.

33 6 (639 - 654) - 2549

KKU Engineering Journal Vol. 33 No .6 (639 654) November December 2006

*
1) 1)Masud Behnia2) 1) 3)
1)
2)
3)

. .

Dean of Postgraduate Study, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

.
Email: wirapan_seehanam@yahoo.com

(ejector refrigeration)

(compressor)

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) FLUENT
CPM CMA
120oC-140oC 5oC-15oC
CFD
(effective area)

(axis symmetric) 3 (3D)

: , , Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

1 2549 28 2549

640

Masud Behnia

Investigation on Characteristics
*
of Ejector Refrigeration Using CFD
Wirapan Seehanam1) Kulachate Pianthong1) Masud Behnia2) Thanarath Sriveerakul1)
and Satha Aphornratana3)
1) Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ubon Ratchatany University.
2) Dean of Postgraduate Study, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
3) Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sirinhorn International Institute of Technology, Tammasat
University.

ABSTRACT
Ejector refrigeration system is usually designed to utilize the low-grade energy for driving the cycle.
It also has a low maintenance cost, because it operates without compressor. Mainly, the ejector performance
directly affects the refrigerating performance. Therefore, an investigation on characteristics and an efficient
design of the ejector are important to improve the ejector refrigeration system. In this study, Computational
Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code (FLUENT) is employed to predict the flow phenomena and performance of
CPM and CMA steam ejector. The ejector refrigeration system, using water as the working fluid, is operated
at 120oC-140oC of boiler and 5oC-15oC of evaporator temperature. CFD can predict the ejector performance,
very well and reveals the effect of operating conditions on an effective area which is directly related to its
performance. Besides, it is found that the flow pattern doses not depend much on suction zone because the
results of axis symmetric and 3D simulation are similar. This investigation aids to understand the ejector
characteristics and provide the information for designing ejector to suited the optimum condition.
Keywords : Ejector, Ejector refrigeration, Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD)

Original manucript submitted: June 1, 2006 and Final manucript received: September 28, 2006

641

Maurice Leblanc .. 1910

(Chunnanond, K.,2005)

1
(ejector), (generator or boiler) (circulating
pump) (compressor) (
)
(nozzle)
(evaporator)



(condenser)
(expansion valve)

Added low grade heat

Boiler
Circulation pump

Ejector
Condenser
Rejected heat

Expansion valve

Evaporator
Refrigeration load
1

642

Masud Behnia

2 Entrainment ratio, Em
(1) Critical
Back Pressure (CBP)

Entrainment ratio E m = mass flow rate of secondary flow

(1)

mass flow rate of primary flow

2 constant
pressure mixing (CPM) constant mixing area (CMA) ( 2.7)
CMA Rm
CBP CPM Rm CBP



(Computational Fluid
Dynamics : CFD)

(a) Constant Pressure Mixing (CPM)

(b) Constant Mixing Area (CMA)

2 (a) constant-pressure mixing ejector (b) constant-area mixing ejector

Keenan (Keenan, J.H. et al.,1942 and
Keenan, J.H. et al.,1950)
1

643

(constant capacity
effect) Munday J.T. (Munday, J.T. et al.,1997)
(sonic
condition) ( choking )
(effective area)
3

CFD

Secondary fluid

Jet-core

Primary fluid

Secondary fluid
Effective area

CFD
Riffat, S.B. (Riffat, S.B. et al., 2001)
(methanol)
Rusly, E. (Rusly, E. et al.,2002 and Rusly, E. et
al.,2005) 2
real gas model

Seehanam, W.
(Seehanam, W.et al.,2005) Rusly, E.

(Constant Rate of Momentum Changes ,CRMC)

CMA CPM
CFD

644

Masud Behnia

4 2 1)
(primary nozzle)
2) 4 (secondary inlet) ,(mixing
chamber), (throat) (diffuser)

FLUENT (Chunnanond, K et al., 2004)

(axis symmetry) 48,000
4
k realizable (Near-wall
treatment) (standard near wall function) couple-implicit
pressure inlet pressure
outlet (energy equation)
3 hexahedral 5,000,000
5 3
(ideal gases)

(2) Pop
0
=
+

NXP

Mixing chamber

Pop + P

(2)

RT
Throat

Diffuser

Nozzle

4 CFD

645

5 3D CFD

2 3

3
CPM 6 (
nozzle)
1 mbar (fluctuation) shock train

shock train
3



Static pressure (mbar)

CPM ejector, Boiler 130 C Evaporator 10 C Condenser 40 mbar

2D
3D

50
40
30
20
10
0
0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Position along ejector (mm)

6 2 () 3

646

Masud Behnia

CFD
CFD
Chunnanond, K. (Chunnanord, K. et al.,2005) CFD

7 Em CBP
10% 6% CFD
7

140 C
o
140 C
0.6

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.4

0.3

0.3

Em

Em

0.6

Evaporator 10 C Boiler
o
o
120 C
130 C
Exp:
o
o
120 C
130 C
CFD:

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1

Boiler 130 C Evaporator

o
o
Exp:
15 C
10 C
o
o
15 C
10 C
CFD:

5 C
o
5 C

0.0

0.0
20

30

40

50

Condenser pressure(mbar)

60

70

20

30

40

50

60

70

Condenser pressure(mbar)

(a)

(b)

7 CFD
(a) (b)

CPM CMA

Em CBP

647

Em CBP

Em CBP
CMA
(Em) CPM CMA CPM
8 Em

8(a)

8(b)

o

Boiler 130 C and Evaporatror

o
o
CMA 5 C
CMA 10 C
o
o
CPM 5 C
CPM 10 C

CMA 140 C
o
CPM 140 C

0.8

0.8

0.7

0.7

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.4

Em

Em

Evaporator 10 C and Boiler

o
o
CMA 120 C
CMA 130 C
o
o
CPM 120 C
CPM 130 C

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.0
0

10

20

30

40

50

Condenser pressure(mbar)

(a)

60

70

CMA 15 C
o
CPM 15 C

0.0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Condenser pressure(mbar)

(b)

8
(a)
(b)

NXP
(NXP)

9
(Nozzle Exit Position, NXP) (Maximum
entrainment ratio, Max.Em)

648

Masud Behnia

Em NXP
CFD
o

Evaporator 10 C Boiler
o
o
CMA 120 C
CMA 130 C
o
o
CPM 120 C
CPM 130 C

Boiler 130 C Evaporator

o
o
CMA 5 C
CMA 10 C
o
o
CPM 5 C
CPM 10 C
Max.Em

CMA 140 C
o
CPM 140 C

Max.Em
0.8

0.8

0.7

0.7

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.4

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1
0.0

0.0
-15

-10

-5

CMA 15 C
o
CPM 15 C

-15

10

-10

-5

10

NXP

NXP

(a)

(b)

9

(a) (b)

Throat
(TL)
NXP = 0 mm = 125 mm 4
CPM CMA
o

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.4

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.0
20

30

40

50

Condenser pressure (mbar)

60

CPM Ejector Boiler 130 C and Evaporator 10 C

10
40
70
Throat lenght,TL(mm)
95
130
160
190
220

95
220

Em

Em

CMA Ejector Boiler 130 C and Evaporator 10 C

Throat lenght,TL-125 (mm)
40
80
120
160
180
200

0.0
20

(a)

30

40

50

Condenser pressure(mbar)

(b)

10 throat
(a) CMA (b) CPM

60

649

10 TL
TL CBP 10 (a)
CMA TL-125 CBP 95-120 mm. 10(b)
TL 130 mm. CPM CBP TL CBP
11 12 TL Max.Em
TL Em TL

Boiler 130 C Condenser 20 mbar Evaporator

o
o
o
CMA 5 C
CMA 10 C
CMA 15 C
o
o
o
CPM 5 C
CPM 10 C
CPM 15 C

0.8

0.8

0.7

0.7

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.5

Max.Em

Max.Em

Evaporator 10 C Condenser 20 mbar Boiler

o
o
o
CMA 120 C
CMA 130 C
CMA 140 C
o
o
o
CPM 120 C
CPM 130 C
CPM 140 C

0.4
0.3

0.4
0.3

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.0

0.0

50

100

Throat length(mm)

150

200

50

100

150

200

Throat length(mm)

(a)

(b)

11 TL Em
(a) (b)

CFD
CFD

CFD

650

Masud Behnia

12 3

12 3 (Mach number) X Y
130oC , 10oC
30 mbar





choking

() 3

( on design conditions) Em (back

pressure) CBP
(off design condition)

651

13 (path line)
CMA (reverse
flow)
( Em )

13

throat


CFD

CFD
( 3)

CFD
CFD
14 15
jet-core

(a)

(b)

(c)

14 jet- core

(a) 120oC, (b) 130 oC (c) 140 oC

652

Masud Behnia

(a)

(b)

(c)

15 jet-core
(a) 5oC, (b) 10 oC (c) 15 oC

14
jet-core 140 oC ( 14
(c) 120 oC

8 (a) 15
jet-core


8 (b) 14 15

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

16 jet core
(a) 20 mbar , (b) 25 mbar , (c) 30 mbar, (d) 35 mbar(CBP), (e) 38 mbar (f) 40 mbar

653

(back pressure)
16 CBP
Em
CBP Em

( CBP )

CBP
Em

(layer)
2 1
CPM
CMA
Em 2

TL
10 11 TL
Em

3

CFD

CFD
CFD

654

Masud Behnia

Chunnanond, K. 2005. A study of steam ejector refrigeration cycle, parameters affecting

performance of ejector. Ph.D. Thesis, Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology
University Thailand
Chunnanond. K. and Aphornratana, S. 2004. An experimental investigatation of a stream
ejector refrigerator: the analysis of the pressure profile along the ejector. Applied
Thermal and Energy. 24:311-322.
Keenan, J.H. and Neumann, E.P. 1942. A simple air ejector. Transactions of the ASME.
Journal of Mechanics. 64:75-81.
Keenan , J.H., Neumann, E.P. and Lustwerk. 1950. An investigation of ejector design by
analysis and experiment Transactions of the ASME. Journal of Mechanics. 72 : 299309.
Munday, J.T. and Bagster, D.F. 1997 . A new theory applied to steam jet refrigeration.
Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Process Design and Development.16(4) : 442449.
Riffat, S.B. and Omer, S.A. 2001. CFD modeling and experimental investigation of an ejector
refrigeration system using methanol as the working fluid. International Journal of
Energy Research. 25:115 -128.
Rusly, E., Lu Aye., Charters, W.W.S., Ooi, A. and Pianthong, K. 2002. Ejector CFD
modelling with real gas model Proceedings of the 16th Annual conference of
Mechanical Engineering Network Thailand, Phuket, Thailand : Paper TF 136.
Seehanam, W., Sahumin, K.,Pianthong, K. and Behnia, M. 2005. Prediction of flow
characteristic and performance of steam ejector in refrigeration cycle using CFD.
Proceedings of the 8th Asian Symposium on Visualization, Chiangmai, Thailand :
Paper 10.