Comparison of Cooling Parameters of R134a and R290/R600a 1.0.0

Abstract: Cooling capacities and other parameters were determined for a refrigeration cycle operating between temperature limits of -25oC (evaporator temperature) and 42oC (condenser temperature). The refrigerants used in the refrigeration cycle analysis were R134a and R290/R600a. Compressor capacity of 125W, degree of subcooling of 9K and degree of superheating of 15K were maintained for refrigeration cycles using R134a and a binary mixture of R290/R600a (50% each by mass). Parameters such as refrigerating capacity, mass flow rate, compression work, condenser capacity and Coefficient Of Performance (COP) were computed for each refrigeration cycle. Flow rate of R134a is higher than that of R290/R600a which indicates its low evaporative specific heat. The cooling capacity of R134a (376.41W) is higher than that of R290/R600a (338.11W). COP of the cycle using R134a is 3.01 which is higher than that of R290/R600a. Suction and discharge pressures of the two refrigerants are fairly close. The analysis showed that cooling capacities of the two refrigerants are close enough and are therefore proposed as substitutes in existing R12 refrigeration systems.

Keywords: Refrigeration Cycle, R134a, R290/R600a, Cooling Capacities, Binary Refrigerants