Abstract
India, the world’s second-largest seafood producer, contributes about 8% of global output and exported 1.78 million metric tons of seafood, generating US$7.38 billion in 2023–24. Seafood harvesting is largely carried out by small fishing vessels, depending on shore-supplied ice for onboard preservation. This practice often results in operational inefficiencies, increased fuel consumption, and quality losses. This study develops and validates a numerical model of a diesel-engine-driven onboard flake ice generation system using R290 under high-ambient marine conditions. The model is validated using experimental data and applied to assess performance over a condensing temperature range of 36–42 °C. Comparative analysis with conventional HFC refrigerants (R404A and R407C) shows that R290 delivers up to 31.2% lower compressor power consumption and COP improvements of up to 31.3%. Although its heat recovery potential is lower, R290 achieves the highest combined COP, indicating superior overall energy utilisation and suitability for onboard refrigeration.