Performance Of Refrigeration System Research Articles

Study on off-grid performance and economic viability of photovoltaic energy storage refrigeration systems

Study on off-grid performance and economic viability of photovoltaic energy storage refrigeration systems

Influence of the position of an Internal Heat Exchanger on the performance of a Dual-Evaporator Ejector Refrigeration System

Abstract Energy and exergy analyses were performed to assess the effect of IHX position on the performance characteristics of a dual-evaporator refrigeration system using an ejector as expansion device. Three positions were tested. The first one generates a superheating at the suction of the compressor, the second generates a superheating of the secondary fluid at the inlet of the ejector and the third generates a superheating of the primary fluid at the inlet of the motive nozzle. The results of the simulation show that it is the second position which leads to the best increases in performance characteristics of the refrigeration system. With improvements in COP, Volumetric Cooling Capacity, exergy efficiency and refrigeration cooling capacity of 9.38%, 9.58%, 5.18% and 19.12%, respectively R1234yf is the best fluid. However, the use of IHX is not recommended for R717, especially in position 1. The results also show that the contribution of IHX to increasing system performance is greater the higher the degree of sub-cooling and the lower the IHX effectiveness. It was also noted that system performance increases with condensing and refrigeration temperatures and decreases with freezing temperature.

Numerical Analysis of A Two-Phase Turbine: A Comparative Study Between Barotropic and Mixture Models

Abstract Two-phase turbines offer the potential to significantly enhance the performance of power generation and refrigeration systems. However, their development has been hindered by comparatively lower efficiencies resulting from additional loss mechanisms absent in single-phase turbines. To date, most multiphase CFD studies on turbomachinery have focused on condensation in the final stages of steam turbines, and on cavitation in hydraulic pumps and turbines. These applications, however, are not representative of the conditions in two-phase turbines, where a liquid-dominated mixture undergoes a large expansion ratio, leading to a significant increase in the gas phase volume fraction throughout the entire flow. This paper aims to identify a suitable modeling methodology for two-phase turbines. Our evaluation is centered around two models: the mixture model and the barotropic model. The validity and accuracy of these two modeling approaches is assessed using existing experimental data from a single-stage impulse turbine operating with several mixtures of water and nitrogen as working fluid. The results indicate that both the mixture and barotropic models are consistent and accurately predict the nozzle mass flow rate, yet, both models systematically overpredict the nozzle exit velocity and rotor torque. Adding correction terms for windage and unsteady pumping losses significantly improves the torque predictions, bringing them within the uncertainty range of the experimental data. In addition, refining the models to account for the effect of slip presents a promising avenue to enhance the prediction of nozzle exit velocity and overall performance of two-phase turbines.

Performance of R134a vapour compression refrigeration system by using Gr and Al2o3 hybrid nano lubricants

Nowadays, in many developing countries like India they are facing the shortage of energy. The Refrigeration system has become the major consumer of energy for many industrial as well as household applications. So, it is the need to enhance the energy efficiency of the refrigeration systems. Performance of the refrigeration system can be improved either by increasing the rate of heat absorption in evaporator or by reducing the compressor power. Use of efficient lubricant oil can help to remove the heat generated in the compression process which leads to less power consumption. Development in Nanotechnology makes it possible to develop a new class of lubricant called nanolubricant, in which nanoparticles are added in base lubricant oil to enhance the thermal properties. The two step technique with ultrasonic agitation force is used tosynthesise stable nanolubricant. The present study investigates the performance of an R-134a refrigerant vapour compression refrigeration system using nanolubricant with different volume concentrations (0.05%, 0.075%, 0.1% and 0.2%) of Graphene/Aluminium nanoparticles to mineral oil (MO) experimentally. The result shows maximum enhancement in COP approximately as 85% for 0.075 % volume fraction Nano lubricant as compared to base fluid. Use of nanolubricant saves approximately 27% compressor power.

Investigating of vibration and noise characteristics in two-phase gas-liquid flow through a spiral capillary tube

The vaporization of refrigerant in the liquid-phase in spiral capillary tube induces complex two-phase flow that causes vibrations and noise, which affect the performance and stability of refrigeration systems. Therefore, the flow patterns, vibrations, flow-borne and structure-borne noises in spiral capillary tube are explored, and the effects of coil diameters, pitches and temperatures are analyzed. The results showed that the flow upstream the vaporization point was dominant by liquid-phase, then changed to bubbly flow downstream the vaporization point under various structures, and further changed to mist flow near the outlet, while it changed to gas-phase flow near the outlet under high temperature. The flow-borne noise was mainly affected by the flow turbulence, and the total sound pressure level (TSPL) increased by 17.1 % on average as the temperature increased from 309.6 to 317.6 K, and rose with the increase in pitch. As the coil diameter increased, the TSPL first increased and then decreased. Moreover, the maximum deformation of structure increased by 58.33 % as the diameter increased from 35 to 50 mm, but changed little with various pitches. The changing trends of vibration intensity caused the similar variations of structure-borne noise. The TSPL of structure-borne noise increased by 9.14 % with the diameter increasing from 35 to 50 mm, but it changed little at various pitches. The TSPL of structure-borne noise was much higher than flow-borne noise, which meant that improving the structural vibration can control the noise of refrigerant flow in spiral capillary tube.

Monte Carlo simulation of an ammonia adsorption refrigeration system based on calcium chloride impregnated nanoporous carbon.

We use Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the effect of incorporating calcium chloride salt into nanoporous carbon on the performance of an ammonia-carbon adsorption refrigeration system. Simulations of ideal carbon slit-pores with pore sizes of 1, 2, and 3nm, each containing calcium chloride with ion densities of 0.0, 0.25, and 0.5nm-3, were carried out at temperatures between 0 and 30 °C and ammonia pressures up to 15.0 bar. The results reveal that ideal 1nm pores are able to achieve a good refrigeration performance using waste heat below 100 °C to drive the process, but adding salt to these pores increases the waste heat temperature required beyond 100 °C. However, ideal 2nm pores require the addition of 0.25nm-3 salt to achieve a similar performance, while the 3nm pores were unable to achieve a satisfactory refrigeration performance. Considering that real nanoporous carbons usually feature a variety of specific adsorption sites and non-ideal geometries that should have a similar impact to adding salt, these results indicate that nanoporous carbons with pores in the range of 1-2nm are likely to hold the most promise for adsorption refrigeration applications and that the addition of salt may not always be helpful.

Optimizing cascade refrigeration systems with low GWP refrigerants for Low-Temperature Applications: A thermodynamic analysis

This study offers a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of a cascade refrigeration system conducted for low-temperature applications, focusing on the use of low-GWP and zero-ODP refrigerants to improve efficiency and sustainability. The target of this study is to explore the performance of the system using a combination of refrigerants: low-temperature cycle refrigerants such as R744, while high-temperature cycle refrigerants such as R717, R1234yf, R1234ze(E), R1336mzz(E), and R1336mzz(Z), respectively. The ECS model incorporating in REFPROP 10.0a tool was utilized to extract the data through coding for analysis. The assessment of this system involves the examination of various parameters such as its coefficient of performance, total compressor workload, total exergy, and exergy efficiency across various operational conditions. The results are compared with and without superheated and subcooled conditions to understand the impact of these parameters on the system performance. The system with R744 in the low-temperature cycle and R717, R1234yf, R1234ze(E), R1336mzz(E), and R1336mzz(Z) in the high-temperature cycle provides a higher COP and lower total compressor work compared to the conventional cascade refrigeration system. In optimal CRS, the R744-R717 pair attains the highest COP of 2.05 at the lowest possible compressor work from 9.53 to 4.87 kW than other refrigerants pair while evaporator temperature shifting from −55 °C to −20 °C. The exergy efficiency of R744/R717 is found at 26.47 % at an evaporator temperature of −55 °C, but it extends to a peak of 51.73 % at −20 °C. The study also shows that the superheating and sub-cooling of the refrigerants have a significant impact on the performance of the cascade refrigeration system. Superheating and sub-cooling at 10 °C, improves the COP of the system by reducing the compressor work and increasing the heat transfer efficiency. The research offers valuable insights into the system’s thermodynamic performance when employing low GWP refrigerants in low-temperature applications. These findings have the potential to guide the design and optimization of cascade refrigeration systems over the range of low-temperature applications.

Study on the impacts of refrigerant leakage on the performance and environmental benefits of heat pumps using R513A as replacement of R134a

The escalating threat of global warming has highlighted the imperative to address the greenhouse effect. R513A is recognized as a viable substitute for R134a, providing a lower global warming potential (GWP) while preserving similar thermodynamic properties. However, refrigerant leakage is one of the common faults in heat pump equipment. For industrial heat pumps, refrigerant leakage can make the system less stable and affect normal industrial production, while long-term leakage can also affect the carbon emissions of the industry. When substituting refrigerants, it is crucial to consider not only their distinct properties under typical operating conditions but also the stability and environmental impact of the alternative refrigerant in cases of leakage. This paper focuses on experimentally evaluating the impact of using R513A to replace R134a on the performance of refrigeration systems under the condition of rapid refrigerant leakage. Then the life cycle climate performance evaluation (LCCP) theory is used to assist experimental results in evaluating the carbon footprints of R513A and R134a systems at different annual leakage rates. The results show that R513A has better stability than R134a when responding to rapid refrigerant leakage. This paper determines the changes in annual electricity consumption and indirect emissions under several annual leakage rates and finds that the impact of leakage on indirect emissions is also not negligible. During the utilization phase of the equipment, when leakage was taken into account, the carbon emissions of the R134a system were higher.

Impact of control strategies on energy consumption in cold storage facilities

The fast development of global cold chains has led to a rapid increase in cold storage facilities capacity, in which consumes substantial amounts of energy. However, limited research has been conducted on the energy consumed by cold storage facilities, and the time and economic costs of obtaining long-term measurements of annual energy consumption of cold storage facilities are high. Therefore, in this study, short-term field tests and simulations were combined to establish a transient thermal network model for cold storage, using a specific cold storage case study for validation. The model considers the structure of the hall, which strongly impacts the cooling load. The refrigeration system performance was analyzed on the measured data. Literature and field research have shown temperature range control to be the baseline control strategy used in cold storage refrigeration systems, which ensures that the cold storage temperature remains within the set temperature range at all times. In addition, some researchers have proposed a control strategy based on time-of-use tariff that provides cooling almost throughout the valley period. These two control strategies were applied to frozen and chilled rooms, separately; the results indicated that for both frozen and chilled rooms, the latter control strategy consumes slightly less energy than the former strategy. However, the electricity bill for the latter control strategy are 0.35 and 0.5 times lower than those for the former strategy for frozen rooms and chilled rooms, respectively.

Comparison and analysis on comprehensive performance of CO2 multiphase refrigeration systems using liquefied natural gas cold energy

In order to fully apply liquefied natural gas (LNG) cold energy to the refrigeration system, four different types of CO2 multiphase refrigeration systems using LNG cold energy are designed. In this paper, (1) CO2 single-stage compressed solid and gas phase refrigeration cycle (SSCC1), (2) CO2 single-stage compressed solid and solid phase refrigeration cycle (SSCC2), (3) CO2 double-stage compressed solid and gas phase refrigeration cycle (DSCC1), and (4) CO2 double-stage compressed solid and solid phase refrigeration cycle (DSCC2) are combined with CO2 liquid phase secondary refrigerant cycle (RC), respectively, to effectively use LNG cold energy. The performance analysis, exergy analysis, economic analysis, and CO2 emission analysis of the proposed systems are carried out by establishing the mathematical models. The results show that the intermediate pressure of DSCC1-RC and DSCC2-RC reaches the best performance at 0.3 MPa, and the system performance decreases with the increase in intermediate temperature. The refrigerating capacity of the CO2 liquid phase secondary refrigerant cycle, the COP, and the exergy efficiency of four kinds of CO2 multiphase refrigeration systems decrease with the increase in the refrigerating capacity of the CO2 refrigeration cycle, while the power consumption of SSCC2-RC and DSCC2-RC decreases, SSCC1-RC and DSCC1-RC increased. The system with the shortest exergy loss is DSCC2-RC at 654.01 kW, while the system with the shortest payback period is SSCC2-RC at 0.88 years, and DSCC2-RC has the smallest CO2 emission. Four CO2 multiphase refrigeration systems and the ammonia combined refrigeration system with the same total refrigerating capacity are compared and analyzed, respectively; the results show that the performance, economy, and CO2 emission of CO2 multiphase refrigeration system are better than those of ammonia combined refrigeration system; and the exergy loss of CO2 multiphase refrigeration system is generally larger than that of ammonia combined refrigeration system because of the large temperature difference in heat transfer.

Transient refrigerant distribution in a microchannel heat exchanger heat pump system under different reverse cycle defrosting strategies

The migration and redistribution of refrigerant are critical factors that affect the refrigeration system performance. To improve the defrosting and start-up heating performance, it is essential to investigate the transient distribution characteristics of refrigerant mass. However, quantitative studies on the transient distribution of refrigerant during defrosting and start-up heating stages in heat pump systems are scarce. The dynamic characteristics of defrosting and start-up heating cannot be deeply understood from the perspective of refrigerant migration. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to experimentally study the transient distribution characteristics of refrigerants during defrosting and start-up heating stages for different defrosting strategies. Based on the refrigerant-side dynamic characteristics, the defrosting cycle is divided into three stages for the defrosting strategy with the indoor fan off, the indoor coil charging stage, accumulator charging stage, and wet compression stage. Additionally, for the defrosting strategy with the indoor fan on, it is divided into two stages: the indoor coil charging stage and the outdoor coil discharging stage. For the defrosting strategy with the indoor fan off, the wet compression phenomenon occurs at 240 s, which poses significant challenges to the stability of the compressor. At the end of defrosting, the accumulator retains the most refrigerant for both defrosting strategies. From the perspective of refrigerant transient distribution, the start-up heating stage is the process of refrigerant migration from the accumulator to indoor and outdoor coils. The two main factors that affect start-up heating performance are heating the indoor coil metal, and vaporizing the liquid refrigerant in the accumulator. For the defrosting strategy with indoor fan on, the energy consumption of heating the indoor coil and vaporizing the liquid refrigerant is reduced by 45.7 % and 48.9 % during start-up heating. Based on the transient refrigerant distribution experiment, some methods to improve defrosting and start-up heating are also proposed. This study can provide useful insights into the transient distribution of refrigerants and provide guidance for defrosting optimization.

Effect of plate-fin heat exchanger structural parameters on the performance of a cascade refrigeration system

This study investigates the effect of various structural parameters in plate-fin heat exchanger on the performance of a cascade refrigeration system (CRS). Focusing on five key factors—fin thickness, fin type, fin height, porosity, and element axial length—we analyze their contributions to COP, exergy destruction, and entropy production within the CRS. The results reveal that the fin type barely influences the CRS’ performance, the element axial length has the greatest impact, followed by fin height, porosity, and fin thickness, respectively. The COP of the CRS drops by 26.25 % as the element axial length increases from 124 mm to 136 mm, 23.67 % (23.08 %) as the fin height of perforated (straight) fin increases from 6.1 mm to 6.7 mm, and 10.27 % (10.38 %) as the fin thickness of perforated (straight) fin increases from 0.1 mm to 1.3 mm, and the exergy destruction increases by 42.42 %, 37 % (37 %), and 13 % (10.38 %), respectively. The effect of porosity on the CRS’ performance is opposite to that of other parameters. When the element axial length is 124 mm, the fin height is 6.1 mm, and the fin thickness is 0.1 mm, the COP of the CRS reaches the maximum value (0.689). The conclusion can provide data support for the performance optimization of CRS from the structure of the cascade heat exchanger.

Effect of gadolinium particle size on the performance of a magnetic refrigeration system

This study investigates the influence of gadolinium particle size on Magnetic Refrigeration (MR) system performance. Understanding how particle size of Magnetocaloric Materials (MCMs) within a fixed Active Magnetic Regenerator (AMR) volume affects cooling capacity and Coefficient of Performance (COP) is crucial for MR system design. However, research on this influence, especially using an experimental approach, has been surprisingly rare. This is despite the importance of considering various factors like total MCM mass, porosity, and pressure drop. The particles were categorized into five cases based on their sizes, which ranged from 0.50 to 2.00 mm opening sizes of the meshes. The magnetic field source produced the maximum 0.815 and 0.069 T for magnetization and demagnetization, respectively. A total four of AMRs were installed in the MR system for each case study. First, the porosity of the AMRs mostly increased as finer particles were filled up. This led to a tendency of lower mass of the MCMs in the same volume of the AMRs with smaller particles. Second, the temperature span showed the most outstanding value of 11.1 K in the 0.20 utilization factor using the finest particles (0.50–0.85 mm) in a no-load test. It also achieved a wider 8.3 K temperature span under 3.8 W of thermal load, outperforming the other sizes despite the least total mass of the MCMs. The major contribution to these results was the larger heat transfer area between the MCMs and heat transfer fluid inside the AMRs with the smaller particles. Nevertheless, the case with the second-finest particles (0.80–1.18 mm) exhibited the highest COP of 2.6, due to their favorable combination of moderately significant cooling capacity, reasonably small particle size, and elevated porosity that reduced pumping power demand and magnetic force.

Optimizing the refrigerants in ultra-low temperature Semiconductor processing chiller with mixed Refrigerant

Mixed refrigerant (MR) Cascade Refrigeration Systems are widely employed in industries requiring both extremely low temperatures and large cooling capacity, such as semiconductors and displays. The composition of the MR has a significant impact on the performance of the cascade refrigeration systems, so optimizing the MR composition is essential. The current studies mainly focus on optimization that changes only the composition ratio with a limited number of refrigerants. Therefore, there may be a configuration and composition ratio that can improve the performance of the system more than existing methods. This study presents the need to find the optimal combination and number of MRs before determining the performance of MRs according to changes in composition. The proposed method selects five types of refrigerants that meet the conditions, then classifies cases according to the number of refrigerants in MR and analyzes the performance of each MR at various HTC evaporation temperatures based on energy and exergy through cycle simulation for each case. The proposed method showed COP up to 14.85 % higher than the conventional method, so it is expected to contribute to improving system performance by finding the optimal refrigerant combination and number before optimizing the composition of the MR.

Hybrid air conditioning and seawater desalination system assisted by solar energy: thermoeconomic investigation and optimization

The demand for freshwater has become progressively critical due to population growth and water scarcity. The current work investigates the energetic performance of a hybrid absorption refrigeration and desalination system. A parametric study for the system operating conditions has been performed to get the optimal conditions. Also, economic analysis and a multi-objective optimization method are used with the aim of maximizing the energy utilization factor of the system and minimizing total costs. The specific cost of desalinated water from the multi-objective optimization is calculated as (1.728 Cent/L) with the greatest energy utilization factor of (2.214). It turns out that, the system performs optimum at condensation and generation temperatures of 30 and 65 °C respectively, with resultant COP and GOR of 0.84 and 1.37. Using the optimum conditions, TRNSYS has been used to investigate the transient performance of the system for Marsa–Matrouh City in Egypt. The cooling and freshwater demands are 10 kW and 24 L/h. It was concluded that the input energy required to run the hybrid system decreased by about 65% less than that required for separate systems. With the assistance of solar energy, it became clear that the energy required was 60% less than the hybrid system as well.

Thermoeconomic model for diagnostic techniques to evaluated vapor compression refrigeration system performance

In recent years, it has been possible to observe a significant expansion of the refrigeration and air conditioning industry. Considering that food refrigeration systems (blast chilling or freezing, cold storage, retail display, etc.) and air conditioners are large energy consumers, this work presents a methodology for evaluating the performance and behaviour of these systems using the thermoeconomic diagnosis concept. The thermoeconomic model used allowed the definition of the condenser and expansion device products, which is not trivial for these components. With that, the thermoeconomic diagnosis was used to evaluate the degradation of refrigeration system components, together with the influence of individual component degradations on efficiency, cooling capacity, operating parameters, and power consumption of the whole system. Through this analysis, a prognosis of system behaviour was obtained, which can be used for maintenance scheduling, as well as for the comprehensive energetic and exergetic analysis of a refrigeration system and each of its components.

Optimization of Triple Effect Vapour Absorption Refrigeration System: A Statistical Approach

Abstract The present manuscript optimized the First and Second Law performance of the triple effect vapour absorption refrigeration systems (TE-VARS) using statistical techniques like Taguchi, Taguchi-based GRA, and RSM-based GRA methods, which provide the most accurate and optimized results. Liquified pertrolium gas (LPG) and Compressed natural gas (CNG) are considered as the source of energy to operate TE-VARS, as the system requires significantly higher generator temperature. Also, volume flow rate of these gases along with the annual operating cost to drive the system have been presented. A thermodynamic model was first formulated using EES software for the computation of the coefficient of performance (COP) and exergetic efficiency (ECOP). The most influential parameters like temperature in the main generator, concentration and pressure at different components are studied and determined using ANOVA and Taguchi methods. The optimum parameters were determined based on the mean effect plot of S/N ratios for COP and ECOP. It has been found that the maximum COP and ECOP were calculated to be 1.915 and 0.15, respectively under the Taguchi method. Furthermore, Taguchi-GRA was used for the simultaneous optimization of the operating parameters and performance of the system. It is observed that the absorber temperature is the most influential parameter for affecting COP and ECOP. Moreover, a RSM-based GRA method was also applied and developed regression models that yield most optimum COP and ECOP as 1.963 and 0.1606, respectively. Comparison shows that the RSM-based GRA method provide the most optimum conditions, which is one of the key finding of the present study. Also, rate of exergy destruction at each component of TE-VARS has been plotted under optimized operating conditions. The optimum volume flow rate for LPG and CNG comes out to be 0.057 and 0.177 m3/s, while the minimum operating cost (yearly) are 299.827$ and 183.293$, respectively.

Performance analysis of a refrigeration system integrated with a thermoelectric cooler and microchannels in terms of heat transfer using a hybrid nanofluid

Advancements in chip technology increase energy consumption due to larger chip capacity, leading to intensive heat flux generation. Cooling solutions, including fan-only, fan-conventional heat sink (HS), or fan-conventional HS-heat pipe (HP) integrated systems, face penalties such as noise, dust accumulation, high electricity usage, space constraints, and thermal limitations of the working fluid. While thermoelectric coolers (TEC) have advantages like compactness and noise-free operation, they alone are insufficient for cooling sophisticated chips; combining them with microchannel heat sinks (MCHS) and superior fluid is crucial for achieving faster and more efficient cooling. Considering previous studies involving TECs used alone, with conventional fluids integrated into MCHS, and with a mono-nanofluid integrated into MCHSs, this is the first study to consider a TEC integrated with two MCHSs and to use a ZnO-TiO2/water hybrid nanofluid to maximize the performance of this miniature refrigeration system. Accordingly, an experimental study was carried out on the aforementioned refrigeration system using various concentrations (φ) of ZnO-TiO2/water hybrid nanofluid for different flow rates, utilizing both conventional heat transfer and the TEC’s mathematical operating principle. The results were interpreted via Reynolds number, Prandtl number, heat transfer rate, Nusselt number, total thermal resistance, and coefficient of performance (COP). The increase in φ from 0% to 0.03%, accompanied by a decrease in flow rate from 16 × 10−5 m3/s to 9 × 10−5 m3/s, increased the heat transfer rate for the heat-absorbing and the heat-emitting sides of the refrigeration system from 19.510 W to 45.794 W, and 13.639 W to 22.406 W, respectively. The experimental COP for pure water was 0.325 at the lowest volume flow rate, but increased to 0.934 at a φ of 0.030%. Considering the thermal characteristics, this study demonstrates that the proposed system is particularly advantageous at low flow rates and high φ, making it a potential candidate for electronic circuit cooling. Considerations such as investigating certain material properties to allow for further improvement of the proposed system were offered.

Thermo-physical properties, heat transfer characteristics and performance of nano-enhanced refrigerants: A review

To boost the efficacy of a refrigeration system, researchers have imported nanoparticles into refrigerants in recent years. This paper comprehensively reviewed the properties, heat transfer performance, and system performance of nano-added refriger-ants in recent years. This article likewise assists with recognizing the gap in past research works and explores the possibilities for additional work. Refrigerant R134a charged with the nanoparticles TiO2 has the highest value of coefficient of perfor-mance which is 63.5% higher than that of Al2O3 nanoparticle charged R134a. Charging of the nano-refrigerants has enhanced the heat transfer performance of vapour compression refrigeration systems, particularly in the pool and nucleate boiling heat transfer. The heat transfer coefficient of R134a-based nano-refrigerant is enhanced by 42% and 30.2% with CuO and TiO2 nanoparticles respectively. The inclusions of nanomaterials, concerning their physical phenomena, influencing the vapour compression refrigeration system are confined in this paper

Assessment of using different ozone-friendly R22 alternative refrigerants in residential air conditioners in a high-ambient temperature country

The performance of a vapor compression refrigeration system (VCRS)-based residential air conditioner operating in a high-ambient temperature (HAT) country was investigated using six zero-ODP (ozone depletion potential) refrigerants as replacements to R22. The non-flammable alternative refrigerants considered in the present research were R134a, R404A, R407C, R410A, R448A, and R507A. Using the basic conservation laws, the VCRS was modeled during steady-state operation and solved using engineering equation solver (EES) software. Coefficient of performance (COP), pressures and temperatures at compressor suction and discharge, Global Warming Potential (GWP), critical pressure and temperature, compressor pressure ratio, volumetric cooling capacity (VCC) specific cooling capacity (SCC), and refrigeration effect were utilized as assessment criteria for the alternative refrigerants considered. From these refrigerants, the highest values of suction pressure, discharge temperature, and condenser pressure were attained by R410A. In addition, the discharge temperatures for all refrigerants, except R134a, were all higher than their corresponding critical values, causing a quicker drop in the VCRS’s performance. As an alternative refrigerant, R407C showed the highest SCC of 141.0 kJ/kg followed directly by 139.2 and 138.0 kJ/kg for R410A and R448A, respectively. A reverse trend was found for VCC with respective values of 4722 and 3775 kJ/m3 for R410A and R448A. Lower volume flow rates and smaller-sized compressors are expected for higher VCC refrigerants. The same trend was found for the compressor’s specific work input and condenser’s specific heat transfer with values of (51.14, 46.82, and 45.38 kJ/kg) and (190.3, 187.8, and 183.4 kJ/kg) for R410A, R407C, and R448A, respectively. For applications in HAT countries, larger condenser’s specific heat transfer makes the refrigerant more applicable. Conversely, with respect to COP, refrigerant R134a with a value of 3.075 was the superior alternative followed by R448A and R407C with respective COPs of 3.042 and 3.011. Based on the overall assessment in terms of environmental obligation, COP, compressor input power, refrigerant flow rate required, and all the evaluations made in this research, refrigerant R448A was recommended as the most appropriate substitute to R22 which can effectively be used in residential air conditioners in a HAT country.