A steam-jet pump maintains a temperature of 5°C in the

STEAM-JET evaporator. The cooled water leaves at the same

REFRIGERATION temperature and warms to 10°C as it does its
refrigeration. Make-up water is available at 21°C. There
are required 1.27 kg of nozzle steam per kg of vapor
removed from the evaporator. For a 175-kW plant,
compute the volume of vapor handled, quantity of steam

STEAM JET REFRIGERATION is a type of water

evaporative refrigeration wherein water is used as the
refrigerant. The principal operation is based on the fact
that water will boil or vaporize rapidly, at a relatively needed, and the quantity of chilled water.
low temperature, if the pressure on the surface is
reduced sufficiently.

 EJECTOR
- sucks of draws water from the surface of the water in
the evaporator of flash chamber, causing the pressure in
the evaporator to drop.
- reduces pressure in the evaporator to a point at which
the water will vaporize at the desired temperature.
- in vaporizing, it absorbs heat and cools the remainder
of the water in the evaporator. SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
- steam pressure at the ejector nozzle should be about A vacuum refrigeration system consists of a large
1030 kPa. insulated flash chamber kept at low pressure by a steam
ejector which pums vapor to a condenser. Condensate is
The evaporation of the water in the evaporator, reduces removed by a condensate to an air vent. Warm return
the temperature of the water in the evaporator. This cold. water enters the flash chamber at 13°C: chilled water
4°C to 21°C, is circulated by means of pumps, to the comes out the flash chamber has a quality of 0.97 and
area to be cooled. the temperature in the condenser is 32°C. For 350-kW of
refrigeration.
Steam jet systems are used extensively in air A) How much chilled water at 5°C does this system
conditioning, and for cooling of water in certain provide?
chemical plants for gas absorption. The cooling B) How much make-up water is needed?
temperatures provided by the steam-jet mechanism are C) How much vapor must the steam ejector remove
usually 4°C and 21°C. Temperature below 4°C are from the flash chamber?
impractical due to danger of freezing.
ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS
1) There are 3.06 m3/s of vapor from the water
evaporator of a vacuum refrigeration system; the warm
water enters the evaporator at 18°C and chilled water
leaves at 10°C; make-up water enters at 29°C.
Determine the refrigerating capacity.

2) In a steam jet refrigeration system, the evaporator is

maintained at 6°C. The chilled water leaves at the same
temperature and warms to 11°C as it absorbs the load.
Make-up water in available at 25°C. For a capacity of 50
tons, determine:
A) The quantity of chilled water required
B) Volume of vapor removed
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1