Knowledge of lubricant and refrigerant miscibility is necessary for the optimaldesign and function of compressors in refrigeration systems. Without adequate
knowledge of mixture miscibility, compressor lubricants can drift into refrigerant
systems, fail to return to the compressor and cause build-up in the pipes. This
entrapped lubricant will reduce the systems efficiency by lowering the heat transfer
coefficient of the system and introducing flow irregularities. To obtain data on
refrigerant and lubricant miscibility a pressure vessel needed to be designed and
manufactured. This pressure vessel needed to withstand a working pressure of
150 bar, a temperature range of -40 C to 160 C, and have an integrated mixer.
ASME, ISO, and ASHRAE standards were referenced in the design of this vessel
to ensure proper function and safety. Stress and displacement simulations were
conducted using SolidWorks to help inform the final design. Additionally, ANSYS
and COMSOL were leveraged for fluid mixing simulations to determine optimal
mixing impeller design for our system. The rushton and hydrofoil impellers showed the greatest eddy diffusivity and mixing potential. Overall, this work has produced
a functioning pressure vessel, a system for temperature regulation of the pressure
vessel, and a proposed method to obtain lubricant and refrigerant miscibility data.