Composition adjustment study of refrigeration and heat pump systems using CO2-based mixture as the working fluid

Abstract

ABSTRACT CO2 refrigeration and heat pump systems have gained widespread attention due to their environmentally friendly features. However, their application is limited by high operating pressure and limited refrigeration performance. To address this, the technology of adding other refrigerants to CO2 to form a CO2-based mixture has emerged as an effective solution, as it reduces operating pressure and improves energy efficiency. Although CO2-based mixtures can be mixed in any ratio, there is an optimal composition ratio that maximizes performance under given working conditions. However, as working conditions change, the optimal composition ratio also changes, and fixed compositions cannot achieve the best energy efficiency throughout the year. Therefore, this paper studies four types of CO2-based mixtures, namely CO2/R32, CO2/R290, CO2/R1270, and CO2/R1234yf， and proposes a CO2-based mixture refrigeration and heat pump systems composition adjustment scheme that adjusts the system’s composition according to different working conditions. The paper designs two composition adjustment strategies, studies the limits of composition adjustment using different methods, and evaluates the energy-saving performance of different adjustment methods. The results show that the maximum range of composition adjustment is between .25 and .97， and the energy-saving of up to 27.2% can be achieved through composition adjustment in some areas.