Advancing Transcritical CO2 Refrigeration Systems for Enhanced Performance and Stability

Transcritical CO2 systems are pivotal in the shift towards sustainable refrigeration and HVAC technologies, driven by global efforts to phase out environmentally harmful hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). As an environmentally friendly refrigerant, CO2 is favored for its low global warming potential and is increasingly utilized in applications such as thermostatic transport vehicles, heat pump water heaters, and commercial refrigeration. Despite recent advancements, such as integrated CO2 thermal networks enhancing system efficacy and adaptability, several challenges remain. These include optimizing system control during transient operation phases and maintaining high efficiency under variable operational conditions.

This Research Topic aims to deepen the understanding of and promote improvements in transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems, emphasizing innovative design concepts and effective control methodologies. Contributions addressing the critical challenges of system efficiency, performance, and stability in real-world, dynamic environments are of particular interest.

We invite contributions on topics such as, though not limited to, the following:
• advancements in the development and application of transcritical CO2 technologies in the refrigeration and HVAC industry
• advanced control strategies for transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems during start-up and varied operational states
• impact of innovative CO2 thermal network designs on system performance
• the application of transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems in different climatic conditions
• comparative assessments of transcritical CO2 refrigeration against conventional solutions
• methods for enhancing synergy in hybrid or combined transcritical CO2 system applications
• dynamic optimization strategies for transcritical CO2 systems in district-level applications.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: transcritical CO2 refrigeration, sustainable refrigeration, HVAC technologies, CO2 thermal networks, environmentally friendly refrigerant, transcritical CO2 systems, system stability, system efficacy, performance optimization

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.