Comparative Energy and Exergy Analyses of Air Conditioning Systems Integrated with an Air Enthalpy Exchanger for Different Refrigerants
Publication: Journal of Energy Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 3
Abstract
Energy and exergy analyses were conducted for air conditioning (AC) systems with and without an enthalpy exchanger, based on four common refrigerants: R404A, R407C, R410A, and R510A. The investigated AC system had better performance, with cleaner operation, when integrated with an enthalpy exchanger, which lowered its energy demand. Key performance indicators assessed were COP, evaporator cooling load, compressor input power, exergy efficiency, exergy destruction rate, irreversibility ratio, fuel depletion ratio, and productivity lack. Although the improvement in COP when an enthalpy exchanger was used was shown to be small, cooling load and input power decreased significantly. Moreover, the exergy destruction rate was significantly reduced (by more than 55%) and consequently exergy efficiency was improved. The AC system operating on R407C had the highest exergy efficiency (33%). However, a system operating on R410A is recommended because it requires the lowest compressor input power to maintain a given temperature and thus provides the best performance (). On average, the compressor and the evaporator were found to have the highest irreversibility ratios: 0.26 and 0.37, respectively.
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Acknowledgments
The author would like to acknowledge King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for its financial support through the Summer Scholar Program, and would also like to acknowledge the support provided by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
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Published In
Journal of Energy Engineering
Volume 144 • Issue 3 • June 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 9, 2017
Accepted: Nov 9, 2017
Published online: Mar 19, 2018
Published in print: Jun 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Aug 19, 2018
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