BAKIDAN, VENAROSE
CANAO, SHANIA CAROLINE S.
COOL AS A CUCUMBER – DESIGNING A REFRIGERATION SYSTEM
PART2
1. The refrigeration systems need to be able to keep the
warehouses at constant temperature. Discuss potential sources
of heat/heat transfer that could contribute to the overall
refrigeration load.
- The importance of monitoring warehouse temperature is to avoid
losses through spoilage and ensures that the shelf life of a product line
is maintained. One way to keep the warehouse at constant
temperature is to monitor whether the temperature and humidity in
the warehouse is ideal for the storage of products. If not, effective
measures should be taken. In this case, solar cooling is applicable.
Solar cooling is a system that can be used for refrigeration by
converting the heat from the sun into cooling. A solar cooling system
absorbs solar power and uses it in a thermally controlled cooling
process to reduce and regulate temperature for purposes such as
generating chilled water or conditioning air for a building. Through the
implementation of solar cooling system, not only it can minimize the
expense of the company, but it could also contribute to the efficiency
of the system.
2. Is your team going to use a single-stage or multi-stage
refrigeration system? Explain the reasons you selected this
option.
- After weighing the benefits and drawbacks of the two refrigeration
systems, we have decided that multi-stage refrigeration system will be
our new cooling system.
The advantages are as follows:
a. Since the plant need to take the one for frozen food down to −18°C
to keep the quality up, multistage compression is preferably
employed to avoid excessive discharge temperature and maintain
reasonable operating efficiencies.
b. In larger installations, multistage compression should be considered
for any evaporator temperature below 0°F.
c. Multi-stage systems are also used in applications requiring
refrigeration at different temperatures.
d. For low temperature applications involving high compression ratios,
and for wide temperature range requirements, it is preferable (due
to equipment design limitations) and often economical to employ
multi-stage reciprocating machines or centrifugal / screw
compressors.
e. One importance of implementing multi-stage compression system is
to prevent the occurrence of high compression ratios, which has the
advantages of decrease in the compression efficiency, increase in
the temperature of the refrigerant vapor from the compressor, and
increase in energy consumption per unit of refrigeration production.
As mentioned, single-stage systems performance shows that these
systems are sufficient as long as the temperature difference
between evaporator and condenser (temperature lift) is small.
However, like in frozen foods industries, the required evaporator can
be as low as -40°C. And as the temperature lift increases, the single-
stage systems become inefficient and impractical. That makes it more
convenient and practical for us to use the multistage refrigeration
system.
3. What information do you need to design the refrigeration system
that has not already been given to you? Where will you find this
information?
- The following information are need in designing a multi-staged
refrigeration system:
a. Refrigerant Type
b. Cooling Load of Refrigeration
c. Cooling Load of Freezing
d. Mass Flow Rates of Liquid and Vapor
e. Refrigeration Cycle Efficiency, COP
To design and analyze a refrigeration system, it is also important to
understand the four key components.
Point 1: between the evaporator and the compressor.
Point 2: as it leaves the compressor.
Point 3: when it leaves the condenser, before it enters into the expansion
valve.
Point 4: just after the expansion valve, before it enters into the
evaporator.
Thus, relationship between refrigerants temperature, entropy, pressure,
and enthalpy must be well understood.
REFERENCES:
Irjet.net. 2021. [online] Available at:
< https://www.irjet.net/archives/V2/i9/IRJET-V2I9197.pdf> [Accessed 19
April 2021]
Refrigeratordiagrams.com. 2021. Multistage Refrigeration Systems |
Refrigerator Troubleshooting Diagram [online] Available at:
http://www.refrigeratordiagrams.com/refrigeration-systems-and-
applications/refrigeration-cycles-and-systems/multistage-refrigeration-
systems.html [Accessed 19 April 2021]
