Abstract:

With the formal enforcement of the Kigali Amendment, the use of R134a in future vehicle air conditioning systems will be restricted due to its high global warming potential (GWP). To study the feasibility of low GWP refrigerants as replacements, this study first conducts a thermodynamic performance analysis and multi-factor evaluation of R1234yf, R1234ze(E) and R290 across four actual automotive operating conditions, with comparisons to R134a. Additionally, a range model is developed to assess the range performance of these refrigerants under varying winter ambient temperatures. The results indicate that R1234yf has a similar volume cooling/heating capacity and compatible compressor displacement when compared to R134a. The coefficient of performance (COP) and cooling/heating effectiveness of R1234ze(E) are also found to be comparable to those of R134a. In extreme cold winter conditions, R290 demonstrates a notable performance advantage, with COP_h and q_cv that are 2.3% and 57.3% higher than R134a, respectively. Furthermore, under heat pump operating conditions, R290 shows a slower rate of range decay compared to R134a. This study provides valuable insights into the substitution and application potential of efficient and environmentally friendly refrigerants in the field of vehicle air conditioning.

Key words: vehicle air conditioning, low GWP refrigerant, thermodynamics, performance analysis, R290, refrigerant substitution

摘要：

随着《<蒙特利尔议定书>基加利修正案》正式生效，R134a因其高全球变暖潜值(global warming potential，GWP)在未来汽车空调中使用受限。为研究低GWP制冷剂应用的可行性，首先基于热力学分析方法对R1234yf、R1234ze(E)、R290在4种实际汽车空调工况下进行性能分析与多因素评估，并与R134a进行对比；其次，建立续航模型，研究不同制冷剂在冬季不同环境温度下的续航性能。结果表明：与R134a相比，R1234yf具有相近的单位容积制冷/制热量，压缩机排量适配性强；R1234ze(E)和R134a的COP及制冷/制热效果相当；在冬季极寒工况下，R290表现出显著的性能优势，其COP_h和q_cv分别比R134a高2.3%、57.3%，此外，在热泵运行工况下，R290的续航里程衰减较R134a有所减缓。本研究为汽车空调领域高效、环保制冷剂替代应用提供了重要参考。

关键词: 汽车空调, 低GWP制冷剂, 热力学, 性能分析, R290, 制冷剂替代