Thermodynamic evaluation of nanorefrigerant-enhanced cascade refrigeration system

Abstract

This study investigates the thermodynamic performance of a cascade refrigeration cycle (CRC) enhanced with ZrO2 and TiO2nanoparticles using various refrigerants. The analysis, conducted using the Engineering Equation Solver (EES), examines key performance parameters such as the coefficient of performance (COP), exergy efficiency, exergy destruction, and compressor work. The findings suggest that nanorefrigerants enhance energy efficiency, with R600 demonstrating the highest COP and exergy efficiency, while R507a exhibits the lowest. It has been demonstrated that the COP and overall exergy efficiency of nano refrigerants with ZrO2 nanoparticles exceed those of TiO2. Additionally, the study highlights the potential of low-global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerants combined with nanoparticles for enhancing refrigeration performance. The findings provide insights into the viability of nanofluid applications in CRCs and suggest future experimental research to validate the theoretical results.