CO₂-Based Refrigerant Mixture for Low-GWP Temperature-Stable Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current refrigerants for cooling devices face challenges in achieving low global warming potential (GWP) while maintaining sufficient cold capacity and temperature stability, especially in dynamic cooling applications like test chambers, where zeotropic mixtures often require extensive restructuring and struggle with temperature glide and dew point control.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerant mixture composed of 45 to 90 mole percent carbon dioxide, 5 to 40 mole percent 1,1-difluoroethene, and additional components like hexafluoroethane, difluoromethane, or pentafluoroethane, which balances GWP, cold capacity, and flammability, allowing for flexible adaptation to different applications and improved temperature stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a zeotropic refrigerant mixture with high fraction of nonflammable component is used, then flammability safety is improved, but GWP increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the compositional parameters of the refrigerant mixture by using carbon dioxide as the primary nonflammable component (45-90 mol%) combined with specific flammable components (1,1-difluoroethene at 5-40 mol%, and other components at 1-30 mol% each), maintaining a balance that ensures both safety and environmental compatibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite refrigerant mixture combining multiple components with different properties: carbon dioxide provides nonflammability and low GWP, while 1,1-difluoroethene and other components contribute to achieving the required temperature range and cold capacity, with the synergistic effect resolving the contradiction between safety and environmental impact
2Reliability
If carbon dioxide fraction is increased to ensure nonflammability, then flammability safety is improved, but achievable temperature decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameters within specific ranges (carbon dioxide: 45-90 mol%, 1,1-difluoroethene: 5-40 mol%, other components: 1-30 mol% each) to achieve the desired balance between nonflammability and temperature achievement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigerant mixture combines carbon dioxide with flammable components in controlled proportions, where the flammable components enable reaching lower temperatures while the dominant carbon dioxide fraction maintains nonflammability, resolving the contradiction between safety and temperature performance
3Object-affected harmful factors
If refrigerant mixture is used to achieve low GWP, then environmental compatibility is improved, but temperature stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fine-tunes the compositional parameters within specific ranges to control the temperature glide characteristics, ensuring that the refrigerant mixture maintains stable evaporation temperature while achieving low GWP through the use of carbon dioxide and limited amounts of other components
4Power
If zeotropic refrigerant mixture is used, then cold capacity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant mixture is designed to be universally compatible with existing cooling circuit designs, performing multiple functions: achieving low GWP, providing sufficient cold capacity, maintaining temperature stability, and working with standard expansion elements and heat exchangers without requiring extensive restructuring
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The refrigerant mixture achieves a low GWP, maintains temperature stability within ±1 K, and allows for efficient operation in a wide temperature range from -60°C to +180°C, reducing the need for special safety measures and simplifying the design of cooling circuits.
Implementation Method 1
a refrigerant for a cooling device which comprises a cooling circuit with at least one heat exchanger in which the refrigerant undergoes a phase transition
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a refrigerant for a cooling device (10) comprising a cooling circuit (11) comprising at least one heat exchanger (12), the refrigerant undergoing a phase transition in the heat exchanger, the refrigerant being a refrigerant mixture composed of a fraction of carbon dioxide (CO2), a fraction of 1,1-difluoroethene and a fraction of at least one other component, wherein the fraction of carbon dioxide in the refrigerant mixture is 45 to 90 mole percent, the fraction of 1,1-difluoroethene being 5 to 40 mole percent.