R134a replacement in a refrigeration unit of water dispenser

Major efforts have been undertaken to reduce ozone depletion substances (ODS) used in refrigeration systems such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFC). Among them, R134a will be progressively banned from most refrigeration units. The present project focuses on the R134a replacement in a refrigeration unit based on a vapour-compression cycle of a water cooler/dispenser. Water dispenser is a growing market especially in North America. To stay competitive while meeting the various regulations, R134a should be replaced by a more environmentally friendly refrigerant able to provide comparable even higher energetic performances. To achieve that general objective, a subjective multicriteria method will be used to select the best candidate. Then a combined thermodynamic / experimental analysis will be performed to quantify the performance of the refrigeration unit working with the new refrigerant and optimize it. The final prototype should meet the specifications imposed by Energy Star 3.0.

Faculty Supervisor:

Sébastien Poncet

Student:

Partner:

Les Produits Thermo-Concepts Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Université de Sherbrooke

Program: