An overview of experimental studies on nanorefrigerants: Recent research, development and applications

Emergence of nanotechnology opens up new avenues in diverse research frontiers. Nanorefrigerants are nanotechnology based refrigerants, which are stable mixture of nanoparticles of metal, oxide, carbon and its allotropes and refrigerants. Development of nanorefrigerants provides a new research frontier in the heat transfer perspective. The studies on nanorefrigerants are still in its budding stage. The intention of the present paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of experimental studies on thermophysical and rehological properties, boiling and condensation phenomena, pressure drop characteristics, aggregation behaviour, migration and degradation characteristics of different nanorefrigerants and application of nanorefrigerants in HVAC systems. Various outlooks of future scope associated with the studies of nanorefrigerants have also been suggested. It has been recognized that addition of nanoparticles in refrigerants contributes noteworthy augment in the thermal physical and heat transfer characteristics of refrigerants. Furthermore, application of nanorefrigerants in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems enhance the overall performance in terms of coefficients of performance (COP) and energy efficiency.