Experimental study of refrigerants R1234ze(E) and R516A for the replacement of R134a in a domestic refrigerator

Abstract

This paper presents the feasibility of R1234ze(E) and R516A refrigerants for use in domestic refrigeration as a direct replacement for R134a. A domestic refrigerator was evaluated and instrumented to characterize its operating conditions. The optimal refrigerant charge was defined based on the minimum energy consumption of the refrigerator, resulting in a charge of 80 g for R516A and 84 g for R1234ze(E), representing a lower charge for R134a (90 g). The refrigerator was evaluated under the optimal charge, and the main results showed that both alternative refrigerants are viable to be used in domestic refrigeration, showing similar thermal behaviors in both refrigerator compartments. In addition, these refrigerants had lower energy consumption compared to R134a. R1234ze(E) showed an 8% increase in coefficient of performance (COP) over R134a. Thus, R1234ze (E) can be considered a long-term refrigerant, while the use of R516A can be a more viable option through some modifications in the refrigerator design, thus improving its COP.