EvaporativeandAirCooledReport PDF

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PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
OF AIR COOLED AND
EVAPORATIVE CONDENSERS
Southern California Edison

Refrigeration Technology and Test Center
Energy Efficiency Division
March 4, 1998
DISCLAIMER
THIS WORK (WORK) WAS PERFORMED WITH REASONABLE CARE AND IN

ACCORDANCE WITH PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS. HOWEVER, NEITHER SCE NOR ANY
ENTITY PERFORMING THE WORK PURSUANT TO SCE’S AUTHORITY MAKE ANY
WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, WITH REGARD TO THIS
REPORT, THE MERCHANDABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OF THE
RESULTS OF THE WORK, OR ANY ANALYSES, OR CONCLUSIONS CONTAINED IN THIS
REPORT.
THE RESULTS REFLECTED IN THE WORK ARE BASED GENERALLY REPRESENTATIVE OF
OPERATING CONDITIONS; HOWEVER, THE RESULTS IN ANY OTHER SITUATION MAY
VARY DEPENDING UPON PARTICULAR OPERATING CONDITIONS.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We would like to thank VaCom Technologies for assisting Southern California Edison (SCE) in
conducting this test. Additionally, we would like to extend our thanks to Recold Division of
Marley Cooling Towers, Bohn Refrigeration Division of Heatcraft, Inc., and ABB for their
generous contributions in this project.
The entire data reduction, engineering analysis and report production in this project was
conducted by the staff of the Energy Efficiency Division of SCE.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... ii
List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................ iv
List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................... iv
Nomenclature.......................................................................................................................................... viii
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................1
Report Organization....................................................................................................................................4
(1) Test Procedure......................................................................................................................................6
(2) Analysis................................................................................................................................................8
(3) Heat Rejection by Air Cooled Condenser ..........................................................................................13
(4) Air Cooled Condenser Tests...............................................................................................................16
(5) Heat Rejection by Evaporative Condenser.........................................................................................25
(6) Evaporative Condenser Tests .............................................................................................................28
(7) Discussion of Results .........................................................................................................................39
(8) Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................49
REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF AIR COOLED AND EVAPORATIVE CONDENSERS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this project was to test and evaluate the impact of several common control strategies on
the heat rejection capacity and power consumption of air cooled and evaporative condensers. The test
also evaluated the effect of these control strategies on the condenser and refrigeration system efficiencies.
The test was conducted under actual climate conditions of Irwindale, CA. Throughout the entire thirteen
days of the test, the refrigeration load remained constant at seven tons while the main focus was on effects
of ambient conditions and control strategies on the condenser performance and power use.
Southern California Edison (SCE) conducted this test at its state-of-the-art Refrigeration Technology and
Test Center (RTTC), located in Irwindale, CA. The RTTC’s sophisticated instrumentation and data
acquisition system provided detailed tracking of the refrigeration system’s critical temperature and
pressure points during the test period. These readings were then utilized to quantify various heat transfer
and power related parameters within the refrigeration cycle.
In supermarkets’ refrigeration systems, compressors and condensers contribute a large portion of the
sites’ electric energy use. Compressors can consume up to eight times more power than condensers in
commercial supermarkets. In this test, however, the condenser comprised a larger than typical portion of
the power use. Hence, using the system and compressor power and efficiency results of this test in an
absolute sense will be misleading.
Optimizing the trade off between a compressor’s reduced power consumption and additional condenser
fan energy consumption at lower head pressures has always been a challenge. This test attempted to
demonstrate this trade off through the implementation of different fan control strategies. The most
common condenser fan control strategies for maintaining a fixed or floating compressor head are:
• Two speed fans

• Staging of various size fans (fan cycling)
• Variable Speed Drive (VSD)
As a result, to address a wide range of fan and head pressure control combinations, this test evaluated the
performance of evaporative and air cooled condensers under the following scenarios:
1. Fixed condensing temperature at 90 °F, using VSD control on fan motor

3. Fixed condensing temperature at 90 °F, using two speed fan motors / fan cycling
5. Variable condensing temperature set point, using two speed fan motors / fan cycling
6. Variable condensing temperature set point, using VSD control on fan motor
In addition to the above scenarios, the evaporative condenser was tested with its fan operating at 80% of
its capacity at constant speed. The purpose of this test was to capture the effects of smaller sized fans
operating at maximum fixed speed on the condensing temperature of the system.

ii
Based on the tested control scenarios; the results indicate that except for one control scenario the
evaporative condenser achieves better Energy Efficiency Ratios (EER) under various control modes
(Figure 1). The EER simply reflects the ratio of the heat of refrigeration rejected by the condenser
(Btu/hr) to the condenser power input (Watts). The variable speed drive control with a 90 °F target SCT
was the only mode of control under which the air cooled condenser’s EER was higher than that of the
evaporative condenser. For the air cooled condenser, the variable speed drive fan control at 90 °F target
SCT required the lowest average condenser power use while yielding the highest SCT. The variable
speed fan control with variable set point achieved the next highest EER.
For the evaporative condenser, the constant speed operation of the fan at 80% of its rated capacity yielded
the most favorable results. Except for the 90 °F SCT tests, this mode of test produced the lowest SCTs,
while the ambient wet bulb was the highest and the least amount of average condenser power was
required. The variable speed fan control with variable set point achieved the next highest EER.
The main difference between the two condensers, however, remained in the yielded SCTs and condenser
power use. Overall, the evaporative condenser achieved lower SCTs and consumed less power than the
air cooled condenser.
Average Condenser Energy Efficiency Ratings
200 179.48
EER (Btu/h/W)
150
83.92 87.48
100
42.88
29.64 28.14 26.59 34.71 29.86 29.66
50 23.51 23.37
0
2 65 2 90 2 VSP VS 65 VS 90 VS VSP
Air Cooled Evaporative
Figure 1 - Average Energy Efficiency Ratings for Air Cooled and Evaporative Condensers

iii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 - Average Condenser EER Values (Btu/h/W) for Various Test Modes......................................................... 3
Table 2 - Various Condenser Performance Parameters per Amount of Heat Rejected .............................................. 3
Table 3 - Test Runs for the Evaporative Condenser ................................................................................................... 6
Table 4 - Test Runs for the Air Cooled Condenser .................................................................................................... 7
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 - Average Energy Efficiency Ratings for Air Cooled and Evaporative Condensers ...................................iii
Figure 2 - Power Use Breakdown for Typical Supermarket....................................................................................... 1
Figure 3 - Ambient Temperature Fluctuation for Entire Test Period.......................................................................... 2
Figure 4 - Schematic of an Air Cooled Condenser ................................................................................................... 13
Figure 5 - Variation of Condensing Coefficient With Distance Along Condenser Tube ......................................... 14
Figure 6 - Air Cooled Condenser Used in the Test................................................................................................... 16
Figure 7 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Air Cooled, Two
Stage Fans, 65 °F Target SCT .................................................................................................................. 17
Figure 8 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Dry Bulb Temperature for the Air Cooled, ..........................
Two Stage Fans, 65 °F Target SCT .......................................................................................................... 17
Figure 9 - Subcooling Achieved by the Condenser vs Dry Bulb Temperature for the Air Cooled,
Two Stage Fans, 65°F Target SCT ........................................................................................................... 18
Figure 10 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Air Cooled,
Variable Speed Fan Drive, 65 °F Target SCT ........................................................................................ 18
Figure 11 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Dry Bulb Temperature for the Air
Cooled, Variable Speed Fan Drive, 65 °F Target SCT ........................................................................... 19
Figure 12 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Air Cooled, Two
Stage Fans, 90 °F Target SCT ................................................................................................................ 20
Cooled, Two Stage Fans, 90 °F Target SCT........................................................................................... 20

iv
Cooled, Variable Speed Fan Drive, 90 °F Target SCT ........................................................................... 22
Two Stage Fans, Variable Target SCT ................................................................................................... 22
Cooled, Two Stage Fans, Variable Target SCT...................................................................................... 23
Variable Speed Fan Drive, Variable Target SCT.................................................................................... 24
Cooled, Variable Speed Fan Drive, Variable Target SCT ...................................................................... 24
Figure 20 - Schematic of an Evaporative Condenser................................................................................................ 25
Figure 21 - Evaporative Condenser Used for the Test.............................................................................................. 27
Figure 22 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Evaporative,
Two Speed Fan, 65 °F Target SCT......................................................................................................... 28
Figure 23 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Ambient Temperatures for the
Evaporative, Two Speed Fan, 65 °F Target SCT.................................................................................... 29
Evaporative, Variable Speed Fan Drive, 65 °F Target SCT .................................................................. 30
Two Speed Fan, 90 °F Target SCT......................................................................................................... 31
Evaporative, Two Speed Fan, 90 °F Target SCT.................................................................................... 31
Evaporative, Variable Speed Fan Drive, 90 °F Target SCT ................................................................... 33
Two Speed Fan, Variable Target SCT.................................................................................................... 34

v
Evaporative, Two Speed Fan, Variable Target SCT............................................................................... 34
Variable Speed Fan Drive, Variable Target SCT.................................................................................... 35
Evaporative, Variable Speed Fan Drive, Variable Target SCT .............................................................. 36
80% Fan Speed ....................................................................................................................................... 36
Evaporative, 80% Fan Speed .................................................................................................................. 37
Figure 36 - Water Consumption per MBtu of Rejected Heat for all Evaporative Condenser Test
Runs........................................................................................................................................................ 38
Figure 37 - Important Heat Rejection and Evaporation Rate Values for all Evaporative
Condenser Test Runs .............................................................................................................................. 38
Figure 38 - Condenser Power Use vs Ambient Dry Bulb Temperature for Air Cooled and
Evaporative Condensers Operating with Fan Cycling and 65 °F Target SCT ........................................ 39
Figure 39 - System and Condenser Energy Efficiency Ratings for Air Cooled and Evaporative
Condensers Operating with Fan Cycling and 65 °F Target SCT ............................................................ 40
Evaporative Condensers Operating with Fan Cycling and 90 °F Target SCT ........................................ 41
Condensers Operating with Fan Cycling and 90 °F Target SCT ............................................................ 42
Evaporative Condensers Operating with Fan Cycling and Variable Target SCT ................................... 43
Condensers Operating with Fan Cycling and Variable Target SCT ....................................................... 43
Evaporative Condensers Operating with Variable Speed Fan Drive and 65 °F Target
SCT......................................................................................................................................................... 44
Condensers Operating with Variable Speed Fan Drive and 65 °F Target SCT ...................................... 45
Evaporative Condensers Operating with Variable Speed Fan Drive and 90 °F Target
SCT......................................................................................................................................................... 45

vi
Condensers Operating with Variable Speed Fan Drive and 90 °F Target SCT ...................................... 46
Figure 48 - Difference in Enthalpy of Air Entering the Condenser and Saturated Air at the SCT
vs Ambient Wet Bulb Temperature for the Evaporative, Variable Speed Fan Drive,
Variable Target SCT Test Run ............................................................................................................... 47
Evaporative Condensers Operating with Variable Speed Fan Drive and Variable
Target SCT ............................................................................................................................................. 47
Figure 50 - Temperature Difference Between the Ambient Dry Bulb Temperature and the SCT vs
Ambient Dry Bulb Temperature for the Air Cooled Condenser Operating with
Variable Speed Fan Control and Variable Target SCT........................................................................... 48
Condensers Operating with Variable Speed Fan Drive and Variable Target SCT ................................. 49
Figure 52 - Average Condenser Energy Efficiency Ratings for the Evaporative and Air Cooled
Condensers for each Test Run ................................................................................................................ 49
Figure 53 - Average Power Consumption, Saturated Condensing Temperatures, and Ambient

Temperatures for all of the Air Cooled Test Runs.................................................................................. 50
Figure 54 - Average Power Consumption, Saturated Condensing Temperatures, and Ambient

Temperatures for all of the Evaporative Condenser Test Runs .............................................................. 51
Figure 55 - Performance Parameters for Air Cooled and Evaporative Condensers for Full Load
Operation ................................................................................................................................................ 51

vii
NOMENCLATURE
DBTamb Ambient dry bulb temperature (°F)

WBTamb Ambient wet bulb temperature (°F)
Tsump Temperature of the evaporative condenser sump (°F)
Areacond Total surface area of condenser coil (ft2)
Coillength Total length of condenser coil (ft)
CFM Volumetric flow rate of air through the condenser (ft3/min)
kWfan Power consumed by condenser fan motor (kW)
kWpump Power consumed by evaporative condenser water pump (kW)
MFref Mass flow rate of refrigerant (lb/min)
Pcond Pressure of refrigerant at condenser inlet (psig)(psia)
SCT Saturated condensing temperature (with respect to condenser inlet conditions) (°F)
Tcondin Temperature of refrigerant at condenser inlet (°F)
Tcondout Temperature of refrigerant at condenser outlet (°F)
Hcondin Enthalpy of superheated refrigerant at inlet of condenser (Btu/lb)
Hsatliq Enthalpy of saturated liquid refrigerant in condenser (Btu/lb)
∆Tsc cond Amount of subcooling achieved in condenser (°F)
Cp subcool Specific heat of subcooled liquid refrigerant at condenser exit (Btu/lb °F)
∆Hsubcool Enthalpy change between saturated liquid in condenser and subcooled liquid leaving
condenser (Btu/lb)
Hcondout Enthalpy of subcooled refrigerant leaving condenser (Btu/lb)
∆Hcond Enthalpy change between superheated and subcooled refrigerant at condenser inlet and exit
(Btu/lb)
TDcond Temperature difference between SCT and WBT for evaporative condenser, between SCT
and DBT for air cooled condenser (°F)
ST Suction temperature of refrigerant (°F)
SP Suction pressure of refrigerant (psig)(psia)
Hcompin Enthalpy of superheated refrigerant entering compressor (Btu/lb)
DT Discharge temperature of refrigerant (°F)
DP Discharge pressure of refrigerant (psig)(psia)
Hcompout Enthalpy of superheated refrigerant leaving compressor (Btu/lb)
Tsc in Temperature of refrigerant entering sub-cooler (°F)
Psc in Pressure of refrigerant entering sub-cooler (psig)(psia)
Hsc in Enthalpy of refrigerant entering sub-cooler (Btu/lb)
Tsc out Temperature of refrigerant leaving sub-cooler (°F)
Psc out Pressure of refrigerant leaving sub-cooler (psig)(psia)
Hsc out Enthalpy of refrigerant leaving sub-cooler (Btu/lb)
Mech SC Amount of mechanical subcooling (°F)
kWcond Power consumed by condenser (kW)
kWcomp Power consumed by compressor (kW)
Load Refrigeration load on the system (Btu/min)

viii
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this project was to test and evaluate the impact of several common control strategies
on the power use and performance of evaporative and air cooled condensers used in refrigeration
systems. The effects of these control strategies on the condenser and refrigeration system
efficiencies were also evaluated. Southern California Edison (Edison) conducted this test at its
state-of-the-art Refrigeration Technology and Test Center (RTTC), located in Irwindale, California.
The RTTC’s sophisticated instrumentation and data acquisition system provided detailed tracking of
the refrigeration system’s critical temperature and pressure points during the test. These readings
were then utilized to quantify various heat transfer and power related parameters of the refrigeration
cycle.
The overall capacity, or power use, of the compressor used in this test was only twice the capacity
of the condenser, which does not reflect a realistic scenario. In actual supermarket refrigeration
systems, the compressors can use up to about 8 times more power than the condensers. Figure 2
represents the relationship of compressors and condensers power use in an actual supermarket
operating in the coastal climate of Southern California from March to October. The unrealistic
compressor to condenser power use ratio in this test has caused the condenser to impose a heavier
influence on the system power use profiles, whereas, in actual supermarkets, compressor power use
plays a much more significant role in overall system power use.
Typical Grocery Store Energy Use Percentages

Percent of Total Energy Used By
100
Compressor and Condenser
80
60
40
20
0
March April May June July August September October
Compressor Condenser
Figure 2 - Power Use Breakdown for Typical Supermarket

1
The trade off between the compressor’s operation at lower discharge pressures and additional condenser fan energy
consumption and implementing an optimum condenser sizing and control strategy has always been a challenge.
Most common condenser fan control strategies for maintaining a fixed or floating compressor head are:
• Two speed fans

• Staging of various size fans (fan cycling)
• Variable Speed Drive (VSD)
As a result, this test evaluated the performance of evaporative and air cooled condensers under the following
scenarios:

5. Variable condensing temperature set point, using two speed fan motors / fan cycling
6. Variable condensing temperature set point, using VSD control on fan motor
In addition to above scenarios, the evaporative condenser was tested with its fan operating at 80% of its capacity at a
constant speed. The purpose of this test was to capture the effects of smaller sized fans operating at a maximum
fixed speed on the condensing temperature of the system.
Figure 3 displays Irwindale’s dry bulb and wet bulb profiles over the thirteen test days. Throughout
the entire thirteen days of the test, the refrigeration load remained constant at seven tons, while the
main focus was on effects of ambient conditions and control strategies on the condenser
performance and power use.
Ambient Temperature Fluctuation and Refrigeration Load for Entire Test Period
hourly data
110 10
Refrigeration Load (tons)

100 9
Temperature ( F)
90
o
8
80
7
70
60 6
50 5
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13
Dry Bulb Wet Bulb Refrigeration Load
Figure 3 - Ambient Temperature Fluctuation for Entire Test Period

2
Based on the tested control scenarios, the results indicate that except for one control scenario the
evaporative condenser achieved a better energy efficiency ratio (EER) than the air cooled condenser
(Table 1). The variable speed drive control with 90 °F target SCT was the only mode of control
under which the air cooled EER was higher than the evaporative condenser. For the air cooled
condenser, the variable speed drive fan control at 90 °F target SCT required the lowest average
condenser power use while yielding the highest SCT.
For the evaporative condenser, the constant speed operation of the fan at 80% of its rated capacity yielded
the most favorable results. Except for the 90 °F SCT tests, this results of this test display the lowest
SCTs, while the ambient wet bulb was the highest and required the least average condenser power.
The main difference between the two condensers, however, remained in the yielded SCTs and condenser
power use. Overall, the evaporative condenser achieved lower SCTs and consumed less power than the
air cooled condenser.
Two Two Two Variable Variable Variable

Speed/Stage Speed/Stage Speed/Stage Speed Fan Speed Fan Speed Fan
Fans at Fans at Fans at Control at Control at Control at
65 °F SCT 90 °F SCT Variable SCT 65 °F SCT 90 °F SCT Variable
SCT
Air Cooled 23.51 28.14 26.59 23.37 179.48 29.66
Evaporative 29.64 83.92 34.71 29.86 87.48 42.88
Table 1 - Average Condenser EER Values (Btu/h/W) for Various Test Modes
Table 2 compares the three critical performance parameters of the tested condensers. The fan air flow
rates (CFM) and Coil Area data were obtained from the condenser manufacturers’ catalogs based on peak
design operation. As shown in Table 2, the evaporative condenser requires less coil area, less fan CFM
and thereby less power than the air cooled condenser per unit of rejected heat.
Condenser Coil Area/Heat CFM/Heat Condenser Power/Heat Rejected, (kW/MBH)

Rejected, Rejected,
(ft2/MBH) (CFM/Btuh)
Air Cooled 0.429 0.279 0.043

Evaporative 0.076 0.069 0.034
Table 2 - Various Condenser Performance Parameters per Amount of Heat Rejected

3
REPORT ORGANIZATION
Section (1) Test Procedure and Data Acquisition
This section contains detailed descriptions of the tests that were performed, including the date and
time that the tests were performed, the specific procedures followed for data acquisition, and
descriptions of the tools and hardware used during the stages of testing and analysis.
Section (2) Analysis
The overall approach used to reduce and analyze the collected data is discussed in this section. It
contains sub-sections on:
2.1) Data collection procedure and initial reduction and screening

2.2) Screening procedure
2.3) Calculations used to evaluate refrigeration system
Section (3) Heat Rejection by Air Cooled Condenser
A brief discussion of the fundamentals of heat rejection by air cooled condensers is provided in
this section. It includes:
3.1) General description and theory of air cooled heat rejection

3.2) Specifications of the air cooled condenser used in this test
Section (4) Air Cooled Condenser Tests - Observations on Individual Air Cooled Test Runs
and the Heat Rejection Characteristics Displayed
In this section, explicit observations made during each air cooled condenser test is discussed.
4.1) Test 1 - Fan Cycling at 65 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature

4.2) Test 2 - Variable Speed Drive at 65 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
4.3) Test 3 - Fan Cycling at 90 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
4.5) Test 5 - Fan Cycling at Variable Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
4.6) Test 6 - Variable Speed Drive at Variable Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
Section (5) Heat Rejection by Evaporative Condenser
A brief discussion of the fundamentals of heat rejection by evaporative condensers is provided in

this section. It includes:
5.1) General description and theory of heat rejection by evaporative condensers

5.2) Specifications of evaporative condenser used in this test

4
Section (6) Evaporative Condenser Tests - Observations on Individual Evaporative Test Runs
and the Heat Rejection Characteristics Displayed
In this section, explicit observations made during each evaporative condenser test is discussed.
6.1) Test 7 - Two Speed Fan at 65 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature

6.3) Test 9 - Two Speed Fan at 90 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
6.5) Test 11 - Two Speed Fan at Variable Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
6.6) Test 12 - Variable Speed Drive at Variable Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
6.7) Test 13 - Fixed Fan Speed at 80%
6.8) Water Evaporation Rate in Evaporative Condenser
Section (7) Discussion of Results - A Comparative Evaluation of the Two Condensing Types
The air cooled and evaporative condenser test results are compared and discussed in detail in this
section.
7.1) Two Speed/Stage at 65 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature

7.2) Two Speed/Stage at 90 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
7.3) Two Speed/Stage at Variable Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
7.4) Variable Speed Drive at 65 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
7.5) Variable Speed Drive at 90 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
7.6) Variable Speed Drive at Variable Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
Section (8) Conclusions
This section contains a summary of test findings.

5
1. TEST PROCEDURE
The refrigeration load for the heat rejection test was created by chilling city water using a plate heat
exchanger. The heat absorbed by the refrigerant in the chiller was held constant by the use of a Btu
meter and a water control valve. The flow rate of city water through the heat exchanger was
modulated in order to hold constant the heat absorbed by the refrigerant.
Temperature measurements considered to be critical to the process were recorded from a group of
three sensors; one resistance temperature device (RTD) and two thermocouples. These data points
were extracted from the daily files, and the readings from the thermocouples were compared to each
other, and to the reading from the associated RTD. The difference between sensor readings was
compared to criteria established during the commissioning of the data acquisition system. Any data
where the maximum difference fell outside the allowable standard deviation was flagged for further
review.
The operation of the compressor and condensers was controlled by the Danfoss NC-25 and
ComTrol MCS 4000 microprocessor controllers. The microprocessor controller was equipped with
a stand-alone modem for remote access to the control parameters. An interface with the
microprocessor controller was made through a serial connection to a PC located in the computer
room. Through this interface, all parameters of the microprocessor control could be modified and
inspected.
The Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) modulated the compressor speed (and thereby its capacity and
the refrigerant mass flow rate) according to inputs from the microprocessor controller. The
microprocessor controller changed the VFD output to the compressor according to variations in
suction pressure.
An evaporator pressure regulator (EPR) valve was utilized downstream from the evaporator (chiller)
to maintain a desired pressure at the chiller and prevent the temperature from falling below a
minimum set point. Without the EPR valve, the city water could begin to freeze within the heat
exchanger once the temperature fell below the minimum set point of 32 °F.
Tests were conducted over thirteen twenty-four hour periods under various control strategies
(Tables 3 and 4). The evaporative condenser test runs were conducted first, followed by the air
cooled condenser test runs. Seven control strategies were applied to the evaporative condenser, and
six were applied to the air cooled condenser.
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Sept 7th Sept 8th Sept 9th Sept 11th Sept 12th Sept 13th Sept 22nd
Variable Variable Variable Two Speed Two Speed Two Speed Fan Motor
Speed Speed Drive, Speed Drive, Fan Cycling, Fan Cycling, Fan Operating
Drive, 65 °F 90 °F 90 °F 65 °F Cycling, at 80% of
Floating Saturated Saturated Saturated Saturated Floating Maximum
Head Condensing Condensing Condensing Condensing Head Speed
Pressure Temperature Temperature Temperature Temperature Pressure
Table 3 - Test Runs for the Evaporative Condenser

6
Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13
Sept 16th Sept 17th Sept 20th Sept 30th Oct 2nd Oct 3rd
Two Stage Two Stage Two Stage Fan Variable Speed Variable Speed Variable Speed
Fan Cycling, Fan Cycling, Cycling, Drive, Drive, Drive,
90 °F 65 °F Floating Head 90 °F Saturated 65 °F Saturated Floating Head
Saturated Saturated Pressure Condensing Condensing Pressure
Condensing Condensing Temperature Temperature
Temperature Temperature
Table 4 - Test Runs for the Air Cooled Condenser
With the objective of minimizing instrument error and maintaining a high level of repeatability and
accuracy in the data, careful attention was paid to the system design. With this end in mind, the
following steps were taken:
1. Use of sensors with the highest accuracy available.

2. Minimization of sensor drift errors by use of redundant sensors.
3. Utilization of calibration standard instruments of the highest accuracy.
4. Elimination of interference from power conductors and high frequency signals by double-
shielding sensor leads.
A Kaye Instruments Digi-4 Model #X1520S Data Scanner was used to log the data. Kaye’s Digi-4
has a special emphasis on temperature measurement, with excellent thermocouple signal processing.
The data scanner can process 94 data channels. The scanner was calibrated at the factory, and is
traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) standards. The system has
57 special grade type-T thermocouples accurate to ± 0.03°C, 14 precision 100Ω platinum
Resistance Temperature Device (RTD) inputs accurate to ± 0.01°C, and a combination of 23 analog
inputs from pressure transducers, dew point sensors, flow meters, and CT-transducers. An RS-232
communication link sent one data report that included instantaneous values of all data points every
ten seconds. To ensure that the data collection was not compromised by the control sequence’s
priority over data acquisition, the data acquisition system for the project was designed to be
completely independent of the supervisory control computer.
Every 10 seconds the data acquisition system sampled the scanned data and created time-stamped
two-minute averages. The two-minute data was then saved to a file which was closed at the end of
each 24-hour period. Every 24 hours, the data collected from the previous 24 hours was
downloaded remotely to Southern California Edison’s San Dimas office for screening and
processing. The raw data were analyzed daily for consistency and accuracy. In the event that any of
the test parameters fell outside acceptable limits, the problem was flagged. In such cases, test runs
were repeated until correction of the problem.

7
2. ANALYSIS
2.1 Data Collection/Reduction
The test facility is equipped with a sophisticated data acquisition system that can scan 94 sensors
and logs their outputs in two-minute intervals. Data was collected and stored for each sensor for
thirteen days. Every 24 hours during the test, the data was downloaded and checked for consistency
and accuracy. Operating parameters were checked and deemed to be within acceptable limits before
the next run was started.
The collected data points from the two-minute intervals were averaged into ten-minute intervals and used
for further screening of the test data. The advantage of using ten-minute averages is that the data trends
can still be displayed with an acceptable resolution without an overwhelming number of data points. The
data was then averaged into one-hour blocks for each 24-hour period. The hourly averages were used for
refrigeration system calculations. After the hourly data was developed, they were imported into Southern
California Edison’s customized refrigeration analysis tool.
2.2 Screening Procedure
Once the data was compiled into hourly averages within the spreadsheet, tabular and graphical
representations of various correlations and calculated parameters were produced. Several graphs
were created to initially screen the data. The initial screening plots are located in Appendix C.
Included in this group were the fundamental data points provided by the data acquisition system.
These plots were used to determine the validity of each test. After careful examination of the initial
screening plots, the informational plots were produced. This set provided relationships between
calculated quantities. With more data points to analyze, the trends in the data were more easily
determined by using the two-minute data as opposed to the hourly data.
2.3 Refrigeration Calculations
A series of calculations were performed to obtain the key refrigeration parameters including heat
rejection at the condenser, condenser efficiency, heat of compression, system efficiency, and
compressor power per ton. After the data was downloaded from the data logger and the data of
interest was extracted, some preliminary calculations were performed. These calculations included
averaging temperature data that were read by more than one sensor. Such data included
temperatures at the condenser inlet and outlet, suction temperature, and temperature at the exit of
the subcooler.
The heat rejection at the condenser, heat of compression, and compressor power all depend on the
refrigerant enthalpies at different locations of the refrigeration cycle. Enthalpies can be either
obtained from the refrigerant manufacturer’s data at various temperatures and pressures, or
calculated with respect to specific heat capacities and temperatures. In this analysis, some of the
enthalpies were obtained from refrigerant property software and some by calculation.
Once the temperatures and pressures were determined, the enthalpies were obtained. DuPont’s Suva
Refrigerant Expert Program, version 2.0 was used to determine the saturated and superheated vapor

8
enthalpies. The data logger provided all pressures in gage units, and after conversion to absolute
units, the Refrigerant Expert program was used to look up the enthalpies.
The enthalpies in the saturated phase were calculated using temperature-dependent expressions
provided by DuPont, as well as using basic thermodynamic relationships. Equation 1, provided by
DuPont, determined the saturated enthalpy in kJ/kg of refrigerant 404A for a temperature range of -
20 °C to 40 °C. The temperatures of the saturated liquid were first converted to Celsius, then
inserted into equation 1 to produce the corresponding saturated enthalpy. The enthalpy of saturated
liquid in the condenser was found by use of equations 1 and 2.
1) H = A + BT + CT2
H = Enthalpy (kJ/kg)
A = 200
B = 1.438333
C = 0.003916667
T = Temperature (°C)
where A, B, and C were constants determined by DuPont from the relationship between saturated
enthalpy and temperature. Next, equation 2 was used to convert the enthalpy in kJ/kg to Btu/lb. Because
of a change in reference states from SI to English units, a reference conversion, H (ref), was included in
Equation 2.
2) H (Btu/lb) = [H (kJ/kg) - H (ref)] · 0.43021(Btu/lb / kJ/kg)
H (ref) = 145.6 kJ/kg for R404A
The Refrigerant Expert program does not provide subcooled enthalpies, therefore, in order to find
the enthalpies for subcooled refrigerant, the thermodynamic relationship between enthalpy and
temperature was incorporated. For this relationship, however, the correct liquid specific heat
capacity was needed. Equation 3, provided by DuPont, calculated the liquid specific heat capacity
of refrigerant 404A for a temperature range of -40 °F to 140 °F. The enthalpy at the exit of the
condenser was found using this equation and the subcooled temperature at this location.
3) Cp = 0.306 + 4.083E-4 T - 1.194E-6 T2 + 8.056E-8 T3
Cp = Liquid Heat Capacity (Btu/lb °F).

T = Average temperature of the subcooled liquid (°F) for a range of -40 °F to 140 °F.
The temperature difference between the saturated liquid in the condenser and the subcooled liquid
leaving the condenser was needed in order to find the corresponding enthalpy change due to
subcooling within the condenser.
4) DTsc cond = SCT - Tcondout

9
DTsc cond = Temperature difference between saturated liquid in the condenser and subcooled
liquid leaving the condenser (°F).
SCT = Temperature of saturated liquid in the condenser (°F). This value was
determined by look-up using DuPont’s Suva Refrigeration Expert Program and
condenser inlet pressure data from the data acquisition system.
Tcondout = Average temperature of refrigerant at condenser exit (°F). This value was read
directly using the data acquisition system.
Next, the enthalpy change between the subcooled and saturated liquid was calculated by utilizing
the following thermodynamic relationship.
5) DHsubcool = Cp · DTsc cond
DHsubcool = The enthalpy change between the subcooled liquid leaving the condenser and saturated
liquid in the condenser (Btu/lb).
Finally, the enthalpy of the subcooled liquid was computed. In order to accomplish this, the enthalpy
change between the subcooled and saturated liquid was subtracted from the enthalpy of saturated liquid.
6) Hsubcool = Hsatliq - DHsubcool
Hsubcool = The subcooled liquid enthalpy leaving the condenser (Btu/lb).

Hsatliq = Saturated liquid enthalpy (Btu/lb). This value was determined using equations 1 and 2.
After determination of all enthalpy values, calculations were made to determine parameters of
interest such as heat of compression, heat rejection at the condenser, and energy efficiency rating.
The refrigeration load is the amount of cooling or heat removal that takes place at the evaporator. This
parameter was obtained directly from the Btu meter readings in Btu/min, but a unit conversion was
needed to express this value in its usual units, Btu/hr (equation 7).
7) Qload = Load · k
Qload = Refrigeration load imposed on the system (Btu/hr).

Load = Refrigeration load imposed on the system (Btu/min).
k = Conversion factor, 60 (min/hr).
It is also important to determine the refrigeration load in tons. Thus, the refrigeration load was divided by
12,000, a conversion factor from Btu/hr to tons (equation 8).
8) Qload (tons) = Qload / 12000
Qload (tons) = Refrigeration load (tons).

10
Obtaining the heat of compression is also of interest because it can be used to calculate the amount
of heat rejection at the condenser and the theoretical compressor power. Because the heat of
compression is the difference between the enthalpies at the suction and discharge sides of the
compressor, this value is affected by variations in saturated condensing temperature. The saturated
suction temperature remained unchanged at about 32 °F throughout the test. In order to obtain the
heat of compression, the mass flow rate of refrigerant was multiplied by the difference between the
enthalpies of the compressor inlet and outlet (equation 9).
9) Qcomp = MFref · k · (Hcompout - Hcompin)
Qcomp = Heat of compression (Btu/hr).

Hcompout = Superheated enthalpy at the outlet of the compressor (value determined by look-up
using DuPont’s Suva Refrigeration Expert Program)(Btu/lb).
Hcompin = Superheated enthalpy at the inlet to the compressor (value determined by look-up
using DuPont’s Suva Refrigeration Expert Program)(Btu/lb).
The total heat rejected at the condenser was obtained by the product of mass flow rate and change in
refrigerant enthalpies between the inlet and outlet of the condenser, which includes de-superheating,
latent (or phase change), and subcooling heat removals within the condenser (equation 10).
10) Qcond = MFref · k · (Hcondin - Hcondout)
Qcond = Heat Rejection at the Condenser (Btu/hr).

To prevent flashing in the liquid line, additional subcooling is accomplished with a glycol chiller.
Determination of the mechanical subcooling accomplished here is important to perform a proper heat
balance of the system. The amount of heat rejected at the mechanical subcooler is determined by the
product of mass flow rate of refrigerant and change in refrigerant enthalpies between the condenser outlet
and subcooler outlet, assuming an adiabatic transport of liquid refrigerant (equation 11).
11) Qsubcooler = MFref · k ·(Hcondout - Hsc out)
Qsubcooler = Heat rejected in the subcooler (Btu/hr).

Hsc out = Liquid enthalpy at the outlet of the subcooler (Btu/lb).
Another important parameter was the total amount of heat rejected by the system. This is computed by
summing the heat rejected in the condenser and the heat rejected in the subcooler (equation 12).
12) Qtot rej = Qcond + Qsubcooler
Qtot rej = Total amount of heat rejected by the system (Btu/hr).

11
The capacity of a condenser can also be expressed per lineal foot of coil. The heat rejection in the
condenser was divided by the total lineal footage of the condenser coil from the manufacturers data to
obtain this value (equation 13).
13) Qcondft = Qcond / Coillength
Qcondft = Heat rejected by the condenser per lineal foot of condenser coil (Btu/hr).
Coillength = Total length of coil in the condenser (ft).
The Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) of the refrigeration system is defined as the ratio of the amount of
cooling achieved (refrigeration load, Btu/hr) to the total power used by the system (compressor power
plus condenser power, kW) (equation 14). A large EER indicates a more efficient system.
14) EERsystem = Qload / (kWcomp + kWcond) · k
EERsystem = Energy efficiency rating based on total system power (Btu/hr/W).

kWcomp = Power consumed by the compressor (kW).
kWcond = Total power consumed by the condenser including fans and pump (kW).
k = Conversion factor, 1000 (W/kW).

12
3. HEAT REJECTION BY AIR COOLED CONDENSER
The air cooled condenser (Figure 4) rejects the total heat of refrigeration through a heat exchanger
to the ambient air. A fan(s) blows ambient air across the finned coils of the heat exchanger which
carries high pressure superheated refrigerant vapor. The superheated refrigerant vapor de-
superheats and undergoes a phase change converting into liquid (typically sub-cooled) within the
heat exchanger by rejecting its heat to the ambient air.
air out
fan
high
pressure,
superheated
refrigerant
vapor
condenser
coil air in
saturated
or
subcooled
liquid
refrigerant
Figure 4 - Schematic of an Air Cooled Condenser
3.1 Theory of Heat Rejection by Air Cooled Condenser
The mechanism of condensation is complex. The ability of the refrigerant to condense depends on
several variables including density, viscosity and conductivity of condensate, latent heat of vaporization
of refrigerant, temperature difference between refrigerant vapor and coil surface, and the number of tubes
and their diameter. At the entrance to the condenser tube, superheated refrigerant vapor has low
condensing ability. This is an inherent thermal characteristic of gases in convection heat transfer. Once
de-superheating ends and the condensing of the vapor begins, the ability of the refrigerant to transfer heat
and condense increases. On the other hand, liquid travels slower than gas, and filling more of the heat
transfer surface with liquid decreases the exposure of the vapor to the coil surface, resulting in a sudden
decrease in rate of condensation (see Figure 5).

13
Entrance (after
Exit
desuperheating)
Distance Along Condenser
Tube
Figure 5 - Variation of Condensing Coefficient With Distance Along Condenser Tube
The heat rejection of an air cooled condenser is expressed by equation 16.
16) Qrej = U · A · LMTD
Qrej = Total heat rejection at the condenser (Btu/hr).

U = Overall coefficient of heat transfer (Btu/hr-ft2).
A = Surface area (ft2).
LMTD = Log Mean Temperature Difference as a function of refrigerant condensing
temperature and air inlet and outlet temperatures (°F).
The LMTD can be calculated by using the following equation, simplified to become equation 17.
LMTD = [(SCT - Ti) - (SCT - To)] / [ln (SCT - Ti) / (SCT - To)]
17) LMTD = (To - Ti) / [ln (SCT - Ti) / (SCT - To)]
To = Dry-bulb temperature of air leaving the condenser coil (°F).

Ti = Dry-bulb temperature of air entering the condenser coil (°F).
SCT = Saturated Condensing Temperature of refrigerant corresponding to compressor
discharge pressure (°F).
Typically, in most practical cases (To) is not measured and consequently LMTD is approximated and
substituted by TD given by equation 18.
18) TD = SCT - Ti
Hence, the condenser heat rejection can be approximated by equation 19.
19) Qrej = U · A · TD

14
A condenser’s overall coefficient of heat transfer can vary as the velocity of the cooling medium (in this
case air) changes. Since the face area of the condenser heat exchanger is constant, any change in the
volume rate of flow of air across the condenser will result in a change in the air velocity. Increasing the
air velocity will produce turbulent flow and increase the (U), but will decrease after a certain point.
Improving the overall coefficient of heat transfer will provide lower condensing temperatures and result
in reduced compression work. The rise in the fan’s static pressure loss beyond a certain point and the
increase in air flow rate will, however, negate the benefits from operating compressors at lower discharge
pressures (or SCT). This is more evident following the fan laws. The increase in fan power as a cubic
function of air flow rate (or rpm) is given by equation 20.
20) bhp1 / bhp2 = (cfm1 / cfm2)3
bhp1 = Initial fan motor brake horsepower.

bhp2 = Increased fan motor brake horsepower.
cfm1 = Initial air flow rate across the condenser coil (ft3/min).
cfm2 = Increased air flow rate across the condenser coil (ft3/min).
From an operational stand point, close attention should be paid to effective sizing and fan speed control
strategies. The following sections discuss the effects of various fan control strategies with respect to
specific SCT targets. Again, the goal should be to obtain an optimum balance point between a desirable
SCT (resulting in less compressor work) and a minimum possible fan power consumption.
3.2 Description of Test Air Cooled Condenser
The air cooled condenser used for this test had the following specifications. Figure 6 shows a photograph
of the unit.
Make: Bohn
Model No.: BRH027
Capacity: 195 MBtu/h (15° TD, R-404A)
CFM: 23,200
Coil: 14 tube circuits, 35.6 ft2 fin surface area
Fan Motors: 2 motors, each 1.5 HP, 1140 RPM

15
Figure 6 - Air Cooled Condenser Used in the Test
4. AIR COOLED CONDENSER TESTS
4.1 Test 1 - Fan Cycling at 65 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
The control setting was programmed to allow fan capacity modulations of 0%, 50%, and 100% with
respect to target discharge pressure. At condensing temperatures higher than 65 °F, both fans operate at
full load. With a design Temperature Difference (TD) of 15 °F, and low ambient dry bulb temperatures,
condenser capacity could reduce to 50% by stepping down one of the fans. This condition, however,
never occurred since the actual climatic conditions during this particular test never reached sufficiently
low dry bulb temperatures allowing a 50% condenser capacity reduction. Figure 7 depicts the dry bulb
temperature profile on 9/17-9/18/97 in conjunction with other test parameters. During this test interval,
the daily range (maximum peak - min) was 26.7 °F, and the dry-bulb temperature had an average,
minimum, and maximum of 75.6 °F, 64.3 °F and 91.0 °F, respectively.

16
10 100
Refrigeration Load
Temperature ( F)
8 80
o
Power and
Dry Bulb
6 60
4 40
2 20
0 0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Hours of Test
Compressor Power (kW) Condenser Power (kW) System Power (kW)
Refrigeration Load (tons) Dry Bulb Temperature
Figure 7 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Air Cooled, Two Stage Fans, 65 °F Target SCT
Test Run (10 minute data)
Figure 7 correlates the key parameters of this test. As shown, the refrigeration load (similar to other test
modes) remained at a constant rate of 7 tons during the 24 hours of the test. With relatively high ambient
dry bulb temperatures and low target SCT, the controls did not allow the fans to cycle off. As Figure 7
indicates, both fans operated continuously aiming unsuccessfully at a low but unattainable SCT of 65 °F.
Consequently, condenser power follows a constant straight line with a zero slope as the dry bulb
temperature fluctuates. On the other hand, the increase in dry bulb temperature caused an increase in
saturated discharge pressure and power use of the compressor. The effects of the compressor power use
increase is reflected in the system power profile (Figure 7). Figure 8 clearly shows the progressive
increase of saturated condensing temperature with respect to ambient dry bulb temperature, while
condenser power remained nearly constant.
110 4
Condenser Power (kW)

Saturated Condensing
100
Temperature ( F)
3
o
90
80 2
70
1
60
50 0
64 64 65 65 67 68 69 70 70 71 73 75 76 77 77 79 81 81 82 85 86 89 89 91
o
Dry Bulb Temperature ( F)
Saturated Condensing Temperature Condenser Power
Figure 8 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Dry Bulb Temperature for the Air Cooled, Two Stage Fans, 65 °F Target
SCT Test Run (hourly data)
The performance of the condenser under this mode of control clearly deteriorated as the ambient
temperature increased, resulting in higher discharge pressures and compressor power use. In addition, it
was observed that the condenser’s ability to sub-cool the liquid refrigerant at the condenser exit

17
diminished with an increase in dry bulb temperature. Figure 9 indicates a 0.89 °F drop in condenser sub-
cooling per 10 °F increase in dry bulb temperature under the specific conditions and mode of control of
this test.
o
Condenser Subcooling ( F) 7
3
64 64 65 65 67 68 69 70 70 71 73 75 76 77 77 79 81 81 82 85 86 89 89 91
o
Dry Bulb Temperature ( F) Condenser Subcooling
Figure 9 - Subcooling Achieved by the Condenser vs Dry Bulb Temperature for the Air Cooled, Two Stage Fans, 65°F Target
4.2 Test 2 - Variable Speed Drive at 65 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
This test took place on a milder day (10/02-10/03/97) than the previous test (AC 2 65), with a temperature
range of 11.5 °F. The average, minimum, and maximum dry bulb temperatures were 71.1 °F, 66.5 °F,
and 78.0 °F respectively (Figure 10).
10 80

Power and Refrigeration
70
o
8
60
6 50
Load
40
4 30
20
2
10
0 0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Hours of Test
Compressor Power Condenser Power System Power
Figure 10 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Air Cooled, Variable Speed Fan Drive, 65 °F
Target SCT Test Run (10 minute data)

18
Similar to the AC 2 65 test, due to a low target SCT of 65 °F and relatively high dry bulb ambient
conditions, both fans ran continuously at full load. As a result of the ambient and low SCT target
restrictions, the fan control strategy did not play any role in this test.
In this test, as expected, the SCT increased linearly with respect to dry bulb temperature while the
condenser power remained constant at 3.6 kW (Figure 11). The lower peak SCT is due to a lower
ambient dry bulb temperature than the previous test.
110 4

100
Temperature ( F)
3
o
90
80 2
70
1
60
50 0
67 67 67 67 67 68 68 68 68 69 69 69 69 70 72 73 74 74 75 76 76 78 78 78
o
Figure 11 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Dry Bulb Temperature for the Air Cooled, Variable Speed Fan Drive, 65
°F Target SCT Test Run (hourly data)
4.3 Test 3 - Fan Cycling at 90 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature

Under this mode of test, condenser capacity can be reduced to 50% by cycling off one of the fans during
periods with sufficiently low ambient dry bulb temperatures, while maintaining the target 90 °F SCT.
The dry bulb fluctuation pattern shown in Figure 12 represents Irwindale’s weather on 9/16-9/17/97 with
daily range, minimum, maximum and average temperatures of 17.2 °F, 70.1 °F, 87.3 °F and 77.0 °F,
respectively.
The total system power use follows a close profile to that of ambient dry bulb (Figure 12). During low
ambient dry bulb temperatures with a 15 °F design TD, the condenser achieved the target SCT of 90 °F.
From the 10th hour to 20th hour of the test, the ambient dry bulb temperature was low and compressor
power reached a minimum constant level indicating a non-fluctuating SCT, while the condenser fans
cycled, resulting in a reduction in condenser power (Figure 12).

19
10 90
80
Dry Bulb Temperature

Refrigeration Load
8 70
Power and
60
6
50
( F)
o
40
4
30
2 20
10
0 0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Hours of Test
Figure 12 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Air Cooled, Two Stage Fans, 90 °F Target SCT
Figure 13 clearly shows that during this mode of test, the condenser fans cycled and the SCT stayed
constant at 90 °F until an ambient dry bulb temperature of 77 °F was reached. At the ambient dry bulb
temperature of 77 °F, the SCT exceeded the set point of 90 °F. As a result, both fans operated at full load
continuously attempting to lower the SCT to 90 °F (Figure 13). Although the condenser ran at either 50%
or 100% capacity, its power use may appear between the two limits (Figure13). The plotted condenser
power and SCT’s are actually the 2-minutes average readings that were collapsed into hourly blocks. The
hourly SCT and condenser kW data for dry bulb temperatures 77 °F and less include some averaged two-
minute intervals during which fans repeatedly cycled off.
100 5

95 4
90
SCT ( F)
3
o
85
2
80
75 1
70 0
70 70 70 70 71 71 71 72 73 73 74 75 75 76 77 80 81 82 84 85 85 86 87 87
o Saturated Condensing Temperature
Dry Bulb Temperature ( F) Condenser Power
Figure 13 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Dry Bulb Temperature for the Air Cooled, Two Stage Fans, 90 °F Target

20
This test was conducted by modulating the fans’ speed using a VSD controller. The fans’ speed varied at
full load down to 20% Hz, targeting a fixed SCT of 90 °F at low ambient dry bulb temperatures. The dry
bulb profile shown in Figure 14 represents Irwindale’s weather on 9/30-10/1/97 with daily range,
minimum, maximum and average temperatures of 25.6 °F, 65.2 °F, 90.8 °F and 73.5 °F, respectively.
As shown in Figure 14, the VSD controller reduced the fan speed, thus the power from 3.5 to 0.3 kW (by
91.4% ) during periods when ambient dry bulb temperature was lower than about 75 °F. At temperatures
higher than 82 °F the SCT exceeded the 90 °F target. As a result, both fans operated at full capacity
aiming unsuccessfully to lower the SCT. During these periods compressor and system power use reached
their highest kW (Figure 14).
10 100
90

o
8 80
70
6 60
Load
50
4 40
30
2 20
10
0 0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Hours of Test
Figure 14 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Air Cooled, Variable Speed Fan Drive, 90 °F
Figure 15 illustrates the relationship of SCT and condenser power with ambient dry bulb temperature.
The VSD maintains a minimum condenser fan speed and hence the power at 0.3 kW at ambient
temperatures between 65 °F and 75 °F. From the dry bulb temperature of 75 °F and up, it gradually
ramps up the fan speed reaching full capacity at 82 °F. Figure 15 depicts this transition as reflected in the
increase of condenser power. Note that SCT exceeds the 82 °F target at ambient temperature 77 °F
(Figure 15).

21
110 4

100
Temperature ( F)
3
o
90
80 2
70
1
60
50 0
65 65 66 66 66 66 66 67 67 67 68 69 70 71 73 74 77 78 81 82 87 88 90 91
o
Figure 15 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Dry Bulb Temperature for the Air Cooled, Variable Speed Fan Drive, 90
°F Target SCT Test Run (hourly data)
4.5 Test 5 - Fan Cycling at Variable Target Saturated Condensing Temperature

Under this mode of test, condenser capacity can be reduced to 50% by cycling off one of the fans during
periods with sufficiently low ambient dry bulb temperatures, while maintaining a fixed 15 °F TD above
the fluctuating ambient dry bulb temperature. The dry bulb fluctuation pattern shown in Figure 16
represents Irwindale’s weather on 9/20-9/21/97 with daily range, minimum, maximum and average
temperatures of 27.9 °F, 59.9 °F, 87.8 °F, and 71.4 °F, respectively.
10 90
Power and Refrigeration Load
80

8
o
70
60
6
50
40
4
30
2 20
10
0 0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Hours of Test
Figure 16 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Air Cooled, Two Stage Fans, Variable Target
SCT Test Run (10 minute data)

22
The condenser power reaches its maximum at the extreme ends of the power curve (Figure 16), which
corresponds to the highest dry bulb temperatures during the test period. As the ambient dry bulb
temperature decreases, the fans cycle off more frequently to achieve the target TD above ambient
condition.
110 4

100
Temperature ( F)
3
o
90
80 2
70
1
60
50 0
60 60 61 61 62 63 64 65 65 65 66 68 70 71 73 77 78 81 82 82 83 84 84 88
o
Figure 17 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Dry Bulb Temperature for the Air Cooled, Two Stage Fans, Variable
Target SCT Test Run (hourly data)
The general relationship between the saturated condensing temperature and the condenser power use
under this mode of capacity control is shown in Figure 17. The hourly averages in these graphs provide
an overall trend and understanding of such relationships. With variable set point control the SCT varies
with respect to ambient dry bulb temperature. Fan power, however, remained at its lowest during lower
ambient temperatures, while SCT continued increasing with dry bulb temperature. Beyond the ambient
temperature of 81 °F, both fans begin to operate continuously at full capacity (Figure 17).
4.6 Test 6 - Variable Speed Drive at Variable Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
Under this mode of test, condenser capacity can be reduced by reducing the fans’ speeds to 33% CFM
with the aid of the VSD controller, while maintaining a fixed 15 °F TD above the fluctuating ambient dry
bulb temperature. The dry bulb fluctuation pattern shown in Figure 18 represents Irwindale’s weather on
10/03-10/04/97, with daily range, minimum, maximum, and average temperatures of 23.2 °F, 62.8 °F,
86.0 °F, and 71.6 °F, respectively.
Despite the previous tests, an unexpected observation was made in this test. It was found that during
lower ambient dry bulb conditions, the condenser fan works harder to achieve the target TD than at higher
temperatures (Figure 18). It seems the condenser can achieve the TD set-point much easier when the
ambient temperature is high, resulting in less fan power use. On the other hand, at higher dry bulb
temperatures it results in higher saturated condensing temperatures which causes the compressor to
consume more power (Figure 18).

23
10 90
80
Dry Bulb Temperature

8
Refrigeration Load
70
60
Power and
6
50
( F)
40
o
4
30
2 20
10
0 0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Hours of Test

Figure 18 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Air Cooled, Variable Speed Fan Drive, Variable
Figure 19 correlates the saturated condensing temperature and condenser power variations with respect to
ambient dry bulb temperature. At 71 °F ambient temperatures and lower, the condenser fans operate at
almost full speed to achieve the lowest SCT. As the ambient temperature rises above 64 °F, the SCT
increases while the condenser power remains unchanged. This trend continues until ambient dry bulb
reaches 71 °F. At temperatures higher than 71 °F, SCT continues to increase while condenser fan speed,
hence power, drops down to its lowest value of 1.6 kW.
110 4.0

3.5
100
3.0
Temperature ( F)
o
90
2.5
80 2.0
1.5
70
1.0
60
0.5
50 0.0
63 63 63 63 64 64 65 66 67 67 67 69 70 71 71 74 75 78 79 81 83 84 86 86
o
Figure 19 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Dry Bulb Temperature for the Air Cooled, Variable Speed Fan Drive,
Variable Target SCT Test Run (hourly data)

24
5. HEAT REJECTION BY EVAPORATIVE CONDNESER
Similar to air cooled condensers, evaporative condensers change the refrigerant state of the high pressure,
superheated vapor discharged from the compressor to liquid. The de-superheating and phase change
takes place within the condenser tubes. Figure 20 illustrates the basic components of an evaporative
condenser. Sprayed water over the condenser tubes and the passage of forced air flow through them are
the primary media to absorb the heat of refrigeration.
Figure 20 - Schematic of an Evaporative Condenser
5.1 Theory of Heat Rejection by Evaporative Condensers
The heat transfer in evaporative condensers takes place in two phases. The first phase of heat transfer is
between condensing refrigerant and the water film covering the coil given by equation 21.
21) Qrej1 = A ⋅ U ⋅ (SCT - Tws)
Qrej1 = Heat transferred between refrigerant and water film on the coil surface (Btu/hr).

25
A = Coil surface area (ft2).
U = Overall coefficient of heat transfer of coil.
SCT = Saturated condensing temperature of refrigerant at discharge pressure (°F).
Tws = Temperature of water film surface (°F).
The second phase of heat transfer takes place between the water film on the coil surface and the air
passing through the coil. This heat flow is dependent on the enthalpy of the air entering the condenser
and the enthalpy of the saturated air (adjacent to the water film) at the refrigerant condensing temperature.
This phase of heat removal is expressed by equation 22.
22) Qrej2 = A ⋅ Uws ⋅ (hSCT - ha)
Qrej2 = Heat transfer between water film and air over the coil surface (Btu/hr).
A = Coil surface area (ft2).
Uws = Overall coefficient of heat transfer between the water film/air interface and entering
air.
hSCT = Enthalpy of saturated air at SCT (Btu/lb).
ha = Enthalpy of moist air entering the condenser (Btu/lb).
The evaporation of sprayed water into the air provides the predominant phase of heat rejection in
evaporative condensers. Hence, the ambient wet-bulb temperature becomes one of the main driving
forces affecting the performance of these condensers. Apart from the physical characteristics of the
condenser (surface area and coil material) and the ambient conditions, the performance of the evaporative
condenser is greatly influenced by the air flow and spray water rates. Equation 23 correlates the overall
heat transfer ability of an evaporatively cooled condenser as a function of air flow and water spray rates.
23) H = k ⋅ G0.48 ⋅ L0.22
H = Condenser capacity indicator.

k = Constant.
G = Rate of water spray.
L = Rate of air flow.
This expression suggests that the water spray rate has a greater influence on the condenser capacity than
the does the air flow rate. In actual applications, however, water flow rate is rarely controlled. On the
other hand, air flow rate is widely controlled to achieve optimum condensing temperatures and condenser
power use. The increase in air velocity affects the overall coefficient of heat transfer of the condenser
(U). At higher air velocities, the Reynolds number along the coil surface increases which improves the
Nussalt number and hence the heat transfer coefficient. The improvement in heat transfer rate lowers the
SCT, and hence the heat of compression. In actual applications, however, minimizing the condenser fan
power use and achieving the lowest SCT is the goal.
The following sections discuss the affects of various fan control strategies, with respect to specific target
saturated condensing temperatures, on the evaporative condenser and system performance. Again, the

26
realistic objective should be to obtain an optimum balance point between a desirable SCT (resulting in
less compressor work) and a minimum possible fan power consumption.
5.2 Description of Test Evaporative Condenser
The evaporative condenser used for this test had the following specifications. A photograph of the unit is
shown in Figure 21. The capacity of this unit exceeded the heat rejection requirements of this test.
Consequently, to better match the refrigeration load, 1/3 of the condenser coil was valved off.
Make: Recold
Model No.: JC-30
Capacity: 441,000 Btu/hr (27o TD, R-12)
CFM: 5900
Coil: 21 tube circuits, 9.7 ft2 coil surface area
Fan Motor: 3 HP, 796 RPM
Sump: 43 gallon, 0.5 HP pump, 40 GPM spray
Figure 21 - Evaporative Condenser Used for the Test

27
6. EVAPORATIVE CONDENSER TESTS
6.1 Test 7 - Two Speed Fan at 65 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
The control setting was programmed to allow the condenser fan to operate at a low or high speed with
respect to target discharge pressure and sump temperature. At condensing temperatures higher than
65 °F, the fan operated at high speed. With a design Temperature Difference (TD) of 15 °F, and a low
ambient wet-bulb temperature, the condenser capacity could be reduced by stepping down the fan speed.
This condition, however, did not occur since the actual climatic conditions during this particular test
never reached sufficiently low wet bulb temperatures (roughly 50 °F) to allow such capacity reduction.
Figure 22 depicts the wet-bulb temperature profile on 9/12-9/13/97 in conjunction with other test
parameters. During this test interval, the daily range was 14.4 °F, the wet bulb temperature had an
average, minimum, and maximum of 64.7 °F, 57.4 °F, and 71.5 °F, respectively.
10 80
Power and Refrigeration Load
Wet Bulb Temperature ( F)

70
o
8
60
6 50
40
4 30
20
2
10
0 0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
hours of test
Compressor Power (kW) System Power (kW) Refrigeration Load (tons)
Condenser Power (kW) Wet Bulb Temperature
Figure 22 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Evaporative, Two Speed Fan, 65 °F Target SCT
Due to the relatively high wet bulb temperatures, the condenser was incapable of meeting the target SCT.
Figure 22, presenting 10 minute data, clearly indicates that the condenser power stayed constant
regardless of the daily wet-bulb fluctuation. Compressor power, however, increased during the hours that
the ambient wet-bulb temperature rose.
The relationship between SCT and condenser power with respect to ambient wet-bulb temperature is
shown in Figure 23. The condenser fan runs continuously at a fixed high speed while the SCT gradually
increases as the ambient wet bulb temperature goes up. A steep incline in SCT takes place between
57 °F and 61 °F wet bulbs. Beyond 61 °F wet bulb temperature, SCT increases with a smaller slope.

28
90 4

Temperature ( F)
85
3
o
80
2
75
1
70
65 0
Wet Bulb 57 58 58 59 60 61 62 62 62 63 63 64 64 65 66 67 68 69 69 69 70 71 71 72
Dry Bulb 64 64 64 67 64 65 65 65 65 66 67 71 69 71 75 74 80 84 79 85 88 83 88 86
o
Ambient Temperatures ( F)
Figure 23 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Ambient Temperatures for the Evaporative, Two Speed Fan, 65 °F
The control setting was programmed to allow the condenser fan speed to modulate from 100% to 33%
CFM using a variable speed drive controller. The VSD controller slows down the fan speed with respect
to target discharge pressure and sump temperature. With a design Temperature Difference (TD) of
15 °F and a sufficiently low ambient wet-bulb temperature, the condenser capacity could be reduced by
slowing down the fan speed. Similar to the previous test, this condition never occurred since the actual
climatic conditions during this particular test did not reach sufficiently low wet-bulb temperatures
(roughly 50 °F), to allow such capacity reduction. Figure 24 depicts the wet-bulb temperature profile on
9/8-9/9/97 in conjunction with other test parameters. During this test interval, the daily range was 11.2
°F, the wet bulb temperature had an average, minimum, and maximum of 67.5 °F, 62.2 °F, and 73.4 °F,
respectively.
10 80
Wet Bulb Temperature

70
8
60
6 50
Load
( F)
40
o
4 30
20
2
10
0 0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Hours of Test
Refrigeration Load (tons) Wet Bulb Temperature
Figure 24 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Evaporative, Variable Speed Fan Drive, 65 °F

29
Condenser fan power remains constant at 2.8 kW throughout the test regardless of ambient wet bulb
temperature variations (Figure 24). At full speed condenser fan operation, the compressor power is
lowered slightly between the 7th and 20th hour of the test as a result of a lowered SCT. The drop in SCT is
achieved when the ambient wet bulb was lower, while the fan continued running at full speed.
Figure 25 shows the gradual increase of SCT as the ambient wet bulb temperature increased. As shown,
the VSD controller does not modulate the condenser fan speed as long as the SCT stays above the target
temperature of 65 °F. At wet bulb temperatures of 71 °F through 73 °F, the condenser operates at its peak
design point, achieving a fixed SCT of 85 °F with the fan operating at full capacity.
90 4

85
Temperature ( F)
3
o
80
2
75
1
70
65 0
Wet Bulb 62 63 63 63 63 63 64 64 65 65 66 66 67 68 69 70 71 71 72 72 73 73 73 73
Dry Bulb 69 70 70 70 71 72 73 72 74 76 77 79 78 81 84 85 88 90 94 94 92 96 97 96
o
Figure 25 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Ambient Temperatures for the Evaporative, Variable Speed Fan Drive,
65 °F Target SCT Test Run (hourly data)
6.3 Test 9 - Two Speed Fan at 90 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
The control setting was programmed to allow the condenser fan speed to modulate from high speed to
low speed based on sufficient reduction in discharge pressure and sump temperature. With a design TD
of 15 °F, mild weather, and a higher target SCT than the previous test, the condenser fan operated at
lower speed for much of the duration of this test. Figure 26 depicts the wet-bulb temperature profile on
9/11-9/12/97 in conjunction with other test parameters. During this test, the daily range was 11.9 °F, the
wet-bulb temperature had an average, minimum, and maximum of 66.2 °F, 60.3 °F, and 72.2 °F,
respectively.

30
10 80

70
8
60
6 50
Load
( F)
40
o
4 30
20
2
10
0 0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Hours of Test
Figure 26 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Evaporative, Two Speed Fan, 90 °F Target SCT
Figure 26 depicts the ten minute average of several variables measured during the test. The slightly
greater condenser kW, and occasional peaks and valleys, indicate periods during which the condenser fan
operated at high speed. These power increases correspond to higher ambient wet bulb temperatures (test
hours 1 through 8 and 21 through 24). The compressor power, however, undergoes minimal changes with
respect to ambient wet bulb temperatures. This suggests that the condenser was able to maintain a fixed
compressor head pressure, or SCT, resulting in a constant compressor power use.
The relationship between SCT and condenser power with respect to ambient wet bulb temperature is
illustrated in Figure 27. The SCT remains constant at the target set point of 90 °F as the ambient
conditions change. This clearly indicates that the condenser had sufficient capacity at the 90 °F SCT set
point. The values in Figure 27 are the hourly averages and, as expected, the condenser operated for
longer time intervals at high speed as the ambient temperature increased. The increase in condenser
power is most obvious at wet bulb temperatures of 69 °F and higher.
2
94

92
Temperature ( F)
o
90
88 1
86
84
82
80 0
Wet Bulb 60 61 61 63 63 63 64 64 64 64 64 65 66 66 67 67 69 69 71 71 72 72 72 72
Dry Bulb 66 66 68 67 67 67 71 67 68 68 68 69 74 73 75 78 81 78 87 84 89 88 89 90
o
Figure 27 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Ambient Temperatures for the Evaporative, Two Speed Fan, 90 °F

31
The control setting was programmed to allow the condenser fan speed to modulate from speed at 100% to
33% CFM using a variable speed drive controller. The VSD controller slows down the fan speed with
respect to target discharge pressure and sump temperature. With a design TD of 15 °F, mild weather, and
relatively high target SCT of 90 °F, the condenser fan operated at low speeds for the majority of the test.
Figure 28 depicts the wet-bulb temperature profile on 9/9-9/10/97 in conjunction with other test
parameters. During this test the daily range was 12.5 °F, the wet-bulb temperature had an average,
minimum and maximum of 69.2 °F, 63.4 °F, and 75.9 °F, respectively.
10 80
Wet Bulb Temperature ( F)

o
70
8
60
6 50
Load
40
4 30
20
2
10
0 0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Hours of Test
Figure 28 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Evaporative, Variable Speed Fan Drive, 90 °F
The effects of the VSD controller on the condenser fan speed were similar to the two speed control test
(EC 2 90). In both tests, the condenser achieved the target SCT set point while consuming the least
amount of fan power. The compressor in both tests consumed the same amount of average power, since
in both scenarios a fixed SCT of 90 °F was achieved (Figure 28).
illustrated in Figure 29. The SCT remains constant at the target set point of 90 °F as the ambient
conditions change. Similar to the previous test, it suggests that the condenser had sufficient capacity to
achieve the 90 °F SCT set point. The values in Figure 29 are the hourly averages and, as is expected, the
condenser operated for longer time intervals at higher speeds as the ambient temperature increased. The
slight increase in condenser power is more obvious at wet bulb temperatures of 70 °F and higher.

32
100 4

95
Temperature ( F)
o
90 3
85
2
80
75 1
70
65 0
Wet Bulb 63 64 64 65 65 66 66 67 67 67 68 68 68 69 70 70 72 73 74 74 74 75 76 76
Dry Bulb 71 71 71 72 73 74 75 74 76 77 78 79 81 79 85 83 88 91 92 96 96 99 98 10
o 0
90 °F Target SCT Test Run (hourly data)
6.5 Test 11 - Two Speed Fan at Variable Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
Under this mode of test, the control setting was programmed to allow the condenser fan speed to
modulate from high speed to low speed based on the variations in discharge pressure and sump
temperature. By modulating the fan speed according to the ambient varying conditions, the
microprocessor controller attempted to maintain a fixed 15 °F TD above the fluctuating ambient wet bulb
temperature. The wet bulb fluctuation pattern shown in Figure 30 represents Irwindale’s weather on 9/13-
9/14/97 with daily range, minimum, maximum, and average temperatures of 12.8 °F, 57.5 °F, 75.9 °F,
and 69.2 °F, respectively.
Figure 30 shows the relationship between ambient wet bulb temperature, refrigeration load, system
power, compressor power, and condenser power. The wet bulb profile shows that the highest
temperatures took place in the first seven and last four hours of the test, while the refrigeration load
remained constant at 7 tons. The test data suggests that the condenser fan worked harder during hours
with low wet bulb temperature. During the cool hours when the wet bulb temperature declined from
70 °F (test hour 7) to 60 °F (test hour 20) the condenser power use was at its maximum. With the 15 °F
above ambient wet bulb temperature target SCT setting the controls achieved very low SCT’s ranging
from 85 °F to 75 °F during this interval. As shown in Figure 30, the compressor benefited from the low
SCT’s and consumed the least amount of power during these hours. During the low wet bulb temperature
period (test hour 7 through 20), the SCT reached its lowest point resulting in a 19% reduction in
compressor power (from 4.2 to 3.4 kW). The system power profile, which represents the combined
power use of the condenser and the compressor, follows a profile that is greatly influenced by the
condenser power. This system profile, however, does not represent actual refrigeration systems in
supermarkets. In actual supermarket refrigeration systems, compressors contribute the largest portion of
the system power use. The relatively large condenser and small compressor used in this test yielded
unrealistic system use results.

33
10 80
70

Refrigeration Load
8
60
Power and
6 50
( F)
40
o
4 30
20
2
10
0 0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Hours of Test
Figure 30 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Evaporative, Two Speed Fan, Variable Target
SCT Test Run (10 minute data)
illustrated in Figure 31. With 15 °F TD above the ambient wet bulb temperature program setting, the
SCT increases as the ambient wet bulb temperature increases. The values in Figure 31 are the hourly
averages, and as discussed previously, the condenser power decreased by almost half (from 3.0 to 1.6
kW) as the ambient wet bulb temperature increased from 58 °F to 70 °F. On the other hand, as condenser
power use decreased with increasing wet bulb temperature, SCT increased from 75 °F to 85 °F (Figure
31). This increase in SCT caused the compressor to consume more power.
90 4

Temperature ( F)
85
o
3
80
2
75
70 1
65 0
Wet Bulb 58 58 58 59 59 61 61 62 62 63 64 64 65 66 66 68 68 68 70 70 70 70 70 70
Dry Bulb 63 62 62 69 63 64 65 77 66 67 68 69 71 84 74 78 87 88 88 91 88 92 84 90
o
Figure 31 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Ambient Temperatures for the Evaporative, Two Speed Fan, Variable

34
6.6 Test 12 - Variable Speed Drive at Variable Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
Under this mode of test, condenser capacity can be reduced by reducing the fans’ speeds to 33% CFM
with the aid of a VSD controller, while attempting to maintain a fixed 15 °F TD above the fluctuating
ambient wet bulb temperature. The wet bulb fluctuation pattern shown in Figure 32 represents
Irwindale’s weather on 9/7-9/8/97 with daily range, minimum, maximum, and average temperatures of
11.3 °F, 61.3 °F, 72.6 °F, and 66.7 °F, respectively.
Similar to the previous test, the condenser fan worked harder during low ambient wet bulb conditions to
achieve the fixed 15 °F TD setting above the wet bulb temperature (Figure 32). Again, it seems that the
condenser was able to achieve the 15 °F TD set point above the ambient wet bulb temperature much
easier when the ambient temperatures were high, resulting in less fan power use. Also, it resulted in
higher saturated condensing temperatures, which caused the compressor to consume more power (Figure
32).
The effect of the VSD drive in conjunction with a 15 °F TD variable set point resulted in the same
condenser, compressor, and overall system power use profiles as the previous test (EC 2 VSP). The main
difference, however, was in smoother controls that the VSD offered (Figure 32).
10 80
70
Refrigeration Load
Temperature ( F)
8
60
o
Power and
Wet Bulb
6 50
40
4 30
20
2
10
0 0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Hours of Test
Figure 32 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Evaporative, Variable Speed Fan Drive, Variable
illustrated in Figure 33. Similar to the previous test, with a 15 °F TD above the ambient wet bulb
temperature program setting, the SCT increases with the ambient wet bulb temperature. The values in
Figure 33 are the hourly averages and the VSD controller smoothly decreased the condenser fan power
from 2.9 to 1.1 kW as the ambient wet bulb temperature increased from 61°F to 73 °F. On the other hand,
as the condenser power use decreased with increasing wet bulb temperature, the SCT increased from 78
°F to 88 °F (Figure 33). This increase in the SCT as seen in Figure 33 caused the compressor power to
increase from 3.5 kW to 4.3 kW.

35
90 4

85
Temperature ( F)
3
o
80
2
75
1
70
65 0
Wet Bulb 61 62 62 62 63 63 64 64 65 65 65 66 66 67 67 68 69 70 70 72 72 72 72 73
Dry Bulb 67 67 67 68 68 69 69 70 71 74 72 73 75 79 80 85 84 88 90 97 95 92 92 97
o
Variable Target SCT Test Run (hourly data)
6.7 Test 13 - Fixed Fan Speed at 80%
This particular test intends to capture the effects of a smaller than typically sized condenser fan motor on
the performance of the evaporative condenser. Under this mode of test, the control setting was
programmed to allow the condenser fan speed to operate continuously at 80% of its full speed, regardless
of the variations in discharge pressure, wet bulb temperature, or sump temperature. The wet bulb
fluctuation pattern shown in Figure 34 represents Irwindale’s weather on 9/22-9/23/97 with daily range,
minimum, maximum, and average temperatures of 16.9 °F, 62.8 °F, 79.7 °F, and 70.5 °F, respectively.
As expected, the condenser fan power remains constant at 2 kW during the 24 hour test period while the
wet bulb temperature fluctuates from 79.7 °F to 62.8 °F (Figure 34). During low wet bulb temperature
hours and fixed 80% fan speed, the condenser lowers the SCT, resulting in less compressor power use.
The system power profile follows a pattern which is solely influenced by the compressor (Figure 34).
10 80

70
8
60
6 50
Load
40 ( F)
o
4 30
20
2
10
0 0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Hours of Test
Figure 34 - Important Refrigeration System Parameters vs Hours of Test for the Evaporative, 80% Fan Speed Test Run (10
minute data)

36
The relationship between the SCT and condenser power with respect to ambient wet bulb temperature is
illustrated in Figure 35. As the ambient wet bulb temperature increases from 63 °F to 80 °F, the
condenser fan power stays constant while the SCT increases from 75.4 °F to 83.7 °F, following a gradual
slope.
90 4

Temperature ( F)
85
3
o
80
2
75
1
70
65 0
Wet Bulb 63 63 63 63 63 64 64 66 67 67 68 69 70 71 73 74 76 77 77 78 78 78 79 80
Dry Bulb 73 73 73 72 71 75 72 74 76 79 76 78 80 85 84 90 90 97 95 94 96 99 98 98
o
Figure 35 - SCT and Condenser Power Consumption vs Ambient Temperatures for the Evaporative, 80% Fan Speed Test Run
(hourly data)
6.8 Water Evaporation Rate in Evaporative Condenser
In evaporative condensers, make up water is supplied to the unit to account for the water loss due to
evaporation and to the physical escape of water molecules that become entrained in the air stream. A
large percent of the entrained molecules are recaptured by the condenser’s drift eliminators, so this loss is
typically minimal. The greatest amount of water is lost through the evaporative cooling process.
Assuming 100% efficient drift eliminators, the rate of water loss solely due to the evaporation can be
estimated using the following equation.
24) Mw evap = Q rej / hfg
Qrej = Average rate of heat rejection at the condenser, calculated based on test data
(Btu/hr).
Mw evap = Rate of evaporation of water (lb/hr).
hfg = Latent heat of vaporization of water at atmospheric pressure and average sump
temperature (Btu/lb).
Figure 36 depicts the evaporation rate of water in gallons per unit of rejected heat (MBtu). The variable
set point with 90 °F target SCT yields the highest normalized usage while the two speed fan with variable
saturated condensing temperature yielded the lowest.

37
Rate of Evaporation per Amount of Heat Rejected
120
119 118.60 118.60

118.26 118.26 118.37 118.26
118.15
gallons/MBtu
118
117
116
115
EC 2 EC 2 EC 2 EC EC EC EC
65 90 VSP VS VS VS 80%
65 90 VSP
Figure 36 - Water Consumption per MBtu of Rejected Heat for all Evaporative Condenser Test Runs
Figure 37 shows the absolute value of the evaporation rate (gallons/day) and total rejected heat (Btu/day x
104) in conjunction with the SCT and ambient wet bulb temperature.
Rate of Evaporation, Total Heat Rejected, Ambient and Saturated Condensing

Temperatures
Rate of Evaporation and Heat
300 90.29 100

290 89.72 79.88
79.81 81.09 82.26 90
280 79.22
80
Temperature, ( F)
270 66.20 67.49 69.16 66.66 70.49
o
64.65 64.64 70
Rejected
260 60
250 243.27 242.67
241.89 232.51 237.03 232.93 50
240 231.35
230 40
220 30
204.54 205.90 204.62 20
210 200.24 196.96
196.61 195.07
200 10
190 0
Rate of Evaporation, (gal/day) 65 90 Heat Rejected,
VSP (Btu/day x 10^4)
Average Wet Bulb Temperature Average Saturated Condensing Temperature
Figure 37 - Important Heat Rejection and Evaporation Rate Values for all Evaporative Condenser Test Runs

38
7. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
The primary focus of this section is on the comparison of power use and efficiency of the air cooled and
evaporative condensers. The system power consumption in this section refers to the combined power use
of the condenser and the compressor. However, as discussed in earlier sections, the overall capacity or
power use of the compressor used in this test was only twice that of the condenser, which does not reflect
a realistic scenario. In actual supermarket refrigeration systems the compressor power use could be up to
8 times greater than the condenser power use.
The condenser and compressor efficiencies are expressed in Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER). The
condenser EER was determined by developing the ratio of total rejected refrigeration heat (Btu/hr) to
condenser power input (Watts). The system EER was calculated by dividing the refrigeration load
(Btu/hr) by combined compressor and condenser power use (Watts). The following sections discuss the
comparative results of the tests under various modes of control.
7.1 Two Speed/Stage Fan Cycling at 65 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
Sections 4.1 and 6.1 showed that in the Irwindale climate during the specific test periods it was
impossible for either condenser to meet the low target SCT of 65 °F. Consequently, both condensers
operated at full capacity during the 24 hours of their test period. Figure 38 shows condenser power use in
10 minute data, with respect to ambient dry bulb temperature. As the ambient temperature increased, the
power consumption of the condensers remained unchanged. As shown in Figure 38, at full capacity
operation the evaporative condenser used 17% less power than the air cooled condenser (2.9 kW vs 3.5
kW).
5
0
60 70 80 90
o
Figure 38 - Condenser Power Use vs Ambient Dry Bulb Temperature for Air Cooled and Evaporative Condensers Operating with
Fan Cycling and 65 °F Target SCT (10 minute data)
Figure 39 depicts the hourly condenser and system EER’s for both condensers. The air cooled and
evaporative condensers’ EER stayed almost unchanged as the ambient temperature increased. The
condensers’ EERs were, however, expected to decrease. The reason for this expectation is because at

39
higher ambient temperatures, the SCT increases and the coil TD decreases, resulting in less heat rejection.
Collapsing the data into hourly averages may have obscured the clarity of the expected trend.
The system EER for both condensers experienced a slight decrease as ambient temperature increased
(Figure 39). Although both condensers maintained relatively close system EER’s, the evaporative
condenser’s system EER stayed slightly higher than that of the air cooled. The evaporative condenser’s
system EER decreased 8.9% and the air cooled condenser’s system EER dropped by 17.9% as ambient
temperature increased.
The system EER is a function of the refrigeration load, which remained constant at 7 tons, and the sum of
the compressor and condenser input power. As previously discussed, for this mode of control the
condenser power remained constant, while the compressor work increased as the SCT increased with the
ambient temperature. This additional compressor work adversely affected the system EER. Under the
same scenario in actual systems, the decrease in EER is expected to be considerably more severe since the
increase in discharge pressure will effect a group of compressors which account for a large portion of
total system power use.
40
Efficiency (Btu/h/W)
30
20
10
0
50 60 70 80 90 100
o
Dry Bulb or Wet Bulb Temperature ( F)
Evaporative System EER Air Cooled System EER
Evaporative Condenser Efficiency Air Cooled Condenser Efficiency
Figure 39 - System and Condenser Energy Efficiency Ratings for Air Cooled and Evaporative Condensers Operating with Fan
Cycling and 65 °F Target SCT (hourly data)
7.2 Two Speed/Stage Fan Cycling at 90 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
Under this mode of control, the evaporative condenser clearly performed more desirably and efficiently
than the air cooled condenser. The evaporative condenser easily maintained the target SCT of 90 °F
regardless of ambient temperature fluctuations, consuming an average of 0.98 kW while operating at its
lowest fan speed most of the time (Figure 40). The air cooled condenser cycled less and ran both of its
fans at full speed at ambient temperatures beyond 77 °F. Beyond the ambient temperature of 77 °F (67 °F
wet bulb), the air cooled condenser consumed about 3 three times more power than the evaporative
condenser. It also failed to maintain the target SCT of 90 °F at ambient temperature of 77 °F and higher.

40
4

3
0
60 70 80 90 100
o
Fan Cycling and 90 °F Target SCT (10 minute data)
Unlike the previous test, the condensers’ EER decrease is more apparent as the ambient temperatures
increased (Figure 41). The evaporative condenser’s EER range was noticeably larger than the air cooled
condenser’s with respect to ambient temperature changes. It dropped from 93 to 69 Btu/h/W while the air
cooled condenser’s EER decreased from 38 to 23 Btu/h/W. The reason for the decrease in its EER was
the high speed fan power operation at higher wet bulb temperatures.
The air cooled condenser had a higher ratio of heat rejection to average fan power use up to the ambient
temperature of 77 °F. Beyond this temperature, the 90 °F target SCT was no longer maintained, resulting
in less heat rejection while both fans continued operating at their full loads (3.5 kW) (Figure 41).
The evaporative condenser’s system EER remained almost unchanged, since at the constant SCT of 90 °F
and unchanged suction pressure (since refrigeration load was fixed at 7 tons), the compressor power
stayed constant (see screening chart 10 for test 9, appendix C, pg. C-31). As shown in Figure 40, the
evaporative condenser’s average hourly power changed very little with ambient wet bulb, resulting in a
flat EER.
The air cooled condenser had a slightly lower system EER than the evaporative condenser. The
evaporative condenser’s system EER stayed constant at about 15.6 Btu/h/W while the air cooled system
EER dropped slightly from 12.5 to 9.8 Btu/h/W as the ambient temperature increased. This decrease was
primarily due to additional compressor work at higher SCT’s and larger condenser fan power beyond 77
°F dry bulb temperature.

41
100
75
50
25
0
55 65 75 85
o
Cycling and 90 °F Target SCT (hourly data)
7.3 Two Speed/Stage Fan Cycling at Variable Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
For the variable set point test runs, the controller was programmed to maintain a fixed TD of 15 °F above
ambient conditions. The behavior of the condensers, however, was opposite of each other (Figure 42).
At low ambient conditions, the air cooled condenser mostly used 50% of its total capacity by cycling off
one of its fans until the dry bulb temperature reached 77 °F, while the evaporative condenser operated at
its full load. During higher ambient conditions, the condensers again behaved opposite to each other.
The evaporative condenser fan operated for longer intervals at its low speed under higher ambient
conditions. Its power consumption dropped from 3.0 kW to 1.6 kW when the ambient temperatures
reached above 68 °F wet bulb. The air cooled condenser on the other hand increased its power use by 17
% (from 2.9 kW to 3.4 kW) beyond 77 °F ambient conditions.
The air cooled condenser behaved as expected under varying dry bulb conditions. The behavior of the
evaporative condenser, however, initially seemed counter-intuitive, but its reaction to high and low
ambient conditions is explainable. At lower ambient conditions wet bulb and dry bulb temperatures are
considerably close (see Figure 3). As a result, following the psychometric relationship, it is obvious that
at lower ambient wet bulb temperatures the air is closer to saturation. Hence, its ability to absorb
moisture diminishes as the wet bulb temperature is lowered. This phenomenon adversely impacts the
operation of the evaporative condenser when a fixed TD is to be maintained above the wet bulb. In such
control schemes, the ability of the condenser to reject heat in order to achieve low SCT’s (while
maintaining a fixed TD) reduces since the almost saturated air entering the condenser has a higher
enthalpy (and relative humidity), thereby limiting the amount of cooling possible via evaporation and heat
rejection (see equation 22). The fan has to work considerably harder to remove the equivalent amount of
moisture from the coil surface to achieve the desired moisture removal and target SCT.

42
5

4
0
55 65 75 85 95
o
Fan Cycling and Variable Target SCT (10 minute data)
Consequently, the evaporative condenser’s efficiency should increase at high wet bulb temperatures while
the air cooled condenser’s should decrease. Figure 43 depicts the EER variation of both condensers with
respect to ambient conditions.
With variable set point controls, a condenser achieves lower SCT’s during low ambient conditions.
Despite the increased fan energy, under these conditions the compressor benefits from lower head
pressures and reduces its power use. Figure 43 shows that the system EER decreased for the air cooled
condenser as the ambient temperature increased. This simply indicates that at a constant refrigeration
load of 7 tons, the compressor and condenser power increased. The evaporative condenser’s system EER,
however, stayed almost unchanged. This indicates that the increase in compressor work at higher SCT’s
is offset by the decrease in condenser power.
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
50 60 70 80 90 100
o
Cycling and Variable Target SCT (hourly data)

43
In actual commercial supermarkets, however, it is more likely that systems with evaporative condensers
and variable set point controls may see decreased system EER’s, since the effect of higher SCT’s on the
large compressor groups in these refrigeration systems, which account for the largest portion of the
system power use, is considerably more pronounced.
7.4 Variable Speed Drive at 65 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
Similar to the fan cycling speed control test with 65 °F target SCT, both condensers operated at full speed
regardless of the ambient fluctuations. The power and efficiency results are almost identical to the two
speed/stage fan cycling test. Again, due to climatic limitations and a low target SCT, neither condenser
took advantage of control schemes to vary their capacity as ambient conditions changed. Figure 44 shows
the condensers’ power use 10 minute data with respect to ambient temperature. Expectedly, as the
ambient temperature increased the power consumption of the condensers remained constant, with the
evaporative condenser using 22% less power than the air cooled condenser.
5
0
60 70 80 90
o
Variable Speed Fan Drive and 65 °F Target SCT (10 minute data)
The condenser EER’s remained relatively constant at 29.9 and 23.4 Btu/h/W for the evaporative and air
cooled condensers, respectively (Figure 45). Figure 11 (section 4.2) indicates that during this test, the
SCT increased from 80 °F to 90 °F as the ambient dry bulb temperature increased from 67 °F to 78 °F,
resulting in a relatively constant TD of 10 °F. At fixed second stage or high fan speed, the condenser’s
overall heat transfer coefficient (U) remains constant, yielding a fixed rate of heat rejection at all times.
As a result, at full fan loads and constant heat rejection, the condensers’ EER stayed constant (Figure 45).

44
As expected at 65 °F target SCT, the system EER, which is a function of the refrigeration load and
compressor and condenser input power, followed the same profile as the two speed test (Figure 45). In
this mode of control, the condenser power remained constant while the compressor work increased as the
SCT increased by 10 °F with the ambient temperature explaining the slight negative system EER slope. It
should be emphasized again that under the same scenario in actual systems, the decrease in EER is
expected to be considerably more severe since the increase in discharge pressure will adversely affect the
power use of a large group of compressors.
40
30
20
10
0
55 65 75
o
Figure 45 - System and Condenser Energy Efficiency Ratings for Air Cooled and Evaporative Condensers Operating with
Variable Speed Fan Drive and 65 °F Target SCT (hourly data)
7.5 Variable Speed Drive at 90 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
At ambient temperatures of 77 °F and less, the air cooled condenser operated at a minimum fan speed
using 0.3 kW of fan power while maintaining its target SCT of 90 °F (Figure 46). Evaporative condenser
fan power use, on the other hand, stayed relatively constant at about 0.9 kW with a slight linear increase
at wet bulb temperatures of about 70 °F and above (Figure 46). Like the air cooled condenser it easily
maintained the target SCT of 90 °F while on the average used 25% less power than the air cooled
condenser.
5
4
3
2
1
0
60 70 80 90
o
Variable Speed Fan Drive and 90 °F Target SCT (10 minute data)

45
Both condensers use more power at higher ambient temperatures to maintain the target SCT. As
discussed in test 4, page 24, and shown in Figure 15, the air cooled condenser TD decreased while its fan
speed, thus power use, increased as the ambient temperature increased. The combined effects of capacity
reduction and additional power use is clearly reflected in the condenser’s EER drop (Figure 47). As
previously discussed in test 10, page 39, and Figure 29, the evaporative condenser maintained the target
SCT of 90 °F with a slight increase in power at wet bulb temperatures 68 °F and higher. The slight fan
power increase caused the EER decrease of the evaporative condenser as the wet bulb temperature
increased (Figure 47). As shown in Figure 47, the evaporative condenser maintains higher EER values
than the air cooled condenser at all ambient conditions.
100 300
Conderser Efficiency
250
75
200
Air Cooled
(Btu/h/W)
50 150
100
25
50
0 0
60 70 80 90
o
Variable Speed Fan Drive and 90 °F Target SCT (hourly data)
The hourly data in Figure 47 suggests that system efficiency for both condensers stays at about 15.5
Btu/h/W with a slight decreasing trend as the ambient temperatures increase. The system EER decrease
for both condensers is due to higher compressor and condenser power use at higher temperatures. The
individual component power increases can be seen more clearly in Figures 14 and 26 which contain 10
minute data. Under this mode of control, the evaporative condenser performed more efficiently while
maintaining its target SCT set point.
7.6 Variable Speed Drive at Variable Target Saturated Condensing Temperature
With the Variable Set Point (VSP) approach, the controller was programmed to maintain a fix TD of 15
°F above ambient conditions while modulating the fan speed using a Variable Speed Drive (VSD). At
low ambient conditions, the evaporative condenser operated at higher fan speeds, while during higher
ambient conditions, it operated for long intervals at lower speeds. During higher ambient conditions, its
power consumption dropped from 2.5 kW to 1.1 kW when wet bulb temperatures reached beyond 68 °F.
As discussed previously in Test 11 (2 VSP), at lower ambient conditions wet bulb and dry bulb
temperatures are close, and the ambient air is near saturation. Hence, the ability of the air to absorb
moisture diminishes as the wet bulb temperature is lowered. This phenomenon adversely impacts the
operation of the evaporative condenser’s fan when a fixed TD is to be maintained above the ambient wet
bulb temperature. In such control schemes, the ability of the condenser to reject heat in order to achieve
low SCT’s (while maintaining a fixed TD above ambient wet bulb temperature) reduces, because the
nearly saturated air entering the condenser has less capacity to absorb moisture, thereby limiting the

46
amount of cooling via evaporation and heat rejection (see equation 22). As discussed earlier, equation 22
suggests a direct relationship between the rate of heat rejection and the enthalpy difference between
saturated air/water film interface at the SCT and the air entering the condenser. Using the actual test data
and psychometric characteristics of moist air, Figure 48 suggests that the air enthalpy difference
diminishes as the ambient wet bulb temperature decreases. Consequently, the decrease in this enthalpy
difference reduces the heat rejection ability of the evaporative condenser. Equation 23 also suggests that
the heat transfer ability of the evaporative condenser is dependent on the air flow rate. As a result, under
low wet bulb conditions, the VSD controller increased the fan speed to remove a sufficient amount of
moisture from the coil surface to achieve the desired evaporative cooling, and thereby maintain the TD
above the ambient wet bulb temperature.
20
Enthalpy Difference(Btu/lb)
18
16
14
12
10 y = 0.303x - 5.1805
8 2
R = 0.6604
6
4
2
0
60.00 62.00 64.00 66.00 68.00 70.00 72.00 74.00
o
Wet Bulb Temp ( F)
Figure 48 - Difference in Enthalpy of Air Entering the Condenser and Saturated Air at the SCT vs Ambient Wet Bulb
Temperature for the Evaporative, Variable Speed Fan Drive, Variable Target SCT Test Run (hourly data)
Unexpectedly, the air cooled condenser followed the same pattern of operation as the evaporative
condenser (Figure 49). Its power use decreased by 56.7 % (from 3.7 kW to 1.6 kW) above 75 °F ambient
conditions. Figure 49 reflects the fan power penalties of both condensers at low temperatures with the
evaporative condenser consuming 26.7 % less power than the air cooled condenser at dry bulb
temperatures of 77 °F and below.
5
0
60 70 80 90 100
o
Variable Speed Fan Drive and Variable Target SCT (10 minute data)

47
It is rather counterintuitive for the air cooled condenser to use more power when ambient dry bulb is low.
As discussed in section 3.1 the performance of air cooled condensers is greatly influenced by the ambient
dry bulb temperature. Figure 50 depicts the air cooled condenser TD variation against the ambient dry
bulb temperature, while the condenser targets a 15 °F TD above ambient using a VSD controller. As
shown, Figure 50 suggests that the condenser TD decreases as the ambient dry bulb temperature increases
requiring the fan to work less in order to approach the 15 °F TD. Nevertheless, more investigation is
required to better understand and justify this behavior.
19
Condenser TD ( F)
2
17 y = -0.0019x - 0.0688x + 13.735
o
2
15 R = 0.8355
13 14 14 14 13 13 13 13 13 13
13 13 13 13 13
12 12 12 11 12 12 12 11
11 11 1
9
7
5
63 63 63 63 64 64 65 66 67 67 67 69 70 71 71 74 75 78 79 81 83 84 86 86
o
Condenser Temperature Difference
Figure 50 - Temperature Difference Between the Ambient Dry Bulb Temperature and the SCT vs Ambient Dry Bulb
Temperature for the Air Cooled Condenser Operating with Variable Speed Fan Control and Variable Target SCT (hourly data)
Figure 51 depicts the EER variation of both condensers with respect to ambient conditions. With variable
set point controls, the condensers achieve lower SCT’s during periods of low ambient temperatures.
Despite the increase in fan energy, under these conditions the compressors benefit from lower head
pressures and reduce their power use. As shown in Figure 51, at temperatures 65 °F and higher, the
evaporative condenser’s EER is radically higher that of the air cooled condenser. Both condensers,
however, increase their EER’s due to the reduction in their fan power as the ambient temperature
increases.
Figure 51 shows that system EER slightly increased for both condensers as the ambient temperature
increased. This simply indicates that in this particular test, under constant refrigeration load of 7 tons, the
decrease in condenser fan power at higher ambient conditions offsets the additional compressor work. As
discussed in previous sections, the additional compressor power is caused by higher SCT’s at high
ambient conditions when a variable SCT target is used.

48
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
55 65 75 85
o
Variable Speed Fan Drive and Variable Target SCT (hourly data)
In actual commercial supermarkets, however, it is more likely that systems with evaporative condensers
and variable set point controls may also decrease their system EER, since the effect of higher SCTs on
compressor groups that account for a the largest portion of power use is considerably more pronounced.
8. CONCLUSIONS
Despite the challenging and partially unexpected results from using the variable set point control strategy,
the overall results seem reasonable. By focusing on the condenser power and efficiency it was found that,
except for one control scenario, the evaporative condenser achieved higher EER’s under various control
modes. The variable speed drive control with 90 °F target SCT was the only mode of control under
which the air cooled condenser’s EER was higher than that of the evaporative condenser (Figure 52).
Both condensers had the highest EER’s during the 90 °F target SCT test runs. The next highest EER was
achieved by using the VSD with variable set point control followed by the two-speed/fan cycling using
variable set point control.
Average Condenser Energy Efficiency Ratings
200 179.48
EER, (Btu/h/W)
150
100 83.92 87.48
29.64 34.71 42.88

50 23.51 28.14 26.59 23.37 29.86 29.66
0
2 65 2 90 2 VSP VS 65 VS 90 VS VSP
Figure 52 - Average Condenser Energy Efficiency Ratings for the Evaporative and Air Cooled Condensers for each Test Run

49
The average condenser, compressor and system power use of the air cooled condenser in conjunction with
the condensing and ambient temperatures are given in Figure 53. The variable speed drive fan control at
90 °F target SCT required the lowest average condenser power, at 1.16 kW (Figure 53), while yielding
the highest SCT, at 93 °F. Due to the unrealistic compressor to total system power ratio, the adverse
effect of high SCT’s on the compressor and system power use are not clearly reflected in this test. As a
result, the VSD control at 90 °F target SCT requires 5.81 kW average system power which is rather
misleading (Figure 53). The next lowest power demanding scenario is the VSD fan control with a
floating head pressure (variable set point) strategy, requiring 7.07 kW average power resulting in 84.1 °F
SCT, one of the lowest SCT’s in the test. The VSD fan control with 65 °F target SCT yielded the lowest
SCT’s at 83.6 °F. Under this mode, the VSD did not play any control role and allowed the fans to operate
at their full capacity, attempting to achieve the low SCT of 65 °F. As shown in Figure 53, the ambient
temperature has a noticeable influence on the achieved SCT’s. In actual supermarket systems with air
cooled condensers, fans equipped with a VSD used with variable set point control should achieve the
highest overall efficiency.
Various Power Consumption Data and Saturated Condensing and Ambient

Temperatures
10 92.43 93.12 100

88.24 86.19 83.60
9 84.10 90
8 7.87 7.68 7.27 7.58 80
75.60 73.48 7.07
Temperature ( F)
7 76.97 70
71.38 71.06
Power (kW)
71.61
o
6 5.81 60
4.33 4.64 4.65
5 4.13 4.00 4.04 50
4 3.53 3.58 40
3.03 3.13 3.04
3 30
2 1.16 20
1 10
0 0
AC 2 65 AC 2 90 AC 2 VSP AC VS 65 AC VS 90 AC VS VSP
Average Condenser Power Average Compresser Power
Average System Power Average Dry Bulb Temperature
Average Saturated Condensing Temperature
Figure 53 - Average Power Consumption, Saturated Condensing Temperatures, and Ambient Temperatures for all of the Air
Cooled Condenser Test Runs
The average condenser, compressor and system power use of the evaporative condenser in conjunction
with the condensing and ambient wet bulb temperatures are given in Figure 54. Similar to the air cooled
condenser, the variable speed drive fan control at 90 °F target SCT required the least condenser average
power use, while yielding the highest SCT. The full load operation of the fan at 80% of its rated capacity
yielded the most favorable results. Except for 90 °F SCT tests, this mode of test produced the lowest
SCT’s, while the ambient wet bulb temperature was the highest, and the condenser required the least
amount of average power.

50
The main difference between the two condensers, however, is in the yielded SCT’s and in the condenser
power use. Overall, for most of the control strategies, the evaporative condenser achieved lower SCT’s
and consumed less power than the air cooled condenser.
Various Power Consumption Data and Saturated Condensing and Ambient

Temperatures
10 100
89.72 90.29
9 79.22 79.81 81.09 82.26 90
79.88
Temperature ( F)
8 80
66.20 69.16
o
7 6.57 64.64 6.35 6.54 66.66 70.49 70
Power (kW)
64.65 67.49 5.98

6 5.37 5.34 5.62 60
5 4.39 4.40 3.81 50
3.69 3.77 3.74 3.71
4 2.88 40
3 2.58 2.80 2.17 30
1.91
2 0.98 20
0.94
1 10
0 0
65 90 VSP
Average Condenser Power Average Compresser Power
Average System Power Average Wet Bulb Temperature
Average Saturated Condensing Temperature
Figure 54 - Average Power Consumption, Saturated Condensing Temperatures, and Ambient Temperatures for all of the
Evaporative Condenser Test Runs
Figure 55 displays various system parameters with respect to the amount of heat rejected by the
condenser. The values displayed in this figure are based on full load operation. The fan air flow rates
(CFM) and Coil Area data were obtained from the condenser manufacturers’ catalogs based on peak
design operation. As shown in Figure 55, the evaporative condenser requires less coil area, less fan CFM
and thereby less power than the air cooled condenser per unit of rejected heat (MBH).
Various Condenser Performance Parameters per Amount of Heat Rejected
0.50
0.429
0.40
0.279
0.30
0.20
0.076 0.069
0.10 0.043 0.034
0.00
Coil Area/Heat Rejected, CFM/Heat Rejected, Condenser Power/Heat
(ft2/MBH) (CFM/Btuh) Rejected, (kW/MBH)
Figure 55 - Performance Parameters for Air Cooled and Evaporative Condensers for Full Load Operation

51

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Southern California Edison

THIS WORK (WORK) WAS PERFORMED WITH REASONABLE CARE AND IN

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... ii

List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................ iv

List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................... iv

(1) Test Procedure......................................................................................................................................6

(3) Heat Rejection by Air Cooled Condenser ..........................................................................................13

(4) Air Cooled Condenser Tests...............................................................................................................16

(5) Heat Rejection by Evaporative Condenser.........................................................................................25

(6) Evaporative Condenser Tests .............................................................................................................28

(7) Discussion of Results .........................................................................................................................39

(8) Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................49

REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

• Two speed fans

1. Fixed condensing temperature at 90 °F, using VSD control on fan motor

REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

Average Condenser Energy Efficiency Ratings

Air Cooled Evaporative

REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

Table 3 - Test Runs for the Evaporative Condenser ................................................................................................... 6

Table 4 - Test Runs for the Air Cooled Condenser .................................................................................................... 7

Figure 2 - Power Use Breakdown for Typical Supermarket....................................................................................... 1

Figure 3 - Ambient Temperature Fluctuation for Entire Test Period.......................................................................... 2

Figure 4 - Schematic of an Air Cooled Condenser ................................................................................................... 13

Figure 6 - Air Cooled Condenser Used in the Test................................................................................................... 16

REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

Figure 20 - Schematic of an Evaporative Condenser................................................................................................ 25

Figure 21 - Evaporative Condenser Used for the Test.............................................................................................. 27

REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

Figure 53 - Average Power Consumption, Saturated Condensing Temperatures, and Ambient

Figure 54 - Average Power Consumption, Saturated Condensing Temperatures, and Ambient

REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

DBTamb Ambient dry bulb temperature (°F)

REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

Typical Grocery Store Energy Use Percentages

Figure 2 - Power Use Breakdown for Typical Supermarket

REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

• Two speed fans

1. Fixed condensing temperature at 90 °F, using VSD control on fan motor

Refrigeration Load (tons)

Dry Bulb Wet Bulb Refrigeration Load

Figure 3 - Ambient Temperature Fluctuation for Entire Test Period

REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

Two Two Two Variable Variable Variable

Condenser Coil Area/Heat CFM/Heat Condenser Power/Heat Rejected, (kW/MBH)

Air Cooled 0.429 0.279 0.043

Table 2 - Various Condenser Performance Parameters per Amount of Heat Rejected

REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

Section (1) Test Procedure and Data Acquisition

Section (2) Analysis

2.1) Data collection procedure and initial reduction and screening

Section (3) Heat Rejection by Air Cooled Condenser

3.1) General description and theory of air cooled heat rejection

4.1) Test 1 - Fan Cycling at 65 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature

Section (5) Heat Rejection by Evaporative Condenser

A brief discussion of the fundamentals of heat rejection by evaporative condensers is provided in

5.1) General description and theory of heat rejection by evaporative condensers

REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

6.1) Test 7 - Two Speed Fan at 65 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature

7.1) Two Speed/Stage at 65 °F Target Saturated Condensing Temperature

Section (8) Conclusions