Development of an ice-based cold thermal energy storage system using R290 refrigerant and investigation of its thermal behavior
APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING, cilt.302, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 302
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2026.131723
- Dergi Adı: APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Compendex, INSPEC, DIALNET, Business Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Cold thermal energy storage (CTES) provides essential load shifting and energy management capabilities for modern refrigeration systems. This study experimentally evaluates a novel ice-based CTES configuration coupled with an R290 vapor compression cycle. To maintain the thermal stability of a 250-l insulated cabinet, a custom 3D printed ice production unit (IPU) was directly integrated at the evaporator outlet. During the charging phase, water inside the IPU is frozen to store thermal energy as latent heat. During the discharge phase, this stored energy is transferred to the cabinet via controlled melting, maintaining the cabinet temperature without the need for the compressor to run. The experiments were conducted at four different ice charging temperatures (-4 degrees C,-7 degrees C,-10 degrees C, and-13 degrees C), while maintaining a constant melting threshold of +4 degrees C and over three consecutive charging-discharging cycles. System performance was evaluated using the coefficient of performance (COP), storage efficiency, annual electricity consumption, and environmental and economic indicators. Lowering the target ice temperature setpoint from-4 degrees C to-13 degrees C increased annual electricity consumption from 1368.41 kWh to 1568.80 kWh, reduced the COP from 5.83 to 4.93, and decreased storage efficiency from 56.20% to 42.44%. These changes resulted in a 14.64% increase in carbon emissions and a 12.71% rise in total operating costs. The-4 degrees C setpoint provided the most balanced results in terms of energy efficiency, storage capacity, and environmental-economic performance under the tested conditions. This study fills a significant gap in the smallscale refrigeration sector by introducing a cost-effective, integrated, and innovative IPU that utilizes the environmentally friendly R290 refrigerant, and has yielded new findings that contribute to the literature on ice-based thermal energy storage technology.