Experimental evaluation of a R134a/CO2 cascade refrigeration plant

•The experimental evaluation of a R134a/CO2 cascade refrigeration plant is presented.•Temperature difference in cascade heat exchanger varied from 3.3 to 5.3 °C.•Variation of intermediate level produced maximum COP variations of 6%.•Cooling capacity ranged from 4.5 kW (−40 and 40 °C) to 7.5 kW (−30 and 30 °C).•COP ranged from 1.05 (−40 and 40 °C) to 1.65 (−30 and 30 °C).

We present the experimental evaluation of a R134a/CO2 cascade refrigeration plant designed for low evaporation temperature in commercial refrigeration applications. The test bench incorporates two single-stage vapour compression cycles driven by semi hermetic compressors coupled thermally through two brazed plate cascade heat exchangers working in parallel and controlled by electronic expansion valves. The experimental evaluation (45 steady-states) covers evaporating temperatures from −40 to −30 °C and condensing from 30 to 50 °C. In each steady-state, we conducted a sweep of the condensing temperature of the low temperature cycle with speed variation of the high temperature compressor. Here, the energy performance of the plant is analysed, focussing on the compressors' performance, temperature difference in the cascade heat exchanger, cooling capacity, COP and compressors discharge temperatures.