Exergy efficiency and irreversibility comparison of R22, R134a, R290 and R407C to replace R22 in an air conditioning system

This work presents an experimental comparison of exergy efficiency (EE), irreversibility at the process 1–2 (evaporator exit to compressor inlet), 2–3 (compressor inlet to condenser inlet), 3–4 (condenser inlet to expansion valve inlet), 4–5 (expansion valve inlet to evaporator inlet) and 5–1 (evaporator), and coefficient of performance (COP) of R22, and its substitutes R134a, R290 and R407C in vapor compression refrigeration system (VCRS) of an air conditioner. In addition, the effects of air temperature in the freezer with reference to environment states on irreversibility and EE have been investigated. At −18°C air temperature in the freezer, 33°C reference environment state and 42% relative humidity refrigerants R22 and its substitutes R134a, R290 and R407C VCRSs the total irreversibilities are 665.7, 753.5, 582.1 and 677 W, and EEs are 22.9, 14.2, 26.5 and 20.6%, respectively. The refrigerant R290 is the best performer among candidate refrigerants but it suffers from flammability. Thus, R407C can considerably be used to replace R22.