Experimental comparison of R404A and R452A in refrigeration systems

Abstract

In this study, R404A and R452A refrigerants used in refrigeration systems were compared experimentally. The energy performance of the system was investigated for widely used evaporation temperatures (−5, 0, +5 °C) and condenser temperatures (25, 35, 45 °C). It was seen that the coefficient of performance (COP) was higher but the power consumption of the system was lower when using R452A as a substitute for R404A. When R452A was used, the COP was improved by about 3% to 8% compared to R404A. Furthermore, the cooling capacity decreased by about 2% for condenser temperatures of 25 and 35 °C, while it increased at a condenser temperature of 45 °C. The power consumption of the system was also reduced by nearly 5%. The mass flow rate of the refrigerant was lower when the system was operated with R452A. In the middle term, R452A could be a suitable alternative refrigerant for commercial refrigeration applications due to its low global warming potential (GWP) value and better energy performance compared to R404A.