Contents

Overview Economizer........................................................ 2
Diagram 1. Shell and Coil Economizer System................... 2 Form 070.550-IB (MAR 2015)
Diagram 2. Direct Expansion (DX) Economizer System...... 2
Diagram 3. Flash Economizer System................................. 2 INFORMATION BULLETIN
Diagram 4. Multiple Compressor Economizer System........ 3 File: EQUIPMENT MANUAL - Section 70
Economizer And Side Flow................................................. 3 Replaces: NOTHING
Figure 1. Lg P-h Diagram, Economizer Operation.............. 3
Dist: 10
Figure 2. Location of Economizer Port............................... 3
NGC Compressors with Economizer/Sideloads................. 4
Economizer Types – NGC.............................................. 4
Figure 5. Shell and Tube Economizer Diagram "Type C"..... 4
Implementation............................................................ 5
Figure 6. Basic Compressor and Valve System................... 5
Figure 7. Basic System with Shell and Tube Economizer.... 5
Modes of Operation with Economizer........................... 5
Figure 8. Open Flash Vessel Economizer............................ 5
Figure 9. Shell and Coil Economizer................................... 5
Figure 10. Multiple compressors with common Open Flash
Vessel economizer............................................................. 6
Figure 11. Multiple compressors with separate Shell and
Tube economizers.............................................................. 6
Capacity Control................................................................. 7
Figure 12. Capacity control regulation for compressors op-
erating in parallel............................................................... 7
Figure 13. Remote Economizer Arrangement..................... 7
ECONOMIZER/SIDELOADING
NGC COMPRESSORS

Please check www.jci.com/frick for the latest version of this publication.

070.550-IB (MAR 2015) ECONOMIZER/SIDELOADING NGC COMPRESSORS
Page 2 INFORMATION BULLETIN

Overview Economizer becomes most important when one or more compressors

The economizer option provides an increase in system run at partial load, exposing the economizer port to suction
capacity and efficiency by subcooling liquid from the pressure. In the case of a flash vessel, there is no need for
condenser through a heat exchanger or flash tank before the redundancy of a back-pressure regulating valve on the
it goes to the evapora­tor. The subcooling is provided by vessel and each of the multiple compressors. Omit the BPR
flashing liquid in the economizer cooler to an intermediate valve on the flash economizer vessel and use one on each
pressure level.The intermediate pressure is provided by a compressor, as shown in System Diagram 4. It is also recom-
port located part way down the compres­sion process on mended that the back-pressure regulating valves, used on
the screw compressor. economizer lines, should be specified with electric shutoff
As the screw compressor unloads, the economizer port will option. The electric shutoff feature is necessary to prevent
drop in pressure level, eventually being fully open to suc- flow from the common economizer vessel to the suction
tion. Because of this, an output from the microproces­sor is side of a stopped compressor, through the suction check
generally used to turn off the supply of flashing liquid on a valve bypass line, if the other compressors and the common
shell and coil or DX economizer when the capacity falls be- economizer vessel are still operating and the HV2 valve on
low approximately 45%-60% capacity (85%-90% slide valve the suction bypass is open.
position). This is done because the compressor will be more
efficient operating at a higher slide valve position with the For refrigeration plants using a Packaged Refrigerant Recir-
economizer turned off, than it will at a low slide valve posi- culation (PRR) unit and a direct expansion (DX) economizer
tion with the economizer turned on. Please note however system it is necessary to operate the liquid feed solenoid on
that shell and coil and DX economizers can be used at low the PRR unit and the liquid feed solenoid on the DX vessel
compressor capaciti­es in cases where efficien­cy is not as off of a common signal to avoid liquid overfeed on the DX
important as assuring that the liquid supply is subcooled. In economizer system.
such cases, the economi­zer liquid solenoid can be left open
whenever the com­pressor is running.
Due to the tendency of the port pressure to fall with de­
creasing compressor capacity, a back-pressure regulator
valve (BPR) is generally required on a flash economizer
system (System Diagram 3) in order to maintain some preset
pressure dif­ference between the subcooled liquid in the flash
vessel and the evaporato­rs. If the back-pressure regulator
valve is not used on a flash economizer, it is possible that
no pressure difference will exist to drive liquid from the flash
vessel to the evaporators, since the flash vessel pressure will
approach suction pressure at a decreased slide valve position.
In cases where wide swings in pressure are anticipated in
the flash econo­mizer vessel, it may be necessary to add an Diagram 1. Shell and Coil Economizer System
outlet pressure regulator to the flash vessel outlet to avoid
overpressurizing the economizer port, which could result
in motor overload. Example: A system feeding liquid to the
flash vessel in batches.

The recommended economizer systems are shown below.

Notice that in all systems there should be a strainer (STR) and
a check valve (VCK) between the economizer vessel and the
economizer port on the compressor. The strainer prevents
dirt from passing into the compressor and the check valve
prevents oil from flowing from the compressor unit to the
econo­mizer vessel during shutdown.

CAUTION Diagram 2. Direct Expansion (DX) Economizer System

Other than the isolation valve needed for strainer clean-

ing, it is essential that the strainer be the last device in
the economizer line before the compres­sor. Also, piston-
type check valves are recom­mended for installation in
the economizer line, as opposed to disc-type check
valves. The latter are more prone to gas- pulsation-
induced failure. The isolation and check val­ves and
strainer should be located as closely as possible to the
compressor, preferably within three feet.

For refrigeration plants employing multiple compressors on

a common economizing vessel, regardless of economizer
type, each compressor must have a back-pressure regulat­ Diagram 3. Flash Economizer System
ing valve in order to balance the economizer load, or gas
flow, between compressors. The problem of balancing load
 ECONOMIZER/SIDELOADING NGC COMPRESSORS 070.550-IB (MAR 2015)
INFORMATION BULLETIN Page 3

c a b c
Discharge

Suction

Diagram 4. Multiple Compressor Economizer System

If multiple compressors are operated with a common
Symbol Explanation
economizer vessel, it is necessary to install a back-pressure
regulator valve with an electric shutoff option in the vapor a Slide Valve for Capacity
line piped to the compressor's economizer port. If an electric b Economizer Bore
shut-off is not installed in the economizer vapor line, valve c Tooth of Rotor
HV-2 must remain closed to avoid a gas bypass from the
Figure 2. Location of Economizer Port
economizer line through the suction check valve bypass,
back to the suction line on a compressor that is shut down. Sideflow
Economizer And Side Flow "Sideflow" loads the compressor in the same way as an
economizer. However, the source is a separate cooling or gas
The compressors have, as standard, a bore which makes
load. It is possible to have both an economizer and sideload
economizer operation possible. Economizer operation al-
applied to the same compressor.
lows for subcooling of the liquid and may be compared to
how two-stage compressors operate.
As seen in Fig. 1, the subcooling increases the specific cool-
See Figures 1 and 2 for economizer functions. ing effect from q to qe without a corresponding increase in
power consumption. Fig. 2 shows an imagined internal view
Pressure lg P of the compressor. The slide valve a and the economizer bore
b are shown. At the rotor tooth, compression c is started.
During rotation the flange will travel forward, at a time open-
Po ing for the bore b. The pressure has here been increased to
the economizer pressure Pe, and gas from the economizer
Pe cooler is now supplied to the compressor.
Ps
During capacity control, the slide valve a travels forward
opening as a bypass to the suction side. This means that
h Enthalpy the compression will start at a point further ahead in the
q p compressor. The economizer pressure Pe will drop as the
qe rotor will now have to travel over a smaller angle before the
bore b is uncovered. In this position and at lower capacities,
Symbol Explanation the economizer function will not provide any improvement.
Capacity and power consumption are the same as a compres-
Po Pressure at Condenser
sor without economization. The capacity control implies that
Pe Pressure in Economizer Vessel Pe is fluctuating between Pe and Ps, and this needs to be
Ps Pressure in Evaporator considered when developing unit and plant layout.
q Specific Cooling Without Economizer
qe Specific Cooling With Economizer NOTICE
p Specific Power Consumption for the Cooling Process The economizer bore may also be used for the direct
Figure 1. Lg P-h Diagram, Economizer Operation connection of refrigerant loads “sideloads” with an
operation pressure somewhat higher than Pe.

Attention should be drawn to the fact that the economizer

bore may also be used for the direct connection of refriger-
ant loads (sideloads) with an operation pressure somewhat
higher than Pe. The reflections in the following of economizer
connection and control also refer to such modes of operation.
Note also that the thrust of the liquid in the economizer is
reduced to Pe.
070.550-IB (MAR 2015) ECONOMIZER/SIDELOADING NGC COMPRESSORS
Page 4 INFORMATION BULLETIN

NGC Compressors with Economizer/Sideloads Economizer Types – NGC

Not all NGC compressors have an economizer port, see table. Type A. Open Flash Vessel Economizer
This economizer type provides the highest improvement
Eco Port Port Size in capacity. The liquid is throttled and cooled down to the
NGC MODEL
(SV-1) (SV-1) - Bore economizer pressure Pe. See Fig. 3.
100 No N/A
150 No N/A Condenser
200 Yes 2”
Pd
250 Yes 2”
Pe Pe
300 No N/A Compressor
400 Yes 3”
450 Yes 3” Open Flash
Economizer
Ps
Vessel
Evaporator
NOTICE
NGC compressors cannot run with ammonia, R-717. Figure 3. Open Flash Vessel Diagram "Type A"

The SV-1 port size is determined by what is physically pos- Type B. Shell and Coil Economizer
sible to apply to the compressor design. The actual econo- This type, a vessel with subcooling coil, is similar to Type A,
mizer line size will therefore always be found by a calculation but the liquid is passed through a closed coil and the thrust
for the actual application. Both mass and volume flow can of the liquid is still Pd after the economizer. Because of the
be found in the Frick® Coolware™ software. The economizer difference in temperature between liquid and economizer
line is a suction line, but it is recommended to run higher pressure, liquid subcooling will be less and the improvement
velocities in the last 5 - 10 feet upstream to the compressor in capacity will be less. See Fig. 4.
and accept some pressure drop.
Component choices
Condenser
Depending on the type of economizer and configuration (see
later) there is typically a strainer, check valve and stop valve Pd
close to the SV-1 compressor port. As there often are very Pe
high pressure pulsations, these components should be the Compressor
most tough and rugged available. It is also recommended
Shell And
to keep the flow velocities high and accept some pressure Coil
Ps
drop to smooth the pressure pulsations. In some applications Economizer
Evaporator
where the refrigerant/gas is very dense, pulsation and noise
mufflers should be applied.
Figure 4. Vessel with Subcooling Coil Diagram "Type B"
Piping Layout
The economizer port connects and communicates directly Type C. Shell and Tube Economizer
to compressor rotor threads where oil is also being injected. The capacity improvement is similar to Type B. Oil recov-
To avoid oil seeping out into the piping, it is recommended ery gives no problems. It can be installed on compressor
that the pipe line enters the compressor from above. Even units, but normally an economizer is required for each
if the economizer is located below, the piping loop should compressor. See Fig. 5.
be routed up 1.5 - 2 feet above the port and then down to it.
Calculation Condenser

Flows are provided from Coolware™. Beside piping and

valve sizing, velocities in the SV-1 compressor port itself Pd
should also be checked. The port is to be treated as an Pe
orifice, and may limit the capacity at high speed on the NGC Compressor
450 compressor. The calculation will find the port velocity
Shell and Tube
and must not be more than 0.75 times the sound of velocity Economizer Ps
for the refrigerant/gas used. Coolware™ calculates this as
Acoustic Velocity. Evaporator

Figure 5. Shell and Tube Economizer Diagram "Type C"

 ECONOMIZER/SIDELOADING NGC COMPRESSORS
INFORMATION BULLETIN
Implementation
Bare NGC compressor units are supplied with the SV-1
port closed and a blind flange. System components includ-
ing suction filter, non-return valve and shut-off valve may
be available separately.
Economizer lines should enter from above the compressor
to avoid oil flowing out into piping. See Fig. 6. This system
is suitable for economizer Types A and B.
Pd
Pe
Ps
Figure 6. Basic Compressor and Valve System
Pd
Pe
Ps
Figure 7. Basic System with Shell and Tube Economizer
A shell and tube economizer system should be built with
heat exchanger, injection valve, solenoid valve, filter, and
shut-off valve.
The solenoid valve is controlled by a port in the compres-
sor control, and is closed at approximately 80% capacity.
This system corresponds to economizer Type C.
Modes of Operation with Economizer
A. One compressor with Type A Economizer
Pd
Pe
Pe
Compressor Unit
Ps
Figure 8. Open Flash Vessel Economizer
It is suggested to install a suction pressure control which is
set for the lowest permissible thrust Pd forcing the liquid to
the cooling points.
070.550-IB (MAR 2015)
Page 5
B. One compressor with Type B Economizer
Pd
Pe
Pe
Compressor Unit
Ps
Figure 9. Shell and Coil Economizer
Installing a suction pressure control that opens at a pres-
sure slightly lower than the nominal economizer pressure
is recommended. This means that the economizer pressure
will only vary to a limited extent between full load and par-
tial load, thus preventing foaming in the economizer.
C. One compressor with Type C economizer
The unit is complete and no additional parts are required.
D. Multiple compressors with common Type A Economizer
See Figure 10. It is recommended to install a solenoid valve
at minimum. A better option is to install a pressure con-
trolled servo valve in the economizer line to each compres-
sor. There is a port in the compressor control which closes
the solenoid valve at approximately 80% capacity. It is thus
avoided that the unloaded compressor draws down the
pressure Pe and so reduces the economizer effect for the
compressor which is running 100%.
A suction pressure control connected to the suction line
of the compressor, is also recommended. This valve will
prevent the pressure Pe from increasing when all compres-
sors are running partial load. Thus, foaming in the econo-
mizer is prevented when the economizer is engaged again.
The suction pressure control should have a capacity of
approximately 50% of the economizer capacity of one
compressor and should be set to open at a pressure which
is higher than the normal economizer pressure.
E. Multiple compressors with common Type B economizer
Arrange according to the same principles as in systems with
Type A common economizer.
F. Multiple compressors with separate Type C economizers
See Figure 11. It is recommended to install a solenoid valve
in the liquid line of each economizer. It is controlled
together with the solenoid valve of the unit On/Off, clos-
ing at approximately 70% capacity. This results in the best
capacity increase, as liquid is only passed through econo-
mizers which are operating.
070.550-IB (MAR 2015) ECONOMIZER/SIDELOADING NGC COMPRESSORS
Page 6 INFORMATION BULLETIN

Pd

A
Pe

Compressor Unit
Pe

Pd

A
Pe

Compressor Unit

Common Suction

Figure 10. Multiple compressors with common Open Flash Vessel economizer

Common Liquid Line

A
Pd

B Pe

Compressor Unit

Ps

A
Pd

B Pe

Compressor Unit

Ps

Figure 11. Multiple compressors with separate Shell and Tube economizers
 ECONOMIZER/SIDELOADING NGC COMPRESSORS
INFORMATION BULLETIN
Capacity Control
In order to ensure maximum utilization of screw com-
pressors and meet certain drawbacks, the characteristic
features of a screw compressor working at partial load
must be duly considered. In the following, some principles
of plant arrangement are described.
One Screw Compressor.
The plant is arranged as a traditional compressor sys-
tem. It should be noted that the screw compressor unit
is equipped with non-return valves in both suction and
discharge lines as standard. The non-return valve in the
suction line will prevent the compressor from reverse
rotation at stop. The non-return valve in the discharge
line will prevent return flow of refrigerant to the oil
separator (where it can condense and be absorbed in the
oil.) At partial load, a severe reduction of efficiency will
be evident. It will then have to be considered whether
refrigerating systems with frequent partial load operation
should be split up on more compressors to provide better
efficiency.
Multiple Compressors Operating in Parallel
The plant can be built up according to the lines of direc-
tion generally observed. During capacity control it may not
be expedient to let the compressor last in operation go
down to the lowest capacity. A better operating economy
can be obtained by only regulating the last compres-
sor down to approximately 50% capacity, and only then
begin regulating down the next (or second) compressor.
When both compressors are operating at 50%, the last
one is topped and further control is carried through to the
second compressor. From here the system may be further
regulated downward as seen in Figure 12 below.
The compressors have been programmed for this mode
of operation, which is called Master/Slave. No particular
superior control is required. However, if a plant comprises
compressors of different types or sizes, a superior control
may be more expedient.
100% 1 2 3 1 2 3
Figure 12. Capacity control regulation for compressors operating in parallel
Information above is subject to change without notice.
070.550-IB (MAR 2015)
Page 7
Compressors with economizer/sideload
As economizer/sideflow only provides improved efficiency
at 100% or close to 100% load – control logic should
be considered for systems with compressors working in
parallel and using a common economizer vessel. In this
situation, only one compressor should be unloaded and
disconnected.
Remote economizer/sideload
The economizer function can also be obtained when the
unit is connected to a remote common economizer (open
or closed type). In such cases, the unit is optionally to
be built with a stop valve, check valve and economizer
strainer.
When the compressor unit is connected to a remote
economizer, a strainer must be installed to separate the
impurities in the refrigerant gas. In Figure 13, a stop/check
is installed to avoid return flow and to secure easy service.
A separate check valve type Parker is preferred.
Gas From
External
Economizer
To Compressor
SV-1
Figure 13. Remote Economizer Arrangement
NOTICE
Piping should always enter from above the compressor
to prevent oil from being pushed out into the economizer
piping.
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 etc.
 Form 070.550 - IB (2015-03) Johnson Controls
Supersedes: NOTHING 100 CV Avenue
Subject to change without notice Waynesboro, PA 17268 USA
Published in USA • 03/15 • PDF Phone: 717-762-2121 • FAX: 717-762-8624
© 2015 Johnson Controls Inc. - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED www.jci.com/frick