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Performance evaluation of novel refrigerant mixtures in an air conditioning system using Al2O3 nanolubricant

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Abstract

The current global warming challenges have drawn refrigerants with low Global Warming Potential (GWP). R32 (difluoromethane) is the most promising low-GWP refrigerant and is slightly flammable. The addition of a flame retardant to HFC-32 can improve its flammability. Trifluoroiodomethane (R13I1) is a flame retardant with an extremely low GWP that can be employed as a refrigerant component. This experimental study investigates the effect of dispersing aluminium oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles in the compressor oil with varying concentrations of 0.045, 0.09, 0.135, and 0.18 vol% in the Polyol Ester (POE) oil on its thermal, tribological, and rheological properties as well as on the overall performance of a vapour compression air conditioning system using ultra-low GWP mixture refrigerants consisting of R32, R161, and R13I1 as the working fluid. The thermophysical properties of the mixture refrigerant have been calculated using REFPROP (NIST properties of fluid reference). The mixture refrigerant (R32/R161/R13I1) performed better in alumina nanolubricant and the comparison has been made with reference to the base lubricant (POE) in terms of power consumption, COP, coefficient of friction, and cooling capacity. The results showed that the coefficient of performance (COP) and cooling capacity increased by 32.6% and 11.7%, respectively. The maximum power saving is up to 16.1%, and the coefficient of friction is reduced by 32.4%. The highest recorded thermal conductivity reached 22.5% at 343.15 K and a volume concentration of 0.18%, compared to base oil at 303.15 K. The air conditioning system’s performance showed improvement at an optimal concentration of 0.135 vol%. This study provides valuable insights into identifying energy-efficient and low-GWP refrigerant alternatives suitable for air conditioning systems.

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  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Srinagar, Srinagar, J&K, 190006, India

    Mohammed Dilawar & Adnan Qayoum

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Dilawar, M., Qayoum, A. Performance evaluation of novel refrigerant mixtures in an air conditioning system using Al2O3 nanolubricant. J Therm Anal Calorim 148, 11929–11943 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-023-12471-z

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