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11 Installation And Servicing Air Conditioner Using R410A

11.1. Outline

11.1.1. About R410A Refrigerant

1.Converting air conditioners to R410A

Since it was declared in1974 that chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) and other substances pose a destructive danger to the ozone layer in the earth´s upper stratosphere (20 to 40 km above the earth), measures have been taken around the world to prevent this destruction.

The R22 refrigerant which has conventionally been used in ACs is an HCFC refrigerant and, therefore, possesses this ozone- destroying potential. International regulations (the Montreal Protocol on Ozone-Damaging Substances) and the domestic laws of various countries call for the early substitution of R22 by a refrigerant which will not harm the ozone layer.

•In ACs, the HFC refrigerant which has become the mainstream alternative is called R410A.Compared with R22, the pressure of R410A is approximately 1.6 times as high at the same refrigerant temperature, but the energy efficiency is about the same. Consisting of hydrogen (H), fluorine (F) and carbon (C), R410A is an HFC refrigerant. Another typical HFC refrigerant is R407C. While the energy efficiency of R407C is somewhat inferior to that of R410A, it offers the advantage of having pressure characteristics which are about the same as those of R22, and is used mainly in packaged ACs.

2.The characteristics of HFC (R410A) refrigerants

a. Chemical characteristics

The chemical characteristics of R410A are similar to those of R22 in that both are chemically stable, non-flammable refrigerants with low toxicity.

However, just like R22, the specific gravity of R410A gas is heavier than that of air. Because of this, it can cause an oxygen deficiency if it leaks into a closed room since it collects in the lower area of the room. It also generates toxic gas when it is directly exposed to a flame, so it must be used in a well ventilated environment where it will not collect.

Table 1 Physical comparison of R410A and R22

 

R410A

R22

Composition (wt%)

R32/R125 (50/50)

R22 (100)

Boiling point (°C)

-51.4

-40.8

 

 

 

Vaporizing pressure (25°C)

1.56 Mpa (15.9 kgf/cm2)

0.94 Mpa (9.6 kgf/cm2)

Saturated vapor density

64.0 kg/m3

44.4 kg/m3

Flammability

Non-flammable

Non-flammable

 

 

 

Ozone-destroying point (ODP)

0

0.055

Global-warming point (GWP)

1730

1700

 

 

 

b. Compositional change (pseudo-azeotropic characteristics)

R410A is a pseudo-azeotropic mixture comprising the two components R32 and R125. Multi-component refrigerants with these chemical characteristics exhibit little compositional change even from phase changes due to vaporization (or condensation), which means that there is little change in the circulating refrigerant composition even when the refrigerant leaks from the gaseous section of the piping.

Accordingly, R410A can be handled in almost the same manner as the single-component refrigerant R22. However, when charging, because there is a slight change in composition between the gas phase and the liquid phase inside a cylinder or other container, charging should basically begin with the liquid side.

c. Pressure characteristics

As seen in Table 2, the gas pressure of R410A is approximately 1.6 times as high as that of R22 at the same refrigerant temperature, which means that special R410A tools and materials with high-pressure specifications must be used for all refrigerant piping work and servicing.

Table 2 Comparison of R410A and R22 saturated vapor density

Unit: MPa

Refrigerant Temperature (°C)

R410A

R22

-20

0.30

0.14

0

0.70

0.40

 

 

 

20

1.35

0.81

 

 

 

40

2.32

1.43

60

3.73

2.33

 

 

 

65

4.15

2.60

61