Experimental Study: The Effects of Using Nano-Lubrication on the Performance of Refrigeration Systems

Abstract

An experimental apparatus was built to investigate the performance of a refrigeration system based on the coefficient of performance (COP) and energy consumption of an air conditioning device. Enhancement of performance of a window unit air conditioning device was sought by mixing nanoparticles with mineral oil (MO 4E) to act as a lubricant, using R22 refrigerant as a working fluid. Different concentrations of Al2O3/Mineral Oil (MO 4E) were mixed by using ultrasonic and other mixing devices. The results showed that the COP was increased and energy consumption decreased when nano lubricant was used, and that the optimum concentration was 0.05% Al2O3 by mass, where the enhancement in COP was 25% compared to plain MO 4E; the energy consumption in the compressor was also lower. Thus, enhancing the coefficient of performance (COP) of the system by adding a small percentage of nanoparticles to the lubricant oil appears to be feasible.