Parametric Analysis of Vapor Compression Refrigeration Cycle Performances Using Nanoparticle-Enhanced Refrigerants

This work presents a techno-economic investigation of a vapor compression refrigeration system enhanced with Al2O3 nanoparticles. Two base refrigerants, R134a and R1234yf, along with their corresponding nanorefrigerants, were examined with nanoparticle mass fractions ranging between 0.1% and 0.5%. A MATLAB code linked with the REFPROP database was developed and employed to assess the influence of incorporating nanoparticles on the cycle performances. In addition to providing a comparative assessment between pure and nanoparticle-enhanced refrigerants, the study proposes an integrated thermodynamic and economic optimization approach for nanorefrigerated systems. Results showed that introducing 0.1% Al2O3 into R134a increased the coefficient of performance by up to 2.1% (from 4.28 to 4.37), whereas for R1234yf, the COP rose by 1.7% (from 4.08 to 4.15). Increasing the nanoparticle mass fraction to 0.5% resulted in total COP improvements of up to 4% for both refrigerants. Compressor discharge temperature decreased by approximately 0.7 K for R134a and 0.45 K for R1234yf at 0.1% nanoparticle concentration, contributing to a reduction in compressor power consumption. Economically, the compressor represents approximately 67.6% of the total system investment cost, followed by the condenser at 18.4%, and the evaporator at 13.9%. Moreover, the incorporation of nanoparticles reduced the thermal load on the condenser by about 2%, enhancing overall system energy efficiency. Notably, R1234yf + Al2O3 offers both a low global warming potential (GWP < 1) and competitive performance compared to R134a (GWP ≈ 1300), presenting a promising environmentally friendly alternative for next-generation refrigeration systems.