Heat Exchanger Flow Configuration

The temperature glide of zeotropic refrigerant blends can be utilized to increas

e the heat exchange
efficiency in the evaporator where the evaporating temperaure increases and in t
he condenser where
the condensing temperature drops. Rice (1993), using a modified Carnot cycle ana
lysis, found that
for an air-source heat pump using zeotropic blend as refrigerant at cooling mode
with a relative UA
(overall conductance-area product) level of 3, many-row crossflow has a potentia
l COP gain of
about 7 percent, two-row countercrossflow about 10 percent, three-row countercro
ssflow 15 percent,
counterflow
three-row countercrossflow)
(or
20 percent. Hwang and Radermacher (1997)
showed that the capacity of the near-counterflow heat exchanger increases about
10 percent compared
to that of the near-parallel flow heat exchanger.
Capacity Control and Part-Load Performance
There are two types of capacity control: variable-speed and variable-displacemen
t compressors. In
a variable-speed scroll compressor, a variable-speed drive is used to reduce the
speed at part-load
operation so that the cooling capacity is reduced to meet the reduced system loa
d. The operating
frequency often varies from 15 to 150 Hz.
In a variable-displacement scroll compressor, there are porting holes in the fix
ed scroll. By
connecting or disconnecting the compression chamber to the suction side through
the closing and
REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS: RECIPROCATING, ROTARY, SCROLL, AND SCREW 11.47
Dewpoint
line
Bubbling
point line
Temperature
glide
(Tsv-Tsc)
Tsc
Tsv
Temperature T, F
Saturated
vapor
Saturated
liquid
0
Concentration
1
FIGURE 11.27 Temperature-concentration diagram of a zeotropic refrigerant blend.
opening of the porting holes, the cooling capacity of the scroll compressor is v
aried. If all porting
holes are closed, the compressor is operating at full capacity. If all the porti
ng holes are open, the
cooling capacity drops to the minimum.
Takebayashi et al. (1994) showed the isentropic efficiency of a variable-speed s
croll compressor
at a pressure ratio range between 2 and 5 during part-load operation, cooling, a
nd heating mode operation.
Isentropic efficiency drops about 15 percent when the pressure ratio increases f
rom 2 to 5.
System Characteristics

Compared to reciprocating and rotary compressors, the system characteristics of

air-cooled, DX
scroll refrigeration systems are as follows:
 Scroll compressors tolerate liquid refrigerant and debris during compression. Fo
r most of the aircooled
DX scroll systems, the crankcase heater and suction line accumulator are often n
ot
required.
 A scroll compressor has less than 50 percent of the parts of a reciprocating com
pressor of the
same size. The fewer the parts of a compressor, the higher the reliability.
 Most scroll compressors provided an EER of 11.5 (3.37 COP) in the late 1990s, wh
ich is higher
than that of a rotary compressor and is similar to that of a high-efficiency rec
iprocating compressor.
 A scroll heat pump shows a flatter capacity curve when outdoor air temperature T
o varies than a
reciprocating heat pump does. Its cooling capacity drops less when the outdoor a
mbient temperature
increases during summer, and the heating capacity of a scroll heat pump reduces
less when
the outdoor ambient temperature decreases during winter. The advantage of a flat
ter capacity
curve is discussed in the next chapter.
 A scroll compressor has a lower noise than a reciprocating compressor and is abo
ut 5 dBA lower
than the reciprocating compressor of the same size and operated in the same envi
ronment.
On the other hand, scroll compressors need computer-aided precision manufacturin
g and have
been used in the field of air conditioning in the United States since 1987 only.
There will be new
problems to be solved and potential to be improved and developed.
Scroll compressors are gradually replacing reciprocating and rotary compressors
in room air
conditioners, heat pumps, and packaged units for residential and commercial buil
dings.
Scroll Chillers
Scroll chillers are often available with a cooling capacity of 10 to 60 tons (35
to 210 kW). They are
gradually replacing reciprocating chillers in new and retrofit installations. Sc
roll chillers can again
be divided into air-cooled scroll chillers and water-cooled scroll chillers.
Air-Cooled Scroll Chillers. An air-cooled scroll chiller consists of mainly an a
ir-cooled condenser,
two or more scroll compressors, a single or dual refrigerant circuit, a thermost
atic expansion
valve, a distributor, a direct-expansion liquid cooler, and controls. A direct-e
xpansion liquid
cooler can be easily connected to dual refrigerant circuits and multiple compres
sors. An air-cooled
scroll chiller is usually located on the rooftop of an air conditioned building.
Chilled water freeze
protection should be provided during winter operation in locations where the out
door temperature
falls below 32F (0C).
An air-cooled scroll chiller always has a microprocessor-based control of the ch
illed water temperature
leaving the liquid cooler. There are usually two capacity control steps for smal
l air-cooled

scroll chillers and four capacity steps for large scroll chillers. Air-cooled sc
roll chillers are designed
to be operated between outdoor temperatures of 40 and 115F (4.4 and 46C); with an
additional
head pressure control damper assembly, they are permited to operate at a lower a
mbient temperature
down to 0F (17.8C).