Basic Refrigeration Cycles (Continued..)

Steam Jet Refrigeration System:

If water is sprayed into a chamber where a low pressure is maintained, a part of the water will evaporate. The enthalpy of evaporation will cool the remaining water to its saturation temperature at the pressure in the chamber. Obviously lower temperature will require lower pressure. Water freezes at 0oC hence temperature lower than 4oC cannot be obtained with water. In this system, high velocity steam is used to entrain the evaporating water vapour. High-pressure motive steam passes through either convergent or convergent-divergent nozzle where it acquires either sonic or supersonic velocity and low pressure of the order of 0.009 kPa corresponding to an evaporator temperature of 4oC. The high momentum of motive steam entrains or carries along with it the water vapour evaporating from the flash chamber. Because of its high velocity it moves the vapours against the pressure gradient up to the condenser where the pressure is 5.6-7.4 kPa corresponding to condenser temperature of 35-45oC. The motive vapour and the evaporated vapour both are condensed and recycled. This system is known as steam jet refrigeration system. Figure 1.7 shows a schematic of the system. It can be seen that this system requires a good vacuum to be maintained. Sometimes, booster ejector is used for this purpose. This system is driven by low- grade energy that is process steam in chemical plants or a boiler.

Thermoelectric Refrigeration Systems:

In 1821 the German physicist T.J. Seebeck reported that when two junctions of dissimilar metals are kept at two different temperatures, an electro motive force (emf) is developed, resulting in flow of electric current. The emf produced is found to be proportional to temperature difference.

In 1834, a Frenchmen, J. Peltier observed the reverse effect, i.e., cooling and heating of two junctions of dissimilar materials when direct current is passed through them, the heat transfer rate being proportional to the current. In 1838, H.F.E. Lenz froze a drop of water by the Peltier effect using antimony and bismuth (it was later found that Lenz could freeze water as the materials used were not pure metals but had some impurities in them).

In 1857, William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) proved by thermodynamic analysis that Seebeck effect and Peltier effect are related and he discovered another effect called Thomson effect after his name. According to this when current flows through a conductor of a thermocouple that has an initial temperature gradient in it, then heat transfer rate per unit length is proportional to the product of current and the temperature. As the current flow through thermoelectric material it gets heated due to its electrical resistance. This is called the Joulean effect, further, conduction heat transfer from the hot junction to the cold junction transfers heat. Both these heat transfer rates have to be compensated by the Peltier Effect for some useful cooling to be produced.

Vortex Tube Systems:

In 1931, the French engineer Georges Ranque (1898-1973) discovered an interesting phenomenon, which is called “Ranque effect” or “vortex effect”. The tangential injection of air into a cylindrical tube induces to quote his words “ a giratory expansion with simultaneous production of an escape of hot air and an escape of cold air”.

Though the efficiency of this system is quite low, it is very interesting due to its mechanical simplicity and instant cooling. It is convenient where there is a supply of compressed air. The present day vortex tube uses compressed air as a power source, it has no moving parts, and produces hot air from one end and cold air from the other. The volume and temperature of these two airstreams are adjustable with a valve built into the hot air exhaust. Temperatures as low as −46°C and as high as 127°C are possible. Compressed air is supplied to the vortex tube and passes through nozzles that are tangential to an internal counter bore. These nozzles set the air in a vortex motion. This spinning stream of air turns 90° and passes down the hot tube in the form of a spinning shell, similar to a tornado. A valve at one end of the tube allows some of the warmed air to escape. What does not escape, heads back down the tube as a second vortex inside the low-pressure area of the larger vortex. This inner vortex loses heat and exhausts through the other end as cold air. Currently vortex tube is used for spot cooling of machine parts, in electronic cooling and also in cooling jackets for miners, firemen etc.

QUIZZZZ

Q. The required input to the steam jet refrigeration systems is in the form of:

a) Mechanical energy

b) Thermal energy

c) High pressure, motive steam

d) Both mechanical and thermal energy

Q. A nozzle is used in steam jet refrigeration systems to:

a) To convert the high pressure motive steam into high velocity steam

b) To reduce energy consumption

c) To improve safety aspects

d) All of the above

Q. The materials used in thermoelectric refrigeration systems should have:

a) High electrical and thermal conductivity

b) High electrical conductivity and low thermal conductivity

c) Low electrical conductivity and high thermal conductivity

d) Low electrical and thermal conductivity

Q. A thermoelectric refrigeration systems requires:

a) A high voltage AC (alternating current) input

b) A low voltage AC input

c) A high voltage DC (direct current) input

d) A low voltage DC input