Investigation on the condensation process of HFO refrigerants by molecular dynamics simulation

Hydrofluoroolefins are regarded as the most promising alternative refrigerant for hydrofluorocarbons because of their better environmental performance. Understanding the condensation process of refrigerant is of great significance for the design of the condenser. In this work, the vapor condensation processes of 3,3,3-trifluoropropene (R1243zf), trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R1234ze(E)) and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R1234yf) from (343.15 K, 385 kPa) to eight condensation states (283.15 K, 1 MPa; 283.15 K, 1.5 MPa; 283.15 K, 2 MPa; 283.15 K, 2.5 MPa; 283.15 K, 3 MPa; 268.15 K, 1 MPa; 273.15 K, 1 MPa; 278.15 K, 1 MPa) were investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. The densities and isobaric heat capacities of R1243zf, R1234ze(E) and R1234yf were simulated and compared with experimental data to verify the reliability of our simulation method. The effects of the condensation temperature, the condensation pressure, the saturation temperature and the saturation pressure on the phase transition rate were analyzed. The variations of the potential energies and radial density distribution functions of R1243zf, R1234ze(E) and R1234yf were simulated to get insight into the condensation process on a micro-level.