Advances in Engineering Research, volume 198

International Seminar of Science and Applied Technology (ISSAT 2020)

Experimental Study of R32 as a Retrofit for R410A

Refrigerant in a Residential Air Conditioner
Tandi Sutandi1 Ade Suryatman Margana1 Kasni Sumeru1*

Mohamad Firdaus Sukri2,3

1
Department of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineering, Politeknik Negeri Bandung, Ciwaruga Bandung
40012, Indonesia
2
Green and Efficient Energy Technology (GrEET) Research Group, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah
Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia.
3
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal,
Melaka, Malaysia.
*
Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT
This study evaluates the performance of a residential air conditioner (A/C) using R32 as a retrofit for R410A. One of
the biggest challenges in the retrofitting is to determine the ideal mass of refrigerant, which eventually lead to optimum
performance of the system. The theoretical mass of refrigerant charging in this retrofitting analysis was determined
using the density ratio of alternative (R32) to the existing (R410A) refrigerants. To achieve the optimum performance,
the mass of refrigerant charging was varied between 90, 95, 100 and 105% from the theoretical mass of refrigerant
charging. The experiments were carried out using a 2.5 kW split type A/C. The results show that the replacement of
R410A with R32 decreases the COP at all refrigerants charging. The highest COP of A/C with R32 was achieved during
mass of refrigerant charging of 95%. In this condition, the COP only decreased by 5.1%. The decrement in COP is
caused by an increase in input power of the A/C. Consequently, it is not recommended replacing R410A with R32 in
the A/Cs that originally is designed for R410A.

Keywords: Air conditioning, retrofit, performance, refrigerant R410A, R32

1. INTRODUCTION warming potential (GWP = 675) [2,9]. As a result to meet

dual environmental demands of the zero ODP and low
The most important issues related to vapor GWP, R32 is expected to be an alternative refrigerant for
compression refrigeration system are the ozone layer residential A/Cs in the future.
depletion and global warming [1-3]. In order to protect
the environment, the regulations on the refrigerants have Table 1 shows the properties of four refrigerants:
become stricter. Nowadays, refrigerant from the group of R22, R410A, R134a and R32. It shows that the GWP of
hydro-chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), which is R22 is R410A (GWP = 1430) is approximately 112% higher
widely used in Indonesia. However, since 2015, the use than compared to R32 (GWP = 675). It indicates that the
of R22 is prohibited in a new residential air conditioner use of R32 will significantly reduce the negative impact
[2], and must have been replaced by hydro-fluorocarbons of this refrigerant to the environment.
(HFCs) type of refrigerant, such as R410A and R32. In order to investigate the performance of R32 in a
According to Montreal Protocol, the developed countries domestic refrigerator, Bolaji [10] replaced the existing
will phase out the HCFC refrigerants, whereas in the refrigerant (R134a) with R32. The experimental study
developing countries, the phased out of those refrigerants reported that the replacement of R134a with R32 in a
is scheduled in 2030 [1,4-5]. domestic refrigerator decreased the COP by 8.5%.
As current alternative refrigerant to R22, R410A also Despite the decrease in performance, the use of R32
has zero ozone depletion potential (ODP = 0), but it has reduces the negative impact to the environment by more
high global warming potential (GWP = 1725) [2,6-8]. In than a half, due to low GWP of R32 (GWP = 675), as
contrast to R22 and R410A, the R32 has lower global compared to R134a (GWP = 1430). Based on the study,

Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press B.V.

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 Advances in Engineering Research, volume 198

they concluded that the replacement of R410A with R32 condition that is the indoor temperature does not change
in a domestic refrigerator decreased the system 0.3oC for 15 minutes.
performance. The cooling capacity and the input power are
Table 1. Refrigerant properties [1,2] calculated using equation:

Normal (1)
Critical GWP
Refrige- Boiling
Composition Temperature (100-
rant Point (2)
(oC) year)
(oC)
R22 Pure fluid -40.8 96.2 1700 where,
Q = cooling capacity, Kw
R32(50%):
R410A -51.5 72.5 1725
R125(50%) = mass flow rate of indoor air, kg/s
R134a Pure fluid -26.1 101.1 1430 h1 = specific enthalpy of indoor air, kJ/kg
R32 Pure fluid -48.3 78.1 675
h2 = specific enthalpy of leaving air on the
Different results obtained by Xu et al. [11]. They cooling coil, kJ/kg
reported that the use of R32 in a vapor-injected heat
W = input power, kW
pump increased the cooling capacity and the COP by
10% and 9% compared to R410A. Their study also V = electric voltage, V
concluded that to enhance the system performance, the
I = electric current, A
R32 can be utilized as a refrigerant alternative to replace
R410A on the heat pump. Furthermore, the coefficient of performance (COP) is
calculated using equation,
In spite of R32 has a low GWP, however scientific
papers that discuss R32 as a retrofit for R410A in
(3)
residential A/Cs are still limited. Therefore, it is the aim
of the study to obtain the ideal mass of refrigerant
charging of R32, when it is used as a retrofit for R410A The COP reduction due to drop-in replacement from
on the split-type A/C. R410A to R32 is calculated using equation,

(4)
2. METHODOLOGY
Experimental study was carried out on a split type air The values of h1 and h2 are obtained using
conditioner with the cooling capacity of 2.4 kW, which psychrometric chart as shown in Figure 1. Where, Tdb_1
originally was designed for R410A. The first test was and Tdb_1 are dry bulb temperatures of leaving air on the
carried out in the A/C with 750 grams of R410A. Then, cooling coil and indoor air, respectively.
the refrigerant of R410A was evacuated and replaced by
R32 for four different mass of refrigerant charging. Four
parameters will be measured during this experimental
study, i.e., temperature, pressure, electric voltage and
electric current.
Densities of R32 and R410A at temperature of 5oC on
the saturated vapor are 25.769 and 34.843 kg/m3,
respectively. As a result, the density ratio R32 to R410A
is 0.743. It means that when the R410A is replaced with
R32, the mass of refrigerant charging is 750 g × 0.743 =
557.3 g. The mass of refrigerant of 557.3 gram in this
study is defined as 100% of refrigerant charging or
theoretical refrigerant charging. Furthermore, the next
three masses of refrigerant charging of R32 with 90, 95
and 105% from theoretical value are calculated at 501.6,
529.4 and 585.2 grams, respectively.
Figure 1 Air process in the psychrometric chart to
During experiments, the indoor and outdoor
determine the cooling capacity
temperatures are kept constant, which is 5oC and 34oC,
respectively. The data are recorded at steady state

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1,4
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
1,3
Figure 2 illustrates the correlation between cooling

Input Power (kW)

1,2
capacities and four different refrigerants charging of R32, 1,1
i.e., 90, 95, 100 and 105%. As described above, the 1,0 0,94 0,96
0,90
refrigerant charging of 100% is 557.3 g of R32. The
0,9
figure shows that when the A/C is filled with 90% (501.6
0,8
g) of R32, the cooling capacity is 2.2 kW. It is lower than 0,84
0,7
that of the cooling capacity of A/C when using R410A as
refrigerant (standard system), which is 2.4 kW (shown by 0,6
85% 90% 95% 100% 105% 110%
dash line). When the mass charging of R32 is increased
to 95% (529.4 g), the cooling capacity increases 2.5 kW, Refrigerant charge amount of R32
or 0.1 kW is higher than that of the standard system. At
100% (557.3 g) of R32 is charged to the A/C, the cooling Figure 3 The variation of input power for various mass
capacity decreases compared to the previous filling of refrigerant charging of R32
(95%), and the cooling capacity is the same with the The increase in mass flow rate leads to the increase in
standard system, which is 2.4 kW. The cooling capacity the discharge pressure, as shown in Figure 4. The
continues decreasing when the mass refrigerant charging increase in the discharge pressure causes electric current
is increased. Based on the figure indicates that to obtain increment. As a result, the input power increases, as well.
the highest cooling capacity, the mass of refrigerant Because the input power is calculated using Eq. (2), the
charging is 95% of the density ratio R32 to R410A. line trend on Figure 4 is similar to Figure 3 because
Figure 3 depicts the correlation between input powers during measurement the electric voltage is constant,
and four different refrigerants charging of R32, i.e., 90, whereas the values of the electric current follow the
95, 100 and 105%. The figure shows that the trend of the discharge pressure.
line in the figure is different from the previous figure In terms of energy consumption of A/C, the COP can
(Figure 2). In Figure 3, the input power enhances when be applied to determine the performance of the system.
the mass of refrigerant charging increases. The increase Using Eq. (3), it indicates that the higher the COP the
in the input power with increasing mass of refrigerant more efficient the system. Figure 5 illustrates the
charging is caused by increasing mass flow rate of correlation between the COP and four different
refrigerant in the system. In terms of energy saving, the refrigerants charging of R32. The figure shows that the
lower the input power, the better the system. However, as COPs of four mass of refrigerant charging are lower than
explained above, at mass of refrigerant charging of 90%, that of standard system. It indicates that drop-in
the A/C only generated the cooling capacity of 2.2 kW, replacement of R410A with R32 in the A/C that
lower than that of the standard system. As a result, the originally is designed for R410A will not generate higher
line trend in the Figure 3 cannot be used as a reference. COP. As shown in Figure 5, the highest COP of the A/C
2,8 using R32 occurs at mass of refrigerant charging of 95%.
2,7
The refrigerants charging under and higher of 95%
generate a lower COP. The results indicate that drop-in
Cooling capacity (kW)

2,6
2,5 substitution of R410A with R32 reduces the COP due to
2,5
2,4 increase in input power. Although in Figure 2 shows that
2,4 at 95%, the cooling capacity of R32 is higher than that of
2,3 R410A, but the increment of input power at this charging
2,3
2,2 (95%) is higher than that of the increment of the cooling
2,1 2,2 capacity. It causes a decrease in COP.
2,0 30
85% 90% 95% 100% 105% 110%
Discharge Pressure (bar)

28
Refrigerant charge amount of R32 26 25,2
24,4
23,8
24 23
Figure 2 The variation of cooling capacity for various
mass of refrigerant charging of R32 22

20

18
85% 90% 95% 100% 105% 110%

Refrigerant charge amount of R32

Figure 4 The variation of discharge pressure for various

mass of refrigerant charging of R32

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3,4 because the GWP of R32 is much lower than that of

3,2 R410A.
3,0
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