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Model-experiment-hybrid optimization of refrigerant charge via iterative calibration for a pilot vapor compression system.

Author(s) : ZHANG Z. Y., ZHANG C. L.

Type of article: IJR article

Summary

Refrigerant charge optimization is critical for maximizing efficiency of vapor compression refrigeration and heat pump systems. Conventional multi-step charging experiments determine the optimal charge with high accuracy but are resource-intensive. In contrast, model-based approaches can reduce the experimental burden yet show limited practical effectiveness due to relatively large prediction errors. To tackle these limitations, this paper proposes a model-experiment-hybrid method for refrigerant charge optimization. The approach is founded on the key insight that the optimal subcooling can be reliably predicted by a calibrated system model, whereas the specific refrigerant charge inventory is highly sensitive to void fraction uncertainties. Therefore, the proposed method utilizes experimental feedback to iteratively calibrate the system model. This allows the model to predict optimal subcooling and calculate the iterative charge step size based on subcooling deviations, effectively minimizing reliance on void fraction correlations. Experimental validation under three conditions demonstrates that the method accurately obtains the optimal COP for a pilot vapor compression system. The differences in optimal charge between the conventional method and the proposed method are within 0.05 kg while the deviations of optimal subcooling are <0.4 K. The proposed hybrid method converges to optimal charge within two iterations, regardless of the void fraction correlation used, and achieves an average reduction in experimental workload of 58% compared to the conventional method. The model-experiment-hybrid optimization of refrigerant charge method effectively decouples charge optimization accuracy from void fraction model errors, offering a promising solution in refrigeration and heat pump product development.

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Pages: 11 p.

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Details

  • Original title: Model-experiment-hybrid optimization of refrigerant charge via iterative calibration for a pilot vapor compression system.
  • Record ID : 30034906
  • Languages: English
  • Source: International Journal of Refrigeration - Revue Internationale du Froid - vol. 186
  • Publication date: 2026/06
  • DOI: http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2026.106895

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