Effect of mixture composition and hardware on the performance of a single stage JT refrigerator

The specific refrigeration effect that can be obtained in a single stage mixed refrigerant Joule-Thomson refrigerator is strongly dependent on the composition of mixture used. Comprehensive methods have been developed over the last two decades to determine the mixture composition that results in the highest exergy efficiency or the refrigeration produced. However, what is not well known is the relationship between the mixture composition and the hardware, which ultimately decides the performance of the refrigerator. Experiments were conducted with seven different nitrogen-hydrocarbon mixtures in a single stage JT refrigerator to understand the effect of both composition and hardware on the performance of the refrigerator, the results of which are presented in this paper. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.