Development of binary nanoemulsion to apply for diffusion absorption refrigerator as a new refrigerant

Binary nanoemulsion is defined as the nanoemulsion of which base fluid is a binary mixture such as NH3/H2O solution. The objectives of this paper are to estimate the effect of nano-sized oil droplets on the performance of a diffusion absorption refrigerator (DAR) and to find the relationship between the dispersion stability and COP (coefficient of performance) enhancement of the DAR system. The concentration and ratio of oil and surfactants are considered as the key parameters. N-decane oil is added into NH3/H2O solution to make the binary nanoemulsions, and C12E4 (Polyoxyethylene lauryl ether) and TWEEN20 (Polyoxyethylen sorbitan monolaurate, C58H114O26) are used as the surfactants for stable dispersion. The dispersion stability of binary nanoemulsions is evaluated by the droplet size measurement and Tyndall effect analysis. It is found that the binary nanoemulsion fluid increases the COP of the DAR system as high as 15% compared with that of the base fluid refrigerator. •Binary nanoemulsions are developed to apply for diffusion absorption refrigerators.•The dispersion stability is evaluated by the droplet size and Tyndall effect analyses.•The binary nanoemulsion enhances the COP of the DAR system as high as 15%.