EXPLORATION OF THE RE170/R600 MIXTURE: EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO R600a

Abstract

The utilization of alternative mixtures to R600a has been extensively explored across various applications, showcasing their potential to enhance the energy efficiency of isobutane in domestic refrigerators and standalone commercial appliances while maintaining comparable thermodynamic characteristics and operational performance parameters. Among these mixtures, those composed of a significant proportion of R600 (butane) and a small portion of secondary refrigerant have emerged as the most promising. However, many secondary refrigerants in these blends are synthetic. RE170 (dimethyl ether or DME), a non-fluorinated and natural refrigerant, has emerged as a particularly promising candidate for blending with R600. This paper presents an experimental analysis of the RE170/R600 refrigerant mixture as an alternative to R600a. For that purpose, a simple compressor highly equipper test bench was used, in which the mixture was analyzed at a composition range varying from 2.5/97.5%_w to 27.5/72.5%_w at steps of 2.5_%. Results show COP increments up to 19.3% respect R-600a and VCC and  that low required DME matches the one obtained by R600a. RE170/R600 has been demonstrated to be a long-term superior efficiency mixture.