Influence of Fe2O3 and La2O3 nanoparticles on the performance of domestic refrigerator functioning with R134a refrigerant
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Domestic refrigerator is working on the principle of Vapour Compression Refrigeration (VCR) system. VCR system uses compressor as one the functional member which consumes electrical energy. Due to the civilization, the usages of VCR system based equipments are increasing. Therefore, the need for electrical energy is on the rise. Therefore, the limited usage of electrical energy is desirable. Consequently, this study aimed to reduce electrical energy consumption and enhance the performance of the VCR system by using nano-refrigerants as the working medium. This research utilized two types of nano-refrigerants: R134a/Fe2O3 and R134a/La2O3.The nanoparticles concentration was varied from 0.1 g l−1 to 0.5 g l−1 and the best refrigerant was identified by comparing the performance of VCR operated with aforementioned nano-refrigerants. The properties like thermal conductivity and viscosity of nano-refrigerants were determined and compared with R134a refrigerant. Further, the power consumption, pull down time and COP of VCR system was investigated. Results revealed that the R134a/Fe2O3 and R134a/La2O3 nano-refrigerant displayed superior characteristics and showed greater performance. The R134a/Fe2O3 demonstrated a peak thermal conductivity (0.022 W mK−1) when 0.5 g l−1 of nanoparticles were added. Further, the same refrigerant showed 27.4% decrease in electrical energy consumption compared to R134a refrigerant and showed a maximum COP of 3.5. Therefore, this study suggests that the R134a/0.5 g l−1 Fe2O3 could be an effective choice to lower the power consumption of the VCR system.
Source: Physica Scripta
Authors: R Prabu, D Velmurugan, S R Vijayakumar, M Maniyarasan
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4404945275