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Thermodynamic Performance and Flammability Studies of Hydrocarbon Based Low Global Warming Potential Refrigerant Mixtures

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Abstract

This paper presents a theoretical method to calculate the minimum inerting concentration (MIC) of binary and ternary blends (refrigerants) that are used in small refrigeration systems. MIC is the concentration of the dilutant which makes the flammable mixture into just non-flammable (at non-zero quenching potential). In this study, the refrigerant safety parameters such as flammability, Global Warming Potential (GWP) and performance (COP) are analyzed for twelve binary and thirteen ternary blends containing one flammable and two nonflammable (dilutant) components. Flammability investigation was carried out with the hydrocarbon refrigerants R290, R600, R600a each mixed with dilutants R227ea, R125, R245fa, R13I1 and R134a at different concentrations respectively. Two methods, thermal balance method (TBM) and modified thermal balanced method (MTBM), are used to estimate the MIC (which decides the flammable zone). Thirteen ternary blends were identified based on the MIC values estimated using MTBM. In the case of ternary blends, it was observed that the non-flammable zone is high for the compositions of the Mixture G, Mixture H and Mixture I. It was also estimated that the COPs of the proposed mixtures M22, M24, M25 and M27 are 4% greater than the COP of R134a (for the same operating conditions). Further, it was also understood that the corresponding GWP value is reduced by 90% to 97% for the mixtures (M21, M22, M24, M25 and M27) when compared to R134a (GWP=1300). Therefore, out of the thirteen proposed ternary mixtures (M15 to M27), the mixtures (M21, M22, M24, M25 and M27) are safe in terms of flammability, GWP and possess reasonable COP which can be a potential alternative refrigerant mixture to R134a in small refrigeration systems.

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Abbreviations

A, B :

Constants and depends on refrigerant and dilutant combinations

CAFT:

Critical adiabatic flame temperature/K

CFC:

Chlorofluorocarbon

CFL:

Critical flammability line

CFR:

Critical flammability ratio

CIC:

Critical inerting concentration

COP:

Coefficient of performance

C st :

Stoichiometric concentration of refrigerant/%

C o :

The oxygen coefficient in a reaction (dimensionless)

GWP:

Global warming potential

HCFC:

Hydrochlorofluorocarbon

HCs:

Hydrocarbons

H f :

Heating potential of refrigerant

HFCs:

Hydrofluorocarbons

H f,m :

Heating potential of refrigerant mixture

HFOs:

Hydrofluoroolefins

H o :

Heating potential of oxygen based on air

K 1, K 2, K 3 :

Variables

LFL:

Lower flammability limit/%

MIC:

Minimum inerting concentration

MTBM:

Modified thermal balance method

ODP:

Ozone depleting potential

Q d :

Quenching potential of diluents

Q d1 :

First diluent quenching potential in ternary mixture

Q d2 :

Second diluent quenching potential in ternary mixture

Q f :

Quenching potential of refrigerant

Q f,m :

Quenching potential of refrigerant mixture

R :

Diluent ratio

R125:

Pentafluoro ethane

R134a:

1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane

R13I1:

Trifluoro iodomethane

R227ea:

Heptafluoropropane

R245fa:

Pentafluoropropane

R290:

Propane

R600a:

Isobutane

R600:

n-butane

T a :

Ambient temperature/K

TBM:

Thermal balanced method

UFL:

Upper flammability limit/%

X LLower:

flammability limit of Refrigerant

X L,m :

Lower flammability limit of mixture

X U :

Upper flammability limit of Refrigerant

X U,m :

Upper flammability limit of mixture

X 1 :

Concentration of first diluent in mass fraction

X 2 :

Concentration of second diluent in mass fraction

X R :

Concentration of refrigerant in mass fraction

Φ :

Inhibition coefficient

d:

diluent

i :

variable constants

m:

mixture

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  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Low Temperature Laboratory, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, Trichy, 620015, India

    Nagarjuna Kumma & S. S. Harish Kruthiventi

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  1. Nagarjuna Kumma
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Correspondence to S. S. Harish Kruthiventi.

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Kumma, N., Kruthiventi, S.S.H. Thermodynamic Performance and Flammability Studies of Hydrocarbon Based Low Global Warming Potential Refrigerant Mixtures. J. Therm. Sci. 31, 1487–1502 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11630-022-1642-5

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