Energy Efficient, Environmentally Friendly Refrigerants

Abstract

This paper describes a new family of safe, environmentally friendly, high performance substitute refrigerants for application in manufacturing and facilities operations. Due to the Montreal Protocol and subsequent environmental regulations, CFC refrigerants have become expensive or unavailable. A safe, environmentally friendly, high performance refrigerant mixture for replacement of R-12 and R-134a has been developed. The mixture, designated Ikon B, is nonflammable, has zero ozone depletion potential, low global warming potential, relatively low toxicity, is compatible with most common refrigeration system materials of construction, and is thermally stable. Ikon B was used as a drop-in replacement for R-12 in an instrumented 1.5 ton chiller. Operating pressures for Ikon B were essentially the same as for R-12. Analysis of test runs showed that Ikon B gave approximately 2% higher energy efficiency than R-12 with 16% greater capacity, and 17% higher energy efficiency than R-134a with 2% greater capacity.