Use of universal correlations to predict some thermophysical properties of alternative refrigerants

Abstract

The necessary replacement of refrigerants with non-zero ozone depletion potential has generated in recent years a significant amount of theoretical and experimental work about the thermophysical properties of alternative refrigerants, pure compounds, mixtures or blends, with zero ozone depletion potential. However, the amount of data necessary for the engineering design for refrigeration and air-conditioning units requires the development of reliable procedures for the estimation of liquid phase properties, based on reliable and simple-to-use equations of state. An overall view is presented of work done in the use of universal reduced equations to predict the vapour pressure and the density of pure, binary, and ternary mixtures of hydrofluorocarbons, including methane, ethane, and propane derivatives. Some hints devised to extend the correlations obtained to fluoroethers are also discussed.