C10 - Nanoparticle-Enhanced Single Mixed Refrigerants: A Theoretical Study ✓ Most Recent

https://doi.org/10.63044/hc25ala10

To mitigate global warming, demand for more efficient working fluids in refrigeration systems has increased over the past 30 years. One promising approach is the addition of nanoparticles to refrigerants at small concentrations. Nanoparticles possess favorable thermophysical properties that have been shown to enhance the COP of the refrigeration system by nearly 50%. In this study, seven different nanoparticles Cu, Al2O3, CuO, ZnO, TiO2, SiO2, and Fe3O4. were individually added to five different natural mixed refrigerants to investigate their effects on the thermophysical properties of the resulting nanofluids. The properties considered include thermal conductivity, viscosity, specific heat, and density under varying pressures (1–21 bars) and nanoparticle concentrations (0-1 wt.%). AspenPlus software was utilized to calculate these properties. The results indicate that the addition of nanoparticles to natural mixed refrigerants significantly enhances the thermophysical properties of the nanofluids. The specific heat decreased by 30% and density increased by 80%, suggesting their potential for improving the COP of the refrigeration system. The compressor work was calculated to validate this finding. It was found that for MR7 with 1% Fe2O3, as an example, the compressor work decreased by almost 6%. However, higher reductions are expected for other MRs and nanoparticles. This enhancement could be particularly beneficial for applications such as cryogenic refrigeration systems. See more