Figure 2.

5 Lithium-Bromide absorption refrigeration system

2.2 STEAM JET REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

2.20 Introduction

The stem jet refrigeration system (also known as ejector refrigeration system) is one
of the oldest methods of producing refrigerating effort. The basic components of this system
are an evaporator, components device, a condenser, and a refrigerant control device. This
system employs a steam ejector or booster (instead of mechanical compressor) to compress
the refrigerant to the required condenser pressure level. In this system, water is used as the
refrigerant. Since the freezing point of water is 0ºC. The stem jet refrigeration system is
widely used in food processing plants for pre cooling of vegetables and concentrating fruit
juices, gas plants, paper mills, breweries etc.

2.21 Principle of Steam Jet Refrigeration System

The boiling point of a liquid changes with change in external pressure. In normal
conditions, pressure exerted on the surface of any liquid is the atmospheric pressure. If this
atmospheric pressure is reduced on the surface of a liquid, by some means, then the liquid
will star boiling at lower temperature, because of reduced pressure. This basic principle of
boiling of liquid at lower temperature by reducing the pressure on its surface is used in steam
jet refrigeration system.

The boiling point of pure water at standard atmospheric pressure of 760 mm of Hg

(1.013 bar) is 100ºC. It may be noted that water boils at 12ºC if the pressure on the surface of
water is kept at 0.014 bar and at 7ºC if the pressure on the surface of water is 0.01 bar. The
reduced pressure on the surface of water is maintained by throttling the steam through the jets
or nozzles.

2.22 Water as a Refrigerant

We have already discussed that water is used as a reagent is steam jet refrigeration
system, and the cooling effect is produced by the continuous vaporization of a part of water
in the evaporator at reduced pressure. When water is to be chilled from 10ºC to 5ºC, at least
one per cent of water flowing through the evaporator must be vaporized.

Let m= Mass of water in the evaporator in kg,

S = Specific heat of water = = 4.2kj/kg ºC,

Hfg = Latent heat of vaporization of water at some reduced pressure in

KJ/kg, and

QR = Heat removed from the water kJ/Kg.

Consider that one per cent of m kg of water is evaporated by throttling the steam
through the nozzle at some reduced pressure (say at a pressure of 0.085 bar). Thus, the total
heat removed by this one per cent of evaporated water.

m
hf 8
100

Fall in temperature of remaining water will be

qR h fg
TF ...( q8 h fg )
m m
m s m s
100 100

Now for a mass, m = 100Kg and hfg = 2400.5 kJ/kg at some reduced pressure (at a pressure of
0.085 bar, from steam tables).

2400.5
TF 5.77 C
100
100 4.2
100
2.23 Working of steam Jet Refrigeration System

Figure 2.5 Steam jet refrigeration system

The main components of the steam jet refrigeration system, as shown in Fig. 2.5, are
the flash chamber or evaporator, steam nozzles, ejector and condenser.

The flash chamber or evaporator is a large vessel and is heavy insulated to avoid the
rise in temperature of water due to high ambient temperature. It is fitted with perforated pipes
for spraying water. The warm water coming out of the refrigerated space is sprayed into the
flash water chamber where some of which is converted into vapors after absorbing the latent
heat, thereby cooling the rest of water.

The high pressure steam from the boiler is passed through the steam nozzles thereby
increasing its velocity. This high velocity steam in the ejector would entrain the water vapors
from the flash chamber which would result in further formation of vapors. The mixture of
steam and water vapor passes through the venture-tube of the ejector and gets compressed.
The temperature and pressure of the mixture rises considerably and fed to the water cooled
condenser where it gets condensed. The condensate is again fed to the boiler as feed water. A
constant water level is maintained in the flash chamber and any loss of water due to
evaporation is made up from the make-up water line.

2.24 Steam Ejector

The steam ejector is one of the important components of a steam jet refrigeration
uses the

compress it. The essential components of a steam ejector are shown in Fig. 2.6.

The high pressure steam from the boiler (generally called primary fluid or motive
steam) expands while flowing through the convergent divergent nozzle. The expansion
causes a very low pressure and increases steam velocity. The steam attains very high
velocities in the range of 1000m/s to 1350 m/s. The nozzles are designed for lowest
operating pressure ratio between nozzle throat and exit. The nozzle pressure ratio of less than
200are undesirable because of poor ejector efficiency when operating at low steam pressure.

Figure 2.6 Steam ejector

The water vapor from the flash chamber are entrained by the high velocity steam and
both are mixed in the mixing is complete. This supersonic steam gets a normal shock, in the
constant area throat of the diffuser. This results in the rise of pressure and subsonic flow.
The function of the diverging portion of the differ user is to recover the velocity head as
pressure head by gradually reducing the velocity.

2.25 Analysis of steam jet refrigeration system

The temperature- energy (T-s) and enthalpy-entropy (h-s) diagrams for a steam jet
refrigeration system are shown in Fig. 2.7 (a) and (b) respectively.

Figure 2.7 T-S and H-S diagram

 The point A represents the initial condition of the motive steam before passing
through the nozzle and the point B is the final condition of the steam, assuming isentropic
expansion. The point C represents the initial condition of the water vapor in the flash
chamber or evaporator and the point E is the condition of the mixture of high velocity steam
from the nozzle and the entrained water vapor before compression. Assuming isentropic
compression, the final condition of the mixture discharged to the condenser is represented by
point F. The condition of motive steam just before mixing with the water vapor is shown at
point D. The make-up water is supplied at point G whose temperature is slightly lower than
the condenser temperature and is throttled to point H in the flash chamber.

2.26 Efficiencies used in steam Jet Refrigeration System

The various efficiency used in steam jet refrigeration system are discussed below:

1. Nozzle efficiency. It is defined as the ratio of actual enthalpy drop to the

isentropic enthalpy drop of the motive steam passing through the nozzle.
Mathematically, nozzle efficiency,

Actualenthalpydrop AP hA hB
N
Isentropicenthalpydrop AB hA hB

The nozzle efficiency may vary from 85 to 90 per cent.

2. Entrainment efficiency. The water vapor formed in the flash chamber or
evaporator comes out with a very low velocity as compared to the velocity of the
steam (V) coming out of the nozzle which is given by

*V 2000(hA hB ' ) 44.72 hA hB '

The expression (h A-hB

kinetic energy gives the required momentum to the water vapors coming out of the
flash chamber by the high velocity steam is called entrainment of vapor. During the
entrainment of water vapor from the flash chamber, the motive steam loses some of
its kinetic energy. This process of entrainment is inefficient and part of the original
motive force available for compression is reduced. This is taken into consideration by
a factor known as entrainment efficiency. Mathematically, entrainment efficiency,

hA hD
E
hA hB '

The entrainment efficiency may be taken as 65 percent.

3. Compression efficiency. It is defined as the ratio of the isentropic enthalpy

increase to the actual enthalpy increase required for the compression of the mixture of
motive steam and the water vapours, in the diffuser. Mathematically, compression
efficiency.
 Isentropicenthaplyincrease hF hE
C
Actualenthalpyincrease hF ' hE

The compression efficiency may be taken as 75 to 80 per cent.

2.27 Mass of Motive Steam Required

According to the law of conservation of energy, the available energy for compression
must be equal to the energy required for compression

Let mS = Mass of motive steam supplied in kg/min,

mv = Mass of water vapours formed from the flash chamber or

evaporator in kg/min

m = Mass of the mixture for compression in kg/min = ms + mv

We know that available energy for compression

= ms(hA-hD)

and energy required for compression

= m(h - hE)=(ms + mv) (h - hE)

Now according to law of conservation of energy.

ms(hA-hD) = (ms + mv) (h - hE)

We have already discussed that the nozzle efficiency.

hA hB '
N or hA hB ' N (hA hB ) ... (iv)
hA hB

Entrainment efficiency

hA hD
E or hA hD E (hA hB ' ) ...(v)
hA hB '

and compression efficiency,

hF hE hF hE
C or hF ' hE ...(vi)
hF ' hE C

Substituting the value of (hA-hD) and (h -hE) from equations (v) and (vi) in equation
(iii), we have

hF hE
ms E (hA hB ' ) (ms mv )
C
 hF hE
ms E N (hA hB ) (ms mv ) ... [From equation (iv)]
C

ms E N C (hA hB ) ms (hF hE ) mv (hF hE )

ms [(hA hB ) N E C (hF hE )] mv (hF hE )

ms (hF hE )
or
mv (hA hB ) N C (hF hE )

ms
where Mass of motive steam required per kg of water vapour produced in the flash
mv
chamber

The make-up water is supplied at point G whose temperature is slightly lower than the
condenser temperature and is throttled to point H in the flash chamber and leaves it
corresponding to the condition at point C. Since the enthalpy of water at point G is equal to
the enthalpy of water at point H, therefore for each kg of water vapour formed heat absorbed
is (hC-hfg)kJ/kg. In other words, net refrigerating effect,

RE mv (hC h fg )kJ / min

If Q tonnes of refrigeration is the refrigerating load, then the heat absorbed or net
refrigerating effect,

RE 210QkJ / min

From the above expressions, we find that the mass of water vapour formed.

210Q
mv kg / min
hC h fg

Since one kg of water vapour requires ms kg of motive steam, therefore, Mass of motive
steam required per Q tonne of refrigerating load

= Mass of water vapour per minute

X Motive steam required per kg of vapour

= mv X ms

210Q
ms
hC h fg
 mv (hc hfg )
C.O.P.
ms (hA hfg )

2.28 Advantages and Disadvantages of Steam Jet Refrigeration System

Following are the advantages and disadvantages of a steam jet refrigeration system:

Advantages:

1. It is simple in construction and rigidly designed.

2. It is a vibration- free system as pumps are the only moving parts.
3. It has low maintenance cost, low production cost and high reliability.
4. It has relatively less plant mass (kg/TR). Hence, there are now a number of
air- conditioning application ranging up to 300 TR in capacity as well as many
industrial applications of even larger size.
5. It uses water as a refrigerant. Water is very safe to use as it is non-poisonous
and non-inflammable.
6. This system has an ability to adjust quickly to load variations.
7. The running cost of this system is quite low.

Disadvantages:

1. The system is not suitable for water temperature below4ºC.

2. For proper functioning of this system, maintenance of high vacuum in the
evaporator is necessary. This is done by direct vaporization to produce
chilled water which is usually limited as tremendous volume of vapor is to
be handled.

2.3 THERMO ELECTRIC REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

2.30 Introduction

Thermoelectric refrigeration owes its origin to the discovery of Seebeck and Peltier effects in
t 1821. Seebeck found that if two dissimilar metals are joined at two junctions, one at high
temperature and other at low temperature, current was produced. Peltier in 1834 observed
that if current was passed through two dissimilar metals joined at two junctions, one was
cooled and the other was heated. In 1838, Lenz used both effects to freeze water and
thermoelectric refrigeration was born. Further development occurred in 1930 when
semiconductors were discovered.

Figure 2.8 Thermoelectric Refrigeration Set-up