Performance Comparison of R1234yf and R134a in a Heat Pump: A Simulation-Based Assessment Using Aspen Plus

B. N. Ramya; Vinayak B. Hemadri

doi:10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_38

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Performance Comparison of R1234yf and R134a in a Heat Pump: A Simulation-Based Assessment Using Aspen Plus

Authors

B. N. Ramya¹, Vinayak B. Hemadri¹^{, *}

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dayananda Sagar University, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

^*Corresponding author. Email: vinayak-me@dsu.edu.in

Corresponding Author

Vinayak B. Hemadri

Available Online 31 August 2026.

DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_38 How to use a DOI?
Keywords: Heat pump; refrigerant; coefficient of performance; thermodynamic performance; Global warming potential
Abstract: Heat pumps (HPs) are increasingly recognized as energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable solutions for heating applications. The selection of refrigerant plays a critical role in determining both the thermodynamic performance and environmental impact of HP systems. This study presents a comparative simulation-based analysis of two refrigerants—R1234yf (a hydrofluoroolefin with ultra-low global warming potential, GWP ≈ 1) and R134a (a widely used hydrofluorocarbon with GWP = 1300)—in a heat pump cycle modeled in Aspen Plus. The system is evaluated under two process water inlet temperature scenarios (35 ℃ and 45 ℃), with a constant domestic hot water output requirement of 60 ℃. Simulation results show that R134a consistently achieves higher coefficients of performance (COPs ranging from 6.05 to 8.52) compared to R1234yf (COPs from 5.09 to 7.01), primarily due to its higher latent heat of vaporization and lower compression work. However, R1234yf offers a compelling environmental advantage with negligible GWP. The findings highlight a clear trade-off between energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, providing practical insights for refrigerant selection in heat pump design. The validated simulation workflow also offers a reproducible framework for rapid screening of alternative refrigerants in early-stage system development.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access: Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title: Proceedings of the International Conference on Advanced Design, Manufacturing, and Sustainable Energy Systems (ICADMSES 2026)
Series: Atlantis Highlights in Engineering
Publication Date: 31 August 2026
ISBN: 978-94-6239-750-7
ISSN: 2589-4943
DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_38 How to use a DOI?
Open Access: Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

ris enw bib

TY  - CONF
AU  - B. N. Ramya
AU  - Vinayak B. Hemadri
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/31
TI  - Performance Comparison of R1234yf and R134a in a Heat Pump: A Simulation-Based Assessment Using Aspen Plus
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Advanced Design, Manufacturing, and Sustainable Energy Systems (ICADMSES 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 536
EP  - 548
SN  - 2589-4943
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_38
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_38
ID  - Ramya2026
ER  -

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