Impact of refrigerant fluid properties on the compressor selection

The refrigerants being used in vapor compression processes have specific thermodynamic properties, which are decisive for the performance of the compressor of the system The Montreal and the Kyoto protocols initiated a discussion of alternative refrigerants, which lead to new requirements of the compressor.In the paper, the relevant properties of the refrigerants are identified and compared.Furthermore, the characteristic design features of positive displacement compressors are discussed.By combining the information about the refrigerant properties and state of the art positive displacement compressors, advantageous compressor designs are recommended for the individual refrigerants and applications.The analysis focuses on the impact of the refrigerant propertied on the selection and the design of the compressor components, which have an impact on the thermodynamic compression process including the suction, the compression and the discharge of the gas.