F. Vidan-Falomir, R. Larrondo-Sancho, D. Sánchez, R. Cabello
{"title":"Evaluation of different subcooling arrangements in a CO2 refrigeration plant using extractions from the flash-gas tank","authors":"F. Vidan-Falomir, R. Larrondo-Sancho, D. Sánchez, R. Cabello","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.03.037","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.03.037","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) is a widely used natural refrigerant with a low critical temperature (∼31 °C), that makes necessary the use of complex cycle arrangements to enhance the performance of refrigerating plants, especially at high ambient temperatures. Considering this, the present work evaluates two simple subcooling arrangements experimentally based on stream extractions from the flash-gas tank installed between the back-pressure valve and the thermostatic expansion valve. These extractions are expanded in a subcooler installed at the exit of the gas-cooler, providing the subcooling effect depending on the tank pressure and the fluid extracted (liquid or vapour). Since the flash-gas tank pressure introduces a new degree of freedom, an optimisation process for maximising the COP is mandatory depending on the heat-rejection conditions (temperature and pressure). Therefore, this work presents the optimisation process for three heat-rejection temperatures (28, 31 and 34 °C) using extractions from vapour or liquid, reaching COP improvements up to 9.4 % with optimal pressure reductions of up to 3.0 bar.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14274,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refrigeration-revue Internationale Du Froid","volume":"175 ","pages":"Pages 334-344"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143851967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Performance improvement of centrifugal compressors by suppressing backward heat transfer","authors":"Tengda Zou, Tongtong Zhang, Xiaowen Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study establishes a comprehensive heat transfer pathway between the air and the solid housing within the centrifugal compressor through three-dimensional fluid simulations combined with the Conjugate Heat Transfer (CHT) method. The results indicate significant heat transfer between the solid housing and the air, resulting in backward heat transfer within the solid housing. Compared to the ideal scenario without a solid housing, this backward heat transfer leads to a 1.42 % reduction in the efficiency and a 3.08 % reduction in the total pressure ratio. Optimizing the housing structure to increase thermal resistance effectively suppresses backward heat transfer, improving compressor performance. Furthermore, by adopting an integrated cooling scheme, backward heat transfer can be significantly reduced or even eliminated. With a water-cooling housing, the heat transferred to the solid housing from the downstream impeller passage and diffuser region is carried away by the cooling water, preventing reverse transfer to the upstream solid housing and heating the air. Compared to the prototype, the temperature of the solid housing with integrated cooling significantly decreases, resulting in a 2.05 % increase in efficiency and a 4.35 % increase in the pressure ratio. This study not only enhances the understanding of the heat transfer characteristics of centrifugal compressors but also proposes a design method to suppress backward heat transfer in the solid housing. This significantly improves compressor performance and has important engineering application value.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14274,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refrigeration-revue Internationale Du Froid","volume":"176 ","pages":"Pages 17-25"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143895311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Performance comparison investigation on different pulse tube position heat pumps with power recovery displacer","authors":"Shenglin Zhu , Xi Chen , Yifan Zhu , Yingxia Qi","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spacecraft waste heat is dissipated into space primarily by radiation. To improve the heat dissipation efficiency of spacecraft radiators in high-temperature environments and reduce heat wastage in spaceflight thermal control systems, thermoacoustic heat pumps (TAHP) are considered a viable method for increasing radiator cooling temperatures and recovering waste heat. In this study, one-dimensional simulations are used to optimize the geometrical parameters of the 100-watt work recovery thermoacoustic heat pump (WRTAHP) for various pulse tube positions. The performances of the two systems are compared at a cold-end temperature of 293 K and a hot-end temperature of 353 K. The results reveal that a heating capacity of 256 W with a relative Carnot efficiency of 35.01 % is achieved for the pulse tube front-type thermoacoustic heat pump (FTTAHP), whereas the pulse tube back-type thermoacoustic heat pump (BTTAHP) obtains a heating capacity of 225 W with a relative Carnot efficiency of 30.59 %. As the cold-end temperature decreases, the coefficient of performance is reduced for FTTAHP, while the performance of BTTAHP shows a substantial improvement. At a cold end temperature of 233 K and a hot-cold end temperature difference of 60 K, a heating capacity of 268 W with a relative Carnot efficiency of 50.57 % is achieved for BTTAHP. Furthermore, the heating capacity of the BTTAHP is not significantly increased by adopting the active phase adjustment structure. In summary, the FTTAHP is suitable for spacecraft radiator applications and avoids high temperatures affecting compressor operation, whereas the BTTAHP is better suited for low-temperature heating.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14274,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refrigeration-revue Internationale Du Froid","volume":"176 ","pages":"Pages 1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143891291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Numerical simulation of two-phase refrigerant separation in conical cyclones for vapor-compression refrigeration systems","authors":"Faramarz Ilamidoshmanziari, Long Ni","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.03.040","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.03.040","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The study emphasizes the need for vapor-liquid separators in refrigeration systems to increase efficiency and reliability. A separator utilized ahead of the evaporator serves several purposes: by removing vapor from the mixture, it improves evaporator compactness via increasing heat exchange efficiency, lowers evaporator pressure drop, and reduces compressor work. This work gives a comprehensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigation of vapor-liquid separation processes for the refrigerant R32 using five conical cyclone separator models. The study focuses on evaluating flow patterns and configurations within the separator, and its geometric properties, while changing the inlet mass flow rate and quality from 0.012 kg.s<sup>-1</sup> to 0.036 kg.s<sup>-1</sup> and 0.1 to 0.3, respectively. The results reveal that all the geometric models have a liquid separation efficiency above 99 %. In addition, it has been shown that decreasing the conic diameter can improve vapor separation by as much as 25 %. Variations in the height of the cylindrical section have little effect on the vapor separation efficiency. Also, the vapor separation efficiency increases at higher refrigerant flow rates, as indicated by the study results. Relevant to the above context, this investigation yields important knowledge on the design and optimization of refrigeration systems, especially from the perspective of the vapor-liquid separation processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14274,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refrigeration-revue Internationale Du Froid","volume":"175 ","pages":"Pages 219-234"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143845047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Experimental and numerical investigation of a high-effectiveness cryogenic PCHE for space 80 K Brayton cryocooler","authors":"Zixin Zhang , Liang Chen , Hongyu Lv , Sichen Li , Yu Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Growing space cooling demand has made reverse Brayton cryocooler a promising technology, requiring higher effectiveness and lighter weight recuperative heat exchangers. This study proposes a novel cryogenic printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) design for an 80 K space Brayton cryocooler, with both high thermal performance and compactness. Unlike conventional PCHEs, the proposed cryogenic PCHE features high-density micro-fins (114 cm<sup>-2</sup>) and a thin wall (wall thickness of 0.1 mm), achieving a compactness of 4548 m<sup>2</sup>·m<sup>-3</sup>, 82 % higher than conventional designs. A counter-flow heat transfer model is developed, incorporating axial heat conduction effects typically overlooked in PCHE design models. Through systematic optimization, the cryogenic PCHE achieves a heat duty of 2.2 kW for gas neon between 80 K and 313 K, with compact core dimensions of 460 mm × 86 mm × 82 mm. Experimental testing demonstrated the exceptional performance of the cryogenic PCHE, achieving a heat transfer effectiveness of 97.3 %, surpassing conventional PCHEs, with only a 7.6 kPa total pressure drop. Compared to conventional plate-fin heat exchangers (PFHE) used in ground Brayton cryocoolers, the cryogenic PCHE shows superior performance. This design achieves a performance evaluation criterion of 1.8, while reducing 80 % volume requirements at equivalent thermal effectiveness. Additionally, the analysis reveals a 1.2 % effectiveness deterioration due to axial conduction, which leads to an 87.4 % overestimation of the cryocooler's cooling capacity, highlighting its significance in high-effectiveness cryogenic heat exchanger design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14274,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refrigeration-revue Internationale Du Froid","volume":"176 ","pages":"Pages 26-39"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143895312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Study on the effect of ejector on the performance of low temperature transcritical CO2 two-stage compression refrigeration system","authors":"Xiaocui Li , Liang Zhang , Xiaofeng Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents a refrigeration experimental platform that can switch between a two-stage transcritical CO<sub>2</sub> compression system with and without an ejector. Through theoretical simulation and experimental methods, the effects of ejector on system performance were investigated under the conditions of indoor temperatures ranging from -34∼-20 °C, gas cooler pressures ranging from 8.2∼9.7 MPa, and low-pressure electronic expansion valve (EEV) openings ranging from 50 %∼100 %. The study reveals that the primary reason for the discrepancy between theoretical simulation and experimental results is that the theoretical model of compressor volumetric efficiency is insensitive to changes in low-pressure compression ratio, while the actual piston compressor is highly sensitive to such changes. The results also demonstrate that the application of ejector significantly enhances system’s refrigeration capacity and coefficient of performance (COP), as well as reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions. The variation of low-pressure EEV opening has a more significant impact on the ejector’s enhancement of refrigeration capacity and COP than indoor air temperature and gas cooler pressure. The ability of ejector to reduce system power consumption is relatively stable under different conditions. Further analysis indicates that the entrainment capability and efficiency of the ejector, as well as the volumetric and isentropic efficiencies of low-pressure compressor, are most sensitive to changes in low-pressure EEV opening. The adaptive regulation of ejector can maintain the stability of system’s refrigeration capacity per unit mass and volume. Only by adjusting low-pressure EEV opening to the optimal level can the ejector fully replace the function of high-pressure EEV.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14274,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refrigeration-revue Internationale Du Froid","volume":"175 ","pages":"Pages 299-313"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143848016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Experimental study of dedicated mechanical subcooling systems in flake ice machines","authors":"Xian Lyu, Zhili Sun, Wenfu Zhang, Dongxia Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper proposes a method for enhancing the performance and production capacity of a flake ice machine by integrating a dedicated mechanical subcooling system with the existing setup. The optimal flow rate between different configurations of the ice-making system (IMS) and the dedicated mechanical subcooling system (DMS) was determined through theoretical analysis. A performance test bench was established for the flake ice machine to compare and analyze the optimal ice production when the dedicated mechanical subcooling system was activated and deactivated. The optimal ice-scraping cycle of the evaporation bucket of the flake ice machine was identified when the ice-making dry rate was 2.0. An economic analysis of the system was conducted. The results indicated that using an R404A scroll compressor for the IMS and an R134a piston compressor for the dedicated mechanical subcooling system, the optimal refrigerant flow rate of the IMS and the DMS was 3.0–4.0 and the optimal ice-scraping cycle was 26.7 s when the ice-making dry rate was 2.0. Applying the DMS resulted in a 7.4 % increase in the operational performance of the machine. And the payback period for incorporating the DMS was determined to be 0.76 years. Research demonstrates that the combination of a DMS with a flake ice machine system presents novel insights for enhancing the operational performance of the flake ice machine system and increasing its production output.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14274,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refrigeration-revue Internationale Du Froid","volume":"175 ","pages":"Pages 345-357"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143855380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Solubility and miscibility gap in refrigerants + lubricant, mixture of refrigerants + Ionic liquids, and hydrofluoroolefins + natural refrigerants systems: UNIFAC parameterization and solvation free energy calculations","authors":"Ali Aminian","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Natural refrigerants, low-GWP synthetic F-gas and mixtures in contact with lubricating oils in commercial air or heat-pumps were selected to study mutual solubility and miscibility in the temperature range from 248.15 K to 353.15 K. Due to restriction from F-gas regulation 2024 of the European commission (<span><span>https://climate.ec.europa.eu</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>), stress was put on the natural refrigerants and an industrial compressor oil. UNIFAC parameterization based on available experimental data was performed for systems comprising POE oils, HCFC, HFC, HFO, hydrocarbon, CO<sub>2</sub>, and ionic liquids. Also, it has been shown that the UNIFAC parameters developed in this study can readily be applied to the selective separation of refrigerant mixtures using Ionic Liquids. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of solvation free energy support the selectivity of ILs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14274,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refrigeration-revue Internationale Du Froid","volume":"175 ","pages":"Pages 373-388"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143863810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marcus Vinícius P. Carneiro , Jader R. Barbosa Jr.
{"title":"Comparing the performances of R-134a, R-1234yf and R-600a in a compact spray refrigeration system for electronics cooling","authors":"Marcus Vinícius P. Carneiro , Jader R. Barbosa Jr.","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.03.048","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.03.048","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The multi-jet spray cooling unit, integrated with a compact, linear, oil-free R-134a compressor introduced in previous work, is now experimentally evaluated with R-1234yf and R-600a as drop-in replacement alternatives. This unit combines the functions of the evaporator and the expansion device into a single device, allowing the subcooled refrigerant to expand through an array of oblique orifices and form a spray that directly impinges on the heated surface. The experimental analysis quantifies the cooling system thermodynamic performance, including compressor power and coefficient of performance, as well as steady-state heat transfer parameters such as heat transfer coefficient, surface temperature, and critical heat flux. The evaluation considers the influence of refrigerant charge, steady-state applied thermal load (cooling capacity), and refrigerant type. To ensure an unbiased comparison, the refrigerant charge is adjusted so that all refrigerants maintain the same evaporating temperature at the lowest thermal load of 25 W. Experimental tests are conducted across a wide range of evaporation temperatures (4.5 to 20.0 °C). The results indicate a trade-off between heat transfer performance and thermodynamic performance of the refrigeration system when selecting a refrigerant alternative. R-600a required the lowest refrigerant charge to achieve the reference evaporation temperature and exhibited the lowest refrigerant mass flow rate under all tested conditions. However, the heat transfer performance of R-600a is severely penalized compared to R-134a and R-1234yf, with approximately a 40% reduction in the maximum heat transfer coefficient. The maximum values of the heat transfer coefficient for R-134a, R-1234yf, and R-600a are 42.9, 43.4, and 25.8 kW/m<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></math></span> K, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14274,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refrigeration-revue Internationale Du Froid","volume":"175 ","pages":"Pages 400-411"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of sensor measurement error on fault detection and diagnosis model for data center composite cooling system","authors":"Yiqi Zhang , Baoqi Qiu , Zongwei Han","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) model for the cooling system is beneficial in elevating the reliability of data centers. Nevertheless, the model accuracy could be degraded by sensor measurement error, which may arise due to environmental interferences or inadequate maintenance practices. In the study, the impacts of sensor measurement error on the convolutional neuron network (CNN) based FDD model for the data center composite cooling system are assessed. Additionally, the coupled effects of sensor error and system control strategies on the FDD model are investigated. The results indicate that in vapor compression mode, a negative fixed sensor error of 1 K leads to an average 5 % greater decline in the CNN model accuracy compared to a positive error of the same magnitude. In contrast, the positive fixed error causes a 6.5 % higher decrease in heat pipe mode. Additionally, sensor errors have a negligible impact on model accuracy until exceeding the threshold, and the threshold of fixed error is 0.2 K in CNN model. Further, as a key control strategy involved parameters, the evaporating temperature error is critical to FDD model accuracy. In the fixed bias conditions, when the error magnitude is 1 K, the accuracy of FDD model decreases within the range of 24.8 % to 45.1 %.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14274,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refrigeration-revue Internationale Du Froid","volume":"175 ","pages":"Pages 245-258"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143845111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}