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Thermodynamic analysis of a system converted from heat pump to refrigeration device

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Abstract

In this study, an existing laboratory heat pump is converted to a refrigeration unit in order to evaluate efficiency, power consumption, pressure and temperature variations and optimal charge amount of the system in new mode using refrigerant R-407C. Refrigerant charge amount has a key role in the terms of performance, operating cost (regarding to the charge reduction and energy consumption) and environmental concerns in all heat pump and refrigeration systems, which work on the same principles. Heat pump charge amount is the subject of many research, but less studies have been done in the case of refrigerators and freezers where the system works in the transient condition, on the contrary to the heat pump units. Although this study has been devoted to a detailed attempt to examine the possibility of converting the heat pump into the refrigerator, energy aspects of the whole system and the compressor have been analyzed under different working conditions. In the installed setup, the COP value of the system is tested with charge amount between 1 kg and 7 kg, but obtained results show that, this value is so lower than that of heat pump unit due to restricted energy source in cooling chamber.

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Abbreviations

COP:

Coefficient of performance.

COPh :

Heating COP.

COPL :

Cooling COP.

cp :

Specific heat capacity (J kg−1 K−1).

cos∅:

Power factor.

GWP:

Global warming potential.

h:

Enthalpy (kJ kg−1).

I:

Electric current (A).

k:

Ratio of specific heats (k = Cp Cv−1).

\( \dot{\mathrm{m}} \) :

Mass flow rate (kg s−1).

m:

Mass (kg).

n:

Polytrophic exponent.

ODP:

Ozone depletion potential.

P:

Pressure (kPa).

\( \dot{Q} \) :

Heat transfer rate (W).

R:

Individual gas constant (kJ kg−1 K−1).

s:

Entropy (kJ kg−1 K−1).

t:

Time (s).

T:

Temperature (°C).

U:

Voltage (V).

Uc:

Uncertainty.

V:

Volume (m3).

\( \dot{W} \) :

Power consumption rate (W).

W :

Power consumption (kJ).

η:

Efficiency.

a:

Air.

ave.:

Average.

comp:

Compressor.

cond:

Condenser.

CV:

Control volume.

evap:

Evaporator.

ex:

Exergetic.

gen:

Generated.

id:

Indicated.

in:

Inlet.

ise:

Isentropic.

mech:

Mechanical.

mo:

Motor.

out:

Outlet.

r:

Refrigerant.

w:

Water.

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Acknowledgments

This project has been supported by Research Project Foundation (Project No. BAP-2013-105) of the Ataturk University. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Erzurum Technical University, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey

    Faraz Afshari

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Atatürk University, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey

    Sendogan Karagoz & Omer Comakli

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Al-ghadir, Zanjan Branch, Technical and Vocational University (TVU), Tehran, Iran

    Hadi Ghasemi Zavaragh

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  1. Faraz Afshari
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  2. Sendogan Karagoz
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  4. Hadi Ghasemi Zavaragh
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Correspondence to Faraz Afshari.

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Afshari, F., Karagoz, S., Comakli, O. et al. Thermodynamic analysis of a system converted from heat pump to refrigeration device. Heat Mass Transfer 55, 281–291 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-018-2412-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-018-2412-5

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