SPECIAL ISSUE PAPER 183

Zeotropic refrigerants and the special characteristics

J Chen Department of Power Engineering, Southeast University, 2 Si-Pai-Lou, Nanjing 210096, Peoples Republic of China The manuscript was received on 11 May 2004 and was accepted after revision for publication on 22 November 2004. DOI: 10.1243/095440805X8629

Abstract: Zeotropic refrigerants, compared with conventional refrigerants, have different characteristics during evaporation and condensation. This article summarizes the special characteristics of zeotropic refrigerants in ve aspects: fractionation behaviour; non-leakagerelated concentration change; leakage-associated concentration change; gliding temperature and the limitation on media ow rate; and degradation in heat transfer. The relevant thermodynamic performance has been analysed. Newly developed technology for improving system efciency and reliability has been incorporated in the discussion. Keywords: zeotrope, concentration shift, temperature glide, R407C

ZEOTROPIC REFRIGERANTS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS

As shown in Table 1, the fractionation behaviour of R407C can be analysed from its two distinguishing characteristics during evaporation or condensation. 1. There always exist concentration differences between the vapour and the liquid in equilibrium. Only when the zeotropic refrigerant is completely evaporated or condensed with the sample will have the same concentration as the bulk concentration. When the zeotropic refrigerant mixture is in a vapour liquid equilibrium state, the vapour phase will have a higher concentration of more volatile components than the liquid phase, whereas the liquid phase will have a higher concentration of less volatile components than the vapour phase. Since components R32 and R125 are more volatile than R134a, R32 and R125 are more concentrated in the vapour phase, while R134a is more concentrated in the liquid phase. 2. A zeotropic refrigerant will need a temperature range to condense or to evaporate at a given pressure, with the dew point temperature always being higher than the corresponding bubble point temperature. The saturated temperature which is related to a given vapour quality of the two-phase R407C, will increase as the vapour quality increases. As shown in Table 1, for a pressure of 630 kPa, R407C has a dew point temperature of 9.4 8C and bubble point temperature of 3.2 8C. To complete the full range of evaporation or condensation at 630 kPa, R407C requires a temperature glide of 6.2 K.
Proc. IMechE Vol. 219 Part E: J. Process Mechanical Engineering

Over the last 20 years mixed refrigerants have been attracting increasing attention in research and application in refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump systems. According to their application, mixed refrigerants can be analysed into three categories:

(a) those offering environmentally benign alternative solutions for the replacement of ozonedepleting refrigerants, CFCs and HCFCs; (b) those used for capacity modulation; (c) those used in low-temperature, cascade system applications.

Judged by their vapour liquid equilibrium behaviour, mixed refrigerants can be divided into two types: azeotropes and zeotropes. Azeotropic refrigerants behave like pure refrigerants. However, most commercial blends are zeotropes. Unlike azeotropic refrigerants, the physical characteristics and thermodynamic performance of zeotropes change during vapour liquid phase change in the heat exchangers. This change is a result of the fractionation behaviour of zeotropes. As an example, Table 1 shows vapour liquid equilibrium data for R407C a zeotropic refrigerant used as a replacement of HCFC refrigerant R22.
E03004 # IMechE 2005