Hybrid refrigerants could revolutionize cooling, slashing energy costs and emissions.
The researchers analyzed different refrigerants to see how well they work in cooling systems. They found that mixing certain refrigerants together can improve the system's performance. By using a computer program, they saw that a combination of R134a and other refrigerants made the system work better. The study showed that out of the pure refrigerants tested, R134a performed the best. Mixing it with other refrigerants in specific ratios made the cooling system work even better. The success of the mixtures depended on properties like boiling point and heat capacity. The researchers discovered that the performance of the mixed refrigerants was somewhere between the best and worst pure refrigerants they tested.