Experimental assessment of the low GWP refrigerant HFO-1234ze(Z) for high temperature heat pumps

• Published in: Experimental thermal and fluid science Vol. 57; pp. 293 - 300
• Main Authors: Longo, Giovanni A., Zilio, Claudio, Righetti, Giulia, Brown, J. Steven
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.09.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Assessments; BPHE; Condensation; Devices using thermal energy; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Fluid dynamics; Flux; GWP; Heat pump; Heat pumps; Heat transfer coefficients; HFO; Pressure drop; Refrigerants; Refrigerating engineering; Refrigerating engineering. Cryogenics. Food conservation; Vapour; Canada, Quebec, Montreal; HFO; GWP; Heat pump; BPHE; Condensation; Plate heat exchanger; High temperature; Heat transfer coefficient; Experimental study; Test facility; Pressure drop; Thermodynamic properties; Refrigerant fluid
• ISSN: 0894-1777; 1879-2286
• DOI: 10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2014.05.004

•This paper presents the experimental assessment of HFO-1234ze(Z) for high temperature heat pumps.•This paper investigates HFO-1234ze(Z) condensation inside a BPHE.•HFO-1234ze(Z) shows heat transfer coefficients much higher than those of all the refrigerants now used in heat pumps.•HFO-1234ze(Z) is a very promising low GWP refrigerant for high temperature heat pumps. This paper presents the experimental heat transfer coefficients and pressure drop measured during refrigerant HFO-1234ze(Z) saturated vapour condensation inside a commercial Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger (BPHE) and compares this data with similar measurements previously obtained for refrigerant HFC-236fa, HFC-134a, HC-600a, HFO-1234ze(E) in order to experimentally assess refrigerant HFO-1234ze(Z) for high temperature heat pumps. HFO-1234ze(Z) exhibits heat transfer coefficients much higher than those of all the refrigerants now used in heat pumps and frictional pressure drop similar to HC-600a at the same refrigerant mass flux. Therefore, considering also its thermodynamic properties, HFO-1234ze(Z) seems to be a very promising low GWP refrigerant for high temperature heat pumps with a potential capability similar to refrigerant CFC-114 that dominated this type of application before Montreal Protocol.