Back to results
US 2014/0230465 A1Published application
Method for selecting lubricants for heat pumps
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsRAYMOND H. THOMAS, CHRISTOPHER J. SEETON, DAVID P. WILSON, SAMUEL F. YANA MOTTA, MARK W. SPATZ
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided is a method for selecting a lubricant and a refrigerant for use in a vapor-compression refrigeration device such that the combination of the lubricant and refrigerant produces a fluid system having a lubricant-rich phase and a refrigerant-rich phase, yet exhibits miscible-type properties.
Claims20
A method for selecting a refrigerant and lubricant for a vapor-compression refrigeration device system comprising:
- a. determining a lower operating temperature range of a vapor-compression refrigeration device;
- b. determining an upper operating temperature range of the vapor-compression refrigeration device;
- and
- c. selecting a refrigerant comprising at least one C2 to C5 fluoroalkene at a first concentration and selecting a lubricant comprising at least one polyol ester, polyalkylene glycol, or polyalkylene glycol ester at a second concentration to produce a fluid system having a refrigerant-rich phase and a lubricant-rich phase at a first temperature within said lower operating temperature range and at a second temperature within said upper operating temperature range provided that said second temperature is higher than said first temperature, wherein the refrigerant-rich phase is denser relative to the lubricant-rich phase at said first temperature and wherein the lubricant-rich phase is denser relative to the refrigerant-rich phase at said second temperature, provided that the relative difference in densities between the two phases is less than 20% at said first temperature and less than 20% at said second temperature.
1 more element
A method for introducing a refrigerant and lubricant into a vapor-compression refrigeration device system comprising:
- a. providing a vapor-compression refrigeration device comprising a heat transfer circuit, a compressor having an inlet side and an outlet side, and refrigerant and lubricant reservoir, wherein said reservoir is in fluid communication with the inlet side of the compressor and with said heat transfer circuit, and said heat transfer circuit is in fluid communication with said outlet side of the compressor;
- b. determining the lower operating temperature range of the vapor-compression refrigeration device;
- c. determining the upper operating temperature range of the vapor-compression refrigeration device;
- d. selecting a refrigerant comprising at least one C2 to C5 fluoroalkene at a first concentration and selecting a lubricant comprising at least one polyol ester or polyalkylene glycol at a second concentration to produce a fluid system having a refrigerant-rich phase and a lubricant-rich phase at a first temperature within said lower operating temperature range and at a second temperature within said upper operating temperature range provided that said second temperature is higher than said first temperature, wherein the refrigerant-rich phase is denser relative to the lubricant-rich phase at said first temperature and wherein the lubricant-rich phase is denser relative to the refrigerant-rich phase at said second temperature;
- and
- e. introducing said refrigerant and lubricant into the vapor-compression refrigeration device.
3 more elements
A method for lubricating a vapor-compression refrigeration device system comprising:
- a. providing a vapor-compression refrigeration device comprising a heat transfer circuit, a compressor having an inlet side and an outlet side, and refrigerant and lubricant reservoir, wherein said reservoir is in fluid communication with the inlet side of the compressor and with said heat transfer circuit, and said heat transfer circuit is in fluid communication with said outlet side of the compressor;
- b. determining the lower operating temperature range of the vapor-compression refrigeration device;
- c. determining the upper operating temperature range of the vapor-compression refrigeration device;
- d. selecting a refrigerant comprising at least one C2 to C5 fluoroalkene at a first concentration and selecting a lubricant comprising at least one polyol ester or polyalkylene glycol at a second concentration to produce a fluid system having a refrigerant-rich phase and a lubricant-rich phase at a first temperature within said lower operating temperature range and at a second temperature within said upper operating temperature range provided that said second temperature is higher than said first temperature, wherein the refrigerant-rich phase is denser relative to the lubricant-rich phase at said first temperature and wherein the lubricant-rich phase is denser relative to the refrigerant-rich phase at said second temperature;
- e. introducing said refrigerant and lubricant into the vapor-compression refrigeration device at said first temperature;
- and
- f. lubricating said vapor-compression refrigeration device with said lubricant, wherein said lubricating involves increasing the temperature of the vapor-compression refrigeration device to produce an inversion of the refrigerant and lubricant-rich phases.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.