A novel refrigeration cycle based on physicochemical thermal effect was proposed. This cycle utilizes the endothermic effects of the decomposition reaction of ammonium carbamate as well as the vaporization of the reaction product to refrigerate

and releases heat through the reverse reaction. The thermodynamic performance of the cycle was investigated and evaluated under different operating conditions. The results show that the temperature difference between endothermic and exothermic reaction should not be higher than 40℃. The intermediate pressure has a significant influence on the coefficient of performance (COP) of the system and there is an optimal intermediate pressure to achieve the maximum COP. The optimal intermediate pressure is determined

and the optimal intermediate temperature is the equilibrium temperature at this pressure. Besides

the novel cycle has a higher COP than the theoretical cycle of the single-stage vapor compression refrigeration system by about 20%. Compared with the cycle utilizing the phase change of the material to refrigerate

this novel cycle has better prospects for development.