A WAY TO INCREASE SAFETY IN MARINE REFRIGERATION WHEN USING AMMONIA AS A WORKING AGENT
Abstract
Trade with perishables, especially food, has always been a successful business, marine refrigeration being a vital part of the specific international trade since it can cause economic losses and environmental fatalities.
In order to meet ozone depleting substances phase-out targets, ammonia (R717) in frequently meet in many applications. R717 is a natural refrigerant, with very good thermodynamic features. Despite of these, R717 is not a perfect refrigerant, one of its drawbacks being that it causes health problems to personnel exposed to concentrations over safe limit.
This paper analysis the possibility of decreasing the amount of R717 by mixing it with dimethyleter (DME). Are compared two mixtures (20% DME, 80% R717) and (40% DME, 60% R717) with pure ammonia, based on the fulfillment of the selection criteria of a refrigerant.
The comparison will reveal the fact that the first mentioned mixture satisfies in a more convenient way these criteria, replacement of R717 with this mixture being a good option in improving safety, by not affecting the thermodynamic aspect of the problem, or its environmental aspect.
I , as main author, declare and undersign, that the paper is an original and common work of me and all subsequent authors. The paper as a whole or part of it has not been published or submitted to other Journal. The right to publish the accepted paper is transferred to and owned by “Annals of Constanta Maritime University” Journal.