Energy, Exergy, and Life Cycle Climate Performance Analyses of Vapor Compression Refrigeration System Used C-Pentane as Refrigerant

Abstract

This work examined the effects of using C-Pentane refrigerant in vapor compression refrigeration systems on energy, exergy, and Life Cycle Climate Performance (LCCP). System performance was evaluated depending on the changes in evaporator and condenser temperatures, and environmental and thermodynamic effects were analyzed at different temperature ranges. The results clearly show the effects of evaporator and condenser temperatures on the system COP. At a constant condenser temperature of 20°C, it is observed that the COP increases significantly as the evaporator temperature increases from -20°C to 0°C. Under these operating conditions, the COP increased from 3.58 to 8.24. However, raising the condenser temperature reduced the COP. When the condenser temperature was raised to 45°C, the COP decreased to 3.22. The exergy efficiency also generally increased with increasing evaporator temperature. When the condenser temperature was kept constant and the evaporator temperature increased, the exergy efficiency increased from 12.82% to 67.37%. However, increasing the condenser temperature raised exergy losses and decreased the efficiency. Especially when the condenser temperature was 45°C, the exergy efficiency decreased to 14.09%. The low GWP of C-Pentane ensured that direct emissions were minimal. Indirect emissions accounted for a significant portion of the system's electricity consumption. The results show that low condenser and high evaporator temperatures minimize the system's environmental impact by reducing the LCCP values.

Keywords

• Refrigeration system
• C-Pentane
• COP
• Exergy
• LCCP analysis

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