Innovative

Vapor-compression
Refrigeration Systems

Part-II

Dr. Waqas Khalid

Email: waqaskhalid@smme.nust.edu.pk

7-Mar-23 1
 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
• Multistage refrigeration systems are widely used where
ultra low temperatures are required.
• It, however, cannot be obtained economically through the
use of a single-stage system.
• This is due to the fact that the compression ratios are too
large to attain the temperatures required to evaporate and
condense the vapor.
• The purpose is achieved by employing cascade and multi-
staging concepts in the refrigeration system.
• The multistage system uses two or more compressors
connected in series in the same refrigeration system.
• The refrigerant becomes more dense vapor whilst it passes
through each compressor.
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 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
• Note that a two-stage system can attain a
temperature of approximately -65°C and a
three-stage about –100°C.
• It can be seen from the T-s diagram that for a
given condenser temperature, as evaporator
temperature decreases:
• Throttling losses increase
• Superheat losses increase
• Compressor discharge temperature increases
• Quality of the vapor at the inlet to the
evaporator increases
• Specific volume at the inlet to the compressor
increases

7-Mar-23 3
 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Fig. (2) Fig. (1)
• When the fluid used
throughout the cascade
refrigeration system
(Fig. 1) is the same, the
heat exchanger between
the stages can be
replaced by a chamber.
• This chamber is also
known as flash
chamber (6-7) in Fig. 2.

• This modified arrangement has better heat transfer characteristics

and is termed as Multistage Compression Refrigeration System.
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 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems

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 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Working:
• The liquid refrigerant
expands in the first
expansion valve (5-6)
to the flash chamber
pressure.
• It is the same as the
compressor inter-
stage pressure.
• Part of the liquid vaporizes during this process.
• This saturated vapor (state 3) is mixed with the superheated vapor
from the low-pressure compressor (state 2)
• Then the mixture enters the high-pressure compressor at state 9.

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 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Working:
• The saturated liquid
(state 7) expands
through the second
expansion valve (7-8)
into the evaporator,
where it picks up heat
from the refrigerated
space(8-9).
• Compression process in this system resembles
a two-stage compression with intercooling, resulting in decrease
in compressor work input.
Cation: Care should be exercised in the interpretations of the
areas on the T-s diagram in this case since the mass flow rates
are different in different parts of the cycle.
7-Mar-23 7
 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Fig. (2) Fig. (1)
• When the fluid used
throughout the cascade
refrigeration system
(Fig. 1) is the same, the
heat exchanger between
the stages can be
replaced by a chamber.
• This chamber is also
known as flash
chamber (6-7) in Fig. 2.

• This modified arrangement has better heat transfer characteristics

and is termed as Multistage Compression Refrigeration System.
7-Mar-23 8
 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Example: 11-5:
Consider a two-stage compression refrigeration
system operating between the pressure limits of 0.8
and 0.14 MPa. The working fluid is refrigerant-
134a. The refrigerant leaves the condenser as a
saturated liquid and is throttled to a flash chamber
operating at 0.32 MPa.
Part of the refrigerant evaporates during this
flashing process, and this vapor is mixed with the
refrigerant leaving the low-pressure compressor.
The mixture is then compressed to the condenser
pressure by the high-pressure compressor.
The liquid in the flash chamber is throttled to the
evaporator pressure and cools the refrigerated
space as it vaporizes in the evaporator.
7-Mar-23 9
 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Example: 11-5 (cont’):
Assuming the refrigerant leaves the
evaporator as a saturated vapor and both
compressors are isentropic, determine:

(a) Fraction of the refrigerant that

evaporates as it is throttled to the flash
chamber
(b) Amount of heat removed from the
refrigerated space and the compressor
work per unit mass of refrigerant
flowing through the condenser,
(c) Coefficient of performance.

7-Mar-23 10
 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Example: 11-5 cont’:
(a) The fraction of the refrigerant that evaporates as it is
throttled to the flash chamber is the quality at state 6:

(b) The amount of heat removed from the refrigerated space

(QL) and the compressor work input per unit mass of
refrigerant flowing through the condenser are:

The enthalpy at state 9 is determined from an energy balance

on the mixing chamber,

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 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Example: 11-5 cont’:

(c) The coefficient of performance is:

 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Example (cont’)

State Pressure Temperature Enthalpy Entropy Quality

(kPa) (ºC) (kJ/kg) (kJ/kg.ºC) (x)
1 140 -18.8 239.2 0.9446
2 320 - 256 0.9446
3 320 2.5 251.9 0.9301
4 800 - 274.4 0.9413
5 800 31.3 95.5 0.354
6 320 - 95.5 - 0.205
7 320 2.5 55.2 0.2165
8 140 - 55.2 -
9 320 - 255.1 0.9413

7-Mar-23 13
Innovative Vapor Compression Refrigeration Systems

• For efficiency improvement of VCRS, we had

identified the following modifications and
refinements:
• Cascade systems
• Multi-compression systems
• Multi-evaporator systems

• Two concepts which are normally integral to multi-

pressure systems are:
• Flash gas removal
• Intercooling

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 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems

7-Mar-23 15
 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Flash Gas Removal Using Flash Tank Flash
Chamber
• After refrigerant is condensed, it is passed Mixer

through an expansion valve (5-6) to reduce its

pressure to evaporator pressure.
• But during this process some of the liquid
converts to vapor again.
• This vapor is called Flash Gas, and is fed into
the Flash Chamber (6-7)
• Flash chamber is a device which separates liquid
from vapors.
• Only liquid is allowed to flow to the evaporator
and the vapors are sent to the mixer (3-9).
• From the mixer vapors are fed to the HP
compressor (9-4).
7-Mar-23 16
 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Flash Gas Removal Using Flash Tank
• The flash gas has to be compressed to condenser
pressure.
• It does not contribute to the refrigeration effect as it
is already in the form of vapor.
• It, however, increases the pressure drop in the
evaporator.
• To avoid vapor to enter the evaporator, a flash
chamber is used to remove the flash gas at an
intermediate pressure.
• Gravity is utilized in a vertical vessel to cause the
liquid to settle to the bottom of the vessel, where it
is withdrawn.

7-Mar-23 17
 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Flash Gas Removal Using Flash Tank
• To ensure perfect pressure reduction and maximum
liquid to be passed through evaporator, multiple
number of flash chambers can be used in Vapor
Compression Refrigeration System (VCRS) cycle.
• This flash chamber between the condenser and
evaporator is known as flash intercooling.

3
5

7
8

Working principle of the Flash Tank

8-Mar-23 18
 Multistage Refrigeration Systems
with Intercooling
• To achieve a high COP of a
refrigeration cycle, it is possible to
significantly increase the COP of a
basic cycle through the use of a
multistage vapor compression
cycle.
• This is especially true when the
pressure ratio between the heat
rejection and heat absorption
pressures is large (5 or more)

7-Mar-23 19
 Multistage Refrigeration Systems
with Intercooling
• Multi-staging involves:
• one or more intermediate pressures
between the heat rejection and heat
absorption pressures, and
• a series of compressors operating
between successive pressure intervals.
• Note that a two-stage refrigeration
systems can provide an evaporator
temperature of –65°C, and a three-
stage refrigeration systems can
achieve evaporator temperature of
–100°C.
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 Multistage Refrigeration Systems
with Intercooling
Flash Chamber as Intercooler:
• Vapor leaving the flash chamber at
state (3) is in saturated state that enters
the mixer.
• The superheated vapor from state (2)
also enters the mixer.
• The two streams are mixed in the
mixer such that T9 < T2 and fluid is
more dense at entry to the HP
compressor.
• This reduces the compressor work
input thereby increasing the efficiency.

7-Mar-23 21
 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Example:
R-134a is the working fluid in a multi-stage vapor-compression refrigeration cycle having a
flash chamber. The evaporator temperature is -25 ºC. Saturated liquid exits the condenser at
1100 kPa and passes through the first expansion valve to 400 kPa. Saturated vapor leaves the
flash chamber and is mixed with the refrigeration between the two compressors. The
refrigeration capacity is 15 tons. (1TR = 210 kJ/min). Determine:
(a)2 Refrigeration mass transfer rate through the evaporator, in kg/s
(b) Power input to each compressor, in kW
(c) Coefficient of performance
Solution:

𝑚2
𝑤𝑐2 = 4 9

𝑄𝐿
𝐶𝑂𝑃𝑅 = =
7-Mar-23 22
 Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
Example (cont’):

State Pressure Temperatur Enthalpy Entropy Quality

(kPa) e (ºC) (kJ/kg) (kJ/kg.ºC) (x)
1 106.3 -25 235.3 0.9505
2 400 16.1 262.3 0.9505
3 400 8.9 255.6 0.9271
4 1100 51.3 282 0.944
5 1100 46.3 117.8 0.4247
6 400 8.9 117.8 0.4386 0.281
7 400 8.9 64 0.2477
8 106.3 -25 64 0.26 0.2077
9 400 14.1 260.4 0.944

7-Mar-23 23
 Multipurpose Refrigeration Systems
with a Single Compressor
• Refrigeration at more than one
temperature, if required, can be
accomplished by using a separate
throttling valve and a separate
compressor for each evaporator
operating at different temperatures.
• But this scheme results in a bulky
unit that may be undesirable.
• Solution: all the exit streams from
the evaporators can be routed to a
single compressor that handles the
compression process for the entire
system.
 Multipurpose Refrigeration Systems
with a Single Compressor
• Most refrigerated goods have a
high water content, and the
refrigerated space must be
maintained above the ice point to
prevent freezing.
• If freezer compartment is
maintained at about -18oC, the
refrigerant should enter the
freezer at about -25oC
(reasonable T) to have heat
transfer at a reasonable rate in the
freezer.
 Multipurpose Refrigeration Systems
with a Single Compressor

• If a single expansion valve and evaporator were used, the

refrigerant would have to circulate in both compartments at about
–25oC.
• This would cause ice formation in the neighborhood of the
evaporator coils and dehydration of the produce.
 Multipurpose Refrigeration Systems
with a Single Compressor
• The problem of ice formation
can be eliminated by:
• throttling the refrigerant to a
higher pressure (4) (hence
higher temperature) for use
in the refrigerated space
• then throttling it again to
the minimum pressure (5)
for use in the freezer.
• The entire refrigerant leaving
the freezer compartment is
then compressed by a single
compressor to the condenser pressure.
 End

7-Mar-23 28