Reducing running costs in air conditioning

Previous studies using wide-boiling refrigerant mixtures were reported in t he literature as a method of reducing power consumption in air conditioning . A novel air conditioning test unit incorporating this concept was tested at the Department of Chemical Engineering at Leeds University. Experimental tests with a refrigerant mixture, R407C, produced COPs in excess of 4. Als o, a simulation program was used to model the behaviour of other mixtures. It yielded a COP of about 5 for mixture R32/ R134a. A financial study was m ade to calculate the total annual costs of a unit using R32/R134a. It showe d that annual savings of up to 41 per cent were possible compared to a unit using R134a. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.