SF-2131 -- An Investigation of Refrigerants for Single-stage Centrifugal Water Chillers

Centrifugal water chillers are an important industry product. They form the heart of most large air conditioning systems. Many large theaters, office buildings, hotels, public buildings, department stores, or other structures with large scale air conditioning requirements rely on centrifugal water chillers for their cooling. The design of a centrifugal water chiller involves a complex blend of thermodynamics, gas dynamics, mechanical design, materials engineering, and even electrical engineering. Innovation in anyone ,of these areas may lead to design modifications in othe.rs. Thus a "best refrigerant" for one generation of equipment may not remain "best" for the next generation.

This investigation was undertaken in an effort to identify refrigerants which might best meet the specific needs of centrifugal chiller designers now and in the future as such systems continue to evolve. Particular stress was placed on finding fluids which would combine superior operating performance in centrifugal service with higher evaporator pressures.