JOURNAL OF THE BRAZILIAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING, cilt.47, sa.10, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
The current literature lacks comprehensive studies on the use of nanoparticles in various refrigeration cycle configurations employing environmentally friendly refrigerants for low-temperature refrigeration applications. This paper represents pioneering research on the integration of nano-refrigerants into refrigeration systems specifically designed for low-temperature applications. In this paper, the effect of 2 wt. % CuO on the use of R1270 refrigerant in two-stage intercooler refrigeration cycle, booster-assisted ejector refrigeration cycle, ejector intercooler refrigeration cycle was explored to enhance performance in low-temperature applications. For the two-stage intercooler refrigeration cycle, booster-assisted ejector refrigeration cycle, ejector intercooler refrigeration cycle, the use of nano-refrigerants resulted in increases in coefficient of performance of 8.68%, 8.80%, and 7.06%, respectively. Additionally, exergy efficiency improvements were 7.89%, 7.89%, and 6.81% for these cycles. At a condenser temperature of 50 degrees C, the ejector intercooler refrigeration cycle demonstrated a 13.91% enhancement in coefficient of performance relative to booster-assisted ejector refrigeration cycle and a 14.77% enhancement in comparison with two-stage intercooler refrigeration cycle. Similarly, at an evaporator temperature of -50 degrees C, the ejector intercooler refrigeration cycle resulted in a 20.02% higher coefficient of performance compared to booster-assisted ejector refrigeration cycle and a 17.03% increase compared to in two-stage intercooler refrigeration cycle. Ejector intercooler refrigeration cycle utilization has resulted in a decrease in kg CO2 emissions by 12.18% compared to booster-assisted ejector refrigeration cycle and 12.83% compared to two-stage intercooler refrigeration cycle.