Abstract
The hydraulic refrigeration system (HRS) is a vapor-compression system that accomplishes the compression and condensation of the refrigerant in a unique manner, by entraining refrigerant vapor in a down-flowing stream of water and utilizing the pressure head of the water to compress and condense the refrigerant. A multi-stage HRS was designed, fabricated, and tested using n-butane as the refrigerant. In general, both the refrigeration rate and the coefficient of performance (COP) increased with a corresponding decrease in the compression fluid temperature of the third and final stage. The refrigeration rate and COP were also found to increase with a corresponding increase in evaporator temperature. The predictions of an enhanced model incorporating two-phase hydraulic losses show excellent agreement with the experimental data with a maximum error of ±20%. The results of the experimental investigation indicate that the HRS offers an attractive and feasible alternative to conventional vapor-compression systems, especially in applications where direct-contact heat exchange in the evaporator is desirable.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 325-337 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | International Journal of Refrigeration |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2001 |
Keywords
- Butane
- Compression system
- Design
- Hydraulic
- Multi-stage system
- Performance
- Refrigerant
- Refrigerating system
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Building and Construction
- Mechanical Engineering