As a substitute for R22, an environmentally friendly zeotropic mixture R417A is often employed. The large glide temperature of the zeotropic mixture R417A could cause capacity and efficiency reductions due to changes in its composition after an isothermal vapor leak/recharge process. It is, therefore, necessary to predict the composition change in R417A under all leak conditions. This paper presents the experimental analysis of the mass composition of R417A in the presence of a 0–50% isothermal vapor leak/recharge in a heat pump water heater. Based on the experimental data, a simple model is proposed to describe the composition change in R417A for various leaks and recharge scenarios. The effect of composition change in the performance of a heat pump water heater is also dealt with. Experimental results show that the composition changes in R417A increase as ambient temperature decreases. Isothermal vapor leaks have a great effect on the composition of R417A and the performance of a heat pump water heater at lower temperatures. It is also found that when the ambient temperature is higher than $7°C$ with a 10% leak and R417A recharge, there is almost no difference in the performance of the plant with respect to the original state except that the compressor discharge temperature is lower.

1.
Aprea
,
C.
,
de Rossi
,
F.
, and
Greco
,
A.
, 2000, “
Experimental Evaluation of R22 and R407C Evaporative Heat Transfer Coefficients in a Vapor Compression Plant
,”
Int. J. Refrig.
0140-7007,
23
(
5
), pp.
366
377
.
2.
Aprea
,
C.
,
Mastrullo
,
R.
, and
Renno
,
C.
, 2004, “
An Analysis of the Performances of a Vapor Compression Plant Working Both as a Water Chiller and a Heat Pump Using R22 and R417A
,”
Appl. Therm. Eng.
1359-4311,
24
(
4
), pp.
487
499
.
3.
Aprea
,
C.
, and
Renno
,
C.
, 2004, “
Experimental Comparison of R22 With R417A Performance in a Vapor Compression Refrigeration Plant Subjected to a Cold Store
,”
Energy Convers. Manage.
0196-8904,
45
(
11–12
), pp.
1807
1819
.
4.
Aprea
,
C.
,
Mastrullo
,
R.
,
Renno
,
C.
, and
Vanoli
,
G. P.
, 2004, “
An Evaluation of R22 Substitutes Performances Regulating Continuously the Compressor Refrigeration Capacity
,”
Appl. Therm. Eng.
1359-4311,
24
(
1
), pp.
127
139
.
5.
Mauro
,
A. W.
,
Quibén
,
J. M.
,
Mastrullo
,
R.
, and
Thome
,
J. R.
, 2007, “
Comparison of Experimental Pressure Drop Data for Two Phase Flows to Prediction Methods Using a General Model
,”
Int. J. Refrig.
0140-7007,
30
(
8
), pp.
1358
1367
.
6.
Zhang
,
X. Y.
,
Yuan
,
X. L.
, and
Tian
,
H. Z.
, 2006, “
Evaporation Heat Transfer of R417A Flowing Inside Horizontal Smooth and Internally Grooved Tubes
,”
Journal of Xi’an Jiaotong University
0253-987X,
41
(
1
), pp.
18
22
.
7.
Boissieux
,
X.
,
Heikal
,
M. R.
, and
Johns
,
R. A.
, 2000, “
Two-Phase Heat Transfer Coefficients of Three HFC Refrigerants Inside a Horizontal Smooth Tube, Part I: Evaporation
,”
Int. J. Refrig.
0140-7007,
23
(
4
), pp.
269
283
.
8.
Boissieux
,
X.
,
Heikal
,
M. R.
, and
Johns
,
R. A.
, 2000, “
Two-Phase Heat Transfer of Coefficients of Three HFC Refrigerants Inside a Horizontal Smooth Tube, Part II: Condensation
,”
Int. J. Refrig.
0140-7007,
23
(
5
), pp.
345
352
.
9.
Johansson
,
A.
, and
Lundqvist
,
P.
, 2001, “
A Method to Estimate the Circulated Composition in Refrigeration and Heat Pump Systems Using Zeotropic Refrigerant Mixtures
,”
Int. J. Refrig.
0140-7007,
24
(
8
), pp.
798
808
.
10.
Aprea
,
C.
, and
Mastrullo
,
R.
, 2002, “
An Experimental Evaluation of the Vapor Compression Plant Performances in Presence of R407C Leaks Using an Electronic Expansion Valve
,”
Appl. Therm. Eng.
1359-4311,
22
(
2
), pp.
161
171
.
11.
Kim
,
M. S.
, and
Didion
,
D. A.
, 1995, “
Simulation of Isothermal and Adiabatic Leak Processes of Zeotropic Refrigerant Mixtures
,”
HVAC&R Res.
,
1
(
3
), pp.
3
20
.
12.
Kim
,
M. S.
, and
Didion
,
D. A.
, 1995, “
Simulation of a Leak/Recharge Process of Refrigerant Mixtures
,”
HVAC&R Res.
,
1
(
3
), pp.
242
253
.
13.
Kruse
,
H.
, and
Rinne
,
F.
, 1992, “
Performance and Leakage Investigations of Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Systems Using Refrigeration Mixtures as Working Fluids
,”
Proceedings of the 1992 International Refrigeration Conference at Purdue
, pp.
621
630
.
14.
Wu
,
J.
,
Chu
,
Y.
,
Hu
,
J.
, and
Liu
,
Z.
, 2009, “
Performance of Mixture Refrigerant R152a/R125/R32 in Domestic Air-Conditioner
,”
Int. J. Refrig.
0140-7007,
32
(
5
), pp.
1049
1057
.
15.
1995,
Guidance to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement
,
ISO
,
Geneva, Switzerland
.
You do not currently have access to this content.