Emerging eco-friendly refrigerants for vapour compression cooling applications: A review on recent experimental,simulation and artificial intelligence studies
Restricted accessReview articleFirst published online 2026
Emerging eco-friendly refrigerants for vapour compression cooling applications: A review on recent experimental,simulation and artificial intelligence studies
Vapour compression refrigeration has been the predominant technology for many years and is used in a wide range of applications, including food preservation, cold chain logistics, automobile and building air conditioning, as well as industrial processing. The characteristics of refrigerants and escalating energy consumption lead the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) sector to be a significant contributor to global warming. The selection of an appropriate refrigerant needs special attention since the temperature and pressure levels of real-time systems change in accordance with the application. Furthermore, replacing conventional RACS with sustainable technologies is also expected to ensure economic merits. Several investigators analysed the technological, environmental, and economic aspects of emerging refrigerants in new, as well as conventional, systems. However, the complex nature of refrigerants during their operation necessitates a critical analysis of the outcome of previous studies to transform this sector to be eco-friendly, economically competitive, and energy-efficient. This review looks at the salient features of rapidly developing environmentally friendly refrigerants, which include hydrofluoroolefins, hydrofluorocarbons, and natural refrigerants such as NH3, CO2, and hydrocarbons. Furthermore, this study analysed the influence of the newly identified refrigerants on the coefficients of performance, energy consumption, cooling capacity, and the total equivalent warming impact of RACS. The outcomes of this review, along with the discussion of future prospects, could assist researchers and industries in achieving a sustainable RAC sector.
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