Refrigeration Technology

Chapter5 ： Vapor and Gas Refrigeration Cycles

Heat Operated vapor Compression

Refrigeration Cycle
------Vapor Jet Refrigeration

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Refrigeration Technology
Chapter5 ： Vapor and Gas Refrigeration Cycles

1. Principles of vapor jet refrigeration

systems
 Vapor jet refrigeration is other type of vapor compression
refrigeration cycle driven by heat source of high temperature.
 As the same as the mechanical vapor compression refrigeration cycle,
the vapor jet refrigeration cycle can accomplish the removal of heat
through the evaporation of a refrigerant at a low pressure and the
rejection of heat through the condensation of the refrigerant at a
higher pressure.
 The pressure difference in the system is created by a high pressure
vapor or steam ejector, as shown in Fig.5-15.

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Chapter5 ： Vapor and Gas Refrigeration Cycles

 The refrigerant in the system shown in Fig.5-15 is water.

 A supply of high-pressure vapor, usually steam, passes through a nozzle in
which it acquires a high velocity and some vacuum whilst expanding down
to evaporator pressure.

Fig.5-15, refrigeration system using a steam ejector or thermo-compressor

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Refrigeration Technology
Chapter5 ： Vapor and Gas Refrigeration Cycles

 This steam, known as the motive steam,

 Both the motive vapor and the vapor drawn
Fig.5-15, refrigeration system using a steam
ejector or thermo-compressor
shares its momentum with vapor from the
evaporator so that the resulting mixture has
sufficient velocity to move against the
pressure gradient up to the condenser
pressure in a diffuser, in which the mixture is
decelerated and compressed.
from the evaporator are condensed, and the
condensate is then divided into two flows,
one to pass an expansion valve and feed the
evaporator and the other to supply the boiler
of motive steam through a feed pump.

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Refrigeration Technology
Chapter5 ： Vapor and Gas Refrigeration Cycles

2. An analysis for a basic steam jet refrigeration

system The basic steam jet 

refrigeration system, seen in

Fig.5-16, consists of the
following components:
 an evaporator;

 a refrigerated object;

 a boiler;

 a nozzle, a mixing

chamber;
 a diffuser;

 a condenser;
Fig.5-16, a scheme of a steam jet efrigeration system and T-s and h-s
diagrams of its cycle  an expansion valve;
(B –boiler; E –evaporator; NZ –nozzle; MC –mixing chamber; Df –
 pumps. 5
diffuser; Co –condenser; RV –expansion valve; P –pump; RO –
refrigeration object ) wu wei-dong
Refrigeration Technology
Chapter5 ： Vapor and Gas Refrigeration Cycles

 In the steam jet system the vapor

power cycle (1-2-3-3'-4-1) and
the refrigeration cycle (6-7-8-3-9-
6) are realized simultaneously.
 This can be explained by the
progressive, independent
observation that the state of the
motive steam and refrigerant
vapor changes.
 Motive steam is expanded in the
nozzle from point 1 to point 5, but
after mixing with refrigerant
vapor it is compressed from 5 to
Fig.5-16, a scheme of a steam jet efrigeration system and T-s and h-s
diagrams of its cycle 2, or in the mixture from a to b.
(B –boiler; E –evaporator; NZ –nozzle; MC –mixing chamber; Df –
diffuser; Co –condenser; RV –expansion valve; P –pump; RO –
refrigeration object )

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Refrigeration Technology
Chapter5 ： Vapor and Gas Refrigeration Cycles


Due to the critical point of CO2
(73.77 bar and 30.85℃) the
refrigeration cycle has to be
operated transcritically when the
ambient temperature is near or
higher than the critical
temperature.
 Fig.5-21 shows the subcritical
and transcritical operation of
CO2.
 In this case the evaporation takes
place at subcritical pressure and
temperature and the heat
rejection at supercritical state.
Fig.5-21, cycles of subcritical and transcritical operation of CO2

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Chapter5 ： Vapor and Gas Refrigeration Cycles

 As seen in Fig.5-22, the main

components of a CO2
refrigeration cycle are
compressor, gas cooler (instead
of a condenser because of the
supercritical heat rejection,
which occurs sometimes),
internal heat exchanger,
expansion valve, evaporator and
low-pressure receiver.
 At the transcritical cycle the
compressor sucks refrigerant as
superheated vapor and
compresses to high pressure. Fig.5-22, Schematic diagram of a CO2 refrigeration cycle (heat pump cycle)

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Chapter5 ： Vapor and Gas Refrigeration Cycles

 At the supercritical pressure,

the CO2 is cooled in the gas
cooler by transferring a heat
flux to the ambient climate.

The CO2 is cooled down near to
the ambient temperature.
 In the internal heat exchanger
the high-pressure CO2 is cooled
and the low-pressure CO2, as
saturated vapor from the
receiver, is superheated. Then
the refrigerant is throttled to Fig.5-22, Schematic diagram of a CO2 refrigeration cycle (heat pump cycle)
low pressure.

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Chapter5 ： Vapor and Gas Refrigeration Cycles

REFERENCES
1. Gosney M.W., Principles of Refrigeration, Cambridge University Press, 1982
2. International Institute of Refrigeration, A brief history of refrigeration (www.iifiir.org)
3. Pennington, W., How to find accurate vapor pressure of LiBr water solution. Refrig. Eng. 1955,
63, 57-61
4. ASHRAE, ASHRAE Handbook, New York, ASHRAE Publisher, 2005
5. Löwer H., Thermodynamische und physikalische Eingenschaften der wässrigen Lithiumbromid
Lösung. Dissertation, Technische Hochschule Karlsruhe, 1960
6. Vliet G.C., Lawson M. B., Lithgow R. A., Water-lithium bromide double-effect absorption
cooling analysis, Final Report Texas Univ., Austin. Center for Energy Studies, 12, 1980
7. US Patent 5727397, 1998
8. Lazzarin R.M., Longo G.A. Gasparella A., Ammonia-water absorption machines for
refrigeration: theoretical and real performances, Int J Refrigeration, 1996, 239-246
9. Dossat R.J., principles of refrigeration, Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1991

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