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Effect of refrigerant charge on the performance of air conditioning systems

Abstract

An air conditioning system operates in an optimal condition if the system is fully charged with a specified amount of refrigerant. Poor field maintenance or refrigerant leakage causes low level of charge resulting in a lower thermal performance and higher operating cost. An experimental investigation was conducted to study the effect of low charge level of R-22 on the performance of a 3-ton residential air conditioning system. The experimental results show that if a system is undercharged to 90 per cent then the effect is small: a 3.5 per cent reduction in cooling capacity and a 2 per cent increase in the coefficient of performance (COP). However, the system performance suffers serious degradation if the level of charge drops below 80 per cent. An ice layer formed on the outer surface of the cooling coil impedes the heat transfer between the warm air and cold refrigerant vapour. An economic analysis shows that the cost of properly charging an under-charged system which is at an 85 per cent charge level, can pay for itself in savings in a short period of 3-4 months. (Author)
Authors:
Goswami, D Y; Ek, G; Leung, M; Jotshi, C K; Sherif, S A; [1]  Colacino, F [2] 
  1. Florida Univ., Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Gainesville, FL (United States)
  2. Florida Power and Light, Miami, FL (United States)
Publication Date:
Jul 01, 2001
Product Type:
Journal Article
Reference Number:
EDB-01:077648
Resource Relation:
Journal Name: International Journal of Energy Research; Journal Volume: 25; Journal Issue: 8; Other Information: PBD: 2001
Subject:
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; AIR CONDITIONING; REFRIGERANTS; MAINTENANCE; COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE; COST; LEAKS
OSTI ID:
20187446
Country of Origin:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Journal ID: ISSN 0363-907X; IJERDN; TRN: GB0012081
Submitting Site:
GB
Size:
page(s) 741-750
Announcement Date:
Sep 14, 2001

Citation Formats

Goswami, D Y, Ek, G, Leung, M, Jotshi, C K, Sherif, S A, and Colacino, F. Effect of refrigerant charge on the performance of air conditioning systems. United Kingdom: N. p., 2001. Web. doi:10.1002/er.719.
Goswami, D Y, Ek, G, Leung, M, Jotshi, C K, Sherif, S A, & Colacino, F. Effect of refrigerant charge on the performance of air conditioning systems. United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1002/er.719
Goswami, D Y, Ek, G, Leung, M, Jotshi, C K, Sherif, S A, and Colacino, F. 2001. "Effect of refrigerant charge on the performance of air conditioning systems." United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1002/er.719.
@misc{etde_20187446,
title = {Effect of refrigerant charge on the performance of air conditioning systems}
author = {Goswami, D Y, Ek, G, Leung, M, Jotshi, C K, Sherif, S A, and Colacino, F}
abstractNote = {An air conditioning system operates in an optimal condition if the system is fully charged with a specified amount of refrigerant. Poor field maintenance or refrigerant leakage causes low level of charge resulting in a lower thermal performance and higher operating cost. An experimental investigation was conducted to study the effect of low charge level of R-22 on the performance of a 3-ton residential air conditioning system. The experimental results show that if a system is undercharged to 90 per cent then the effect is small: a 3.5 per cent reduction in cooling capacity and a 2 per cent increase in the coefficient of performance (COP). However, the system performance suffers serious degradation if the level of charge drops below 80 per cent. An ice layer formed on the outer surface of the cooling coil impedes the heat transfer between the warm air and cold refrigerant vapour. An economic analysis shows that the cost of properly charging an under-charged system which is at an 85 per cent charge level, can pay for itself in savings in a short period of 3-4 months. (Author)}
doi = {10.1002/er.719}
journal = []
issue = {8}
volume = {25}
journal type = {AC}
place = {United Kingdom}
year = {2001}
month = {Jul}
}