Evaluation of cycle performance of R448A and R449A as R404A replacements in supermarket refrigeration systems.

According to the requirements of the European regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases, refrigeration equipment that contain high Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants that have GWP equal or greater than 2500, with some exceptions, will be prohibited from placing on the European market from 1st January 2020. Moreover, the use of such fluorinated greenhouse gases to service or maintain refrigeration equipment with a charge size of 40 ton of CO2 equivalent or more will be prohibited as well. The greatest impact of the Regulation in the nearest time will be therefore on users of R404A refrigerant, which is the most popular refrigerant for supermarket refrigeration systems. Equipment users and manufacturers are therefore looking for the alternative refrigerants to replace R404A in new and existing equipment. R448A and R449A are potential R404A replacements. Both are non-toxic and non-flammable refrigerant blends that closely match the properties of R404A and have GWPs significantly lower than R404A. Cycle performance of a supermarket refrigeration system, operated with R448A, R449A and R404A is modelled in this study.