RANE APPLICATIONS ENGINEERING MANUAL HOT GAS BYPASS CONTROL | | Pg LEER oe 3 ee a CI SUCTION (F) i M-conido (82O HOT GAS BYPASS CONTROL The Trane Company, 1982 La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601 AN-CON 10 (182)INTRODUCTION This discussion is intended to acquaint the reader with the hot gas bypass system and when and how itis properly, applied, by answering these questions... © What Is Hot Gas Bypass? © Why Is Hot Gas Bypass Used? * When Should Hot Gas Bypass Be Used? '* How Is Hot Gas Bypass Valve Sized And Adjusted? ‘* How Is Hot Gas Bypass Applied? WHAT IS HOT GAS BYPASS? Hot gas bypass is a system that, at some predetermined suction pressure, initiates a modulated flow of hot reftig- cerant gas from the high side to the low pressure portion of the refrigeration system. This reduces the condensing unit's (compressor and condenser) capacity to produce re- {rigeration because the gas returned to the low side pro- duces no useful cooling, instead it becomes an evaporator load SUCTION PRESS» Figure 1 (Figure 1) For example, when hot gas bypass initiated (A), the condensing unit capacity is reduced, instead of tracking the normal curve A-B, the capacity tracks the steeper curve A-C. Therefore, throughout the hot gas bypass modulating range, the condensing unit and evaporator capacities bal- ‘ance along this new curve at higher than normal suction pressures and, therefore, lower capacities. WHY IS HOT GAS BYPASS USED? Air conditioning equipment is generally selected on the basis of a maximum design condition and is then expected to cope with a variety of conditions - some of which may force the equipment outside of its stable operating range. For example, an evaporator may experience modulated ai flow rates or temperatures that fall well below design. Under these circumstances, the compressor and evapo- rator capacities balance at steadily declining suction pres- ‘sures and temperatures, resulting in the eventual frosting Of the coil, compressor cyciing on the low pressure control and possible liquid carry-over. To enable a system to function over a broad range of conditions, and stil retain suction pressures and tem- peratures that are high enough to avoid freeze-up and cy- ling problems, a hot gas bypass system is used. In addition to the above, hot gas bypass can also be used 10 provide modulated contol to reciprocating sys- tems that normally produce steps of capacity output. ‘Note: Hot gas bypass is not a solution to low ambient start- ing problems. There are condenser capacity control de- vices and systems available that are designed specifically {or this purpose. WHEN SHOULD HOT GAS BYPASS BE USED? Hot gas bypass should be used when the application can lead to evaporator fresze-up, compressor cycling or ‘when modulated capacity is needed for close temperature control. Each situation and its contributing factors are discussed below. Evaporator Freeze-Up Direct expansion systems will operate at low suction temperatures and pressures when the evaporator Is ex- posed to: © Low airflow Low entering air temperature, or © combination of both. Consi Low Airflow ‘Applications that expose evaporators to low airflow are: © Shutoff VAV © Blow-thru Multi-Zone with direct expansion coils fering each factor separately ‘These and other systems that control capacity by vary- ing the airflow rate over the coil experience low airflow at part load conditions. © Make-up air units, using 100 percent outdoor air © Low sensible heat ratio applications. Low design airflowis peculiar to these applications. Both ‘must have large air temperature drops to contro! high sen- sible and latent loads.oO © Low Entering Air Temperature Applications that see low entering air temperatures are: © Bypass VAV © Make-up ai units using 100 percent outdoor air Combination Low Airflow, Low Entering Air Temperature ‘The application that will experience low airflow and, at times, low entering air temperature is: ‘© Make-up air unit using 100 percent outdoor air With 100 percent outdoor air applications, there is no re- lationship between building load and coil load. Coll joad is determined entirely by the outdoor air conditions. ‘Therefore, while the building internal heat gains may be ‘generating a demand for cooling, falling outdoor wet and] or dry bulb temperatures may be reducing the evaporator load. Reducing evaporator load, coupled with the low design air flow rate, will result in eventual coil frosting. When hot gas bypass is intended to prevent coll freeze- up, the hot gas bypass system must be functional when ever the refrigeration system is operating. The hot gas bypass valve should be adjusted to be closed during normal operation and to open, passing the amount of hot {gas required to produce a suction pressure that is high enough to prevent coil frosting, when necessary. The coil temperature at which frosting occurs is typically between 26 and 28 F. Since the hot gas bypass valve must start to open at a Pressure thatis significantly above the pressure at which it will pass its rated flow, the valve setting is critical. In other ‘words, the valve must be adjusted to open soon enough so that a freezing temperature is not reached before it opens sufficiently to deliver its rated capacity. Compressor Cycling ‘Compressor cycling is primarily a water chiller problem. Itoceurs when the chiller is applied with a short loop that contains too little water to bring about stable control, or a loop that is subject to rapid load change. When applied to prevent hiller cycling, a hot gas bypass system that produces a “compressor operatingino capaci- ty” mode is required. With this arrangement, hot gas is not required during normal operation for freeze-up protection, because the temperature controller will shutdown the unit before this can occur. Instead, the bypass system is actu- ated only when the temperature controller would cause a normal shutdown. Hot gas is then modulated, as needed, bringing about a balance of evaporator and condensing section capacities down to the “no loadino capacity” mode, if necessary. ‘The hot gas bypass valve setting is critical, since at the “no loadino capacity” condition (entering and leaving water and suction temperatures are the same), the suction temperature must be stabilized one or two degrees above the 37 F freeze protection thermostat setting. On the other hand, to minimize power consumption, the suction pres sure should be as low as possible when hot gas bypass is initiated - but high enough to permit the valve to deliver rated flow before a nuisance control trip-out occurs. Direct expansion systems that are controlled from ‘supply air temperature may also require hot gas bypass to prevent cycling. When used for this purpose, the hot gas, bypass system is functional whenever the refrigeration system is operating, Close Temperature Control Close tolerance temperature control schemes for recip~ rovating equipment are discussed in Trane Applications Engineering Manuel, AM-CON6. HOW IS A HOT GAS BYPASS VALVE SIZED AND ADJUSTED? ‘The particular application determines the sizing and set- ting of the hot gas bypass valve. For example, for those systems where compressor ca- pacity control is tied closely to evaporator load, such as retum air temperature sensing in constant volume sys- tems, retum water temperature sensing in chilled water systems or leaving air sensing in shutoff VAV systems, the valve is sized to produce a bypass load equel to the mini- mum stage of compressor capacity or full capacity fornon- Unloading compressors. And, itis adjusted to bypass this Capacity at the “no load” (no air flow aoross the ooil or no flow through the water chiller) condition to maintain a suc tion temperature that is above the minimum 28 F for direct expansion coils or the 37 F freeze protection thermostat, setting for water chillers. Therefore, since it requires 6 degrees of suction tem- perature change to modulate the valve sufficiently to pass rated flow, in the direct expansion coil system, where the bypass valve is functional whenever the system is oper- aling, the valve will start o open at a temperature slightly above 34 F and pass rated flow at something above the 28 F suction low limit. With water chillers itis different. The valve is energized when the thermostat would normally shutdown the system. ‘When energized, the valve modulates to the position dic- tated by the existing suction temperature and pressure. Further decrease in suction pressure brings the valve to full rated flow at a temperature that is above the 37 F low limit setting.On the other hand, when compressor control is remote {rom the actual evaporator load, such as space control in a 100 percent outdoor air application, the valve is sized to produce abypass load equal to the full capacity of the com- pressor. In this application, the valve is functional when- ever the system is operating and is adjusted to pass rated flow at a suction temperature that is above the 28 F low limit, Note: Since a unit operating in the hot gas bypass mode rejects considerably less heat through the con- denser than normal, condenser (head pressure) con- trol may be required to stabilize condensing pressure during low ambient operation. HOW IS HOT GAS BYPASS APPLIED? There are two common methods of applying hot gas bypass - to the evaporator iniet and to the suction line. While they share the same operating principle, each has certain advantages and disadvantages. Hot Gas Bypass To The Evaporator inlet Hot gas bypass to the evaporator inlet is the preferred ‘method. With this arrangement, hot gas enters the liquid refrigerant side of the evaporator ata point between the ex- pansion valve and the liquid distributer. During hot gas bypass operation, the expansion valve responds to the ‘added heat load by passing enough liquid to de-superheat the bypassed gas as well as the liquid needed to meet the remaining evaporator load. The resulting gas volume gen erates sufficient velocity within the coil and suction piping to sustain oll movement. Note: Since oil movement within water chillers can be a problem, this is the only bypass method recommended for use with this type of equipment. Installation Requirements And Limitations mee HOT Gas BYPASS VALVE ‘CONDENSER 2 ® Q 2 HOT GAS UNE O COMPRESSOR EVAPORATOR Figure 2(CONDENSER EVAPORATOR. Figure 3 |. Hot gas must enter the system between the expansion valve and liquid distributor. With mutt-circuit evaporator coils, hot gas need only be piped to one of the circuits when the solenoid valves operate together. The exception to this is, if 100 percent of the compressor capacity is to be bypassed, hot gas should be piped to each coil circuit. When the number of coil circuits is reduced with load, hot gas is piped to the last active circuit. When this is done, the capacity of the last active circuit must at least equal the unloaded ca- pacity of the compressor. . The liquid distributor used must be of the low pressure drop, Venturi type. Orifice type distributors are not ao- ceptable unless the bypass gas can be introduced after the orifice plate. The reason is, the orifice distributor is designed for liquid flow only and will not permit an ade- quate gas flow rate. Since hot gas must enter between the expansion valve and distributor, multoutlet expan- sion valves are not suitable. (Note: This discussion does not apply to water chillers, since they do not have distributors.) Tap the hot gas valve pilot line into the suction line as close to the compressor as practical. The recommen- ded line size is ¥ inch, For line langths over 15 feet, use '5/16 or 3/8 inch tubing. . Insulate the full length of the hot gas bypass line. . The bypass line must be routed in a manner that will not permit ol trapping. 5 7. Experience has shown that well designed hot gas bypass runs up to 36 feet in length perform reliably 8, Locate the hot gas bypass valve close to the com pressor, using as short a bypass valve-to-discharge line ‘connection as possible. . Since the flow of bypassed gas is modulated, at times the velocity within risers wl fll below thatneeded fo oil entrainment. Therefore, when the evaporator is located above the compressor, a hot gas bypass-to-suction oll retum line must be installed at the base ofthe riser. The bypass line is constructed of five feet of 1/8 inch tubing. This provides the pressure drop needed to prevent ex- cessive short circuiting of hot gas to suction, yet the tube is large enough to drain the riser. Advanta, TARITGBS ine bypassed load and remaining system load within the evaporator in this manner, allows the expan- sion vaive to retain suction gas superheat control, ei rating the danger of liquid carry-over. 2, The retention of gas velocity within the evaporator main- tains oil movement, making this the preferred method ‘when the evaporator is located below the compressor. Disadvanta [TTHET gis Bjpacs to the evaporsior nti ited o lowe pressure drop distributors. 2. The installation cost is directly proportional to the dis~ tance between the condensing unit and evaporator.Hot Gas Bypass To The Suction Line Hot gas bypass to the suction line differs from bypass to the evaporator init only in the point to which hot gas is by- passed. With this arrangement, hot gas is bypassed rectly o the suction line. To de-superheat the bypass gas, liquid injection valve meters liquid into the gas stream, ‘The remote bulb of the injection valve is attached to the ‘suction line near the compressor, downstream from the hot {gas entry point. When reduced suction pressure causes the hot gas bypass valve to open, the remote bulb senses the temperature rise, opening the liquid injection valve, The injection of liquid into the hot gas stream de-super- heats the gas. Installation Requirements And Limitations (Figures 4, 5) [EVAPORATOR EXPANSION VALVE COMPRESSOR 1. (Figure 4) When hot gas bypass to the suction line is, Used, the evaporator must be located above the com- pressor and both the evaporator and suction line must drain toward the compressor. Free drainage is required because during bypass operation, the gas velocity within the coil and suction line may drop below that needed for adequate oil movernent. (Figure 5) An exception to the above is when gas is by- passed to the low point of the system. This technique ccan be used when high pressure drop distributors or rmult-outlet expansion valves are used. In this applica~ tion, oil return is achieved through free drainage into the suction line and adequate gas velocity in the suction riser. 2. The tube that carries the bypass vapor - liquid mixture centers the suction line, at an angle, no less than 5 feet ‘rom the compressor (Figure 4) nor less than 3 feet from Figure 4 the evaporator (Figure 5). The purpose of the angular entry is to promote turbulence to assure complete va- porizattion of the liquid. 8, The hot gas valve pilot line must be tapped into the suc- tion line downstream from the injection point. Use 1/4 inch line for anything up to 15 feet and 5/16 or 3/8 inch {or greater lengths. 4, Locate the hot gas bypass valve close to the com- pressor, using as short a bypass valve-to-discharge line ‘connection as possible, 5. Insulate the full length of the hot gas bypass line. 6. Either an internally or externally equalized liquid injec- tion (expansion) valve, adjusted to maintain 30to 35 Fot superheat, is acceptable. 7. Wire the liquid injection line solenoid valve in parallel with the bypass valve solenoid so that the valves ener- ize and de-energize together.HOT GAS, BYPASS VALVE ® mT ¥ Liguip RECTION OH TOT GAS UNE valve aaa aie — 5 sogencer {. Hot gas bypass to the suction tine is easy to add. Alter ation of the evaporator piping is not necessary. 2. The relatively small amount of piping required provides a cost saving over bypass to the evaporator - particu- larly if the condensing unit is located some distance {rom the evaporator. 8. This is the only method that can accommodate evapo- rators with high pressure drop distributors and multiple ‘outlet expansion valves. Disadvantages ‘Tir Tea qu line solenoid valve and expansion valve are required. 2. At limited evaporator loads, the gas velocity within the evaporator may drop too low for satisfactory oll movement.HoT cas BYPASS VALVE HOT GAS LINE, ‘SUCTION UNE COMPRESSOR EXPANSION! VALVE EVAPORATOR 1 aS H Figure 6 (Figure 6) An alternative to the previous hot gas bypass- to-suction designs uses the evaporator expansion valve to perform the function of the liquid injection valve. When reduced suction pressure opens the bypass valve, the remote bulb senses the temperature rise and causes the expansion valve to modulate, flooding suf- ficient liquid through the coll to de-superheat the hot gas. ‘With this arrangement, the remote bulb is placed no less than § feet downstream from the point where the hot gas enters the suction line. This provides sufficient travel to, bring about complete vaporization of the liquid and, in the process, the de-superheatting of the gas. ‘The advantage ofthis design ist eliminates the need for the liquid injection and solenoid valves and the associated liquid piping. In addition, the movement of liquid through the evaporator during bypass operation reduces the oil en- trainment problem shared by the other bypass-to-suction designs. CONCLUSION ‘Alco Model FA8 Hot Gas Bypass Valve (Figure 7) The FA8 hot gas bypass valve has an integral solenoid valve and a pilot assembly that has an adjustable 0 to 80 psig range. When the pilot pressure (suction pres- sure) falls to the pilot setting, the valve is opened to start a ‘modulated flow of hot gas to the low pressure portion of the system, When applied with a direct expansion coil, the pilot should be adjusted to maintain a 52 psig suction pressure (28 F suction temperature) with the compressor operating ‘on its last stage of unloading and “no load” (no airflow) on the coil. Starting with the pilot valve adjustment screw backed-out all of the way, the screw is turned clockwise until the suc- PILOT ADJUSTMENT SCREW EXTERNALEQUALIZER (0-80 PSIG RANGE) ‘CONNECTION MANUAL OPENING STEMtion pressure rises to the design 52 psig. During the adjust- ment procedure, the head pressure should be maintained between 150 and 220 psig. ‘When applied with awater chiller, the pilotis similarly ad- justed to maintain a 66 psig suction pressure (38 F suction temperature) at the minimum stage of compressor loading ‘and the “no load (no water flow) condition. While adjust- ing the pilot, care must be taken to avoid freezing the water within the chiller. Instead of the FAB pilot operated valve, the directly actu- ated, CPHE valve may be used withthe smaller systems. These valves are adjusted at the same compressor mini- mum loading stage and “no load” conditions described previously. When making any hot gas bypass valve adjustment, allow sulficient time between successive adjustments for the system pressures to stabilize. RECOMMENDED HOT GAS BYPASS SELECTIONS ‘Bypass To Evap. inlet ‘Additional Valves For Bypass To Suction Required ] Suggested ‘Available | Hot Gas ‘Alco Liquid Tiguid injection Bypass Cap.|Bypass Line| Alco |Conn. Size| Solenold| __ injection Valve Line Solenoid (rons) | Size (1) |Valve (2)| (ODF) _| Valve(3)| And Conn. Size(ODF) | And Conn. Size (ODF) 5 %e CPHES Te ‘2OORAG | TCL2A-%, % TOORAZSS - 347 6.25 ive | CPHE-6 |_1¥e" | 200RA6 LCL2A = %, 9 TOORA2S3 = 75 ve | FAB-12H | 7, 1% = TCLSA = %, % ‘2OORAASS ~ a3 ¥e___ | FAB-12H | 7, 1% = TCL3A- %, 2OORAASS - 94" 40 We [ FAB-12H | 7a, 1% = TCLSA-%, % ‘200RAASS - 15 Wa | FAB-13H| 7%, 1¥e = LCL4A- %, 56 ‘200RA4SS - 17 1e___[ FAB-13H | 7, 1¥e = TCL4A—%, 5 ‘BOORAAS3 ~ 20 We | FAB-1SH| 76, 1¥e = LCL4A-%, %, ‘200RA4S3 ~ 25 1% [FAB-ISH| 7, 1% = 2OORASS4 - V2" 30 1% [FAB-14H| ive, 196 | — ‘2OORASS4 - 2" 37.5 1% _[FAB14H | 1%, 1% | — LCL7A = ¥e", 56" 2O0RAGS4 - V2" () Over 20 Toot ran, use ore size larger pipe. (2) Addo type number of the FA8 valve the voltage, frequency and connection size, when ordering through Trane for direct shipment from Alco Controls Div. Example: FA8-12H, 230/60, 1¥4” ODF. (8) Not required when pumpdown is not used. * (ODM),