Enhancing the Performance Parameters of Vapour Compression Refrigeration System by Incorporating Phase Change Materials

  • Unique Paper ID: 144873
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue: 5
  • PageNo: 157-160
  • Abstract:
  • Efforts to increase energy efficiency of refrigerators shall directly reduce energy consumption in vapour compression refrigeration system. Incorporating phase change materials (PCM) is a new approach to improve the performance of refrigerators. This paper presents the results of experimental tests carried out to investigate the performance of household refrigerator using a three types phase change materials (PCM), which have low melting points. These are Eutectic salt solutions, paraffin C14 wax, and ethylene glycol. The PCMs is locates the back side of the evaporator. In this study we are comparing between the simple VCR system, PCM equipped VCR system. Performance parameters like actual C.O.P, refrigeration effect, theoretical C.O.P, capacity of the system are compared .From this study among all three types of PCMs ethylene glycol equipped VCR systems gives better results than simple VCR system. The increment in the PCM equipped VCR system parameters than simple VCR system is actual C.O.P is 4.2%, refrigeration effect rate is 19.8%, capacity of the system 11.6%, theoretical C.O.P 14.2% Economic analyses shows that using PCMs in household refrigerators is clearly a cost effective method that saves energy and reduces harmful emissions.

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