Experimental study on R487A as an alternative refrigerant for household heat pump air conditioners
Household air conditioners with heat pump functionality are becoming increasingly popular in the consumer market. However, high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants remain the primary working fluid in air conditioning, raising environmental concerns. To promote low-carbon development, a hydrocarbon mixture refrigerant, R487A—composed of ethane (R170) and propylene (R1270)—was investigated as an environmentally friendly alternative to R32 in this paper. R487A possesses favorable thermophysical properties, including higher latent heat, and lower operating pressure. Experimental study was conducted on a household heat pump air conditioner to compare the cycle performance of R32 and R487A under same conditions. Results show that with a 12 cm³/rev compressor, R487A can achieves the same cooling and heating capacities as R32 with comparable COP, while significantly reducing discharge temperature and system pressure. With optimized compressor and appropriate heat exchanger configuration, the system performance of R487A can closely match R32. Owing to its low GWP, reduced charge, and compatibility with existing designs, R487A offers a promising and practical transitional solution for developing countries pursuing lowcost, low-GWP refrigerants and contributing to global carbon emission reduction.