Eco-friendly alternative refrigeration systems

Abstract

Refrigeration applications at the domestic, commercial and industrial levels are becoming an integral part of the present day living. The demand and supply of refrigeration systems is increasing day by day with the changing lifestyle. The existing compressor-based refrigeration (i.e., mechanical refrigeration) system has reached the maximum level of innovation. For the last few decades, there has not been any significant increase in the efficiency (i.e., coefficient of performance, COP) of the system. Moreover, with the increasing awareness of environmental degradation, the production, use and disposal of ChloroFluoro Carbons (CFCs) and HydroChloroFluoroCarbons (HCFCs) as refrigerants in mechanical refrigeration system has become a subject of great concern. However, such systems are being developed using more ecofriendly refrigerants viz., air, CO₂, NH₃, etc. Besides, efforts are being directed to develop other types of refrigeration technologies e.g., magnetic refrigeration, thermoelectric refrigeration (discussed in Part 1) and thermoacoustic refrigeration (discussed in Part 2), which will be moreecofriendly, cost effective, efficient, simple in design, convenient and reliable.