Energy, Exergy, and Environmental (3E) Analysis of Hydrocarbons as Low GWP Alternatives to R134a in Vapor Compression Refrigeration Configurations

The phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons and substitution with low global warming potential values are consequences of the awareness about the environmental impacts of greenhouse gases. This theoretical study evaluated the energy and exergy performances and the environmental impact of three vapor compression system configurations operating with the hydrocarbons R290, R600a, and R1270 as alternatives to R134a. The refrigeration cycle configurations investigated in this study include a single-stage cycle, a cycle equipped with an internal heat exchanger, and a two-stage cycle with vapor injection. According to the results, the alternative hydrocarbon refrigerants could provide comparable system performance to R134a. The analysis results also revealed that using an internal heat exchanger or a flash tank vapor injection could improve the system’s efficiency while decreasing the heating capacity. The most efficient configuration was the two-stage refrigeration cycle with vapor injection, as revealed by the exergy analysis. The environmental impact analysis indicated that the utilization of environmentally-friendly refrigerants and improving the refrigeration system’s efficiency could mitigate equivalent CO2 emissions significantly. The utilization of hydrocarbons reduced the carbon footprint by 50%, while a 1% to 8% reduction could be achieved using the internal heat exchanger and flash tank vapor injection.