Experimental analysis of hydrocarbons as drop-in replacement in household heat pump tumble dryers

Mainly HFCs are nowadays used as refrigerants in commercial household heat pump tumble dryers; it is however crucial to look for long-term alternatives with low environmental impact. Hydrocarbons are considered a suitable alternative for this application. According to their characteristics and based on theoretical analysis, R290 and R441A were selected as substitutes of R407C in a commercial unit. While maintaining exactly the same components, the compressor was changed to comply with the required heating capacity and the expansion device was modulated to meet proper working conditions. Experimental results confirmed that R290 meets the reference energy performances; at the specific conditions, R441A underperforms R407C, due to increased compressor consumption. Technological focus on components is therefore important when refrigerant replacement takes place.