Theoretical model for calculating HFO based refrigerant performance in simple flooded evaporator systems.

Over the last 30 years regulations have been implemented globally focusing on the environmental impact of refrigerants and equipment. Throughout the transition from CFCs to HFCs, and now the need to change again to HFOs, there has been one type of equipment design that has always been seen as a problem and often the last to be retrofitted or replaced, the flooded evaporator system.

Flooded evaporator systems are often bespoke designs making a retrofit option financially more attractive. Often the replacement offered for the incumbent refrigerant (which typically has no or very low temperature glide) was primarily for the direct expansion market and has a significant temperature glide which potentially introduces additional complications and performance issues.

This paper is an initial step into producing a model to predict performance when using low GWP HFO based blends to replace HFCs in simple designs of three types of flooded evaporator systems, i.e. liquid overfeed system, pumped circulation system and simple shell and tube flooded evaporator system.