Energetic Comparison of Ammonia Refrigerating Systems

for Industrial Applications

Apart from special applications using waste heat to generate cold, the vapour

compression cycle with mechanic compression is the energetically most

efficient system.

Generally, the number of operating hours of large refrigerating systems for

industrial applications, especially in the food sector, is rather high.

Here, energy saving aspects are the main issue in fulfilling the refrigeration

purpose. Without a doubt, the behaviour of the refrigerant ammonia is

particularly favourable in this respect.

1. Degree of Energy Requirement for Refrigerant Compression

The specific energy requirement at the compressor is an important figure in order to

compare the efficiency of the system’s refrigerating performance.

eurammon-Information No. 7, October 1997

 The curves presented in figure 1
without zero point suppression
very clearly show the enormous
influence that decreasing eva-
porating temperatures have on
the energy consumption.

In this respect it is rather irrele-

vant what manufacturer provi-
ded the data, which are reflec-
ted in this diagram for medium-
size piston compressors.

The normally dimensionless

representation was deliberately
provided with dimensions so that
it can be explained to non-
experts also.

If energy saving aspects are

crucial, unnecessary tempe-
rature differences either on
the warm or on the cold side
have to be avoided.

Fig. 1: Specific Energy Requirement

for Ammonia Compression

The above-mentioned basic requirements can be realized in a simple system

scheme which has been known for a long time and corresponds to the scheme in

figure 2.

eurammon-Information No. 7, October 1997

2. System Scheme for the Optimal Use of the Applied Energy

2.1 On the warm side

favourable seasonal weather
conditions can be used in order
to achieve a low condensation
temperature by applying an
evaporative condenser.
By the high-pressure float
control unit as the throttling
device, it is possible to actually
make use of this favourable
situation, for - in contrast to
expansion valves - it does not
have to be designed for a
specific pressure difference.

2.2 On the cold side

it is also possible to realize
minimal temperature differences
by using “flooded“ evaporators.
In the so-called heat exchangers
the entire surface serves the
evaporation process.
In contrast to the operation with
expansion valves, neither does a
portion of the evaporator have to
be used to superheat the
released refrigerant vapour nor
does the evaporation tempe-
rature have to be additionally
lowered for the same reason.

Fig. 2: Ammonia refrigerating system

with flooded evaporators

Gravity-fed or aided by a pump, the liquid refrigerant gets from the low pressure

container called “separator“ to the evaporators.

eurammon-Information No. 7, October 1997

If the entire refrigerant content fits into the separator, otherwise dreaded explosive

atmospheres of the liquid can be definitely precluded.

Due to environmental reasons, the aim is to minimize the refrigerant charge in

modern refrigerating systems. In this respect, many technical components of the

conventional systems had to be improved.

3 Possible Methods to Reduce Energy Consumption

3.1 Systems With Direct Refrigerant Evaporation

Compressor types operated with refrigerant flooding or spraying have good heat

transfer coefficients and, therefore, require small temperature differences between

the evaporating refrigerant and the product to be cooled so that the compressor is in

a position to aspirate at a higher evaporating temperature.

Undesired excessive refrigerant charges can be avoided by modern compressor

designs.

A central refrigerating system with a pump for the refrigerant circulation is still the

optimal solution from energy saving aspects.

The energy requirement of systems with direct evaporation and expansion valves is

in principle higher, as described before in chapter 2.

eurammon-Information No. 7, October 1997

Fig.3: Spray evaporator Fig.4: Fully welded Fig.5: Air cooler with
plate evaporator overhead injection

3.2 Indirect Cooling

The use of a secondary refrigerant is a frequent and welcome alternative. Not to

cover the refrigeration requirements by direct refrigerant evaporation, however, is

necessarily connected with overcoming additional temperature differences. This

increases the energy demand; additionally, the pump for the secondary refrigerant

always has a higher consumption than the one of the primary refrigerant.

Modern types of plate evaporators, which

also comply with the special material
requirements of ammonia, avoid
unnecessary temperature differences.
Additionally, they combine the advantages of
high transfer efficiency with very small
refrigerant charges.

The use of secondary refrigerants

also at low temperatures was made possible
by new formulations.

Fig. 6: Self-flooded plate evaporator

eurammon-Information No. 7, October 1997

4. Reduction of the Refrigerant Charge

The refrigerant charge of an ammonia refrigerating system plays an important role in

the licensing procedure so that the advantages of direct evaporation in systems

which contain larger refrigerant charges (e.g. shell-and-tube apparatuses flooded on

the internal shell surface or cooling cassettes of cylindrically conical brewery

fermentation tanks) may be of secondary importance for the evaluation due to the

possibly associated administratively imposed requirements.

In particular this situation led to a preference of indirect cooling recently (ice-rinks,

breweries) in spite of the energetic disadvantages in the cooling process.

This development is promoted by the use of plate heat exchangers (see 3.2), which

in spite of their flooded operation need only a minimum refrigerant charge and at the

same time have high heat transfer rates so that the evaporation temperatures are

only negligibly lower in comparison to direct evaporation at an economically

justifiable heat exchanger capacity.

5. Reduction of Energetic Disadvantages

If the application of indirect cooling is necessary due to the location according to

VBG 20 or is favourable for reasons stated in Section 4, the following types of

systems have to be distinguished:

eurammon-Information No. 7, October 1997

5.1 Systems Exclusively Operated With Indirect Cooling

As a rule the brine temperature for the cooling can be freely selected within certain

limits with a given design of the heat exchanger.

At a known fermentation temperature, design-determined heat exchanger surface

and approximately comparable heat transfer conditions, the medium logarithmic

temperature difference for a fermentation tank is technologically specified. It can be

realized with small (example 1) or large (example 2) brine temperature differences

(expansion).

The evaporation temperature required for refrigeration is in each case defined at

about 4 K below the flow temperature of the brine in an assumed flooded operation.

The following comparative calculation shows the effects of temperature expansion

for a brewery system with cylindrically conical fermentation tanks:

Eduction of the Fermentation Heat, Example 1 Example 2

Top-Fermenting Beer
Fermentation temperature (°C) +22.0 +22.0
Brine temperature expansion (K) 5.5 15.0
Brine advance (°C) +2.0 -3.0
Brine return (°C) +7.5 +12.0
Evaporating temperature (°C) -2.0 -7.0
Refrigeration performance (kW) 300.0 300.0
Brine volume flow (m³/h) 48.5 17.8
Electric power consumption
- Compressor (kW) 62.9 75.1
- Brine pump (kW) 5.8 2.3
- Total (kW) 68.7 77.4
==============================

eurammon-Information No. 7, October 1997

The following can be concluded from the comparison of the two calculation
examples:

1. In example 1 cold temperatures are generated at high evaporating

temperatures and the same refrigeration performance with a clearly lower

power consumption of the compressor.

2. The higher brine temperature differences and the associated low brine volume

flow in example 2 only lead to insignificant savings in comparison to the power

consumption of the compressors.

When installing a new system it is advisable to define the evaporating temperature at

a level as high as possible through the selection of the brine temperature. This way

the system design is optimized as far as operating costs are concerned.

5.2 Systems Working Both With Direct Evaporation and Indirect Cooling at a
Common Evaporating Temperature

As in this case a certain evaporating temperature is defined and thus the power

consumption of the compressor cannot be influenced, the circulating charge can be

reduced by a larger temperature expansion of the secondary refrigerant and thereby

power consumption can be saved.

5.3 Converting a System With Direct Ammonia Evaporation to Indirect

Cooling

This becomes a possible requirement when reducing the refrigerant charge

according to chapter 4.

eurammon-Information No. 7, October 1997

If, for example, referring to the brewery example stated in chapter 5.1, the existing

piping system is to be used for the brine operation, then the nominal sizes of the

pipes

advancing the liquid ammonia are too small for a temperature expansion of 5 K as in

this case the result would be excessive brine velocities with high differential pump

pressures and correspondingly high power consumption. In this case the expansion

has to be increased (in example 5.1 to 15 K) in order to keep the electric power

consumption of the pump within acceptable limits.

5.4 Application of New Brine Formulations

In contrast to glycol or calcium chloride brines, new brine formulations (see 3.2) on

the basis of organic salts have a considerably lower viscosity and thus better heat

transfer coefficients so that the medium temperature difference can be reduced with

the same heat exchanger surface.

These brines are especially useful for freezers. The particular application limits and

special chemical-technical properties have to be taken into consideration for the

system design as well as for the materials and components selection.

5.5 Secondary Refrigerants With Phase Changes

By using water/ice mixtures (e.g. FLO-ICE), good heat transfer coefficients and thus

small temperature differences can be achieved with the same heat exchanger

surfaces.

Avantageous are also the considerably smaller required piping diameters.

A disadvantage are, however, the additional technical components to produce the

FLO-ICE, which in many cases may only be justified if energy storage (e.g. for using

cost effective night tariffs for electricity) is possible.

eurammon-Information No. 7, October 1997

6. Conclusion

From the above statements it can be concluded that no general recommendation for

a particular type of refrigerating system for industrial purposes can be made and that

often other criteria than pure energy-saving aspects are decisive for the design of a

system.

In case of doubt, the German-language original should be consulted as the authoritative text.

Published by eurammon
P. O. Box 71 08 64 D-60498 Frankfurt
Phone +49 69 6603 1277 Fax +49 69 6603 2276
e-mail: Karin.Jahn@Vdma.org
http://www.eurammon.com

eurammon-Information No. 7, October 1997