Experimental study on evaporator performance in mobile air conditioning system using HFO-1234yf as working fluid

The widely used evaporators with two different type were experimentally studied in psychrometric calorimeter room using HFO-1234yf as working fluids. The evaporators types are laminated plate and microchannel parallel flow (PF) type. The experimental results compared with R134a system show that cooling capacity has different features in laminated plate evaporator and microchannel PF evaporator under different refrigerant pressure at expansion valve inlet. In general, cooling capacity of laminated plate evaporator of HFO-1234yf is reduced up to 8.0%. But in microchannel PF evaporator, cooling capacity is comparable and/or larger than that of R134a up to 6.5%. The HFO-1234yf evaporator air off temperature deviation is larger than that of R134a evaporator. The air side pressure drop is very close for both evaporators and refrigerants. HFO-1234yf refrigerant side pressure drop is larger than that of R134a for both evaporators.

► The experimental results of HFO-1234yf in variable evaporators is compared with R134a.
► Cooling capacity of laminated plate evaporator is reduced for HFO-1234yf up to 8.0%.
► In microchannel PF evaporator, cooling capacity is comparable and/or larger than that of R134a up to 6.5%.
► The refrigerant side pressure drop in both evaporators of HFO-1234yf is higher than that in R134a evaporators.
► Air side pressure for both evaporators and refrigerants are mostly the same.