Experimental analysis of R-450A and R-513A as replacements of R-134a and R-507A in a medium temperature commercial refrigeration system

This work presents the experimental evaluation of R-513A (GWP = 573) and R-450A (GWP = 547) as R-134a (GWP = 1301) drop-in replacements and as R-507A (GWP = 3987) retrofits in a commercial direct expansion refrigeration system for medium temperature applications (2 °C). The evaluation covered 24-hour tests using a single-stage cycle with semi-hermetic compressor, an electronic expansion valve customized for each refrigerant and a commercial vertical cabinet with doors placed inside a climatic chamber. The tests were performed at three water dissipation temperatures (23.3, 32.8 and 43.6 °C). Experimental results indicate that R-513A and R-450A can operate with R-134a plants, with increments in energy consumption between −1.6 to +1.2% for R-513A and from +1.3 to +6.8% for R-450A, whereas in comparison with R-507A, R-513A offered reductions in energy consumption between 4.4 to 8.2% and R-450A between 0 to 3.3%. The paper analyzes the modification of the operating pressures/temperatures and the energy indicators using the four refrigerants.