Analysis of Efficiency of Finned Heat Exchanger Fed with Synthetic and Natural Refrigerant

This paper presents a comparative analysis of a finned heat exchanger fed with synthetic refrigerant R410a and environmentally friendly refrigerant R290. Analyses of the performance of the heat exchanger operating as an evaporator in a refrigeration system were carried out. Simulation studies were performed using SOLIDWORKS software with the Flow Simulation library. The analysis was conducted for various design parameters of the device. The performance of the exchanger was examined for different fin materials (aluminium alloys: alloy 1060, 1060-H12, alloy 2014, alloy 2024), number of fins (78 and 39), and fin spacings (2.5 mm and 5 mm). The studies were conducted under various operational parameters of the exchanger (varying volume flow of air and refrigerant mass flow). Based on the results obtained, it was found that the material of the exchanger does not significantly affect its performance. The next conclusion is that when the heat exchanger is fed with an environmentally friendly refrigerant, the heat transfer surface area can be reduced by 50%. As a result, the reduction in heat transfer surface area can be achieved by increasing the fin spacing, which will reduce the electricity consumed in the defrost process under operating conditions, or by reducing the size of the exchanger, which will positively translate into a reduction in the weight of the refrigerant in the system. The possibility of reducing the dimensions of the heat exchanger by up to 50% indicates that replacing R410a refrigerant with environmentally friendly R290 is a promising direction for development. It advocates for ongoing investigations to refine these systems and maximize the operational advantages presented by natural refrigerants.