- Author
- Pannock, J. | Didion, D. A.
- Title
- Performance of Chlorine-Free Binary Zeotropic Refrigerant Mixtures in a Heat Pump.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Sponsor
- EPRI, Palo Alto, CA Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC
- Report
- NISTIR 4748, December 1992, 87 p.
- Keywords
- binary zeotropic mixtures | COP | performance advantage | R22 | R23 | R32 | R125 | R134a | R143a | R152a | predictive models | test facility | volumetric capacity
- Abstract
- The phase-out of the currently used refraigerants during the next decade requires fast and accurate methods to evaluate possible alternatives for the existing refrigerants. This report investigates possible replacement refrigerants for R22, where the replacements are binary zeotropic mixtures of the following hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs): R23, R32, R125, R134a, and R152a. The method, that was chosen, is based on three steps: (1) determining possible mixture components, (2) evaluating all fifteen possible mixtures using a simulation program developed by NIST and determining the best performing mixtures, (3) evaluating the best performing mixtures in a NIST build test facility. Following this path, two refrigerant mixtures, R32/R134a and R32/R152a were found to perform better than R22 with respect to COP and volumetric capacity for certain composition ranges. The used simulation model proved to be a very precise tool in finding possible replacement fluids and their possible performance advantages. The results give the confidence that this time saving combination of simulaiton and testing is a very powerful engineering tool.