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Lubricants optimized for use with R32 and related low GWP refrigerant blends.

Number: pap. 2413

Author(s) : HESSELL E., URREGO R., BENANTI T.

Summary

Lubricants are important components of almost all air conditioning and refrigeration systems. Their primary function is to lubricate the compressor, provide sealing of clearances between low and high pressure sides of the compressor and remove frictional heat. But the lubricant is in contact with refrigerant at all times and plays a thermo-fluidic role in the air conditioning system that can impact both system capacity and coefficient of performance (COP). Lubricants can influence capacity by altering the refrigerant-side heat transfer coefficients, and increasing pressure drop required to maintain set point temperatures. Lubricants can also affect the isentropic efficiency of the compressor. This paper presents the results of a bench test study of the solution phase behavior and lubricating performance of several commercial and new developmental polyol ester (POE) lubricants with low GWP R-410A replacement refrigerants. The results suggest that POE lubricants used today with R-410A may not be acceptable for use with R-32 or related HFC/HFO blends. An undesirable miscibility "gap" is observed in mixtures of traditional POEs with R-32 in the concentration range of 10-40 wt% lubricant in refrigerant. In addition, attempts to resolve the miscibility issues by modification of traditional POE chemical structure lead to lubricants with diminished lubricity and load carrying properties. Studies conducted with a new class of advanced polyol esters (APOEs) show that it is possible to design synthetic lubricants optimized for R-32, combining good refrigerant miscibility and excellent lubricity and load carrying performance.

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Pages: 8 p.

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Details

  • Original title: Lubricants optimized for use with R32 and related low GWP refrigerant blends.
  • Record ID : 30013535
  • Languages: English
  • Source: 2014 Purdue Conferences. 15th International Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Conference at Purdue.
  • Publication date: 2014/07/14

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