EFFECT OF LUBRICANT PROPERTIES ON EFFICIENCY OF REFRIGERATION COMPRESSORS

摘要

Energy efficiency rating (EER) is an increasingly important performance characteristic for all refrigeration systems. Correct lubricant selection is not only critical to long term reliability in operation, but also can have a significant impact on overall energy efficiency. This paper reviews the mechanisms by which the lubricant can contribute to optimising overall energy efficiency, and presents friction data from lubricant bench tests, and energy efficiency data from appliance operation, in order to evaluate the relative contributions of these mechanisms and show how lubricant basefluid design, and appropriate formulation, can be used to optimise energy efficiency rating.