Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering (2022) 44:220 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-022-03522-x TECHNICAL PAPER Performance analysis of R134a vapor compression refrigeration system based on CuO/CeO 2 mixture nanorefrigerant HudaElslam Abdali Mohamed 1  · Unal Camdali 1  · Atilla Biyikoglu 2  · Metin Aktas 3 Received: 30 November 2021 / Accepted: 5 April 2022 / Published online: 4 May 2022 © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering 2022 Abstract This study was built on the basis of an experimental study that was carried out on a simple refrigeration system that works with R134a as a refrigerant, and based on the real dimensions of the system and the experimental results, the Ansys fuent software was used to simulate the system to prepare the system to introduce the nanoparticles theoretically. Since the nano- particles preparation process is expensive, this research presents a simple, easy, and inexpensive method for the preparation process based on the following materials, distilled water, ammonia, copper nitrate, and cerium nitrate to synthesize seven types of nanoparticles as a single oxide and as a mixture from two diferent oxides The results of preparing using X-Ray Difraction and Scanning Electron Microscopy proved that particles of samples were spherical in shape, with suitable aver- age diameter ranging between 78.95, 79.9, 44.15 and 63.3 nm for both copper oxide, cerium oxide, frst mixture, and second mixture, respectively, the theoretical study confrmed that both copper oxide, cerium oxide, and the mixture consisting of both improved the performance of the refrigeration system and reduced energy consumption. Keywords Vapor Compression Refrigeration System (VCRS) · Coefcient of Performance (COP) · Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) · Nanorefrigerant · Nanoparticles 1 Introduction The world today is facing a major challenge in the energy sector, due to its diminishing sources and a large increase in energy consumption, especially in refrigeration and air con- ditioners. Varieties of research have improved the efciency of thermal systems. This can be performed in two ways, frstly by improving a design of the heat exchanger to include shell and tube type, plate type, microchannel, and so on and secondly by using new kinds of a working fuid [1]. In 1873 Maxwell dispersed particles ranging in diameters from mil- limeter to micrometer into a pure fuid for the frst time to enhance its heat transfer characteristics, however, this attempt encountered several problems, for example, stability, clogging, and erosion. Recently a new concept of working fuids was advanced; known as nanofuid where a nanopar- ticle is dispersing into a pure fuid, was done by Choi 1995 to enhance its heat transfer characteristics [2]. The nanofuid is divided into three categories depending on the composi- tion of nanoparticles (i) mono-nanofuids which consist of similar nanoparticles, (ii) hybrid nanofuids which consist of dissimilar, (iii) hybrid nanofuids which consist of com- posite nanoparticles [1]. Four conditions are required for successful preparation of the nanofuid (i) dispersability of nanoparticles (ii) stability of nanoparticles (iii) chemical compatibility of nanoparticles and (iv) thermal stability of nanofuids. These conditions will create a nanofuid that has the best heat transfer properties between solid particles and fuids [3]. Practically there are two methods to prepare the nano-refrigerants, a one-step method and a two-step method. A two-step method is commonly used for preparing of nano- refrigerants, where the nanoparticles are manufactured as a powder, then is put into the base fuid, followed by several Technical Editor: Ahmad Arabkoohsar. This article has been selected for aTopical Issue of this journal on Nanoparticles andPassive-Enhancement Methods in Energy. * HudaElslam Abdali Mohamed hudaabdali973@gmail.com 1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey 3 Department of Energy, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey