Four different double-compression CO2 transcritical refrigeration cycles are studied: double-compression external intercooler cycle (DCEI), double-compression external intercooler cycle with an expander (DCEIE), double-compression flash intercooler cycle (DCFI), double-compression flash intercooler cycle with an expander (DCFIE). The results showed that the optimum gas cooler pressure and optimum intermediate pressure of the flash intercooler cycles are lower than that of the external intercooler cycle. The use of an expander in the DCEI cycle leads to a decrease of the optimum gas cooler pressure and little variation of the optimum intermediate pressure. However, the replacement of the throttle valve with an expander in the DCFI cycle results in little variation of the optimal gas cooler pressure and an increase of the optimum intermediate pressure. The DCFI cycle outperforms the DCEI cycle under all the chosen operating conditions. The DCEIE cycle outperforms the DCFIE cycle when the evaporating temperature exceeds 0 °C or the gas cooler outlet temperature surpasses 35 °C. When the gas cooler exit temperature varies from 32 °C to 48 °C, the DCEI cycle, DCEIE cycle, DCFI cycle and DCFIE cycle yield averaged 4.6%, 29.2%, 12.9% and 22.3% COP improvement, respectively, over the basic cycle.
This paper presents the experimental results the choked flow characteristics of a subcritical refrigerant through a converging-diverging nozzle. A test nozzle with a throat diameter of 2 mm was designed and developed. The influence of operating conditions on the choked flow characteristics, i.e., the pressure profile and mass flow rate under choked flow conditions are investigated. The results indicate that the choked flow occurs in the flow of subcritical refrigerant through nozzles under the normal working conditions of air-conditioners or heat pumps. The pressure drop near the throat is about 80% of the total pressure drop through the nozzle. The critical mass flux is about 19,800 ~ 24,000 kg/(s·m 2 ). The critical mass flow rate increases with increasing the upstream pressure and subcooling. Furthermore, the relative errors between the model predictions and the experimental results for the critical mass flux are also presented. It is found that the deviations of the predictions for homogeneous equilibrium model and Henry-Fauske model from the experimental values are −35% ~ 5% and 15% ~ 35%, respectively.
Abstract:The effect of the internal heat exchanger (IHE) on the performance of the transcritical carbon dioxide refrigeration cycle with an expander is analyzed theoretically on the basis of the first and second laws of thermodynamics. The possible parameters affecting system efficiency such as heat rejection pressure, gas cooler outlet temperature, evaporating temperature, expander isentropic efficiency and IHE effectiveness are investigated. It is found that the IHE addition in the carbon dioxide refrigeration cycle with an expander increases the specific cooling capacity and compression work, and decreases the optimum heat rejection pressure and the expander output power. An IHE addition does not always improve the system performance in the refrigeration cycle with an expander. The throttle valve cycle with IHE provides a 5.6% to 17% increase in maximum COP compared to that of the basic cycle. For the ideal expander cycle with IHE, the maximum COP is approximately 12.3% to 16.1% lower than the maximum COP of the cycle without IHE. Whether the energy efficiency of the cycle by IHE can be improved depends on the isentropic efficiency level of the expander. The use of IHE is only applicable in the cases of lower expander isentropic efficiencies or higher gas cooler exit temperatures for the refrigeration cycle with an expander from the view of energy efficiency. OPEN ACCESSEntropy 2014, 16 5920
Abstract:The performance characteristics of an ejector-expansion refrigeration cycle (EEC) using R32 have been investigated in comparison with that using R134a. The coefficient of performance (COP), the exergy destruction, the exergy efficiency and the suction nozzle pressure drop (SNPD) are discussed. The results show that the application of an ejector instead of a throttle valve in R32 cycle decreases the cycle's total exergy destruction by 8.84%-15.84% in comparison with the basic cycle (BC). The R32 EEC provides 5.22%-13.77% COP improvement and 5.13%-13.83% exergy efficiency improvement respectively over the BC for the given ranges of evaporating and condensing temperatures. There exists an optimum suction nozzle pressure drop (SNPD) which gives a maximum system COP and volumetric cooling capacity (VCC) under a specified condition. The value of the optimum SNPD mainly depends on the efficiencies of the ejector components, but is virtually independent of evaporating temperature and condensing temperature. In addition, the improvement of the component efficiency, especially the efficiencies of diffusion nozzle and the motive nozzle, can enhance the EEC performance.
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