Thermal Performance of a Vapor Compression Refrigeration Cycle Utilizing a Heat Pipe as a Heat Exchanger

Authors

Wael I. A. Aly, Department of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology, Faculty of Technology and Education, Helwan University, 11282, Cairo, Egypt
Islam S. Hassan, Department of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology, Faculty of Technology and Education, Helwan University, 11282, Cairo, Egypt.Follow
Mo’men I. Radwan, Department of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology, Faculty of Technology and Education, Helwan University, 11282, Cairo, Egypt.

Document Type

Original Study

Subject Areas

Mechanical Engineering

Keywords

Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger; VCRC performance; Coefficient of performance; Refrigeration effect.

Abstract

The present study experimentally investigates the performance of a vapor compression refrigeration cycle (VCRC) integrated with a heat pipe functioning as a heat exchanger. The heat pipe was developed to enhance heat transfer between the suction and liquid lines of the VCRC. The integration of the heat pipe heat exchanger (HPHE) aims to decrease the compressor duty cycle, which consequently enhances system longevity and reduces energy consumption. The effects of different working fluids and filling ratios in the HPHE on the system performance were examined. Specifically, the impact of these parameters on the refrigeration effect (RE), and overall coefficient of performance (COP) was analyzed. Four working fluids R134a, R152a, R290, and R410a were tested under various filling ratios ranging from 25% to 100%. The results showed that the HPHE charged with R152a exhibited the highest effectiveness compared to R290, R410a, and R134a, due to the superior thermophysical properties of R152a. The RE and COP of the VCRC integrated with HPHE were improved by 10.47% and 10.83%, respectively, relative to the conventional VCRC. Moreover, for the VCRC with HPHE using R152a, the COP increased by 4.13%, 5.20%, 6.34%, and 11.10% at filling ratios of 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, respectively. Overall, integrating an HPHE into the VCRC particularly when using R152a as the working fluid with a 100% filling ratio significantly enhances the VCRC thermal performance, as reflected by the observed improvements in both the RE and the COP.

How to Cite This Article

Aly, Wael I. A.; Hassan, Islam S.; and Radwan, Mo’men I. (2025) "Thermal Performance of a Vapor Compression Refrigeration Cycle Utilizing a Heat Pipe as a Heat Exchanger," Trends in advanced sciences and technology: Vol. 2, Article 13.
DOI: 10.62537/2974-444X.1042
Available at: https://tast.researchcommons.org/journal/vol2/iss1/13