Measurements and Modeling of Vapor Pressure, Density, Viscosity, and Thermal Conductivity of Binary and Ternary Refrigerant + Lubricant Mixtures

Abstract The accurate measurements and modeling of thermophysical properties, including vapor pressure, viscosity, density, and thermal conductivity, of refrigerant–lubricant mixtures are crucial. This study presents measurements for binary and ternary mixtures involving the pure refrigerants R-290, RE-170, R-744, and R-152a as well as blends of R-290/RE-170 and R-744/R-152a combined with the lubricants POE VG68 and POE VG100 for vapor pressure, thermal conductivity, density, and viscosity and MO VG10 with R-290, RE-170 and their mixture just for thermal conductivity in a temperature range between 238 and 353 K and up to 6.0 MPa. The measured properties are compared against empirical and semiphysical modeling approaches. The semiphysical model of [Yang, X.; et al.Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.2023, 62(44), 18736–18749]. requires only 12 experimental data points for property description. Empirical models used are the Cavestri equation (vapor pressure), the Henderson equation (density/viscosity), and the power law/Filippov equations (thermal conductivity). Results indicate that predictions for data points above the critical point are inconclusive across all models. For other measurement points, the deviation magnitude is similar. However, for these measurement data, the semiphysical model of [ Yang, X.; et al.Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.2023, 62(44), 18736–18749].provides a better fit for vapor pressure, while the empirical models offer a superior fit for viscosity.