Abstract
In this study, thermodynamic performance of R435A is examined both numerically and experimentally in an effort to replace HFC134a used in the refrigeration system of domestic water purifiers. Even though HFC134a is used predominantly in such a system these days, it needs to be phased out in the near future in Europe and most of the developed countries due to its high global warming potential. To solve this problem, cycle simulation and experimental measurements are carried out with a new refrigerant mixture of 20%R152a/80%RE170 using actual domestic water purifiers. This mixture is numbered and listed as R435A by ASHRAE recently. Test results show that the system performance with R435A is greatly influenced by the amount of charge due to the small internal volume of the refrigeration system of the domestic water purifiers. With the optimum amount of charge of 21 to 22 grams, about 50% of HFC134a, the energy consumption of R435A is 11.8% lower than that of HFC134a. The compressor discharge temperature of R435A $8^{\circ}C$ lower than that of HFC134a at the optimum charge. Overall, R435A, a new long term environmentally safe refrigerant, is a good alternative for HFC134a requiring little change in the refrigeration system of the domestic water purifiers.
