Final answer:
1. Only one refrigerant may be recovered into the same cylinder to prevent contamination and potential safety issues. Proper handling of refrigerants is essential for system efficiency and adherence to environmental regulations.
Step-by-step explanation:
When dealing with small systems, only one refrigerant can be recovered into the same cylinder. Mixing different refrigerants in the same cylinder can lead to contamination and can change the properties of the refrigerants, which may affect the performance of refrigeration systems or cause safety issues. Moreover, it is against the regulations to mix refrigerants since it can make their proper disposal or recycling more difficult.
Refrigerants play a critical role in the efficiency of refrigeration systems. For instance, refrigerants are used in cycles where a small difference between the high temperature (T₁) and the low temperature (To) can result in a higher Coefficient of Performance (COP), thus increasing both performance and cost-effectiveness. Such considerations also guide the appropriate selection and handling of refrigerants in systems.