The Electronic Newsletter of The Industrial Refrigeration Consortium

Vol. 8 No. 4, 2008

BACK TO BASICS - D EFROST

In the last issue of the Cold Front (Vol. 8 No. 3) we reviewed basic mechanisms involved
with the accumulation of frost on air-cooling evaporators operating at low temperatures. In this
article, we focus on techniques for removing accumulated frost on air-cooling evaporators in
industrial refrigeration applications. Although we review alternative approaches to defrosting coils,
our focus is on the use of hot-gas for defrost – including sequences of operation during defrost. The
article concludes with a discussion of the parasitic energy effects associated with the defrost
process with an eye toward using this information to optimize systems.

The defrost techniques and valve group arrangements included in this article are common in
industrial ammonia refrigeration systems. Because of incidents that have occurred in the past,
alternative defrost approaches and valve group designs are being sought with the aim of improving
plant safety. Look for coverage of this topic in our next issue.

IRC Staff In This Issue

Director š Back to Basics - Defrost 1-13
Doug Reindl 608/265-3010
or 608/262-6381 š Upcoming Ammonia Classes 2
dreindl@wisc.edu
š Noteworthy 2
Assistant Director
Todd Jekel 608/265-3008
tbjekel@wisc.edu

Research Staff
Dan Dettmers 608/262-8221
djdettme@wisc.edu

IRC Contact Information Mailing Address

Toll-free 1-866-635-4721 1415 Engineering Drive
Phone 608/262-8220 Room 2342
FAX 608/262-6209 Madison, WI 53706-1607
e-mail info@irc.wisc.edu Web Address www.irc.wisc.edu

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 Vol. 8 No. 4, 2008

I
Introdu
uction
TThe accumullation of frosst on “forced d-circulation
n air U
Uppc
coom
miin
nggAAmmmmo
onniia
a
c
coolers” (ASHHRAE 2006) or “air-cooling evaporattors”
C
Coouur
rssees
es
r
results in a decrease
d in cooling
c capability; thereby,
r
requiring thee periodic reemoval of accumulated frostf
t avoid a co
to omplete loss of refrigeration capacitty. Process Safety Managemennt Audits
T removal of frost from
The m a coil is acccomplished d by January 14-1
16, 2009 Madison
n, WI
initiating a defrost proce ess. There are a numberr of
m
means availaable for defrrosting coils including: ho ot- Amm
monia Refrige
eration: Unc
covering
g electric, off-cycle, se
gas, econdary flu uid, water, annd Opportunitiees for Energ
gy Efficiency
c
continuous d
defrost throu ugh the use of sprayed liquid Improvemennts
February 11--13, 2009 Madison
n, WI
d
desiccants. W the excception of th
With he liquid
d
desiccant opption, all of these defrostt strategies Introduction to Ammonia Re
efrigeration
r
require interrrupting the coil’s normaal cooling mo ode March 4-6, 2009 Madison
n, WI
o
operation to
o allow it to be
b warmed for f frost rem moval
b melting.
by Amm
monia Refrige
eration Systtem Safety
April 7-9, 200
09 Madison
n, WI

EElectric defro ost relies on the use of resistance

r Dessign of NH3 Refrigeration
R n Systems fo
or
h
heating elem ments interlaaced through hout the coill to Peak Perform
mance and Efficiency
E
w
warm the co oil surfaces sufficiently too melt September 21-25,
2 2009 Madison
n, WI
a
accumulated d frost. For evaporators
e operating inn
Introduction to Ammonia Re
efrigeration
s
spaces with aira temperattures above freezing (e.g. October 7-9, 2009 Madison
n, WI
c
coolers > 38°°F [3.3°C]), heat
h from the room air can
c
b used to melt
be m accumulated frost by b cycling offf the Prinnciples & Practices of Me echanical
r
refrigerant feeed while co ontinuing to operate thee Integrity forr Industrial Refrigeration
R
f
fans. Second dary fluid de efrost involvees the use of a Systems
s
separate fluid circuit witthin the evap porator. A warm
w November 4--6, 2009 Madison
n, WI
s
secondary fluuid is circulaated throughh the “defrosst” Inte
ermediate Am
mmonia Refrigeration
c to raise the
coil t evaporator’s surfacee temperatu ure December 3--5, 2009 Madison
n, WI
a melt acccumulated frrost. In a ho
and ot-gas defrosst,
h pressure superheatted refrigerant vapor is
high Seee www.irc.wis
sc.edu/educaation/ for morre
inforrmation.
d
directed to the coil to waarm and meelt the
a
accumulated d frost. For industrial
i reffrigeration
s
systems, thee use of hot-ggas is the mo ost widely used
t
technique fo
or defrost. Each of thesee strategies
o
offers advantages and disadvantages as highligh hted
in Table 1.

Noteworthy
š Markk your calenda he 2009 IR
ars now for th RC R&T Fo
orum (May 13-14,
1 2009) in
Madison.
š Sendd items of note wsletter to To
e for next new odd Jekel wisc.edu.
l, tbjekel@w

2
 Vol. 8 No. 4, 2008

Table 1: Advantages and disadvantages of various defrost alternatives.

Defrost Applications Advantages Disadvantages

Approach
Widely used in all š Able to achieve effective š Increased safety risks due to
industrial and defrosts hydraulic hammering from vapor-
commercial refrigeration propelled liquid slugs if defrost
š Utilizes lower grade of
systems (direct- sequences are not properly
energy (“waste heat” from
refrigerant) managed and proper piping
the refrigeration system
practices not implemented
Hot-gas itself)
š Extremely high pressures (for CO2
š Can be effective at
refrigerant)
scavenging and returning
oil that may have š Increased parasitic energy
accumulated in an consumption with improper valve
evaporator group design and mis-adjustment
Used in some š Decreased risk of damage š Poor use of high grade primary
commercial refrigeration from events such as energy (electricity)
systems and in industrial hydraulic hammer
š High maintenance due to frequent
refrigeration systems
Electric š Minimizes parasitic load failure of resistance heating
where CO2 is used as a
elements
cascade refrigerant or š Avoid extreme refrigerant-
secondary loop phase side pressure (CO2 š Not effective at removing oil
change fluid refrigerants) accumulation from evaporators
Used in industrial and š Efficient means of defrost š Not relevant in applications where
commercial refrigeration space temperatures are below
š Simple implementation
systems for spaces freezing
Off-cycle operating above freezing š Inherently safe
š Not effective at removing oil
point
š Lower capital and accumulation from evaporators
maintenance costs
Found in some low š Applies heat directly to the š Difficult to apply during “defrost on
temperature freezing accumulated frost the fly” for low temperature
systems where defrost is applications
š The defrost process may be
Water integrated into the
integrated into a normal š Not effective at removing oil
normal clean-up
sanitation cycle accumulation from evaporators
operations
š Extremely high water usage
An alternative to electric š Efficient means of defrost š Additional secondary fluid system
defrost in CO2 cascade and circuiting
š Conceptually simple
Secondary fluid and secondary phase
š Not effective at removing oil
(indirect) change systems š Avoids risks of hydraulic
accumulation from evaporators
hammering on refrigerant-
side of coil

Because of its widespread use, our focus in this article will be on the use of hot-gas for coil defrosting.
Let’s first look at the steps involved with executing a typical sequence for defrost then we explore
energy considerations associated with the entire cooling & defrost processes.

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 Vol. 8 No. 4, 2008

Defrost Sequence of Control

Once it has been determined that a coil requires defrosting, a control sequence is triggered to initiate
and complete the defrost process. The following individual steps are typical of the sequences used for
defrosting forced air circulation evaporators.

STEP 1: PUMP-OUT
The pump-out period is used to prepare the coil for receiving hot-gas. The purpose of the pump-out
period is to evaporate the residual cold liquid refrigerant contained within the coil prior to supplying
hot-gas to the coil. By removing residual liquid refrigerant, the hot-gas will more quickly and
completely melt accumulated frost.

The pump-out period begins by commanding closed the evaporator’s liquid feed solenoid valve while
the suction stop valve remains open and the unit’s fans operate as shown in Figure 1. Heat from
the fan motors and room (or product) causes residual liquid refrigerant within the coil to evaporate
and return to the engine room via the connected suction line.

[Closed] Bleed Hand

Solenoid valve Suction Stop
Pilot Solenoid
Pilot Pressure Mode Valve(s) Positio
[Closed]
Regulator
Suction stop valve Open

Suction stop pilot

Closed
Suction Stop [Open] solenoid
Valve Wet Suction Return
Pump- Bleed solenoid Closed
Liquid Feed out
Solenoid [Closed] Liquid feed solenoid Closed
Pumped
Liquid Supply Soft gas solenoid Closed
Soft Gas
Hot gas solenoid Closed
Solenoid
[Closed] Hot Gas
Solenoid [Evaporator fans – on]
[Closed]

Regulated hot gas

Defrost return (medium pressure)

A4AK
Defrost condensate
Defrost relief
regulator
Recirculated liquid/vapor
return

Recirculated liquid supply

Defrost hot gas supply

Figure 1: Valve positions and fan operation during pump-out for a typical liquid overfed coil.

The amount of time scheduled for pump-out will vary from an extremely short duration, as typical for
gravity flooded recirculation and direct-expansion unit designs (0-5 minutes), to a longer period for
liquid overfed unit designs (10 to 20 minutes). The short pump-out period for a gravity flooded
evaporator is made possible because the low refrigerant-side pressure drop of the coil allows any
residual liquid refrigerant (and liquid condensate) to be readily cleared when hot-gas is supplied to the

4

coil for defrost. The direct-expansion coil design
requires a short pump-out period because its
normal liquid refrigerant inventory within the unit
during cooling mode operation is low. Liquid
overfed coil designs require a longer pump-out
period due to a combination of effects. First, the
liquid refrigerant inventory within the coil is
higher compared to a direct-expansion
evaporator. Second, the refrigerant-side coil
pressure drop is relatively high due to the
presence of “button” orifices located within each
circuit on the refrigerant feed-side of the coil
(typical for mechanically-pumped overfed
designs).
Because a longer pump-out period is required for
overfed coil designs, it is natural to ask “how long
of a pump-out period is sufficient?” It should be
long enough to evaporate the majority of residual
liquid in the coil but not too long in order to avoid
parasitic heat load effects to the space served by
the unit. The parasitic heat load effects arise
because the supply of liquid refrigerant to the coil
has been interrupted and the evaporator’s fans
30
Cooling capacity during pump-out
25
cooling capacity [ton]
20
15
10
0
0 2
Figure 2: Coil capacity decrease during pump-out (Aljuwayhel 2006).
Vol. 8 No. 4, 2008
continue to run (which adds heat to the space).
In addition, longer pump-out periods extend the
time the unit is unavailable to meet space loads.
Aljuwayhel, et al. (2008) reported extensive
data collected on a field-installed evaporator
unit located in a penthouse for a low
temperature holding freezer. The coil in this
particular unit has a rated capacity of 37 tons
(130 kWt). The unit has five fans that deliver
60,000 CFM (102,000 m3/hr) of air during
cooling mode operation but that result in
approximately 5 tons (17.6 kWt) of parasitic
heat load during fan operation. Data were
collected on the unit’s refrigeration capacity
during the pump-out period and the unit’s
decrease in capacity over five separate pump-
out cycles is shown in Figure 2. At the end
of the 20 minute pump-out period, the coil’s
capacity has decreased to a level approaching a
break-even capacity to just meet the fan heat
gain.
A pump-out period longer than 20 minutes is
usually not required. Shorter pump-out periods
4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Time [min]
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 Vol. 8 No. 4, 2008

should be validated by observing the frost melt pattern on the coil during the hot-gas supply period of
the defrost sequence. Assuming the coil is top-fed with hot-gas, an adequate pump-out period is
likely established when the bottom rows of the coil completely release their frost during the hot-gas
dwell period and when no audible effects of hydraulic hammering are observed on the coil and its
connected piping during the early part of the hot-gas supply period.

STEP 2: SOFT-GAS
The use of a soft-gas step in the defrost sequence is recommended for coils with capacities of 15 tons
(53 kWt) or greater (Briley 2004). The soft-gas period of the defrost sequence begins by cycling off the
evaporator fans and actuating the pilot solenoid for the suction stop valve. The pilot solenoid applies
hot-gas pressure to the top of the suction stop valve’s piston forcing the valve closed (typically a CK2
or CK5 type valve).

With the coil now isolated from the system’s suction pressure, a small ported (e.g. ½”) “soft-gas
solenoid valve” is opened to allow a low flow rate of hot-gas into the coil via the drain pan warming
circuit; thereby, slowly raising the pressure of refrigerant in the coil. The soft-gas cycle is intended to
reduce the risk of hydraulic hammer that can occur on the coil itself or connected piping by reducing
the pressure difference between the coil and the hot-gas main. The reduced pressure difference will
decrease the rapid in-rush of hot-gas when the larger main hot-gas solenoid opens. Briley (2004)
recommends sizing the soft-gas solenoid at 20-25% of the main hot-gas solenoid valve.

Figure 3 shows the valve positions and the evaporator fan state during the soft-gas period. In
many installations, the soft-gas dwell time is set to last for a period ranging from 2 to 4 minutes.

[Closed] Bleed Hand

Solenoid valve Suction Stop
Pilot Solenoid
Pilot Pressure Mode Valve(s) Position
[Open]
Regulator
Suction stop valve Closed

Suction stop pilot

Open
Suction Stop [Closed] solenoid
Valve Wet Suction Return
Bleed solenoid Closed
Liquid Feed Soft gas
Solenoid [Closed] Liquid feed solenoid Closed
Pumped
Liquid Supply Soft gas solenoid Open
Soft Gas
Hot gas solenoid Closed
Solenoid
[Open] Hot Gas
Solenoid [Evaporator fans – off]
[Closed]

Regulated hot gas

Defrost return (medium pressure)

A4AK
Defrost condensate
Defrost relief
regulator
Recirculated liquid/vapor
return

Recirculated liquid supply

Defrost hot gas supply

Figure 3: Valve positions and fan operation during the soft-gas period for a typical liquid overfed coil.

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 Vol. 8 No. 4, 2008
Soft gas dwell periods up to 20 minutes may be required for larger evaporators or applications
having large operating pressure differences between the hot-gas main and the evaporator. The
soft-gas dwell period is adjusted to raise the evaporator pressure to approximately 35-40 psig (2.4-
2.75 barg) before moving to the next mode in the sequence of defrost operation.

It should be noted that not all evaporators have a soft-gas solenoid. While it is beneficial for all
evaporators, it is more common on larger capacity evaporators.

STEP 3: HOT-GAS
Thus far, the individual segments of the defrost sequence have focused on preparing the coil to
receive hot-gas in order to melt the accumulated frost. In this portion of the defrost sequence, the
larger “hot-gas solenoid” opens to deliver hot-gas first through the coil’s drain pan and then the
evaporator coil as shown in Figure 4. During the hot-gas supply period, the smaller soft-gas
solenoid can either remain open or close since the majority of gas flow will now occur through the
main hot-gas valve.

[Closed] Bleed Hand

Solenoid valve Suction Stop
Pilot Solenoid
Pilot Pressure Mode Valve(s) Positio
[Open]
Regulator
Suction stop valve Closed

Suction stop pilot

Open
Suction Stop [Closed] solenoid
Valve Wet Suction Return
Bleed solenoid Closed
Liquid Feed Hot gas
Solenoid [Closed] Liquid feed solenoid Closed
Pumped
Liquid Supply Soft gas solenoid Closed
Soft Gas
Hot gas solenoid Open
Solenoid
[Closed] Hot Gas
Solenoid [Evaporator fans – off]
[Open]

Regulated hot gas

Defrost return (medium pressure)

A4AK
Defrost condensate
Defrost relief
regulator
Recirculated liquid/vapor
return

Recirculated liquid supply

Defrost hot gas supply

Figure 4: Valve positions and fan operation during the hot-gas period for a typical liquid overfed coil.

As high-pressure superheated refrigerant vapor flows first through the piping in the drain pan circuit
and then into the coil, the high pressure vapor condenses as it gives up its latent heat to warm both
the drain pan and the evaporator coil surfaces. A warm drain pan will help prevent re-freezing of
the water draining from the coil to the pan. As the coil surfaces warm, the accumulated layer of
frost will begin to melt – flowing by gravity down the coil and into the pan before leaving the unit
through a drain line. The condensed liquid refrigerant is directed from the coil to a lower pressure

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 Vol. 8 No. 4, 2008

level in the plant through a “defrost relief regulating valve.” The defrost relief regulator is factory set at
a user-specified pressure – usually 70-90 psig (4.8-6.2 barg) (equivalent to a saturation temperature of
47-58°F [8-14°C] for ammonia). The defrost relief regulator will modulate its position to maintain the
evaporator at the regulator’s pressure setting and it will fully reseat at the conclusion of the hot-gas
dwell period. A check valve is required on the outlet of the defrost relief regulator when the defrost
condensate return is piped to a suction pressure higher than the evaporator’s normal operating
pressure.

How long should I set the hot-gas supply period? The dwell period of the hot-gas supply needs to be
sufficient to allow all the accumulated frost on the coil to melt but not excessive to avoid creating a
parasitic heat load both external (to the space) and internal (to the refrigeration system) by returning
uncondensed hot-gas back to suction through the defrost relief regulator. Aljuwayhel (2006) collected
data on a penthouse-mounted evaporator during both cooling mode and defrost mode of operation.
For the evaporator defrost control as-found, the hot-gas dwell period was 40 minutes. Figure 5
shows both model-predicted and field-measured average air temperatures within the penthouse during
the hot-gas and subsequent bleed periods of the defrost sequence. In this situation, the coil was
completely cleared of accumulated frost in less than 11 minutes during the hot-gas supply; however,
the actual hot-gas dwell time lasted for 40 minutes. Within 15 minutes of the main hot-gas valve
opening, the average penthouse air temperature reached a balmy 68°F (20°C) and that temperature
was maintained for 25 of the 40 minutes which suggests that the continued supply of hot-gas to the coil
was not resulting in the full condensing of the refrigerant vapor. Rather, a significant portion of the
hot-gas was flowing back to suction and creating a parasitic load (internal) on the compressors. The
parasitic effect of excessive hot-gas dwell periods presents an opportunity for improving the system’s
energy efficiency by simply modifying the hot-gas dwell period.

Figure 5: Measured and predicted average penthouse air temperatures during hot-gas defrost and bleed periods
(Aljuwayhel 2006).

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 Vol. 8 No. 4, 2008

STEP 4: BLEED
At the conclusion of the hot-gas dwell period, a “bleed” or “equalize” sequence is initiated. During
the bleed period, the hot-gas solenoid valve (and soft-gas solenoid if open) is closed and a small
“bleed solenoid valve” opens to slowly depressurize the coil by relieving the pressure in the coil
back to suction. The bleed solenoid valve is typically 3-4 sizes smaller than the main suction stop
valve but not less than ½” (Hansen 2006). An optional hand valve in the bleed line can be used to
field-adjust the rate of coil depressurization as shown in Figure 6.

[Open] Bleed Hand

Solenoid valve Suction Stop
Pilot Solenoid
Pilot Pressure Mode Valve(s) Positio
[Open]
Regulator
Suction stop valve Closed

Suction stop pilot

Open
Suction Stop [Closed] solenoid
Valve Wet Suction Return
Bleed solenoid Open
Liquid Feed Bleed
Solenoid [Closed] Liquid feed solenoid Closed
Pumped
Liquid Supply Soft gas solenoid Closed
Soft Gas
Hot gas solenoid Closed
Solenoid
[Closed] Hot Gas
Solenoid [Evaporator fans – off]
[Closed]

Regulated hot gas

Defrost return (medium pressure)

A4AK
Defrost condensate
Defrost relief
regulator
Recirculated liquid/vapor
return

Recirculated liquid supply

Defrost hot gas supply

Figure 6: Valve positions and fan operation during the bleed period for a typical liquid overfed coil.

A bleed period is necessary, particularly on large coils (with capacities greater than 15 tons [53
kWt]), to prevent what would be a very rapid depressurization of the coil when the suction stop
valve opens. Rapid coil depressurization increases the potential for hydraulic hammering to the coil
itself and the connected suction piping. The bleed period also prevents rapid swings in suction
pressure and compressor loading that would normally result as the engine room responds to
maintain a constant suction pressure. The duration of the bleed period is installation-dependent
and should be adjusted so no audible hammering occurs and the time is sufficient to decrease the
coil pressure to within 10 psid (70 kPa) or less of the normal cooling mode evaporator pressure.
Generally, the bleed period will last 5-10 minutes.

At the conclusion of the bleed period, the suction stop pilot solenoid is de-energized to allow the
main valve to open. As configured in the evaporator schematics, the pilot pressure regulator
located in a branch line taken from the suction side of the coil will hold the main suction stop valve
for the coil closed until the set pressure of the pilot regulator is reached. This pilot regulator should
be set to a pressure difference no greater than 10 psid (70 kPa). The addition of this valve (and
other valve designs that provide similar function) is a critical safety measure to avoid hydraulic
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 Vol. 8 No. 4, 2008

hammer that is likely to occur from a rapid opening of the suction stop valve when the coil is under
pressure. It is important to note that if the bleed period is too short, the coil pressure will remain
high and the suction stop valve will be held closed for an extended period of time by the pilot
pressure regulator bleeding pressure from coil to the top of the suction stop valve’s piston. If the
suction stop valve does not open, it becomes impossible to prepare the coil for re-chilling.

At first glance, it appears that the small pilot regulator is redundant since the bleed solenoid
provides the slow depressurization of the coil to within 10 psid (or less) (70 kPa) of normal
evaporator pressure. This is true under normal circumstances; however, the rapid opening of the
suction stop valve will occur if the coil is in the hot-gas dwell period and a power outage occurs
causing all solenoids to go to their normal positions. In this situation the suction stop pilot solenoid
(which is holding the suction stop valve closed by pressurizing the top of the valve’s piston) will close;
thereby, allowing the suction stop valve to rapidly open as it returns to its normal position. The net
result is an increased likelihood of hydraulic hammering with the risk of failure of the evaporator or
connected piping. In the next Cold Front, we will discuss causes of both hydraulic hammer and
condensation-induced shock that can lead to catastrophic failures and techniques for their
prevention.

STEP 4: RE-CHILL
With the coil depressurized and the suction stop valve open, it is ready to return to refrigeration
mode. In the re-chill mode, the liquid feed solenoid is opened to allow cold liquid refrigerant to flow
into the coil. Early in the re-chill period, the cold liquid supply will more rapidly evaporate as it
absorbs heat from the coil mass as it reduces the coil temperature. The fans on the unit will usually
remain off. Some plants will short-cycle (bump) the fans on and off to allow any remaining water on
the external surfaces of the coil to re-freeze while preventing the carryover of liquid water into the
space that would normally occur if the fans were allowed to run at their full flow. Figure 7 shows
the valve positions during the re-chill period which generally lasts 3-5 minutes.

Now that we have discussed the sequences of operation associated with initiating defrost of an air-
cooling evaporator, let’s look at the energy consequences of this process.

Net Cooling Optimization

As we discussed in the last issue of the Cold Front, the accumulation of frost on a coil
progressively decreases its cooling capacity; thereby, necessitating a defrost cycle. The defrost cycle
itself is a source of efficiency loss to the system but necessary to restore the coil’s capacity by
removing the accumulated frost. This fact raises the question: What is the appropriate balance
between tolerating the capacity loss for accumulated frost and the parasitic load effects attributable
to the defrost cycle? Figure 8 is an illustration of the time-dependent energy flows associated
with the operation of a forced air circulation evaporator for both cooling mode and defrost mode
operation. The operation of the coil from point a to b is reflective of the diminishing cooling capacity
of the unit due to frosting during normal cooling mode operation. At point b the pump-out period
begins and the unit’s capacity drops rapidly as the coil is “starved” and the residual refrigerant within
the coil is removed by evaporation. Following the pump-out period, the coil’s capacity actually
becomes negative (it is heating rather than cooling) as hot-gas is supplied to warm the coil and melt
accumulated frost. After the hot-gas flow is terminated (point c), the coil will gradually cool down
during re-chill until it reaches the point at which it can begin normal cooling mode operation (point
d).
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 Vol. 8 No. 4, 2008

[Open] Bleed Hand

Solenoid valve Suction Stop
Pilot Solenoid
Pilot Pressure Mode Valve(s) Positio
[Closed]
Regulator
Suction stop valve Open

Suction stop pilot

Closed
Suction Stop [Open] solenoid
Valve Wet Suction Return
Bleed solenoid Open
Liquid Feed Re-chill
Solenoid [Open] Liquid feed solenoid Open
Pumped
Liquid Supply Soft gas solenoid Closed
Soft Gas
Hot gas solenoid Closed
Solenoid
[Closed] Hot Gas
Solenoid [Evaporator fans – Off]
[Closed]

Regulated hot gas

Defrost return (medium pressure)

A4AK
Defrost condensate
Defrost relief
regulator
Recirculated liquid/vapor
return

Recirculated liquid supply

Defrost hot gas supply

Figure 7: Valve positions and fan operation during the re-chill period for a typical liquid overfed coil.

a
d

Coil initial
condition (no b
frost)
Evaporator capacity

Coil capacity
decreases as frost
continues to form

Coil capacity drops rapidly as refrigerant flow is stopped

and the “pump out” process proceeds preparing the coil
for defrost

time
Parasitic energy is attributed to warming the coil
mass and both sensible and latent losses to the
space

Hot gas defrost terminates and coil
begins to cool down
c
Coil transitions from a temperature
warmer than the space to a
temperature cooler than the space
so useful refrigeration is now
restored

Figure 8: An illustration of the time-dependent energy flows for cooling mode and defrost mode of operation
(Note: this graphic is not to scale in either capacity or time) (adapted from Aljuwayhel 2006b).

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 Vol. 8 No. 4, 2008

Net cooling optimization aims to maximize the integrated heat removal capability of the evaporator
during an entire operational cycle: cooling mode to defrost and back to cooling mode. This integrated
heat removal capacity is represented by the blue shaded region in Figure 8. The red hatched area
above the operating capacity line represents the integrated cooling deficit below the coil’s rated
capacity due to both frost accumulation and the fact that the coil is unavailable during the actual
defrost sequence. The red shaded portion of the illustration below the line of zero coil capacity
represents the parasitic effects of the coil actually heating the space during the hot-gas dwell period.
Aljuwayhel (2006) explored the prospect of optimizing the entire cooling and defrost mode operation –
i.e. maximizing the blue shaded portion under the cooling curve shown in Figure 8.

Aljuwayhel defined a dimensionless Defrost Number as:

Vcondensate
Defrost number [ ]
Amin º Ld
where Vcondensate (ft3) represents the volume of water condensate produced at the conclusion of a
defrost cycle, Amin (ft2) represents the minimum area available for air to flow through the coil (coil face
area minus the fin face area and the tube projected area) and Ld (ft) represents the depth of the coil in
the direction of air flow. Aljuwayhel found that a Defrost number of 0.03 yielded a maximum in net
cooling capacity. Figure 9 shows the net cooling optimization results using “Overall system
efficiency” as a figure of merit over a range of space latent loads.

Figure 9: Net cooling optimization results (Aljuwayhel 2006).

Aljuwayhel defines the overall system efficiency as the ratio of the actual integrated evaporator coil
cooling capacity to the ideal cooling capacity during an entire operational cycle. The ideal cooling
capacity is assumed to be equivalent to the coil’s clean capacity maintained during the entire cycle.
Aljuwayhel found that the Defrost number was a useful figure of merit because it scales the volume of
water condensate a coil produced during defrost to the volume of frost the coil is capable of holding.
The finding of net cooling optimization for a Defrost number of 0.03 translates to a coil accumulating

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 Vol. 8 No. 4, 2008

approximately 3% of a representative volume before initiating a defrost sequence. Techniques to field-

measure the Defrost number will be discussed in a future edition of the Cold Front.

Conclusions
In this article, we review the basic sequences of operation for defrosting forced-air cooling evaporators.
The most common defrost sequence involves five steps including: pump-out, soft-gas, hot-gas, bleed,
and re-chill modes. Some of these steps may be omitted from defrost sequences based on the coil’s
refrigerant feed configuration or size. A key consideration in field-tuning defrost sequence time
settings is obtaining both a functional defrost but one that does not result in audible hammering of the
coil or its connected piping. We also introduced some key features relating to the function of the
suction stop valve to prevent its rapid opening when there is greater than a 10 psi (or lower) (70 kPa)
pressure difference between the evaporator and suction.

There is an opportunity to improve the energy performance of many defrosting evaporators. One of
the easiest adjustments to consider for improving the efficiency of the defrost process is the
adjustment of the hot-gas dwell period. In general, hot-gas dwell periods in excess of 15 minutes in
duration may be candidates for efficiency improvement by decreasing the dwell period. The concept of
net cooling optimization is introduced. Net cooling optimization involves maximizing the time-
dependent heat extraction capability of an air-cooling evaporator during both cooling and defrost
modes. Aljuwayhel found that a Defrost number of 0.3 yielded optimum performance.

References
Aljuwayhel, N.F., Reindl, D.T. Klein, S.A., Nellis, G.F., “Experimental investigation of the performance of
industrial evaporator coils operating under frosting conditions”, International Journal of
Refrigeration, Volume 31, No. 1, pp. 98-106, (2008).
Aljuwayhel, N.F., “Numerical and Experimental Study of the Influence of Frost Formation and Defrosting
on the Performance of Industrial Evaporator Coils”, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
(2006).
Aljuwayhel, N.F., “Optimizing Air-Cooling Evaporators”, presented at the IRC Research and Technology
Forum, Madison, WI, (2006b).
ASHRAE, ASHRAE Handbook - Refrigeration, Chapter 42, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and
Air conditioning Engineers, Atlanta GA, (2006).
Briley, G. C., “Optimizing Defrost Systems, Part 3”, Process Cooling and Equipment, January (2004).
Hansen Technologies, “Collection of Instructions, Hansen Technologies Corporation, pg. 78, Burr Ridge,
IL (2006).

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