The Use of Dimethyl Ether (DME) as a Substitute for R134a

Abstract

The usage of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) is currently being phased out since both substances cause ozone depletion and global warming potential. Many investigations have been conducted in recent years to develop environmentally acceptable alternative refrigerants. Dimethyl ether (DME) is a good contender among the various alternative refrigerants because it has minimal ozone depletion potential (ODP) and global warming potential (GWP). The performance of dimethyl ether as an alternative refrigerant to R134a was evaluated in this study. This study compared the performance of a freezer while using R134a and when using dimethyl ether. The use of dimethyl ether was varied based on mass, namely 60 grams, 70 grams, and 80 grams, or in percentages as much as 40%, 46.7%, and 53.3% of the total mass if R134a. The results showed that using dimethyl ether instead of R134a improved freezer performance. Based on the mass variation, it was found that the chilling time using 80 grams of DME is almost the same as R134a. Even, the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) is higher than R134a. Therefore, R134a can be substituted by 53.3% mass of DME in a freezer.