MULTI-PRESSURE SYSTEM

Function

A simple vapor compression refrigeration system has one low side pressure (evaporator
pressure) and one high side pressure (condenser pressure). The performance of single
stage systems shows that these systems are adequate as long as the temperature difference
between evaporator and condenser (temperature lift) is small. However, there are many
applications where the temperature lift can be quite high. The temperature lift can
become large either due to the requirement of very low evaporator temperatures and/or
due to the requirement of very high condensing temperatures. On the high temperature
side, the required condensing temperatures can be very high if the refrigeration system is
used as a heat pump for heating applications such as process heating, drying etc.
However, as the temperature lift increases the single stage systems become inefficient
and impractical. Due to these drawbacks, single vapor compression refrigeration systems
are not recommended when the evaporator temperature becomes very low and/or when
the condenser temperature becomes high. In such cases, multipressure systems are used
in practice.

Multipressure system is essential for applications requiring refrigeration at different

temperatures. It is a refrigeration system that has two or more low side pressures. The
low side pressure is the pressure of the refrigerant between the expansion valve and the
intake of compressor.

Schematic diagram

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Application

An example is in a dairy plant wherein refrigeration may be required at –30oC for

making ice cream and at 2oC for chilling milk. In such cases it may be advantageous to
use a multi-pressure system with the low temperature evaporator operating at –30oC and
the high temperature evaporator operating at 2oC.

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 CASCADE SYSTEM

Function

The cascade refrigeration system is a freezing system that uses two kinds of
refrigerants having different boiling points, which run through their own
independent freezing cycle and are joined by a heat exchanger.

This system is employed to obtain temperatures of -40 to -80°C or ultra-low

temperatures lower than them. At such ultra-low temperatures, a common single-
refrigerant two-stage compression system limits the low-temperature
characteristics of the refrigerant to a considerably poor level, making the system
significantly inefficient. The efficiency is improved by combining two kinds of
refrigerants having different temperature characteristics.

Schematic diagram

Application

The use of the cascade system today has a wide variety of applications, ranging from
chilling of tools and parts for assembly, to the storage of hi-tech adhesive compounds
used in various industries. In the medical profession, cascade refrigeration will be found
in the storage of blood plasma, vaccines, specimens, bone banks, biological fluids
storage; the list goes on and on.

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 STEAM-JET REFRIGERATION

Function

In steam jet refrigeration systems, water can be used as the refrigerant. Like air, it is
perfectly safe. These systems were applied successfully to refrigeration. Steam jet
refrigeration system is preferable over conventional refrigeration system because it
employs a steam injector or booster instead of mechanical compressor to compress the
refrigerant to the required condenser pressure level, and water is used as the refrigerant;
environment is free of CFC’s and other refrigerants which produce harmful gases leading
to depletion of ozone layer. Temperatures attained using water as a refrigerant are in the
range that may satisfy air conditioning, cooling, or chilling requirements. This system is
the utilization of mostly low-grade energy and relatively small amounts of shaft work.

Steam-jet refrigeration system is a cooling technique that involves usage of steam and
water for cooling purposes. In normal conditions, pressure exerted on the surface of a
liquid is the atmospheric pressure. If this atmospheric pressure is reduced on the surface
of a liquid, by some means, then the liquid will start boiling at lower temperature,
because of reduced pressure. This basic principal of boiling of liquid at lower temperature
by reducing the pressure on its surface is used in steam-jet refrigeration system.

Schematic diagram

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Application

The vacuum cooling plants represent a specialty among the steam-jet refrigeration
systems. Vacuum cooling plants are used to cool a liquid directly without any additional
refrigerant by means of flashing into the vacuum. Other applications for this type of
refrigeration system are food processing plant, gas plants, breweries, rubber and
vulcanizing industries, and paper and pulp industries.

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 AIR-CYCLE REFRIGERATION
Function

Air cycle refrigeration systems belong to the general class of gas cycle refrigeration
systems, in which a gas is used as the working fluid. The gas does not undergo any phase
change during the cycle; consequently, all the internal heat transfer processes are sensible
heat transfer processes. This refrigeration system uses gas as their refrigerant,
compressing it and expanding it to create heating and cooling capacity.

Air cycle refrigeration works on the reverse Brayton or Joule cycle. Air is compressed
and then heat removed, this air is then expanded to a lower temperature than before it was
compressed. Work must be taken out of the air during the expansion, otherwise the
entropy would increase. Work is taken out of the air by an expansion turbine, which
removes energy as the blades are driven round by the expanding air. This work can be
usefully employed to run other devices, such as generators or fans. Often, though, it is
used to power a directly connected (bootstrap) compressor, which elevates the
compressed (hot) side pressure further without added external energy input, essentially
recycling the energy removed from the expanding air to compress the high pressure air
further. The increase in pressure on the hot side further elevates the temperature and
makes the air cycle system produce more useable heat (at a higher temperature). The cold
air after the turbine can be used as a refrigerant either directly in an open system, or
indirectly by means of a heat exchanger in a closed system.

The figure below shows the schematic diagram of a simple aircraft refrigeration system
and the operating cycle on T-s diagram. This is an open system. As shown in the T-s
diagram, the outside low pressure and low temperature air (state 1) is compressed due to
ram effect to ram pressure (state 2). During this process its temperature increases from 1
to 2. This air is compressed in the main compressor to state 3, and is cooled to state 4 in
the air cooler. Its pressure is reduced to cabin pressure in the turbine (state 5), as a result
its temperature drops from 4 to 5. The cold air at state 5 is supplied to the cabin. It picks
up heat as it flows through the cabin providing useful cooling effect. The power output
of the turbine is used to drive the fan, which maintains the required airflow over the air
cooler. This simple system is good for ground cooling (when the aircraft is not moving)
as fan can continue to maintain airflow over the air cooler.

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Schematic diagram

Application

Air-cycle refrigeration systems find applications in aircraft cabin cooling and also in the
liquefaction of various gases. In an aircraft, cooling systems are required to keep the
cabin temperatures at a comfortable level. Even though the outside temperatures are very
low at high altitudes, still cooling of cabin is required due to: solar radiation, large
internal heat generation due to occupants, equipment heat generation due to skin friction
caused by the fast moving aircraft.

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LINKS TO SOURCES:

https://www.rajagiritech.ac.in/Home/mech/Course_Content/Semester%20VII/ME%2040
5%20Refrigeration%20and%20Airconditioning/Module%203.pdf

https://www.slideshare.net/yurremm/refrigeration-system-2

http://www.rses.org/assets/serviceapplicationmanual/620-58a.pdf

http://www.nissin-ref.co.jp/english/product_blog/1-2.html

https://www.slideshare.net/hamzaaaaaah/steam-jet-cooling-system

https://nptel.ac.in/content/storage2/courses/112105129/pdf/RAC%20Lecture%209.pdf

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 REFRIGERATION

Research Paper

Submitted by: JIKNI J. NOBLE

Submitted to: MRS. MARILOU TOMENTOS

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

MULTI-PRESSURE SYSTEM………………………………………………………… 1

Function………………………………………………………………………………… 1

Schematic Diagram……………………………………………………….…….………..1

Application……………….……………………………………………….…….……..…2

CASCADE SYSTEM……………………………………………………………………3

Function………………………………………………………………………………… 3

Schematic Diagram……………………………………………………….…….………..3

Application……………….……………………………………………….…….……..…3

STEAM-JET REFRIGERATION……………………………………….……………… 4

Function………………………………………………………………….……………… 4

Schematic Diagram……………………………………………………….…….………..4

Application……………….……………………………………………….…….……..…5

AIR-CYCLE REFRIGERATION………………………………………….…………….6

Function…………………………………………………………………….…………….6

Schematic Diagram………………………………………………………….….………..7

Application……………….……………………………………………….…….……..…7

SOURCES…………….…………………………………………………….……………8

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