Viability of R-290 Refrigerant as Residential AC Retrofit: Effect of Charge Mass Variations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22441/ijimeam.v7i2.30904Kata Kunci:
R-290 refrigerant, R-22 retrofit, natural refrigerant, retrofit mass variation, Coefficient of Performance (COP)Abstrak
The growing concerns over ozone depletion and global warming caused by refrigerants have led to the search for environmentally friendly alternatives. This study evaluates the impact of varying R-290 refrigerant charge masses on the performance of a wall-mounted residential air conditioner using the drop-in substitute method. A ¾ HP residential AC unit originally charged with 550 grams of R-22 refrigerant was retrofitted with R-290 and tested at charge masses of 140 grams, 165 grams, and 190 grams—approximately 25%, 30%, and 35% of the original R-22 charge, in accordance with the commonly applied “one-third rule.” The results showed that retrofitting with R-290 increased the Refrigeration Effect (RE) by up to 75%, Compression Work (Wc) by 68%, and Coefficient of Performance (COP) by up to 18%. The system with a 25% refrigerant charge was unable to reach the set temperature due to a 23% reduction in cooling capacity, while the 30% charge showed a 10% reduction. The 35% refrigerant mass retrofit proved the most suitable, achieving adequate cooling capacity, an 18% increase in COP, and a 14% reduction in power consumption. Additionally, the retrofit resulted in an indirect CO₂ emission reduction of 1.15 metric tons annually, highlighting the environmental and energy-saving advantages of using R-290. These findings provide empirical validation of the one-third rule for refrigerant mass variation in R-290 retrofits and offer valuable insights into optimizing performance and efficiency in residential AC units, with significant energy and environmental benefits.Unduhan
Referensi
W. Arismunandar dan H. Saito, Penyegaran Udara. Jakarta: Pradnya Paramita, 2005.
M. J. Molina and F. S. Rowland, "Stratospheric sink for chlorofluoromethanes: chlorine atom-catalysed destruction of ozone," Nature, vol. 249, no. 5460, pp. 810-812, 1974, doi: 10.35814/asiimetrik.v4i1.3466.
"Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer," United Nations Treaty Collection, [Online]. Available: https://treaties.un.org/doc/publication/unts/volume%201522/volume-1522-i-26369-english.pdf
"Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer," United Nations Treaty Collection, [Online]. Availa-ble: https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=IND&mtdsg_no=XXVII-2-f&chapter=27&clang=_en
Y. Yu and T. Teng, "Retrofit assessment of refrigerator using hydrocarbon refrigerants," Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 66, pp. 507-518, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2013.11.004.
A. Miyara, "Condensation of hydrocarbons - a review," International Journal of Refrigeration, vol. 31, pp. 621-632, 2008, doi: 10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2008.02.008.
B. Palm, "Hydrocarbons as refrigerants in small heat pump and refrigeration systems - A review," International Journal of Refrigeration, vol. 31, pp. 552-563, 2008, doi: 10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2007.12.004.
G. Zhou, et al., "Performance of a split type air conditioner matched with coiled adiabatic capillary tubes using HCFC22 and HC290," Applied Energy, vol. 87, pp. 232-242, 2010, doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2009.10.005.
P. Shrivastasa and C. Chandrakishor, "Evaluation of Refrigerant R290 as a Replacement to R22," International Journal of Innovative Research in Science and Engineering, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 739-747, 2016.
Widodo, A. I. Tauvana, F. Rachmanu, L. Nulhakim, Syafrizal, and M. I. Subekti, “Analisis kinerja R290 sebagai pengganti R32 pada unit AC-split kapasitas 9,000 Btuh/hr,” Jurnal Asiimetrik: Jurnal Ilmiah Rekayasa dan Inovasi, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 221-230, 2022, doi: 10.35814/asiimetrik.v4i1.3466.
N. Anam, S. Raharjo, and R. J. Pribadi, "Perbandingan penggunaan Refrigeran R-410a dan Musicool-22 melalui proses retrofit pada AC merk Daikin 2 PK," Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang, 2016.
M. Wei et al., “Benefits and challenges in deployment of low global warming potential R290 refrigerant for room air conditioning equipment in California,” Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, vol. 70, pp. 103937–103937, Oct. 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2024.103937.
N. Ismail Wellid, B. Y. Prasetyo, Sugiyarto, N. Muhamad, Sumeru, and A. Setyawan, "Technical Training on Replacement of R410a with R290 in Split Air Conditioners as an Effort to Reduce Global Warming for BLK Instructors in Karawang Regency," ABDIMAS Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 762-770, doi: 10.35568/abdimas.v7i2.4753, Apr. 2024.
G. Ding, X. Ma, P. Zhang, W. Han, S. Kasahara, T. Yamaguchi, “Practical methods for measuring refrigerant mass distribution inside refrigera-tion system,” International Journal of Refrigeration-revue Internationale Du Froid, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 327-334, Mar. 2009, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016.j.ijrefrig.2008.05.002.
ASHRAE, Fundamentals Handbook, Atlanta, GA, USA, 1990.
A. F. Sudarma, H. Carles, A. Azhar, and M. Akmal, "Performance analysis of R600a as a replacement for R134a in a household refrigeration system," Jurnal Teknik Mesin (JTM), vol. 14, No. 2, 2025, doi: 10.22441/jtm.v14i2.32326.
D. Irwansyah, R. Sundari, R. Anggraini, and K. Arifin, "Effect of SiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles to increase refrigeration machine performance," International Journal of Innovation in Mechanical Engineering and Advanced Materials, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 63-68, 2023, doi: 10.22441/ijimeam.v5i2.21859.
Unduhan
File Tambahan
Diterbitkan
Cara Mengutip
Terbitan
Bagian
Lisensi
Authors who publish in IJIMEAM retain the following rights:- Author retains the copyright and grants the journal the right of first publication of the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book) with the acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Author is permitted and encouraged to post his/her work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of the published work (See What is Open Access).
Read more about the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.
