**11. Economic impact of the alternative refrigerants against cfc refrigerants**

Every human being or a machine has a value. Mechanical machines are designed, fabricated and manufactured with different materials, and so cost is incurred for the manufacture of all the machineries. Almost all the residential air conditioners are vapor compression systems, which uses compressors. Compressor is the main component in any air conditioning system, and so it is the costliest component in an air conditioning system. Other components and the type of refrigerants used in the air conditioning systems will also contribute significantly to the total cost of the air conditioning system. The cost of one ton window air conditioner as an example is shown in the below **Figure 2**.

### **11.1 Cost analysis**

Cost incurred in the design and fabrication of constructal designed window air conditioner is shown in the below **Figure 3**. Here, the compressor was replaced with a pump and so the major part of the cost is reduced. Also the refrigerant materials, phase change material and water were industrial waste from the refineries and natural resource respectively.

CFC type refrigerants were used in window air conditioners, and now it is is completely phased out and replaced with HFC type HC (Hydro carbon) type refrigerants. It is difficult to fill in these refrigerants in the same system which used CFC type refrigerants. The system needs lot of design changes and the air conditioning service technicians carelessly releases the harmful CFC gases into the

**Figure 2.** *Cost of one ton of window air conditioner.*

**Figure 3.** *Cost of Constructal designed window air conditioner.*


#### **Table 6.**

*Cost of refrigerant materials.*

atmosphere. So, it is a good opportunity to retrofit the old window air conditioners with non CFC refrigerants. The total cost incurred for the fabrication of constructal designed window air conditioner was found to be around R. O 70/, which was very much lesser than the normal vapor compression type window air conditioner. Cost can be further reduced by using the thrown away air conditioners and using the condenser and evaporator coils.
