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What is refrigerant?

A refrigerant is a substance or mixture, usually a uid, used in a heat pump

and refrigeration cycle. In most cycles it undergoes phase transitions from a liquid

to a gas and back again. Many orking uids ha!e been used for such purposes.

"luorocarbons, especially chlorouorocarbons, became commonplace in the #$thcentury, but they are being phased out because of their o%one depletion e&ects.

'ther common refrigerants used in !arious applications are ammonia, sulfur

dioxide, and non(halogenated hydrocarbons such as propane.

)xamples of refrigerants*

+(

Applications* -arge, lo(pressure centrifugal chillers. his type of chiller

pro!ides a !ery large amount of chilled ater for air conditioning purposes /o0ce

buildings, hotels, etc1. he equipment and charge si%e are usually quite large.

+etro2tting* +(#3 is being successfully used to retro2t +( chillers. 4ardare

modi2cations are needed, hoe!er, and retro2t 5obs are typically done ith the help

of ')M6.

+(#

Applications* -arge centrifugal chillers, reciprocating chillers, open

dri!e A7, process cooling, high(medium(lo temp refrigeration /large and small

systems1.

+(3

Applications* 8ery lo temperature refrigeration /lo stage of a cascade system1

he dominant refrigerant in residential and commercial air conditioning

applications, also used in refrigeration and as a blend component since the

phaseout of 7"7s. +(## is sub5ect to production restrictions and e!entual phaseout

in #$#$. /It cannot be used in ne equipment after #$$.1

+(##

Applications* +efrigeration ( lo and medium temperature commercial and stand(

alone systems, industrial process cooling, glycol and ater chillers, commercial and

residential air conditioning and heat pumps.

8ery lo temperature refrigeration systems typically operate in to or more stages

/cascade type systems1. It ould be nearly impossible to achie!e lo temperatures

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in a single stage ith an inexpensi!e comrpessor. he traditional cascade system

has a lo temperature stage that uses the loer boiling point gas, such as +( 3 or

+(9$3, and a high stage that typically uses +(#, +(## or +( 9$#. /+(#3 has !ery

similar properties to +(3, although it ill generate higher discharge temperatures.1

he high stage e!aporator pro!ides the correct condensation temperature for thelo stage so that compressors in both stages can run at :normal; pressures.

+(#3

Applications* 8ery lo temperature refrigeration /lo stage of a cascade system1

+(#3

+eplaced +( in lo pressure centrifugal chillers.

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best ay to dry a et 4"7 system is to rely on the 2lter drier. Ceep !accuum ill

remo!e :free; ater, but not the ater that has absorbed into the lubricant.

+(3=a

Applications* Appliances, refrigeration /commercial and self contained equipment1,

centrifugal chillers and automoti!e air conditioning.

+(=$A /+(##>9#a>#=1 /93 > 3 > 3= tD1

A blend of +(##, +(9#a and +(#= intended for retro2tting +(# systems. he

pressure and system capacity match +(# hen the blend is running an a!erage

e!aporator temperature of $" to #$".

Applications* direct expansion refrigeration, +(# air conditioning, +(9$$ systems.

+etro2tting* for +(# page EE for +(9$$ page F

+(=$B /+(##>9#a>#=1 /G > > #E tD1

6imilar tto +(=$A except higher in +(## content. his blend has higher capacity at

loer temperatures /matches +(# at #$"1, and also pro!ides a closer match to +(

9$$ at air conditioning temperatures.

+(=$#A /+(#9>#F$>##1 /G$ > # >3E tD1

A blend of +(## and +(#9 ith hydrocarbon +(#F$ /propane1 added to impro!e

mineral oil circulation. his blend is formulated to match +(9$# e!aporator

pressures, yet it has higher discharge pressure than 9$#. Although the propane

helps ith oil return, it is still recommended that some mineral oil be replaced ithalkylben%ene.

Applications* -o temperature /+(9$#1 refrigeration +etro2tting* for +(9$# page F#

+(=$#B /+(#9>#F$>##1

/3E > # > G$ tD1

6imilar to +(=$#A, but ith less +(#9 and more +(##. his blend ill generate

higher discharge temperatures, hich makes it ork particularly ell in ice

machines.

Applications* Ice machines /+(9$#1

A blend of +(## and +(#E ith hydrocarbon +(#F$ /propane1 added to impro!e oil

circulation. his product as orginally de!eloped as a replacement for +(9$#,

hoe!er it has come to be used as an alternati!e for +(3B in single stage, lo(

temperature systems. he e!aporator ill operate in a !acuum hen the lo side

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temperature is belo 99". When existing 3B systems are retro2tted to +(=$3B

the capillary tube must be replaced ith a longer>more restricti!e si%e.

Applications* 8ery lo temperature refrigeration /single stage, 3B1

+(=$=A /+(#9>=3a>3=a1 /== > 9# > = tD1

A blend of +(#9, +(=3a and +(3=a intended for lo and medium temperature

refrigeration. Most ne equipment has been built for +( =$=A /and +(9$H

interchangably1. It is also possible to retro2t +(9$# and +(## systems ith +(=$=A,

although the oil ill need to be ushed and replaced ith @olyol )ster /@')1. @')

oils ill be found in all ne equipment intended for +(=$=A.

Applications* -o temperature refrigeration, medium temperature refrigeration, ice

machines

+(=$H7 /+(3#>#9>3=a1 /#3 > #9 > 9# tD1

A blend of +(3#, +(#9 and +(3=a that has !ery similar properties to +(## in air

conditioning equipment. here is a slight decrease in capacity and e0ciency,

hoe!er +(=$H7 can be used in essentially the same equipment to perform the

same 5ob ith only minor engineering modi2cations.

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==B instead /similar blend, less +(##1. +(=$FA also comes close to matching the

properties of +( 9$$ at air conditioning temperatures.

Applications* -o temperature and medium temperature refrigeration, non(

centrifugal air conditioning /+(# or +(9$$1

+(=$A /+(3#>#91 /9$ > 9$ tD1

A blend of +(3# and +(#9 that nearly forms an a%eotrope, and therefore has

extremely lo temperature glide and almost no fractionation potential. his blend

has about G$D higher pressure than +(## in air conditioning applications, and

should be used only in ne equipment that has been designed for the increased

pressure /cannot be used to retro2t +(## systems1. +(=$A ill require the use of

@') lubricants.

Applications* Air conditioning and heat pumps /ne equipment only1