Applying the CO2-Based Mixture to Realize Efficient and Low-Cost Cooling for Deep Underground
- 1Anhui University of Science and Technology , , ,
Abstract
The problem of heat hazard restricts the safe and efficient mining of deep mineral resources. A heat pump for simultaneous cooling and heating can control the heat hazard of deep mine and satisfy the heat load for mining community. However, the traditionally used working fluid of a heat pump, namely R22, possesses the disadvantages of being environmentally unfriendly and expansive operating cost. A CO2-based mixture is a promising substitute for R22 because of its excellent physical properties and great thermal match performance. This study carries out the thermo-economic analysis of a transcritical heat pump with the CO2-based mixture, and the feasibility of replacing R22 with the CO2-based mixture is investigated. The results show that the introduction of the CO2-based mixture can significantly cut down the irreversible loss in condensation and evaporation processes. R161 is the optimal additive for the CO2-based mixture, and the optimal COPc of CO2/R161 is 2.48, which is 12.2% higher than CO2 and 8.3% higher than R22. Although the initial capital cost of a heat pump with CO2/R161 is 24.2% higher than R22, the annual running cost is 6.39% less than R22, and substituting CO2/R161 for R22 can save operating cost by 1.62 × 106 CNY/year.
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BibTeX
@article{sun2026applying,
title = {{Applying the CO2-Based Mixture to Realize Efficient and Low-Cost Cooling for Deep Underground}},
author = {Xiaocun Sun and Wei Lu and Jinliang Li and Hui Zhuo and Qingsong Zhang and Jinhu Li},
journal = {ACS Omega},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6c04742},
url = {https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c04742/5455891/Applying-the-CO2-Based-Mixture-to-Realize},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Applying the CO2-Based Mixture to Realize Efficient and Low-Cost Cooling for Deep Underground
AU - Xiaocun Sun
AU - Wei Lu
AU - Jinliang Li
AU - Hui Zhuo
AU - Qingsong Zhang
AU - Jinhu Li
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - ACS Omega
DO - 10.1021/acsomega.6c04742
UR - https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c04742/5455891/Applying-the-CO2-Based-Mixture-to-Realize
AB - The problem of heat hazard restricts the safe and efficient mining of deep mineral resources. A heat pump for simultaneous cooling and heating can control the heat hazard of deep mine and satisfy the heat load for mining community. However, the traditionally used working fluid of a heat pump, namely R22, possesses the disadvantages of being environmentally unfriendly and expansive operating cost. A CO2-based mixture is a promising substitute for R22 because of its excellent physical properties and great thermal match performance. This study carries out the thermo-economic analysis of a transcritical heat pump with the CO2-based mixture, and the feasibility of replacing R22 with the CO2-based mixture is investigated. The results show that the introduction of the CO2-based mixture can significantly cut down the irreversible loss in condensation and evaporation processes. R161 is the optimal additive for the CO2-based mixture, and the optimal COPc of CO2/R161 is 2.48, which is 12.2% higher than CO2 and 8.3% higher than R22. Although the initial capital cost of a heat pump with CO2/R161 is 24.2% higher than R22, the annual running cost is 6.39% less than R22, and substituting CO2/R161 for R22 can save operating cost by 1.62 × 106 CNY/year.
SN - 2470-1343
ER -