Study on the impacts of refrigerant leakage on the performance and environmental benefits of heat pumps using R513A as replacement of R134a

The escalating threat of global warming has highlighted the imperative to address the greenhouse effect. R513A is recognized as a viable substitute for R134a, providing a lower global warming potential (GWP) while preserving similar thermodynamic properties. However, refrigerant leakage is one of the common faults in heat pump equipment. For industrial heat pumps, refrigerant leakage can make the system less stable and affect normal industrial production, while long-term leakage can also affect the carbon emissions of the industry. When substituting refrigerants, it is crucial to consider not only their distinct properties under typical operating conditions but also the stability and environmental impact of the alternative refrigerant in cases of leakage. This paper focuses on experimentally evaluating the impact of using R513A to replace R134a on the performance of refrigeration systems under the condition of rapid refrigerant leakage. Then the life cycle climate performance evaluation (LCCP) theory is used to assist experimental results in evaluating the carbon footprints of R513A and R134a systems at different annual leakage rates. The results show that R513A has better stability than R134a when responding to rapid refrigerant leakage. This paper determines the changes in annual electricity consumption and indirect emissions under several annual leakage rates and finds that the impact of leakage on indirect emissions is also not negligible. During the utilization phase of the equipment, when leakage was taken into account, the carbon emissions of the R134a system were higher.