Cost-Effective COP Enhancement of a Domestic Air Cooled Refrigerator using R-134a Refrigerant

This paper presents a cost-effective method to increase the COP and utility of a domestic refrigerator using R-134a refrigerant. A cabin was installed on the top of a domestic refrigerator with condenser coils of refrigerator serving as heating coils inside the cabin. Known quantity of water was heated by the condenser coils (due to convection currents) thereby increasing the overall COP of the refrigerator. Further, the utility was increased since it can serve the purpose of cooking (oven), geysers etc. Besides, the refrigerator may be used as conventional refrigerator by keeping the cabin door open in case of absence of heat sink. It was concluded that we can increase the COP upto 11% just by using a cabin on the top of the refrigerator unit. Further increase in COP is possible; however enhancements will involve higher costs. Keywords-Clausius statement, cost effective design, modified refrigerator, R134a refrigerant, Waste heat recovery