Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K5/00—Heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants; Materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion
  • C09K5/02—Materials undergoing a change of physical state when used
  • C09K5/04—Materials undergoing a change of physical state when used the change of state being from liquid to vapour or vice versa
  • C09K5/041—Materials undergoing a change of physical state when used the change of state being from liquid to vapour or vice versa for compression-type refrigeration systems
  • C09K5/044—Materials undergoing a change of physical state when used the change of state being from liquid to vapour or vice versa for compression-type refrigeration systems comprising halogenated compounds
  • C09K5/045—Materials undergoing a change of physical state when used the change of state being from liquid to vapour or vice versa for compression-type refrigeration systems comprising halogenated compounds containing only fluorine as halogen
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
  • F25B1/00—Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
  • F25B9/00—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point
  • F25B9/002—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point characterised by the refrigerant
  • F25B9/006—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point characterised by the refrigerant the refrigerant containing more than one component
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K2205/00—Aspects relating to compounds used in compression type refrigeration systems
  • C09K2205/10—Components
  • C09K2205/12—Hydrocarbons
  • C09K2205/122—Halogenated hydrocarbons
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K2205/00—Aspects relating to compounds used in compression type refrigeration systems
  • C09K2205/10—Components
  • C09K2205/12—Hydrocarbons
  • C09K2205/126—Unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbons
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K2205/00—Aspects relating to compounds used in compression type refrigeration systems
  • C09K2205/22—All components of a mixture being fluoro compounds
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
  • F25B2400/00—General features or devices for refrigeration machines, plants or systems, combined heating and refrigeration systems or heat-pump systems, i.e. not limited to a particular subgroup of F25B
  • F25B2400/12—Inflammable refrigerants
  • F25B2400/121—Inflammable refrigerants using R1234
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P20/00—Technologies relating to chemical industry
  • Y02P20/10—Process efficiency

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a refrigerant composition
• a refrigerant composition comprising difluoromethane (HFC32) and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO1234yf), which is used in refrigeration units (air conditioners, refrigeration machines, etc.).
• HFC32 difluoromethane
• HFO1234yf 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene
• fluorinated propenes having a double bond in the molecule have been proposed. These fluorinated propenes have a lower global warming potential (GWP) compared to heretofore known chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
• CFCs chlorofluorocarbons
• HCFCs hydrochlorofluorocarbons
• HFCs hydrofluorocarbons
• HFO1234yf 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO1234yf) (Patent Literatures 1, 2, etc.).
• HFO1234yf has a drawback: the device performance cannot be ensured when HFO1234yf is used alone in conventional devices because HFO1234yf has a higher boiling point and a lower pressure compared to HCFC22, which has conventionally been used in floor standing type air conditioners, and non-ozone layer depleting R407c and R410A, which have subsequently been promoted as alternatives.
• the APF is a numerical value determined by dividing the cooling and heating capacity required in one year if an air conditioner is used throughout the year by the amount of electricity consumed by the air conditioner in one year (the amount of electricity consumption over a specific period of time).
• the evaluation closely reflects actual use. An air conditioner having a higher APF achieves higher energy-saving performance, and a refrigerant thereof is considered to have a lower environmental load.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerant composition having a reduced amount of comprehensive environmental load, in which the refrigerant composition has a low GWP (direct impact on global warming is low), and achieves good energy efficiency (indirect impact on global warming is low) when used in a device.
• the present invention relates to the refrigerant composition described below.
• Item 1 A refrigerant composition comprising 30 to 50 mass % of difluoromethane (HFC32) and 70 to 50 mass % of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO1234yf).
• Item 2. The refrigerant composition according to Item 1, comprising 35 to 45 mass % of difluoromethane (HFC32) and 65 to 55 mass % of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO1234yf).
• Item 3 The refrigerant composition according to Item 1 or 2 further comprising a polymerization inhibitor.
• Item 4 The refrigerant composition according to Item 1 or 2 further comprising a stabilizer.
• the refrigerant composition according to Item 1 or 2 further comprising refrigerant oil.
• Item 6. The refrigerant composition according to any one of Items 1 to 5, wherein the refrigerant composition is used in a refrigeration unit provided with a countermeasure to prevent heat exchange efficiency from decreasing due to the temperature glide in a heat exchanger.
• Item 7. The refrigerant composition according to Item 6, wherein the refrigerant composition is used in the refrigeration unit further provided with a countermeasure to reduce the effect of pressure loss.
• the refrigerant composition according to Item 6, wherein the countermeasure to prevent heat exchange efficiency from decreasing due to the temperature glide in a heat exchanger is at least one of the following: eliminating the temperature difference between air and refrigerant by countercurrent flow, preventing frost formation near the inlet of an evaporator, and increasing the heat-transfer coefficient of a heat exchanger.
• the refrigerant composition of the present invention achieves the following effects.
• the refrigerant composition has a lower GWP than that of R407c and R410A, which have been heretofore used.
• the refrigerant composition has zero ozone depletion potential (ODP), and is not involved in the destruction of the ozone layer even when the refrigerant composition is not completely recovered after use.
• the refrigerant composition has a high APF, particularly when used in an air conditioner provided with a countermeasure to prevent the heat exchange efficiency from decreasing due to the temperature glide in a heat exchanger.
• an air conditioner that uses the refrigerant composition of the present invention exhibits energy efficiency that is equal to or more than that of an air conditioner that uses R407c and R410A, which have been heretofore used.
• the present inventors evaluated, based on the APF, how the performance of a mixed refrigerant of HFC32 and HFO1234yf changes depending on the mixing ratio of HFC32. Note that the APF of an air conditioner that uses R410A was used as a standard for evaluation.
• HFO1234yf When HFO1234yf was used alone, the result showed an APF that is 80% of the standard. A reason therefore may be that it was necessary to increase operation frequency because HFO1234yf has a low cooling capacity per unit flow rate, and the increased flow rate resulted in an increase in the pressure loss. An additional reason may be that the evaporation temperature of HFO1234yf was reduced because of a greater effect of pressure loss caused by the reduced evaporation pressure of HFO1234yf, which is a result of its high boiling point. In this regard, it was predicted that adding HFC32, which has a lower boiling point and a higher pressure than HFO1234yf, to HFO1234yf would raise the pressure of the refrigerant and increase the APF.
• HFC32 has a lower GWP (675) compared to R410A (2075), the GWP of HFC32 is still high.
• HFO1234yf has a low GWP (4). Accordingly, when a mixed refrigerant of HFC32 and HFO1234yf is used as an alternative refrigerant to R410A, instead of adding 60 mass % or more of HFC32 to the mixture, it is preferable to reduce the HFC32 content as much as possible.
• HFC32 and HFO1234yf are refrigerants that exhibit very low flammability
• the flammability of HFC32 is higher.
• HFC32 has a value of 4.0 kJ/g
• HFO1234yf has a value of 3.4 kJ/g.
• HFO1234yf has a value of 1.2 cm/sec
• HFC32 has a value of 6.7 cm/sec.
• HFC32 has a higher flammability. Accordingly, a lower proportion of HFC32 is advantageous also in terms of flammability.
• HFC32 and HFO1234yf are zeotropic may be the reason why adding HFC32 temporarily reduces the APF.
• At least one of the following is used as the above countermeasure: (1) eliminating the temperature difference between air and refrigerant by countercurrent flow; (2) preventing frost formation near the inlet of an evaporator; and (3) increasing the heat-transfer coefficient of a heat exchanger.
• (1) include allowing cooling and heating flows to be countercurrent to each other in a heat exchanger.
• examples of (2) include providing defrosting means near the inlet of an evaporator.
• examples of (3) include using a high-performance heat transfer tube.
• a refrigeration unit provided with at least one of the above-described countermeasures may be further provided with a countermeasure to reduce the effect of pressure loss.
• At least one of the following is used as the above countermeasure: (A) increasing the tube diameter of a heat exchanger and/or optimizing the number of paths in a heat exchanger, (B) increasing the pipe diameter and/or shortening the length of a pipe in an air conditioner and a connecting pipe for an air conditioner, (C) using an ejector as an expansion mechanism, and D) using an economizer cycle. Examples of (A) include increasing the size of a compressor.
• the present invention proposes a refrigerant composition
• a refrigerant composition comprising 30 to 50 mass % of HFC32 and 70 to 50 mass % of HFO1234yf as a refrigerant for obtaining, in a range of practical modifications, an APF equivalent to that obtained by the use of R410A.
• the refrigerant composition of the present invention comprises 35 to 45 mass % of HFC32 and 65 to 55 mass % of HFO1234yf, more preferably, 35 to 40 mass % of HFC32 and 65 to 60 mass % of HFO1234yf.
• the refrigerant composition of the present invention exhibits a high stability.
• a stabilizer may be added, if necessary, to the refrigerant composition.
• stabilizers include (i) aliphatic nitro compounds such as nitromethane, nitroethane, etc.; aromatic nitro compounds such as nitrobenzene, nitrostyrene, etc.; (ii) ethers such as 1,4-dioxane, etc.; amines such as 2,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropylamine, diphenylamine, etc.; and butylhydroxyxylene, benzotriazole, etc.
• the stabilizers may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
• the amount of stabilizer used varies depending on the type used, it is within a range that does not impair the properties of the refrigerant composition.
• the amount of stabilizer used is usually preferably about 0.01 to 5 parts by weight, more preferably 0.05 to 2 parts by weight, relative to 100 parts by weight of a mixture of HFC32 and HFO1234yf.
• the refrigerant composition of the present invention may further comprise a polymerization inhibitor.
• polymerization inhibitors include 4-methoxy-1-naphthol, hydroquinone, hydroquinone methyl ether, dimethyl-t-butylphenol, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol, benzotriazole, etc.
• the amount of polymerization inhibitors used is usually preferably 0.01 to 5 parts by weight, more preferably 0.05 to 2 parts by weight, relative to 100 parts by weight of a mixture of HFC32 and HFO1234yf.
• the refrigerant composition of the present invention may further contain refrigerant oil.
• refrigerant oil include, but are not limited to, polyalkylene glycol, polyol ester, polyvinyl ether, alkyl benzene, mineral oil, etc.
• the refrigerant composition of the present invention can also be used in apparatuses exclusively used for the heating cycle such as water heating devices, floor heating devices, snow-melting devices, and the like.
• the refrigerant composition is particularly useful as a refrigerant composition in devices for which size reduction is demanded, such as air conditioners for industrial use and home use, car air conditioners, heat pumps for automatic vending machines, refrigerators, and chiller units.
• these refrigeration units are preferably provided with a countermeasure to prevent the heat exchange efficiency from decreasing due to the temperature glide in a heat exchanger.
• refrigeration units and heat exchangers include devices disclosed in claims 1 and 6 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-222362.
• heat exchangers include a heat exchanger disclosed in claim 1 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-222360.
• refrigeration units include a refrigeration unit disclosed in claim 1 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-222359, and a refrigeration unit disclosed in claim 1 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-222357.
• a performance test was conducted in accordance with JIS-C9612 by installing an air conditioner in a calorimeter test chamber approved by JIS. Specifically, the following values were measured: (1) amount of air-side heat exchange in an indoor unit, (2) input power of a compressor, (3) input power of fans in indoor and outdoor units, (4) input current of a four-way switching valve, (5) input current of an electric expansion valve, and (6) input current of a compressor. Then, the coefficient of performance (COP) during each of the following operations was determined: rated cooling operation (4 kW), mid-capacity cooling operation (2 kW), rated heating operation (5 kW), and mid-capacity heating operation (2.5 kW). Further, the APF was determined.
• Table 1 shows the refrigerant compositions used, the specifications of the air conditioners used, and the APF values obtained. Table 1 also shows ratios obtained by comparing each APF with the APF of Comparative Example 1.
• the present invention is useful as a refrigerant composition for refrigeration units such as air conditioners, refrigeration machines, and the like.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Lubricants (AREA)
• Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)
• Cooling Or The Like Of Electrical Apparatus (AREA)

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• 2011
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