NASA 1996 SBIR Phase I

PROJECT TITLE : HIGH-PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE REFRIGERANT

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)

A new high-performance, environmentally-safe refrigerant, called Ikon-22, has been identified. Detailed computer modeling indicates that Ikon-22 has performance similar to R-22 at pressures similar to R-12. It provides an improvement in capacity of approximately 30% over R-12 and 38% over R-502 at medium pressure, allowing use of smaller, lighter, less expensive components. Highly reliable components designed for R-12 can be used. Ikon-22 is a proprietary near-azeotropic ternary blend that is nonflammable, has very low toxicity, contains no ozone-depleting substances or VOCs, and has very low TEWI. It will prevent pollution by eliminating the need for ozone-depleting or high-TEWI refrigerants. It has been extensively modeled by the proprietary AZEO computer program. However, it has not yet been made or tested. A related lower-performance blend has been validated and approved by the U.S. EPA as an automotive R-12 replacement. This effort will coordinate with current NASA programs to develop advanced working fluids. Phase I will demonstrate the technical feasibility of using this refrigerant in future NASA missions and commercial applications. The formula will be refined using flammability and fractionation data and a model system will be constructed to measure performance. Phase II will fully develop Ikon-22 for commercialization.

This technology is ideally suited for dual military and civilian use. Ikon-22 will find wide application not only in NASA spacecraft but also in domestic and commercial cooling applications. Ikon-22 provides the only alternative refrigerant at this time that has high performance, is nonflammable, does not fractionate significantly, does not deplete stratospheric ozone, has low TEWI, and will not face phaseout on environmental grounds. Once this refrigerant has been optimized and validated, many new jobs for Americans will be created in chemical manufacturing, design and fabrication of cooling systems, and recycling. Many technically trained individuals are already well qualified for these jobs and would not require substantial retraining.

Jon Nimitz, Ph.D.
ETEC
4500-B Hawkins St. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109-4517

Environmental Technology & Education Center (ETEC)
4500-B Hawkins St. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109-4517