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A comprehensive review of influencing factors and energy efficiency improvement strategies for variable refrigerant flow systems.

Author(s) : LYU W., XU Z., XU Y., WANG Z., JIANG C., LI X., LI J., GOU X.

Type of article: IJR article

Summary

Variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems are widely applied in both residential and commercial buildings for air conditioning. For energy efficiency, this paper systematically reviews the key factors affecting the energy performance of VRF systems across three stages: the VRF unit development stage, the VRF system design stage, and the VRF system operation stage. Corresponding targeted improvement strategies are summarized. Results show that efficient components like advanced compressors and microchannel heat exchangers boost nominal efficiency during the VRF unit development stage. Optimizing pipe layout and configuration ratios enhances the designed energy efficiency ratios. During operation stage, dynamic control strategies, such as variable evaporating/ condensing temperature control and AI-driven methods, along with the selection of high-efficiency refrigerants and improving the capacity utilization rate of indoor units can enhance actual operating performance. However, most research focuses on lab testing and modeling, which do not reflect real-world complexities. Future work should focus on long-term real-world energy improvement, developing accurate, universal and inexpensive longterm field energy efficiency monitoring methods, advanced sensors, performance assessment methods, and conducting extensive field studies on energy efficiency and overall performance.

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Pages: 17 p.

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Details

  • Original title: A comprehensive review of influencing factors and energy efficiency improvement strategies for variable refrigerant flow systems.
  • Record ID : 30034344
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: International Journal of Refrigeration - Revue Internationale du Froid - vol. 179
  • Publication date: 2025/11
  • DOI: http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.07.025

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