• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.704-710
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• 2017

Although the desalination technique using gas hydrate formation is at a development stage compared to the commercially well-established reverse osmosis (RO), it still draws attention because of its simplicity and moderate operational conditions especially when using refrigerants for guest gases. In this study, DFT (density functional theory)-based molecular modeling was employed to explain the energetics of the gas hydrate formation using HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) and HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) refrigerants. For guest gases, R-134a, R-227ea, R-236fa, and R-141b were selected and three cavity structures ($5^{12}$, $5^{12}6^2$, and $5^{12}6^4$) composed of water molecules were constructed. The geometries of guest gas, cavity, and cavity encapsulating guest gas were optimized by molecular modeling respectively and their located energies were then used for the calculation of binding energy between the guest gas and cavity. Finally, the comparison of binding energies was used to propose which refrigerant is more favorable for the gas hydrate formation energetically. In conclusion, R-236fa was the best choice in terms of thermodynamic spontaneity, less toxicity, and low solubility in water.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.62-67
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• 2016

Natural gas, one of the cleanest fossil fuel, is liquefied to reduce its volume for the long distance transportation. Small size floating liquefied natural gas plant has small area that safe issue is highly considered. However, Dual Mixed Refrigerants (DMR) process has fire potential by using flammable refrigerants and N2 Expander process has low compressed energy efficiency which has high inherent process safety. Therefore, safe process with high compressed energy efficiency is constantly needed. This study suggested an alternative refrigerants to existing DMR process by using Hydrofluorocarbon which has high safety due to its non-flammable properties. As a result, it showed 34.8% lower compressed energy efficiency than DMR process that contains fire potential whereas 42.6% improved compressed energy efficiency than Single N2 Expander process. In conclusion, this research proposed safe process for small size floating liquefied natural gas plant while having high efficiency.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.315-324
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• 2000

R-410A, R-407C, and four refrigerant mixtures composed of R-32, R-l34a, R-l43a, R-l52a, R-600(butane), and R-600a(isobutane) were tested in an attempt to replace R-22 used in most of the residential air conditioners. The performance evaluation was carried out in a psychrometric calorimeter test facility using a residential spilt type air conditioner under the KS rating conditions. Except for the lubricant and hand-operated expansion valve, the other parts of the air conditioner were the same with the commercial system. Performance characteristics were measured; COP, capacity, compressor power, and VCR. R-410A was shown to have 5.5% higher COP and 3.5% lower capacity than R-22. R-32/134a/600a (42.8/ 46.0/11.2 wt%) mixture have the best performance among the four refrigerant mixtures composed of hydrofluorocarbon and hydrocarbon. This inixture have 3.0% lower COP and 1.6% lower capacity than R-22.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.518-526
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• 2012

The objective of this research was to develop fugitive emission models of HFC-134a (Hydrofluorocarbon-134a) at the operation and disposal stages of passenger cars. It is essential to estimate the emission of HFC-134a from mobile air conditioner (MAC) due to its high Global Warming Potential (GWP) and extensive use as a refrigerant in MAC. The first-order emission model was introduced and the emission rate constant was assumed to be unvaried with time. A commercial recovery station of refrigerants was used to recover the HFC-134a from the MAC. Average emission rate constant and annual emission rate during the operation period of vehicle are estimated to be $0.0538{\pm}0.0092$ (n=21) $yr^{-1}$ and $5.2{\pm}0.6%$, respectively within a confidence interval of 95%. According to the model results, about 50% of HFC-134a would be emitted from the MAC during the 10 years operation of passenger cars. On the other hand, average remaining portion of HFC-134a in the MACs of scrap cars is $58.2{\pm}4.8%$ (n=50) within a confidence interval of 95%, suggesting that over 40% of the initially charged amount could be released fugitively after disposal provided that the HFC-134a would not be properly treated or recycled.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.581-584
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• 2007

(HFC(hydrofluorocarbon, 수소불화탄소)는 오존층 파괴 지수가 낮기 때문에 CFC(chlorofluorocarbon)의 대체 물질로 냉매와 발포제로 널리 사용되고 있는 물질이다. 하지만 HFC는 지구온난화 지수가 높은 기체이므로 대기중으로 방출되는 것을 막기 위해 분리/회수하여 재활용하는 것이 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 공기와 HFC의 혼합기체로부터 HFC만을 분리해 내는 방법으로 가스 하이드레이트 형성법을 제안하였다. 이 방법의 열역학적 타당성을 검증하기 위하여 질소+HFC-134a 혼합기체에 대하여 275-285 K의 온도 범위와 1-27 bar의 압력범위에 걸쳐서 가스 하이드레이트 상평형을 측정하였다. 질소는 가스 하이드레이트를 형성하기 위하여 0 $^{\circ}C$에서 150 bar 이상의 높은 압력이 필요한 반면 HFC-134a는 대기압에 가까운 낮은 압력이 필요하다. 두 기체의 평형 압력의 차가 크다는 것은 가스 하이드레이트 형성법을 이용할 경우 기체의 분리 효율이 매우 높다는 것을 나타낸다. 그리고, 본 실험을 통해서 얻어진 혼합기체의 하이드레이트상(H)-액상($L_W$)-기상(V)의 3상 평형선이 순수한 HFC-134a의 3상 평형선에 가깝게 위치하였다. 이는 가스 하이드레이트를 이용한 분리법이 낮은 압력에서 운전될 수 있음을 나타낸다. 이 분리법은 낮은 압력에서 운전되어 경제적일 뿐만 아니라 물 이외의 다른 매개체를 사용하지 않기 때문에 환경 친화적인 공정이라 할 수 있다.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.258-266
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• 2000

Experimental investigation and cycle simulation of a capacity modulation of a heat pump system using a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant mixture, R32/134a as an alternative to R22, have been done. In the cycle simulation, the refrigeration system was operated by assigning the temperatures of the external heat transfer fluids with the heat exchangers generalized by an average effective temperature difference. Heating capacity, cooling capacity, and coefficient of performance (COP) of the system were investigated at several operating conditions. Experimental apparatus which had a refrigeration part and a composition changing part was built, and the performance of the heat pump system filled with R32/134a mixture was investigated. A gas-liquid separator was used in the experiment to change the composition by collecting the vapor and the liquid Phase separately, The mass fraction of the charged refrigerant in the heat pump system was 40/60 and 70/30 by weight percentage. The composition of the refrigerant with initial composition of 40/60 varied from 29/71 to 41/59 in the refrigeration cycle. For the refrigerant with initial composition of 70/30, the composition varied from 65/35 to 75/25.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.350-355
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• 2013

Little information is available for emission pathway even if HFC-134a that is known as one of the major greenhouse gases has been broadly used in Korea. This paper attempts to clarify the emission characteristics of HFC-134a used for refrigerant of cold drinking vending machines (CDVMs) at the use- and disposal-phase. We measured the residual amounts in the scrap CDVMs of 47 by applying commercial recover for refrigerant. The first-order kinetic model was introduced and the emission rate would be proportional to the remaining quantity of refrigerant. The emission factor at the use-phase was determined indirectly to be $6.9{\pm}0.7$ %/yr within a confidence interval of 95%, using information on residual amount and elapsed operation time at the disposal point. Correspondingly, the annual emission rate of HFC-134a per CDVM was determined to be 11.6 g. The average residual rate of HFC-134a in scrap CDVMs was assessed to be $62.5{\pm}2.2%$, leading to a potential emission amount of 144.8 g per scrap CDVM. The chemical compositions of refrigerants from scrap passenger vehicles are quite similar to those of new refrigerants, suggesting that the refrigerants from scrap passenger vehicles could be reused. During the recovering process of refrigerant, the recovered refrigerant was contaminated by compressor lubricant that accounted for about 30% in weight. It is necessary to separate the refrigerant from the recovered material contaminated by lubricant for recycling and reuse the refrigerant.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.993-1001
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• 2001

Experimental investigation on the performance of dual-evaporator refrigeration system with an ejector has been carried out. In this study, a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant R134a is chosen as a working fluid. The condenser and two-evaporators are made as concentric double pipes with counter-flow type heat exchangers. Experiments were performed by changing the inlet and outlet temperatures of secondary fluids entering condenser, high-pressure evaporator and low-pressure evaporator at test conditions keeping a constant compressor speed. When the external conditions (inlet temperatures of secondary fluid entering condenser and one evaporator) are fixed, results show that coefficient of performance (COP) increases as the inlet temperature of the other evaporator rises. It is also shown that the COP decreases as the mass flaw rate ratio of suction fluid to motive fluid increases. The COP of dual-evaporator refrigeration system with an ejector is superior to that of a single-evaporator vapor compression system by 3 to 6%.

• International Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.201-210
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• 2002

Experimental investigation on the performance of dual-evaporator refrigeration system with an ejector has been carried out. In this study, a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant R134a is chosen as a working fluid. The condenser and two-evaporators are made as concentric double pipes with counter-flow type heat exchangers. Experiments were peformed by changing the inlet and outlet temperatures of secondary fluids entering condenser, high-pressure evaporator and low-pressure evaporator at test conditions keeping a constant compressor speed. When the external conditions (inlet temperatures of secondary fluid entering condenser and one of the evaporators) are fixed, results show that coefficient of performance (COP) increases as the inlet temperature of the other evaporator rises. It is also shown that the COP decreases as the mass flow rate ratio of suction fluid to motive fluid increases. The COP of dual-evapo-rator refrigeration system with an ejector is superior to that of a single-evaporator vapor compression system by 3 to 6%.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.728-734
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• 2004

Environmentally friendly refrigerants with zero ozone layer depletion potential are required to be used in refrigerators and air conditioners due to the difficulties related to ozone layer depletion and global warming. A rigorous study for the system performance with new refrigerants having zero ozone layer depletion potential is inevitable before adopting that as a new fluid. The HFC(Hydrofluorocarbon) potential has been recommended as alternatives. In this paper. system performance in the heat pump facilities were studied using R-290, R-600a. R-1270 as an environment friendly refrigerant. R-22 as a HCFC's refrigerant. The experimental apparatus has been set-up as a conventional vapor compression type heat Pump system. The test section is a horizontal double pipe heat exchanger. A tube diameter of 12.70mm with 1.315mm wall thickness is used for this investigation. The test results showed that the COP of hydrocarbon refrigerants were superior to that of R-22 and the maximum increasing rate of COP was found in R-1270. The refrigeration capacity of hydrocarbon refrigerants were higher than that of R-22. The compressor work was obtained with the maximum value in R-1270 and the minimum one in R-22.