Performance Measurements and Mapping of a R-407C Vapor Injection Scroll Compressor

Environmental conditions significantly define the performance of HVAC&R systems. Vapor compression systems in hot climates tend to operate at higher pressure ratios, leading to increased discharge temperatures. Higher discharge temperatures can lead to higher irreversibilities in the compression process, lower specific enthalpies differences across the evaporator, and possibly a reduction in the compressor life due to the breakdown of the oil used for lubrication. To counter these effects, the use of economized, vapor injection compressors is proposed for vapor compression systems in high temperature climates. Such compressors are commercially available for refrigeration applications, in particular, supermarket refrigeration systems. However, compressor maps for vapor injection compressors are limited and none exist for R-407C. Through calorimeter testing, a compressor map for a single-port vapor injection compressor using R-407C was developed. A standard correlation for mapping single-port vapor injection compressors is proposed and validated using the compressor test results. The system and compressor performance with and without vapor injection was considered. As expected, with vapor injection there was a reduction in compressor discharge temperatures and an increase in the system coefficient of performance. The proposed dimensionless correlation is more accurate than the AHRI polynomial for mapping the injection ratio, discharge temperature, and compressor heat loss. The predicted volumetric efficiency values from the dimensionless correlation is within 1% of the measured valued. Similarly, the predicted isentropic efficiency values are within 2% of the measured values.