Speed of Sound Measurements of Binary Mixtures of 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (R-134a), 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene (R-1234yf), and trans-1,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene (R-1234ze(E)) Refrigerants

Speed of sound data measured using a dual-path pulse-echo instrument are reported for binary mixtures of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a), 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R-1234yf), and trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R-1234ze(E)). For each binary mixture, the speed of sound is studied at two compositions of approximately (0.33/0.67) and (0.67/0.33) mole fraction. The conditions covered in this study range in temperature from 230 to 345 K and from pressures slightly above the bubble curve up to a maximum pressure of 51 MPa. However, to avoid potential polymerization reactions, data for mixtures containing R-1234yf are limited to a maximum pressure of 12 MPa at temperatures below 295 K and 8 MPa at temperatures above 295 K. The mean uncertainty of the measured speed of sound is less than 0.1%, where relative combined expanded uncertainties at individual state points range from 0.04 to 0.4% of the measured speed of sound value. The greatest combined expanded uncertainties are encountered as the state point approaches the mixture critical region where weakened echo signals and lower speed of sound values are observed. The reported data are compared to available REFPROP mixture models, which are not adjusted using the data reported here, with average absolute deviations ranging from 0.27 to 0.75% with maximum deviations as high as 1.1%. The comparisons to the REFPROP correlations show that further adjustments to the mixture models are needed to provide a representation of the data within its experimental uncertainty.

Automated summary

This paper reports the speed of sound data measured using a dual-path pulse-echo instrument for binary mixtures of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a), 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R-1234yf), and trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R-1234ze(E)). The results show that the measured speed of sound has small uncertainty within a certain range of temperature and pressure. The reported data are compared to existing models and further adjustments are needed for better representation of the experimental data.