SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RETROFITTING A REFRIGERATION SYSTEM FROM HCFC TO HFC REFRIGERANT
A system and method for retrofitting a refrigeration system containing an HCFC refrigerant and a compatible lubricant, with an HFC refrigerant, comprising providing a transport container containing a mixture of a miscible lubricant and the HFC refrigerant, removing the HCFC refrigerant from the refrigeration system while maintaining at least a portion of a lubricant immiscible with the HFC refrigerant, and charging the refrigeration system with the mixture. The polyol ester lubricant may be present in a range exceeding about 5-15% by weight, e.g., 8%.
1 . A method of retrofitting a refrigeration system from an HCFC refrigerant and a mineral oil or alkyl benzene lubricant to a refrigerant consisting essentially of an HFC, comprising:
removing the HCFC refrigerant while retaining the mineral oil or alkyl benzene lubricant in the refrigeration system; and
charging the refrigeration system with a mixture consisting essentially of the HFC and a polyol ester lubricant in an amount of between 5% and 20% by weight of the HFC, substantially independent of an amount of mineral oil or alkyl benzene lubricant remaining in the refrigeration system.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the HFC and the polyol ester lubricant in an amount of between 5% and 20% by weight of the HFC are premixed at a site remote from the refrigeration system, prior to removal of the HCFC, further comprising transporting the premixed HFC and the polyol ester lubricant in an amount of between 5% and 20% by weight of the HFC in a DOT compliant transport container.
3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the premixed HFC and the polyol ester lubricant in an amount of between 5% and 20% by weight of the HFC in a DOT compliant transport container comprises 8% by weight polyol ester lubricant in HFC, in a DOT-39 transport container.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said removing and charging are performed substantially without measuring an amount or concentration of the mineral oil or alkyl benzene lubricant.
5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the HFC consists essentially of R-407C.
6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the HFC comprises R-125.
7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the HFC comprises R-134a.
8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the HFC comprises R-32.
9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the HFC comprises R-143a.
10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the HCFC comprises R-22 and the HFC consists essentially of R-407C.
11 . A method for retrofitting a hermetically sealed refrigeration system from an HCFC refrigerant with a mineral oil or alkyl benzene lubricant, to an HFC refrigerant with a polyol ester lubricant-mineral oil or alkyl benzene lubricant mixture, comprising:
evacuating the HCFC refrigerant from the hermetically sealed refrigeration system substatually without removing the mineral oil or alkyl benzene lubricant;
transporting a premixture of the HFC refrigerant and a polyol ester lubricant in a container suitable for vehicular transportation according to DOT regulation; and
charging the hermetically sealed refrigeration system having the unremoved mineral oil or alkyl benzene lubricant with the premixture of the HFC refrigerant and a polyol ester lubricant.
12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the HCFC comprises R-22, and the HFC consists essentially of R-407C.
13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the polyol ester is provided in an amount of 5% to 20% by weight of the HFC in the container.
14 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the polyol ester is provided in an amount of 8% by weight of the HFC in the container, and the HFC in the container consists essentially of R-407C.
15 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the hermetically sealed refrigeration system after charging with the premixture of the HFC refrigerant and a polyol ester lubricant has a concentration of mixed lubricant of 15-32% by weight of the HFC.
16 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the container is DOT-39 compliant.
17 . A DOT compliant refrigerant transport container for retrofitting a refrigeration system from an HCFC refrigerant compatible with a mineral oil or alkyl benzene lubricant to an HFC refrigerant compatible with a polyol ester lubricant, comprising:
the DOT compliant refrigerant transport container;
a refrigerant consisting essentially of at least two of R-32, R-125, R-134a, and R143a; and
a polyol ester lubricant in an amount of 5-15% by weight of the refrigerant.
18 . The DOT compliant refrigerant transport container according to claim 17 , comprising a DOT-39 compliant container, 7.5-8.5% by weight polyol ester lubricant by weight of the HFC.
19 . The DOT compliant refrigerant transport container according to claim 17 , wherein the refrigerant consists essentially of R-407C.
20 . The DOT compliant refrigerant transport container according to claim 17 , wherein the DOT compliant refrigerant transport container is a DOT-39 compliant container having a capacity of 30 pounds, filled with about 2.4 pounds of polyol ester lubricant and about 27.6 pounds of the HFC refrigerant.