New modelling framework supports scroll compressor design for low-GWP refrigerants

Adapting compressor design to next-generation refrigerants

 

A new study, recently published in Applied Thermal Engineering ^[1] by a team of researchers including Prof. Eckhard A. Groll, President of IIR Section B – Thermodynamics, Equipment and Systems, Prof. Haotian Liu, IIR private member, and Prof. Riley B. Barta, member of IIR Commission B2 – Refrigerating Equipment, presents a mechanistic modelling framework to predict the performance of scroll compressors operating with low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants.

 

The ongoing transition towards lower-GWP refrigerants creates new challenges for compressor design, as differences in thermophysical properties can significantly affect compressor capacity, efficiency, internal heat transfer and leakage. Consequently, replacing conventional refrigerants with lower-GWP alternatives may require adapting compressor designs to the characteristics of the new working fluids rather than relying on simple drop-in substitution.

 

To address this challenge, the researchers developed and experimentally validated a physics-based scroll compressor model, initially considering R454C and R290 (propane). The framework accounts for key physical phenomena occurring within the compressor, including internal heat transfer, mechanical losses and refrigerant leakage, while considering the influence of compressor geometry and component-level compressor behaviour. This approach aims to provide a more general modelling tool that can support the prediction and optimisation of compressor performance across different refrigerants.

 

From experimental validation to refrigerant-specific redesign

 

The study demonstrates how combining experimental characterisation with detailed mechanistic modelling can provide a deeper understanding of the processes that determine scroll compressor performance. By representing internal heat transfer, leakage and mechanical losses, the proposed framework can help identify how compressor design and refrigerant properties interact, providing a foundation for the development of compressors optimised for next-generation refrigerants.

 

In particular, simulations with R290 and R454C showed that using these refrigerants as drop-in replacements in a compressor originally designed for R410A can lead to significant performance penalties, notably because of differences in vapour density and the resulting mismatch with the baseline compressor geometry. The results therefore highlight the importance of moving beyond simple refrigerant substitution towards refrigerant-specific compressor design and optimisation.

 

Future work will use the developed experimental-numerical framework to investigate how the baseline compressor can be optimised for R290 and R454C and quantify the resulting performance improvements. The approach could subsequently be applied to other next-generation refrigerants and compressor architectures, supporting the development of efficient equipment as the HVAC&R sector transitions towards lower-GWP working fluids.

 

For more information, the scientific paper is available in Applied Thermal Engineering.

 

 

Source:

[1] Parmar, Y. S., Motta, S. Y., Groll, E. A., Liu, H., Barta, R. B. (2026). Experimental and numerical framework for scroll compressor technology development for refrigerants with global warming potential < 150. Applied Thermal Engineering, Volume 304, Part 1, 2026, 132583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2026.132583