Computation of ecological properties, flammability properties and thermodynamic properties of sustainable refrigerant dimethylether (RE170) using Martin Hou equation of state (MHEOS)

Abstract

The objective of present work is to investigate the thermodynamic properties, ecological properties and flammability properties of a refrigerant Dimethylether (RE170). Ecological properties such as ozone depletion potential (ODP) and global warming potential (GWP) were reported and validated with literature. Flammability properties such as upper flammability limit (UFL), lower flammability limit (LFL) and refrigerant flammability (RF) number were reported and validated with literature. Martin-Hou equation of state (MHEOS) is used while computing the thermodynamic properties of RE170. In this investigation, a MATLAB code was developed in order to compute the properties of RE170 over the wide temperature range about 131.6 K to 398.15 K and pressure up to 51.3 bar. The computed thermodynamic properties of RE170 were validated against REFPROP database, since its thermodynamic properties were not available in the existing literature. Therefore, REFRPROP can be considered as a reliable source as that of ASHRAE. Results showed that refrigerant RE170 has zero ODP and very low GWP (equals to one). Similarly RE170 has LFL of 3.34 vol%, UFL of 25.60 vol% and RF number of 51.05 kJ/g. Results of thermodynamic properties of RE170 revealed that the mean absolute deviation (MAD) between computed liquid and vapour phase enthalpy values and REFPROP values was 1.01 % and 0.32 %, respectively. Similarly MAD between computed liquid and vapour phase entropy values and REFPROP values was 1.05 % and 0.25 %. MAD of saturation pressure was 0.071 %. MAD between computed vapour specific volume, liquid density values and REFPROP values was 1.49 % and 0.25 %. Overall, computed thermodynamic, ecological and flammability properties of RE170 shows good agreement with literature. © 2019 International Information and Engineering Technology Association. All rights reserved.