The experimental investigation of refrigerant distribution and leaking characteristics of R290 in split type household air conditioner

As a high-profile replacement for R22 split type household air conditioner (STHAC), R290 has several advantages in terms of thermodynamic properties, environmental characteristics, and cost. However, the obvious shortcoming of R290 is its flammability, which has a potential fire risk to the building. At present, the most important measure to ensure the safety of a R290 STHAC is to limit the refrigerant charge by domestic and international standards. But in fact, when the leakage of R290 occur from a STHAC, the distribution of R290 in STHAC, and the leaking rate also will seriously affect the safety of an R290 STHAC. In this study, a new quasi-liquid nitrogen method (QLNM) has been proposed in order to investigate the refrigerant distribution in R290 STHACs and the leaking rate under various conditions, and the experiments have been conducted. The experimental results of distribution proved the validation of the QLNM and showed that a large portion of the refrigerant distributed in the condenser when the air conditioner is on running stage and the refrigerant will migrate from the condenser to the evaporator when the air conditioner is on closed stage. Based on this, the installation of a solenoid valve near the capillary has been proposed. The comparison of experimental results of R290 leaking rate before and after the installation of a solenoid valve showed it will obviously reduce the leaking rate and thereby improve the safety of the R290 STHACs.