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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sl No Title Page No
1 Introduction 3
2 Working of a Cascading System 3-5
3 Refrigerant Used In Cascade Refrigeration System 5
4 Advantages Of Cascade Refrigeration System 6
5 Benefits Of The CO2 / NH3 Cascade System Over 6 - 7
Ammonia
System
6 Disadvantages Of Cascade Refrigeration System 7-8
7 Applications Of Cascade Refrigeration System 8
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INTRODUCTION:
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.
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For a two refrigerant cascade system, the process is as follows:
The refrigerant in the high temperature circuit gets evaporated (points 5-6) in
the cascade condenser and passes through the HTC compressor. The
refrigerant then passes through the HTC condenser where heat is released
causing the refrigerant to cool (points 7-8).The refrigerant then passes
through the HTC throttling valve, where the fluid expands losing
temperature (points 8-5).
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The refrigerating effect is created only in the evaporator of the low
temperature circuit. The cascade refrigeration operates the same as a regular
refrigeration unit except for the second stage of operation.
Various refrigerants can be and are used in cascade systems, with R-12, R-22, or
R-502 frequently used in the high stage. The absolute pressures required to obtain
evaporating temperatures below -80°F with R- 12, R-22, and R-502 are so low that
the specific volume of the refrigerant becomes very high, and the resulting
compressor displacement requirement is so great that the use of these refrigerants
in the low stage becomes uneconomical.
R-13, ethane, and a new refrigerant, R-23/13 (R-503) are frequently used for low
stage applications. R-13 is commonly used for evaporating temperatures in the -
100°F to -120°F range since its pressure at those evaporating temperatures is such
that its use is practical with commonly available refrigeration compressors.
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ADVANTAGES OF CASCADE REFRIGERATION SYSTEM:
Compressor size (or compressor swept volume) required for the CO2 low-
stage side is appreciably smaller as compared to the low-stage ammonia.
• The compression ratio required for the low-stage is much lower for CO2. It
is approximately 44 to 49% less compared to the ammonia booster stage.
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The advantages of a lower compression ratio are better volumetric
efficiency, lower discharge gas temperature and higher adiabatic compression
efficiency.
• The COP (coefficient of performance) for the CO2 low stage compressor is
much higher compared to the ammonia compressor for the required operating
conditions.
• The discharge condition CO2 vapor has lower specific volume compared to
ammonia. Hence the discharge line size for a CO2 plant will be smaller
compared to similar capacity ammonia. This will also result in advantages of
lower piping, fittings and smaller size valves resulting in a further reduction in
the overall plant cost.
• Because of lower suction / wet return lines, lower size discharge line and a
smaller accumulator, the total first charge of refrigerant for such a CO2 / NH3
cascade system will be smaller than a conventional two-stage NH3 system.