Economic analysis of the application of expanders in medium scale air-conditioners with conventional refrigerants, R1234yf and CO2

• Financial study of expanders for vapor compression cooling system was carried out.
• Conventional, R1234yf and CO2 systems are considered.
• Payback periods of most conventional systems are less than 5 years.
• Expanders are most attractive in high temperature regions.
• Effects of various parameters to payback periods have been studied too.

Expanders have been shown to improve the energy efficiencies of refrigeration systems. The current technology is also adequate to manufacture and integrate expanders to practical air-conditioners. In this paper, an economic analysis of the installation of expanders on to existing vapor compression cooling systems, particularly medium scale air-conditioners, is presented. Various refrigerants, including the established and the newly proposed varieties, are considered. From the investigations, it was found that when the expander efficiency is 50%, the payback periods of most conventional systems are below 3 years in high temperature countries with high electricity tariffs and are above 5 years in other countries. Expanders are especially attractive for the transcritical CO2 and the R404A systems. The payback periods are shorter for systems with highly efficient expanders, high cooling loads, high ambient temperatures and for low refrigerating temperature applications.