Propane as a possible substitute of R134a for use in an all-in-one heat pump for DHW

The identification of Propane as a possible substitute of R134a for use in an all-in-one heat pump for DHW production have been developed in this research. The aim of this project, born by a pluri-annual agreement for master thesis collaboration with Politecnico di Milano and Advantix SPA, is to show how the implementation of natural refrigerant can replace HFC without drawbacks and provide a final comparison between the same all-in-one heat pump operating in R290 with respect to R134a. Regulations impose a limit in charge present into refrigeration systems for use of High-Flammables refrigerant as Propane. To respect the limit of 150g, several measures have been considered and the outcomes have been processed to estimate the quantity of refrigerant charge distribution in each component and strategies have consequently been applied as well to pursuit the goal of reaching high performance in term of COP and heating time (following EN 16147).