A protocol was developed to define calorimeter operating pressures for non-azeotropic refrigerant mixtures (NARMs) that corresponded with the saturated evaporator and condenser temperatures commonly used for pure refrigerants. Compressor calorimeter results were obtained using this equivalent-mean-temperature (EMT) approach and a generally applied Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) procedure at conditions characteristic of a domestic refrigerator-freezer application. Tests with R12 and two NARMs indicate that compressor volumetric and isentropic efficiencies are nearly the same for refrigerants with similar capacities and pressure ratios.

KEYWORDS: refrigerators, freezers, R12, refrigerants, mixtures, non azeotropic, testing, experiment, performance, domestic, comparing, R22, R141b, R32, R124, calorimeters.