The performance of a transcritical CO2 cycle with an internal heat exchanger for hot water heating

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the performance of a transcritical CO₂ cycle with an internal heat exchanger for hot water heating. Performance test and simulation have been carried out for a transcritical CO₂ cycle by varying secondary heat transfer fluid temperatures at evaporator and gas-cooler inlets as well as the discharge pressure. Variations of mass flow rate of refrigerant, compressor power, heating capacity, and co-efficient of performance (COP) with respect to the length of an internal heat exchanger are presented at various operating conditions. Good quantitative agreement between model predictions and experimental results has been found; most parameters have absolute average deviations of less than 4%. As the length of the internal heat exchanger increases, COP is enhanced but heating capacity tends to decrease due to the trade-offs between the effectiveness and pressure drop in the internal heat exchanger.     

CO2 heat pump systems

After the CFCs and the HCFCs were deemed unfit as working fluids in refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump applications, there has been a renaissance for carbon dioxide technology. Heat pumps is one of the application areas where theoretical and experimental investigations are now performed by an increasing number of research institutions and manufacturers. This paper gives an overview of some of the current activities in the CO₂ heat pump field. Discussed are the important characteristics of the transcritical CO₂ process applied to heat pumps, and also discussed are theoretical and experimental results from several heat pump applications. Provided that calculations and system designs are performed on the premises of the working fluid, and that test plants are constructed and operated to fully exploit the specific characteristics of both the fluid and the transcritical process, the results show that CO₂ is an attractive alternative to the synthetic fluids. Competitive products may be launched in the near future.     

Modelling the performance of a transcritical CO2 heat pump for high temperature heating

A prototype transcritical CO₂ heat pump was constructed for heating water to temperatures greater than 65°C while providing refrigeration at less than 2°C. The heating capacity was 115 kW at an evaporation temperature of +0.3°C and a hot water temperature of 77.5°C, with a heating coefficient of performance (COP) of 3.4. Performance data is presented for each of the compressor, the gas cooler, and the recuperator as well as for the overall heat pump system. Equipment performance data was incorporated into a computer model to enable parametric investigations of heat pump performance. Model predictions showed that the hot water temperature could be increased from 65 to 120°C with a relatively small reduction in heating capacity and heating COP of 33 and 21%, respectively. Model predictions also highlight the potential for significant capacity improvements by eliminating the recuperator in favour of a larger gas cooler.     

Experimental investigation on the performance of NH3/CO2 cascade refrigeration system with twin-screw compressor

This paper describes the experiment carried out to analyze the performance of a refrigeration system in cascade with ammonia and carbon dioxide as working fluids. The effect of operation parameters, such as the evaporating temperature of the low temperature cycle, the condensing temperature of low temperature cycle, temperature difference in cascade heat exchanger and superheat degree, on the system performance was investigated. Performance of the cascade system with NH₃/CO₂ was compared with that of two-stage NH₃ system and single-stage NH₃ system with or without economizer. It was found that the COP of the cascade system is the best among all the systems, when the evaporating temperature is below −40 °C. Also, the cascade system performance is greatly affected by evaporating temperature, condensing temperature of low temperature cycle, temperature difference in cascade heat exchanger and is only slightly sensitive to superheat degree. All the experimental results indicate that the NH₃/CO₂ cascade system is very competitive in low temperature applications.     

Study of capillary tubes in a transcritical CO2 refrigeration system

Capillary tubes have been used in refrigeration systems for many years, but not with a transcritical CO₂ system. In this article, the effects of capillary tubes in a transcritical CO₂ refrigeration system have been investigated experimentally and theoretically. Different types of capillary tubes with different lengths (0.5–4 m) and diameters (1–2 mm) have been tested. The result of this work is a static model, which is used in the further work to make a simulation model (static) of a complete refrigeration system. The model is based on Friedel's and Colebrook's pressure drop correlations.

The behaviour of an adiabatic capillary tube in a refrigeration cycle has been investigated theoretically. The conclusion is that the COP of a system with capillary tubes generally is better than when a fixed high pressure is used, but not as good as when variable optimal high pressure is used. Capillary tubes are especially interesting in applications where the evaporation pressure is constant and the temperature out of the gas cooler varies no more than ±10 K from the design condition. The reduction in COP is more significant at low temperatures out of the gas cooler.     

Efficiency of the indicated process of CO2-compressors

The compressor of a refrigerant compression process is the component with the major influence on the efficiency and reliability of the entire system. Due to the fluid properties of carbon dioxide (CO₂), the pressure ratio of the refrigeration process with CO₂ as the working fluid is, in relation to common refrigeration processes, rather low while the pressure difference is extremely high. From experimental and theoretical considerations it becomes obvious that at these conditions a high volumetric and energetic efficiency of the compressor may be achieved if its design is appropriate. In this paper, the effects on the efficiency of the indicated compression process of a CO₂-compressor are discussed and evaluated and a promising design concept for an efficient CO₂-compressor is derived.     

Oil mass fraction measurement of CO2/PAG mixture

In this study, a method of using a capacitance sensor was investigated as a means to measure the mass fraction of a type of PAG oil flowing with CO₂ in a transcritical cycle. The test facility equipped with the capacitance sensor was fabricated to establish and maintain a known oil mass fraction and to measure the capacitance of the CO₂/oil mixture. By using this facility, the relationship among three parameters (reduced CO₂ density (CO₂ density divided by the critical density of CO₂), oil mass fraction, and relative dielectric constant of the CO₂/PAG oil mixture) was developed. For the range of oil mass fraction 0–0.07, the error of new measurement method was within 0.005 for a wide range of pressures and temperatures tested. This study established the method of measuring the oil mass fraction continuously in the transcritical CO₂ cycle without affecting the cycle performance. Through this method, the effect of oil mass fraction on the characteristics of the oil circulation behavior and the performance of the transcritical CO₂ cycle can be investigated.     

Cooling performance of a variable speed CO2 cycle with an electronic expansion valve and internal heat exchanger

The cooling performance of a CO₂ cycle must be improved to develop a competitive air-conditioning system with the conventional air-conditioners using HFCs. In this study, the cooling performance of a variable speed CO₂ cycle was measured and analyzed by varying the refrigerant charge amount, compressor frequency, EEV opening, and length of an internal heat exchanger (IHX). The basic CO₂ system without the IHX showed the maximum cooling COP of 2.1 at the compressor discharge pressure of 9.2 MPa and the optimum normalized charge of 0.282. The cooling COP decreased with the increase of compressor frequency at all normalized charges. The optimum EEV opening increased with compressor frequency. Simultaneous control of EEV opening and compressor frequency allowed optimum control of the compressor discharge pressure. The optimal compressor discharge pressure of the modified CO₂ cycle with the IHX was reduced by 0.5 MPa. The IHX increased the cooling capacity and COP of the CO₂ cycle by 6.2–11.9% and 7.1–9.1%, respectively, at the tested compressor frequencies from 40 to 60 Hz.     

New correlation to predict the heat transfer coefficient during in-tube cooling of turbulent supercritical CO2

The Nusselt number variations of supercritical carbon dioxide during in-tube cooling are presented and discussed. Using data presented in this paper as well as prior publications, a new correlation to predict the heat transfer coefficient of supercritical carbon dioxide during in-tube cooling has been developed. The new correlation is presented in this paper. It is based on mean Nusselt numbers that are calculated using the thermophysical properties at the wall and the bulk temperatures, respectively. It is seen that the majority of the numerical and experimental values are within ±20% of the values predicted by the new correlation.     

Performances of thermoelectric cooler integrated with microchannel heat sinks

In this study, experimental and theoretical studies on thermoelectric cooler (TEC) performance for cooling a refrigerated object (water in a tank) were performed. Microchannel heat sinks fabricated with etched silicon wafers were employed on the TEC hot side to dissipate heat. The measurements show that the temperature of the refrigerated object decreased with time. A theoretical model based on a lumped system was established to predict the transient behavior of the variation in temperature for the refrigerated object with time. The theoretical predicted temperature variation was in good agreement with the measured data. The relationship among the heat sink thermal resistances, TEC electric current input and minimum refrigerated objected temperature was examined based on the theoretical model. The calculated minimum temperatures were showed for the several cases of heat sink thermal resistance on the TEC hot side and electric current input. The minimum temperature can be obtained by increasing the electrical current input and decreasing the heat sink thermal resistance.     

Integration of a three-stage expander into a CO2 refrigeration system

The inclusion of an expander with work recovery provides two advantages for transcritical CO₂ refrigeration cycles: the COP is improved and the exhaust pressure of the main compressor is lowered. Several designs of expanders have been proposed for this application and some prototypes have been tested already. In our laboratory a three-stage expander has been developed, which replaces the throttle valve of the normal refrigeration cycle and expands into the two-phase region. For optimum integration into the overall system it is proposed to install a vapour-liquid separator between the second and third stage of expansion. The vapour is guided back to the third expander stage whereas the liquid is supplied to the cooling stations via thermostatic or electronic expansion valves.     

Performance evaluation of a CO2 heat pump system for fuel cell vehicles considering the heat exchanger arrangements

A novel CO₂ heat pump system was provided for use in fuel cell vehicles, when considering the heat exchanger arrangements. This cycle which had an inverter-controlled, electricity-driven compressor was applied to the automotive heat pump system for both cooling and heating. The cooling and heating loops consisted of a semi-hermetic compressor, supercritical pressure microchannel heat exchangers (a gas cooler and a cabin heater), a microchannel evaporator, an internal heat exchanger, an expansion valve and an accumulator. The performance characteristics of the CO₂ heat pump system for fuel cell vehicles were analyzed by experiments. Results for steady and transient state performance were provided for various operating conditions. Furthermore, experiments to examine the arrangements of a radiator and an outdoor heat exchanger were carried out by changing their positions for both cooling and heating conditions. The arrangements of the radiator and the outdoor heat exchanger were tested to quantify cooling/heating effectiveness and mutual interference. The improvement of heating capacity and coefficient of performance (COP) of the CO₂ heat pump system was up to 54% and 22%, respectively, when using preheated air through the radiator instead of cold ambient air. However, the cooling capacity quite decreased by 40–60% and the COP fairly decreased by 43–65%, for the new radiator-front arrangement.     

Commercial refrigeration system using CO2 as the refrigerant

Various field-test systems using carbon dioxide as the only refrigerant have been installed since December 2001. In this paper we will analyse an ‘all-CO₂’ supermarket, which has been operating in the North of Italy since January 2003.The seasonal COP is calculated, based on prior laboratory measurements, and a comparison is made with a conventional direct expansion system using R404A.The total annual energy consumption of the installed CO₂ system is estimated to be about 10% higher than the direct expansion R404A solution. It is still possible to further improve efficiency and approach the efficiency of present R404A systems. These improvements are identified.The cost of the CO₂ installation is compared to the cost of an equivalent direct expansion R404A installation, the most economic among the various present types of commercial refrigeration systems. Because of the lack of suitable mass-produced components, the CO₂ installation is estimated to be, today, about 20% more expensive.     

Cooling performance of several CO2/propane mixtures and glide matching with secondary heat transfer fluid

This paper presents the cooling performance of several CO₂/propane mixtures measured in air-conditioning test rig at several conditions. The discharge pressure of CO₂/propane mixtures is reduced with increasing mole fraction of propane and their reduced values coincide approximately with the circulation concentrations of propane. Since propane is the refrigerant having a higher refrigerating effect and a much lower vapor density than CO₂, adding propane to CO₂ improves the system efficiency and reduces the cooling capacity. The temperature glide effect of CO₂/propane mixtures on the cooling performance was analyzed based on the experimental data. To utilize the temperature glide effect successfully, a sufficient heat exchange area is required, and the temperature gradient of refrigerant must be similar to that of secondary heat transfer fluid. It is better the temperature change of refrigerant can prevent pinching with that of the secondary heat transfer fluid.     

Supersonic two-phase flow of CO2 through converging–diverging nozzles for the ejector refrigeration cycle

CO₂ is environmentally friendly, safe and more suitable to ejector refrigeration cycle than to vapor compression cycle. Supersonic two-phase flow of CO₂ in the diverging sections of rectangular converging–diverging nozzles was investigated. The divergence angles with significant variation of decompression were 0.076°, 0.153°, 0.306° and 0.612°. This paper presents experimental decompression phenomena which can be used in designing nozzles and an assessment of Isentropic Homogeneous Equilibrium (IHE). Inlet conditions around 6–9 MPa, 20–37 °C were used to resemble ejector nozzles of coolers and heat pumps. For inlet temperature around 37 °C, throat decompression boiling from the saturated liquid line, supersonic decompression and IHE solution were obtained for the two large divergence angles. For divergence angles larger than 0.306°, decompression curves for inlet temperature above 35 °C approached IHE curves. For divergence angles smaller than 0.306° or for nozzles with inlet temperature below 35 °C, IHE had no solution.     

Effect of lubricating oil on cooling heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide

In this research, the cooling heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of supercritical CO₂ with PAG-type lubricating oil entrained were experimentally investigated. The inner diameter of the test tubes ranged from 1 to 6 mm. The experiments were conducted at lubricating oil concentrations from 0 to 5%, pressures from 8 to 10 MPa, mass fluxes from 200 to 1200 kg m⁻² s⁻¹, and heat fluxes from 12 to 24 kW m⁻².In comparison to the oil-free condition, when lubricating oil entrainment occurred, the heat transfer coefficient decreased and the pressure drop increased. The maximum reduction in the heat transfer coefficients—about 75%—occurred in the vicinity of the pseudocritical temperature. The influence of oil was significant for a small tube diameter and a large oil concentration. From visual observation, it was confirmed that this degradation in the heat transfer was due to the formation of an oil-rich layer along the inner wall of the test tube. However, when the oil concentration exceeded 3%, no further degradation in the heat transfer coefficient could be confirmed, which implies that the oil flowing along with CO₂ in the bulk region does not influence the heat transfer coefficient and the pressure drops significantly. For a large tube at a lower mass flux, no significant degradation in the heat transfer coefficient was observed until the oil concentration reached 1%. This is due to the transition of the flow pattern from an annular-dispersed flow to a wavy flow for a large tube, with CO₂ flowing on the upper side and the oil-rich layer on the lower side of the test section.     

Control optimisation of CO2 cycles for medium temperature retail food refrigeration systems

This paper describes a detailed procedure into the investigation of optimised control strategies for CO₂ cycles in medium temperature retail food refrigeration systems. To achieve this objective, an integrated model was developed composing of a detailed condenser/gas cooler model, a simplified compressor model, an isenthalpic expansion process and constant evaporating temperature and superheating. The CO₂ system can operate subcritically or transcritically depending on the ambient temperature. For a transcritical operation, a prediction can be made for optimised refrigerant discharge pressures from thermodynamic cycle calculations. When the system operates in the subcritical cycle, a floating discharge pressure control strategy is employed and the effect of different transitional ambient temperatures separating subcritical and transcritical cycles on system performance is investigated. The control strategy assumes variable compressor speed and adjustable air flow for the gas cooler/condenser to be modulated to achieve the constant cooling load requirement at different ambient conditions.     

Printed circuit heat exchanger thermal–hydraulic performance in supercritical CO2 experimental loop

Heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of the Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger (PCHE) were investigated in an experimental supercritical CO₂ loop. The inlet temperature and pressure were varied from 280 to 300 °C/2.2 to 3.2 MPa in the hot side and from 90 to 108 °C/6.5 to 10.5 MPa in the cold side while the mass flow rate was varied from 40 to 80 kg h⁻¹. The overall heat transfer coefficient range is 300–650 W m⁻² K⁻¹ while the compactness with respect to the heat exchanger core is approximately 1050 m² m⁻³. The empirical correlations to predict the local heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop factor as a function of the Reynolds number have been proposed for the tested PCHE.     

Thermodynamic analysis of optimal condensing temperature of cascade-condenser in CO2/NH3 cascade refrigeration systems

This study thermodynamically analyzed a cascade refrigeration system that uses carbon dioxide and ammonia as refrigerants, to determine the optimal condensing temperature of the cascade-condenser given various design parameters, to maximize the COP and minimize the exergy destruction of the system. The design parameters include: the evaporating temperature, the condensing temperature and the temperature difference in the cascade-condenser. The results agreed closely with the reported experimental data. The optimal condensing temperature of the cascade-condenser increases with T_C, T_E and ΔT. The maximum COP increases with T_E, but decreases as T_C or ΔT increases. Two useful correlations that yield the optimal condensing temperature of the cascade-condenser and the corresponding maximum COP are presented.     

Simulation of a transcritical CO2 heat pump cycle for simultaneous cooling and heating applications

A steady state simulation model has been developed to evaluate the system performance of a transcritical carbon dioxide heat pump for simultaneous heating and cooling. The simulated results are found to be in reasonable agreement with experimental results reported in the literature. Such a system is suitable, for example, in dairy plants where simultaneous cooling at 4 °C and heating at 73 °C are required. The optimal COP was found to be a function of the compressor speed, the coolant inlet temperature to the evaporator and inlet temperature of the fluid to be heated in the gas cooler and compressor discharge pressure. An optimizing study for the best allocation of the fixed total heat exchanger inventory between the evaporator and the gas cooler based on the heat exchanger area has been carried out. Effect of heat transfer in the heat exchangers on system performance has been presented as well. Finally, a novel nomogram has been developed and it is expected to offer useful guidelines for system design and its optimisation.