REPORT ON

CASCADING REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

Submitted by: Abinash Kalita (16/109)

Bhargav Hazarika (16/140)
Abhishek Roy (16/150)
Yogesh Kumar Karn (16/306)

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Assam Engineering College, Jalukbari-13

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sl No Title Page No
1 Introduction 3
2 Working of a Cascading System 3-5
3 Refrigerant Used In Cascade Refrigeration System 5
4 Advantages Of Cascade Refrigeration System 6
5 Benefits Of The CO2 / NH3 Cascade System Over 6 - 7
Ammonia
System
6 Disadvantages Of Cascade Refrigeration System 7-8
7 Applications Of Cascade Refrigeration System 8

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INTRODUCTION:
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. The schematic view
and the P-h diagram of this system are shown below. 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.

WORKING OF A CASCADING SYSTEM:

 The lower temperature cycle provides the desired refrigeration effect at a
relatively low temperature. The condenser in the lower-temperature cycle
is thermally coupled to the evaporator in the higher-temperature cycle.
Thus, the evaporator in the higher cycle only serves to extract the heat
released by the condenser in the lower cycle. Then this heat is rejected into
the ambient air or a water stream in the condenser of the higher cycle.
 A cascade refrigeration system can operate with a lower evaporating
temperature, smaller compression ratio and higher compressor volumetric
efficiency when compared with a single-stage refrigeration system.
However, it is more expensive to build and more complicated than a
single-stage system. Moreover, the overlap of the condensing temperature
of the lower cycle and the evaporating temperature of the higher cycle,
which is caused by the heat transfer between the 2 cycles, reduces the
efficiency of a cascade system.

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For a two refrigerant cascade system, the process is as follows:

 Refrigerant in Low temperature circuit (LTC ) enters the compressor as a

saturated vapour after extracting the heat from the space to be cooled and as
it gets compressed, the temperature and pressure increases (points 2-3).
After exiting the compressor , the refrigerant passes through the cascade
condenser (points 3-4)where heat is transferred to the evaporator of the high
temperature circuit owing to the presence of Temperature of approach(i.e. 5
K).Finally, the refrigerant enters the throttling valve, gets expanded(points
4-1) and the cycle repeats itself.

 The refrigerant in the high temperature circuit gets evaporated (points 5-6) in
the cascade condenser and passes through the HTC compressor. The
refrigerant then passes through the HTC condenser where heat is released
causing the refrigerant to cool (points 7-8).The refrigerant then passes
through the HTC throttling valve, where the fluid expands losing
temperature (points 8-5).

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  The refrigerating effect is created only in the evaporator of the low
temperature circuit. The cascade refrigeration operates the same as a regular
refrigeration unit except for the second stage of operation.

 As a result of cascading, it is possible to operate at achievable pressure ratio

in compressor and higher volumetric efficiency.

REFRIGERANTS USED IN CASCADE REFRIGERATION SYSTEM:

Various refrigerants can be and are used in cascade systems, with R-12, R-22, or
R-502 frequently used in the high stage. The absolute pressures required to obtain
evaporating temperatures below -80°F with R- 12, R-22, and R-502 are so low that
the specific volume of the refrigerant becomes very high, and the resulting
compressor displacement requirement is so great that the use of these refrigerants
in the low stage becomes uneconomical.

R-13, ethane, and a new refrigerant, R-23/13 (R-503) are frequently used for low
stage applications. R-13 is commonly used for evaporating temperatures in the -
100°F to -120°F range since its pressure at those evaporating temperatures is such
that its use is practical with commonly available refrigeration compressors.

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ADVANTAGES OF CASCADE REFRIGERATION SYSTEM:

 Since each cascade uses a different refrigerant, it is possible to select a

refrigerant that is best suited for that particular temperature range. Very high
or very low pressures can be avoided.
• Migration of lubricating oil from one compressor to the other is prevented.
• Using a cascade system the power consumption could be reduced by about
9.5 %.
• More importantly, in actual systems, the compared to the single stage
system, the compressors of cascade systems will be operating at much
smaller pressure ratios, yielding high volumetric and isentropic efficiencies
and lower discharge temperatures. Thus cascade systems are obviously
beneficial compared to single stage systems for large temperature lift
applications.
• The performance of the cascade system can be improved by reducing the
temperature difference for heat transfer in the evaporator, condenser and
cascade condenser, compared to larger compressors.

BENEFITS OF THE CO2 / NH3 CASCADE SYSTEM OVER

AMMONIA SYSTEM:

 Compressor size (or compressor swept volume) required for the CO2 low-
stage side is appreciably smaller as compared to the low-stage ammonia.

• The compression ratio required for the low-stage is much lower for CO2. It
is approximately 44 to 49% less compared to the ammonia booster stage.

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 The advantages of a lower compression ratio are better volumetric
efficiency, lower discharge gas temperature and higher adiabatic compression
efficiency.

• The COP (coefficient of performance) for the CO2 low stage compressor is
much higher compared to the ammonia compressor for the required operating
conditions.

• The discharge condition CO2 vapor has lower specific volume compared to
ammonia. Hence the discharge line size for a CO2 plant will be smaller
compared to similar capacity ammonia. This will also result in advantages of
lower piping, fittings and smaller size valves resulting in a further reduction in
the overall plant cost.

• Because of lower suction / wet return lines, lower size discharge line and a
smaller accumulator, the total first charge of refrigerant for such a CO2 / NH3
cascade system will be smaller than a conventional two-stage NH3 system.

The estimated total initial refrigerant charge requirement will be 60 to 70%

less as compared to a two-stage ammonia plant.

CO2 is approximately 37% cheaper than ammonia. Thus there will be an

additional benefit in future cost saving while replenishing the refrigerant.

DISADVANTAGES OF CASCADE REFRIGERATION SYSTEM :

• In actual systems a temperature difference between the condensing and

evaporating refrigerants has to be provided in the cascade condenser, which
leads to loss of efficiency.
• In addition, it is found that at low temperatures, superheating (useful or
useless) is detrimental from volumetric refrigeration effect point-of-view,
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 hence in cascade systems, the superheat should be just enough to prevent
the entry of liquid into compressor, and no more for all refrigerants.
• The large temp difference requires a large pressure difference.
• Compressors have low efficiencies for large pressure differences; this
results in low system efficiency.
• Higher efficiency results but also a higher first cost.

APPLICATIONS OF CASCADE REFRIGERATION SYSTEM:

• Liquefaction of petroleum vapours

• Liquefaction of industrial gases
• Manufacturing of dry ice
• Deep freezing etc.
• Used in industrial applications where quite low temperatures are required