What is a multipressure

system?

 is a refrigeration system that

has two or more low-side
pressures.
 Where can we find the low-side
pressure of a refrigeration system?

 the low-side pressure is the

pressure of the refrigerant
between the expansion valve
and the intake of the
compressor
Advantages and disadvantages of
multipressure system
 Removal of Flash Gas
• A saving in the power requirement of a refrigeration
system results if the flash gas that develops in the
throttling process between the condenser and evaporator
is removed and recompressed before complete expansion
• flash-gas is refrigerant in gas form produced spontaneously
when the condensed liquid is subjected to boiling.
• The presence of flash-gas in the liquid lines reduces the
efficiency of the refrigeration cycle.
• The vapor is separated from liquid by an equipment called
the flash tank.
• The separation occurs when the upward speed of the vapor
is low enough for the liquid particles to drop back into the
tank. (normally <1m/s will provide adequate separation)
 Intercooling
• Intercooling between two stages of compression
reduces the work of compression per kilogram of
vapor.
• Intercooling can be accomplished with a
watercooled heat exchanger or by using refrigerant.
• Intercooling with liquid refrigerant will usually
decrease the total power requirements when
ammonia is the refrigerant but not when refrigerant
12 or 22 is uses.
 EXAMPLE:
1. Two Evaporators and one compressor
• Calculate the power required by a system of
one compressor serving two evaporators. One
evaporator carries a load of 35kW at 10ºC
and the other a load of 70 kW at -5ºC. A
back-pressure valve reduces the pressure in
the 10ºC evaporator to that of the -5ºC
evaporator. The condensing temperature is
37ºC. The refrigerant is ammonia. What is
the COP?`(5.33)
 EXAMPLE:
2. Two compressors and one evaporator

• Calculate the power required in an

ammonia systems which serves a 210 kW
evaporator at -20ºC. The system uses
two-stage compression with intercooling
and removal of flash gas. The condensing
temperature is 32ºC. (Ans. 52.7kW)
 EXAMPLE:
3. Two compressors and two evaporator
• In an ammonia system, one evaporator is to
provide 200kW of refrigeration at -30ºC and
another evaporator is to provide 220kW at 5ºC.
The system uses two-stage compression with
intercooling and is arranged as shown below.
The condensing temperature is 40ºC. Calculate
the power required by the compressor. What is
the COP of the system?
 CASCADE SYSTEMS
• A cascade system- combines two vapor-
compression units with the condenser of the low-
temperature system discharging its heat to the
evaporator of the high- temperature system.
• Cascade systems can normally furnish
refrigeration down to about -100ºC.
• Two types of cascade systems: closed cascade
condenser and direct-contact heat exchanger.
• In closed cascade fluid in the high-pressure and
low-pressure system may be different.
• In direct-contact heat exchanger, the same fluid is
used throughout the system.
 Example 4. Closed Cascade condenser
• A cascade refrigerating system uses refrigerant 22 in
low- temperature unit and refrigerant 12 in the high-
temperature unit. The system develops 28kW of
refrigeration at -40ºC. The refrigerant 12 system
operates at -10ºC evaporating and 38ºC condensing
temperature. There is a 10-degree overlap of
temperatures in the cascade condenser. Calculate (a)
the mass flow rate of refrigerant 22, (b) the mass flow
rate of refrigerant 12, (c) the power required by the
refrigerant 22 compressor, and (d) the power required
by the refrigerant 12 compressor. (ans. 0.1485
kg/s,0.3048kg/s,5.7kW, 7.59kW)
 Example 5. Direct-contact Heat
Exchanger
• In a certain refrigeration system for low temperature
application, a two stage operation is desirable which
employs ammonia system that serves a 30-ton evaporator at
-30ºC. The system uses a direct-contact cascade condenser,
and the condenser temperature is 40ºC. Find the following:

a. Sketch the schematic diagram of the system and draw the

complete process on the ph diagram.
b. The cascade condenser pressure in kPa for minimum
work. (Ans. 432 kPa)
c. The mass flow rate in the low and high pressure loops in
kg/s.(Ans. m1=0.0864kg/s and m5=0.1129kg/s)
d. The total work.(Ans. 35.20kW)