Experimental investigation of a refrigeration system with R422A and R424A refrigerants

The researchers predicted in 1974 that the emission values of HFCs were at levels where they could impair the Earth's atmosphere by depleting the ozone layer in the stratosphere. By 1985, the ozone layer on Antarctica was proven to be destroyed by measurements. In 1987, production and consumption of CFCs were restricted by the Montreal Protocol. By 2008, the amount of stratospheric chlorine had reached 10% lower than peak values reached at the end of the 1990s and continued to decline. In line with the protocol signed in January 2010, the global production of CFCs has been targeted at the end of the 2010. According to The Montreal Protocol 196 countries was generally approved in 2009, accelerating the termination of HCFC use in European Union countries. At the end of 1990, a significant reduction has been achieved last of all the HFC emissions, the regulations and the Montreal Protocol introduced by subsequent amendments. Numerous research is currently underway to find products that do not contain chlorine from alternative refrigerants that can be used replace of the HCFC-22 refrigerant, provide efficient performance and have a low global warming effect. The most common refrigeration and condensation devices operating with hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) derived refrigerants are split-type air-conditioners that are used in places such as homes and offices and whose cooling capacities range from 2 kW to 7 kW. Most of these devices work with HCFC-22 refrigerant. With the results obtained by using HFC-422A and HFC-424A refrigerant which does not harm the ozone layer, it is aimed to investigate the energy parameters of cooling capacity and performance coefficient (COP) experimentally. Studies on alternative refrigerant gases that can be used instead of HCFC-22 have been mentioned and the studies done especially in industrial cooling systems have been explained in the literature. In the system where the test setup was prepared, the insulated room and condenser unit where the split air conditioner indoor unit was mounted and an insulated duct was used for keeping the constant outdoor temperature. A wall-mounted split air conditioner with a cooling capacity of 2.05 kW was used in the experiments. In order to measure the temperature and pressure values, the thermocouple and the pressure transducer are connected to the inlet and outlet of the condenser and placed to the compressor inlet, the expansion valve inlet and the evaporator outlet. The mass flow was measured with a flow meter and repeated for each refrigerant.. The outdoor temperature and the temperature of the insulated room were also measured. A power meter is used to measure the electricity consumption of the compressor. Cooling capacity, energy consumption and COP values were calculated. The findings of the study can be expected to be a useful resource for research and design in the field of refrigeration and air conditioning.