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A conventional vapor compression refrigeration system (VCRS) cascaded with a heat-assisted ejector refrigeration system (ERS) has been experimentally analyzed. Cascading allows the VCRS to operate at lower condenser temperatures and thus achieve a higher coefficient of performance. In this cascaded system, the condenser of the vapor compression system does not dissipate its heat directly to the evaporator of the ERS; instead, water circulates between the condenser of VCRS and the evaporator of ERS to exchange the heat. Seven ejectors of different geometries have been used in the ERS; however, all the ejectors could not maintain thermal equilibrium at the desired operating conditions. The compressor of the cascaded VCRS consumed 1.3 times less power than the noncascaded VCRS. Furthermore, the cascaded system provided a maximum 87.74% improvement in COP over the noncascaded system for the same operating conditions. The performance of the system remained constant until the critical condenser pressure of the ERS.

This work conceives the performance of vapor compression cascaded refrigeration system (CRS) from the exergy, safety and thermal inventory points of view employing the theory of effective temperature ([Formula: see text] than environment temperature ([Formula: see text] in Gouy–Stodola equation. Comparative results show that the actual irreversible loss in CRS is 8.1% higher. Further, advanced exergy analysis results showed that 17.985[Formula: see text]kW irreversible loss (out of 33.737[Formula: see text]kW irreversible loss) in the system is evadable with improvement in the system design. Besides, the vulnerability of toxic fluid R717 is reported in terms of the total risk level. Moreover, the economy matter is expressed in terms of its total thermal inventory. At the base case, total risk level and total thermal inventory are determined to be 454.3 US$ and 48.86[Formula: see text]kW/K, respectively. First, sensitivity analysis is carried out to evaluate the variation in irreversible loss, total risk level and thermal inventory at different evaporator and condenser temperatures with different degrees of overlap (decision variables). A total of nine simulations are designed using the Taguchi technique. Later, multi-objective optimization is employed. The optimization process reduced the total irreversibility and annual risk level of CRS by 10.2% and 8.9%, respectively, with 6.8% increase in thermal inventory.

The first law analysis of a vapor compression–vapor absorption (VC–VA) cascade system is carried out for a wide range of cooling capacity. While ammonia–water is the working pair in VA section, R407C is used in VC section. The influences of change in cooling capacity, superheating and subcooling in the condenser, temperature in the generator, degree of overlap in cascade condenser, size of the heat exchangers etc. on the system performance are investigated. It is concluded that the COP of the VC section of the cascade system could be improved by 146% and the electricity consumption could be reduced by 64% compared to an equivalent VC unit. Separately the results showed the considerable increase in the generator heat when cooling capacity was increased from 83.33 kW. The COP of the cascade system at high cooling capacity is strongly dependent on the performance of condenser.

In this paper, second law analysis has been done for the vapor compression–vapor absorption (VC–VA) cascade system. Ammonia–water is considered as the working pair in absorption section and R407C is dealt as the working fluid in VC section. Exergy destruction or the irreversibility rate is determined in each components of VC–VA cascade system, for a wide range of cooling capacity by considering a variable speed reciprocating compressor. Further in this, Coefficient of structural bond (CSB) analysis is carried out to quantify the effect of varying the generator temperature, effectiveness of solution heat exchanger, inlet temperature of external fluids in evaporator/condenser and some other variables. Solution heat exchanger and the condenser are reported to have high CSB value, so have a great scope of improvement to reduce the irreversibility rate of the whole system.