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SWOT type considerations of lubricant and low gwp refrigerant options.

Number: 1369

Author(s) : KARNAZ J.

Summary

Refrigerants considered or being considered as lower GWP options in multiple types of compressor designs and system applications, cover a broad range of chemistries. With every refrigerant chemistry difference, there is most likely going to be different lubricant chemistries, viscosities and formulations required to meet demand for reliable and efficient operation. Looking at a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) type of approach, typically used to understand business practices, can be helpful in defining combinations and eliminating unlikely candidates.
Market changes in refrigerant candidates has created gaps in maintaining success with some current lubricants used with current higher GWP refrigerants. In addition, demand for more applications, such as high temperature heat pumps or operation in higher or lower ambient environments, call for investigation of thresholds in some combinations or options. Numerous refrigerant manufacturers and suppliers can have different approaches to what products they want to offer which increases the number of candidates to evaluate and can strain evaluation timetables and cost by all the groups involved in the testing and approval process.
This paper approaches some refrigerants and lubricants with a modified SWOT tactic for design, picking candidates and initiating screening processes which utilizes several techniques to understand acceptability. Both synthetic and natural refrigerants will be discussed along with evaluating some applications that are current topics of interest. Some lubricants used with current refrigerants are not the best candidates and, in some cases, not suitable with certain lower GWP refrigerants, resulting in needed changes or variations to lubricant chemistries. The lower stability of some newer refrigerants along with some applications looking to minimize carbon footprint by utilizing electrification and higher temperature limits creates issues with lubricant and refrigerant stability, compatibility, lubrication, and proper interaction that impacts compressor and system reliability and efficiency.

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  • Original title: SWOT type considerations of lubricant and low gwp refrigerant options.
  • Record ID : 30033609
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Figures, economy
  • Source: 2024 Purdue Conferences. 27th International Compressor Engineering Conference at Purdue.
  • Publication date: 2024/07/18

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