Performance simulation of refrigerated display cabinets operating with refrigerants R22 and R404A

This paper describes the analysis and performance comparison of a display cabinet system using refrigerant R404A and its substitute refrigerant R22. The model of the display cabinet is developed at steady state and integrated from three main component sub-models, air-cooling finned-tube evaporator, air curtain and display cabinet body. The evaporator model is built up based on the distributed method, which can simulate the heat exchangers with different circuit structures. The frost effect on the performance of the evaporator is included in the model. The correlations for the heat transfer and pressure drop calculations of both air and refrigerant sides are purposely selected in the evaporator model. In addition, the evaporator model has been validated with experimental results at steady states from published literature. Several correlated functions from the detailed numerical solution are used for the model of the air curtain. Some simplifications are also utilized for the model of display cabinet body. The performance simulation and comparison of the display cabinet using refrigerants R404A and R22 are carried out at different indoor ambient conditions especially at varied ambient air humidity to mimic the actual indoor space conditions in super stores. Some significant results such as the comparison of cooling load requirement for different refrigerant display cases have been obtained from the simulation, which can significantly contribute to the optimal cabinet design and operating analysis.