Current status of refrigerants used in domestic applications: A review

HFCs that were accepted globally in refrigeration and air conditioning applications may soon be phased out due to environmental concerns. The primary driver behind the phase-out of HFCs is their elevated global warming potential (GWP). As a result, the demand for suitable, environmentally friendly substitutes has been increased. Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) are a novel family of environmentally benign refrigerants that have gained popularity in recent years. Moreover, despite their significant flammability, hydrocarbons (HCs) can also serve as viable substitutes for halogenated refrigerants due to their positive environmental impact, energy efficiency, coefficient of performance (COP), refrigerant mass, and compressor discharge temperatures. As possible retrofits for conventional refrigerants, the current review aims to address several pure HCs, HFOs, and HFCs as well as their mixtures. It also addresses their flammability characteristics, such as minimum inerting concentration, critical suppression ratio, inert effect, and flammability, as well as their performance parameters, such as coefficient of performance, compressor power consumption, pulldown time, optimal refrigerant charge, and exergy destruction. Various methods for determining the MIC of the refrigerant mixtures are reported. Cost analysis of different refrigerants and refrigeration with Nano-refrigerants were also discussed. Moreover, this study conducted a comprehensive examination of prior research which helps in identifying the eco-friendly refrigerants for domestic applications.