Abstract
Practical experiments were conducted on a home refrigerator with a capacity of 289 L, under hot weather conditions, to improve energy consumption and coefficient of Performance (COP) using several phase change materials (PCMs). A comparison was made between different materials (KNO(3), KCl, and NaCl) at a mixture ratio of 10% with 90% H(2)O, and using H(2)O. A stainless-steel container with volumes of 1 L and 1.5 L was placed under the evaporator, without sacrificing any space for freezing or cooling. PCM materials have demonstrated their effectiveness in minimizing temperature variations within a refrigeration environment. The results indicate that using a 1 L KNO(3) mixture achieved the most significant improvement, increasing COP by 12.1% and reducing electricity consumption by 8.6%. The KCl mixture came in second place, followed by NaCl, while the least effective was H(2)O. All results showed that PCM contributes to reducing compressor operating periods by up to 7.1%.