Heat transfer methods, systems and compositions

• US 10,246,621 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2017
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Sethi, Ankit, Yana Motta, Samuel F., Pottker, Gustavo, Smith, Gregory Laurence, Vera Becerra, Elizabet del Carmen, Zou, Yang, Close, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Hardee, John R
• Application Number:
  US15/661,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20170321099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2205/122 Halogenated hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2205/22 All components of a mixture being fluoro compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/044 comprising halogenated compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/045 containing only fluorine as halogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 105/38 of polyhydroxy compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 105/50 containing halogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 111/02 at least one of them being a non-macromolecular organic compound
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 171/008 Lubricant compositions compatible with refrigerants
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2203/024 unsaturated
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2203/06 Well-defined aromatic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2203/10 Petroleum or coal fractions, e.g. tars, solvents, bitumen
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2207/2835 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2211/0206 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2211/022 aliphatic
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2215/202 containing nitro groups
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2215/204 containing nitroso groups
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2223/041 Triaryl phosphates
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2223/049 Phosphite
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2020/101 Containing Hydrofluorocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2020/103 Containing Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2030/08 : Resistance to extreme temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/30 : Refrigerators lubricants or compressors lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 31/002 : Lubrication
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 45/00 : Arrangements for charging or discharging refrigerant

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerant composition, including difluoromethane (HFC-32), pentafluoroethane (HFC-125), and trifluoroiodomethane (CF₃I) for use in a heat exchange system, including air conditioning and refrigeration applications and in particular aspects to the use of such compositions as a replacement of the refrigerant R-410A for heating and cooling applications and to retrofitting heat exchange systems, including systems designed for use with R-410A.

Claims

1. A refrigerant blend consisting of:

about 50% by weight difluoromethane (HFC-32),

about 11.5% by weight pentafluoroethane (HFC-125), and

about 38.5% by weight trifluoroiodomethane (CF₃I),

wherein the percentages are based on the total weight of the three compounds in the blend.

2. A heat transfer composition comprising a refrigerant according to claim 1.

3. The heat transfer composition as claimed in claim 2, wherein the refrigerant comprises greater than 70% by weight of the heat transfer composition.

4. The heat transfer composition of claim 3 further comprising a stabilizer selected from a diene based compound, or a diene based compound and a phosphorous compound, and/or a nitrogen compound and/or a phenol compound.

5. The heat transfer composition of claim 4 wherein the diene based compound is a terpene selected from the group consisting of terebene, retinal, geraniol, terpinene, delta-3 carene, terpinolene, phellandrene, fenchene, myrcene, farnesene, pinene, nerol, citral, camphor, menthol, limonene, nerolidol, phytol, carnosic acid and vitamin A₁, and combinations of two or more of these.

6. The heat transfer composition of claim 4 wherein the stabilizer composition comprises a diene based compound and a phosphorous compound, wherein said phosphorous compound is a phosphite compound selected from diaryl phosphite, dialkyl phosphite, triaryl phosphite and/or trialkyl phosphite and/or a phosphate compound selected from triaryl phosphate, trialkyl phosphate, alkyl mono acid phosphate, aryl diacid phosphate, amine phosphate and combinations of two or more of these.

7. The heat transfer composition of claim 6 wherein the phosphorous compound is a phosphite compound selected from the group consisting of hindered phosphites, tris-(di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphite, di-n-octyl phophite, iso-decyl diphenyl phosphite and diphenyl phosphite.

8. The heat transfer composition of claim 7 wherein the stabilizer composition comprises farnesene and diphenyl phosphite.

9. The heat transfer composition of claim 7 further comprising a nitrogen compound selected from dinitrobenzene, nitrobenzene, nitromethane, nitrosobenzene, and TEMPO [(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl], and combinations of two or more of these.

10. The heat transfer composition of claim 4 wherein the stabilizer composition comprises BHT in an amount of from about 0.001% by weight to about 5% by weight of the heat transfer composition.

11. The heat transfer composition of claim 10 wherein the stabilizer composition comprises farnesene, diphenyl phosphite and BHT.

12. The heat transfer composition of claim 2 further comprising a polyol ester (POE) lubricant.

13. The heat transfer composition of claim 2 wherein said refrigerant has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of not greater than 750.

14. A method of cooling in a heat transfer system comprising an evaporator, a condenser and a compressor, the method comprising i) condensing a refrigerant blend according to claim 1, and ii) evaporating the blend in the vicinity of a body or article to be cooled;

wherein the evaporator temperature of the heat transfer system is in the range of from about −

40°

C. to about −

10°

C.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the heat transfer system is an air conditioning system.

16. A method of replacing an existing refrigerant contained in a heat transfer system comprising removing at least a portion of said existing refrigerant from said system, said existing refrigerant being R-410A and replacing at least a portion of said existing refrigerant by introducing into said system a refrigerant according to claim 1.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the heat transfer system is an air conditioning system.