Applications of refrigerant R1234yf in heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems: A decade of researches

HFC refrigerants as R134a, R404A, R407C and R410A are commonly used in heating, air conditioning and refrigeration (HACR) systems since Kyoto protocol. However, they are phased-out due to their high global warming potential (GWP). There are various options to replace high GWP refrigerants, among all hydrofluorolefin (HFO) fluids, such as R1234yf, represents an excellent alternative. With GWP <1, R1234yf is a promising substitute for R134a. This paper presents the most relevant researches concerning the application of R1234yf in the last decade. This review paper regroups experimental and theoretical studies which assess the performance of pure R1234yf as working fluid of the compression systems such as mobile and residential air conditioning, air and water heat pump, domestic refrigerator and freezer. Studies depict that R1234yf can be recommended for small-scale systems instead of R134a, but an optimization process is necessary to achieve the optimum operating conditions.