Cascade refrigeration

The cascade refrigeration system is a freezing system that uses two kinds of refrigerants having
different boiling points, which run through their own independent freezing cycle and are joined
by a heat exchanger. The schematic view and the P-h diagram of this system are shown below.

This system is employed to obtain temperatures of -40 to -80°C or ultra-low temperatures lower
than them.
At such ultra-low temperatures, a common single-refrigerant two-stage compression system
limits the low-temperature characteristics of the refrigerant to a considerably poor level, making
the system significantly inefficient. The efficiency is improved by combining two kinds of
refrigerants having different temperature characteristics.

This system has the following advantages compared to a two-stage compression system:

 1. Energy is saved because the system allows use of refrigerants that have suitable
temperature characteristics for each of the higher-temperature side and the lower-
temperature side.
 2. It allows stable ultra-low-temperature operation.
 3. The running cost is inexpensive.
 4. Repair is easy.