Energy Efficiency in Industrial

Refrigeration Systems

Ahmad R. Ganji, Ph.D., P.E

Professor of Mechanical
Engineering
San Francisco State University

2008 IAC Directors Meeting

July 14-15 2008
Outline

• Brief Introduction of Vapor Compression

Cycles
• Major Components of Industrial
Refrigeration Systems
• Potential Energy Efficiency Opportunities

IAC-SFSU 2
Industrial Refrigeration Applications

• Space Cooling
• Food Processing
• Chemicals
• Pharmaceuticals
• …………..

IAC-SFSU 3
 Vapor Compression Cycle
Single Stage
Evaporative 2

Condenser vapor

liquid

Receiver

Compressor Motor

1
liquid
4 vapor
Ammonia
Evaporator
1000

Pressure (psia) 3 2

100

Compression
4 1
10

Saturated
Saturated Vapor Line
Liquid Line
1
-100 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
Enthalpy (Btu/lbm)

IAC-SFSU 4
 Vapor Compression Cycle
Evaporative
Two-Stage
Condenser

vapor

liquid 2nd Stage

Reciprocating
Compressor
Intercooler vapor

superheated
vapor
liquid
High Pressure
Receiver 1st Stage
Reciprocating
Compressors
subcooled
vapor
liquid

Process Chiller
Ammonia
Flooded Drum/
Low Pressure Receiver
1000

Pressure (psia) 6 5 4

100
High-Stage
High Temperature 2
8 3
Evaporators (30 F)

10 Low-Stage
7 Low Temperature 1
Evaporators (0 F)
Saturated
Liquid Line Saturated
Vapor Line
1
-100 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
Enthalpy (Btu/lbm)
IAC-SFSU 5
High-Stage Reciprocating Compressors in 2-Stage System

IAC-SFSU 6
Low-Stage Screw Compressors in 2-Stage System

IAC-SFSU 7
Refrigeration System Components
• Compressor
– Reciprocating
– Screw Type
– Rotary Vane
• Condenser
– Air condensers
– Evaporative Condenser
– Cooling Tower/Heat Exchanger
• Evaporator/Chiller/Heat Exchanger
• Receiver/Accumulator
IAC-SFSU 8
Causes of Low Energy Efficiency

• Unnecessary High Load

• Unnecessary High System Lift
• Poor Part-Load Performance
• Poor/Outdated Control Systems
• Low Efficiency Equipment

IAC-SFSU 9
Potential Energy Efficiency Measures
Refrigeration System
• Insulate Suction Lines and Low Pressure Receivers
• Increase Ammonia System’s Suction Pressure
• Reduce Head Pressure
• Convert Ammonia Refrigeration to Floating Head Pressure
• Install High Efficiency Ammonia Compressors
• Sequence Ammonia Compressors
• Replace Single Stage Compressor with Two-Stage System
• Use Subcooling to Reduce Compressor Power
• Recover Waste Heat from Ammonia Refrigeration System

IAC-SFSU 10
Potential Energy Efficiency Measures

Condensers
• Increase Evaporative Condenser Capacity
• Replace Air-Cooled Condensers with
Water-Cooled Condensers
• Install Adjustable Speed Drives on the
Evaporative Condenser Fans

IAC-SFSU 11
Potential Energy Efficiency Measures

Evaporators
• Control Evaporator Defrost Based on Demand
• Control Evaporator Fans with VFD

IAC-SFSU 12
Insulate Suction Lines/Receivers
• Present Condition:
The lines or receivers are bare or poorly insulated, and
ice formation on them is often visible.

• Remedy:
Insulate with appropriate insulation, based on
temperature – may need vapor barrier.

• Pay back:
Fairly short, depends on ambient and refrigerant
temperature
IAC-SFSU 13
Increase Ammonia System’s Suction
Pressure
• Present Condition:
The suction pressure/temperature is too low for the application, i.e.
∆T between refrigerant and the refrigerated medium is too high.
Typical values for ∆T should be about 10-15 F. Other cause may be
pressure restriction in the suction line.

• Remedy:
Decrease ∆T to 10-15 F, and make sure that evaporator/ heat
exchanger can handle the new setting. Remove pressure restrictors.

• Pay back:
Immediate, unless you need to change/add evaporator
/ heat exchanger

1 F increase in the evaporator will increase the efficiency of the

system about 2%!
IAC-SFSU 14
Reduce Head Pressure
• Present Condition:
The head pressure/temperature is too high for the application, i.e.
∆T between condensing refrigerant and the ambient (dry or wet
bulb temperature depending on the condensing system) is too high.

• Remedy:
Decrease ∆T to 10-15 F, and make sure that the condenser can
handle the new setting.

• Pay back:
Immediate, unless you need to change/add condensing capacity.

Reducing condenser T by 1 F may increase compressor efficiency by 1.5 to

2%! Lowering the head pressure increases system capacity

IAC-SFSU 15
 Reduce Head Pressure (cont.)
Reducing head pressure increases system capacity
Ammonia

1000
Pressure (psia)

3 2
3'
2'
100

4' 1
10 4

Saturated
Saturated
Liquid Line
Vapor Line
1
-500 -400 -300 -200 -100 0 100 200 300 400 500
Enthalpy (Btu/lbm)

IAC-SFSU 16
Convert Ammonia Refrigeration to
Floating Head Pressure
• Present Condition:
The head pressure setting is high to accommodate for high
temperature ambient (Twb), but most of the time Twb is low.

• Remedy:
Add a floating head pressure controller and let the head pressure
float based on ambient wet bulb temperature, with an approach
temperature of about 10-15 F.

• Pay back:
$30 k - $50 k, will increase if additional condensing capacity is
needed.

Minimum pressure may become limited due to hot gas defrost, liquid
injection or floor heating pressure requirements.
IAC-SFSU 17
Install High Efficiency Ammonia
Compressors

• Present Condition:
The compressor has poor performance especially at part
load (e.g. long unload periods, oversized, etc.)

• Remedy:
Install a new reciprocating with cylinder unloading of
VFD controlled screw compressor(s).

• Pay back:
Several years, highly dependent on the specific case.

IAC-SFSU 18
Use Computer Control to Manage
Compressor Sequencing
• Present Condition:
Multiple Compressors are not sequenced properly and some of them
work part-load or unloaded for significant periods of time.

• Remedy:
Properly sequence the compressors by computer control to minimize
part-load/unload operation for significant periods. This can be well
accomplished with reciprocating compressor unloaders and VFD
controlled screw compressors.

• Pay back:
Immediate to a few years

IAC-SFSU 19
Replace Single Stage Compressor with
Two-Stage System
• Present Condition:
This is the case that there may be one or two refrigerated
temperature levels, but a single stage system produces a large
pressure ratio (lift, usually for subzero temperature levels)

• Remedy:
Split the system into a two stage system with intercooling. Most
appropriate for multi-level temperature systems.

• Pay back:
Can be several years because of the cost of compressor, vessels,
valving and controls.

IAC-SFSU 20
 Vapor Compression Cycle
Evaporative
Two-Stage
Condenser

vapor

liquid 2nd Stage

Reciprocating
Compressor
Intercooler vapor

superheated
vapor
liquid
High Pressure
Receiver 1st Stage
Reciprocating
Compressors
subcooled
vapor
liquid

Process Chiller
Ammonia
Flooded Drum/
Low Pressure Receiver
1000

Pressure (psia) 6 5 4

100
High-Stage
High Temperature 2
8 3
Evaporators (30 F)

10 Low-Stage
7 Low Temperature 1
Evaporators (0 F)
Saturated
Liquid Line Saturated
Vapor Line
1
-100 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
Enthalpy (Btu/lbm)
IAC-SFSU 21
Use Sub-cooling to Reduce Compressor
Power
• Present Condition:
Saturated liquid refrigerant is expanded for evaporation.

• Remedy:
Install an sub-cooler through an intermediate stage
expansion

• Pay back:
About one year
IAC-SFSU 22
 Typical Subcooler

High-Pressure
Receivers
Expansion Valve Intermediate-Pressure
Ammonia Vapor to
vapor Intercooler

HPL

Liquid Ammonia 5
from Evaporative
Condenser 6

subcooled Liquid
HPL Subcooler

Subcooled Ammonia to
Evaporators

IAC-SFSU 23
Recover Waste Heat from Ammonia
Refrigeration System
• Present Condition:
No heat is recovered from hot compressor outflow.
Does not apply to cases with liquid injection!

• Remedy:
Install a heat exchanger to recover heat for any
application in the plant (e.g. preheat boiler make-up
water, heat domestic water, floorheating)

• Pay back:
A couple of years depending on the need for thermal
energy at low temperature
IAC-SFSU 24
Recover Waste Heat from Ammonia
Refrigeration System (cont.)
Schematic of Proposed Desuperheater

IAC-SFSU 25
Potential Energy Efficiency Measures

Condensers
• Increase Evaporative Condenser Capacity
• Replace Air-Cooled Condensers with
Water-Cooled Condensers
• Install Adjustable Speed Drives on the
Evaporative Condenser Fans

IAC-SFSU 26
Increase Evaporative Condenser
Capacity
• Present Condition:
The condenser does not have enough heat rejection capacity, thus
the refrigerant condenses at high pressure/head pressure remains
high

• Remedy:
Increase the condensation capacity.

• Pay back:
From one to few years depending on the capacity needs

IAC-SFSU 27
Replace Air-Cooled Condensers with
Water-Cooled Condensers
• Present Condition:
The system has an air cooled condenser working based on heat
rejection to Tdb, which results in high head pressure.

• Remedy:
Replace the air cooled condenser with an evaporator condenser (if
atmospheric conditions allows!) and lower the head pressure.

• Pay back:
A few years

IAC-SFSU 28
Install VFD on the Evaporative
Condenser Fan
• Present Condition:
The evaporator condenser/cooling tower has constant
speed fans and works continuously or is on/off
controlled.

• Remedy:
Install VFD and control the speed based on water
temperature or head pressure.

• Pay back:
A couple of years
IAC-SFSU 29
Potential Energy Efficiency Measures

Evaporators
• Control Evaporator Defrost Based on Demand
• Control Evaporator Fans with VFD

IAC-SFSU 30
Control Evaporator Defrost Based on
Demand
• Present Condition:
Defrosting of evaporators is time-based, it is timer
controlled.

• Remedy:
Install demand-based defrosting controller using defrost
sensors. DOE sponsored study shows 7-11% savings

• Pay back:
About a year, will greatly depend on the cold
storage/freezer environment.
IAC-SFSU 31
Control Evaporator Fans with VFD

• Present Condition:
Evaporator fans are on all the time or they have on-off control. The
environment temperature is usually controlled by refrigerant flow.

• Remedy:
Install VFD on the evaporators to be controlled based on cold
environment temperature.

• Pay back:
A few years, will greatly depend on the cold storage/freezer load
variation.

IAC-SFSU 32
Potential Energy Efficiency Measures
(cont.)

Other Measures
• Install thermo-siphon oil cooling
• Optimize Intermediate Suction Pressure
• Install Gas Engine Driven Compressors
• Reduce Refrigeration Load by Various Means

IAC-SFSU 33
Some References

Industrial Refrigeration Best Practices Guide

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, Dec. 2007

Industrial Refrigeration Handbook

Wilbert F. Stoecker, McGraw Hill, 1995

IAC-SFSU 34