC-32 has been added to increase the cooling capacity and provide performance close to R-404A. Though both R-454A and R-454C are mildly flammable, standards around the World are changing to allow the use of mildly flammable refrigerants with charge sizes up to 10 times larger than if a hydrocarbon refrigerant was used. This paper will present results from experimental testing of R-454A and R-454C in a self-contained freezer originally designed to use R-404A. Standard performance parameters will be measured and compared to the R-404A baseline, including energy consumption, pressures and temperatures and mass flow rate. Information for R-454A and R-454C with lubricants and other system materials will also be presented.

Keywords

Low GWP
HFO
Refrigerant
R-404A Alternative