Steam Jet Refrigeration System

INTRODUCTIO
N
Steam jet cooling system is a cooling technique which
involves usage of steam and water for cooling
purposes. In steam jet refrigeration systems, water
can be used as the refrigerant. Like air, it is perfectly
safe. These systems were applied successfully to
refrigeration.

•Temperatures attained using water as a refrigerant

are in the range which may satisfy air conditioning,
cooling, or chilling requirements.
•Mostly low-grade energy and relatively small amounts
of shaft work.
•This system are the utilization of mostly low-grade
energy and relatively small amounts of shaft work.
•Not used when temperatures below 5°C are required.
 WHY UNCONVENTIONAL?
Steam jet cooling system is preferable
over conventional cooling system because:-
• Employs a steam injector or booster instead of
mechanical compressor to compress the refrigerant
to the required condenser pressure level.

• Water is used as the refrigerant; environment is free

of CFC’s and other refrigerants which produce
harmful gases leading to depletion of ozone layer.

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 Principle of Working
• If the pressure is reduced, water boils at low
temperatures
• Consider a flash chamber containing 100 kg
of water.
• Reduce pressure by throttling steam
through nozzles
• If suddenly 1 kg of water is removed by
boiling, (by reduction of pressure using
throttling ), approximately 2385 kJ of heat
will be removed from the water, (heat of
evaporation of water, hfg at )
• The fall in temperature of the remaining water (99
kg) will be
Q = m *Cp *dT
dT = 2385 / (99* 4.187)
= 5.7 ⁰C
• Evaporating 1 more kg of water reduces the
remaining water temperature by 5.7 ⁰ C
• Evaporating one more kg of water will reduce the
temperature by 5.7 ⁰C
• By continuing this process remaining water can be
made to freeze.
Schematic
Operation of Steam Jet Refrigeration:

• Water is used as refrigerant

• High pressure steam from the boiler is expanded in
the nozzle, this helps to keep away the vapor formed
due to flashing of water in flash chamber
• Water vapor from the flash chamber is entrained
with the high velocity steam jet
• It is further compressed in the thermo compressor.
• Generally, 1% evaporation of water in the flash
chamber is sufficient to decrease the temperature of
chilled water to 6 ⁰C
Advantages: Limitations:
•cooling capacity can be •use of direct evaporation to
easily and quickly changed produce chilled water is
•no moving parts as such it is usually limited as
vibration free tremendous volume of
•Weight per ton of vapor is to be handled
refrigerating capacity is less •About twice as much heat
•reliable system and must be removed in the
maintenance cost is less. condenser of steam jet per
Applications: ton of refrigeration
•processing of cold water compared with the vapor
used in rubber mills,, compression system
distilleries, paper mills, food •The system is useful for
processing plants comfort air-conditioning,
•used in air-conditioning but it is not practically
installations, because of the feasible for water
complete safety of water as temperature below 4 ⁰C
refrigerant
 ADVANTAGES
1.Simple and hassle free construction

2.Vibration free system

3.Low production cost

4.Low maintenance cost

5.Water is used as a refrigerant which is perfectly safe.

6.Low running cost

7.Load variation quickly adjusted

8.It is suitable for places where steam is available such

as process industry, steel plant, petroleum plants,
thermal power plants etc. 17
 DISADVANTAGES
1.Not suitable for water temperature below 4ºC.
2.The maintenance of high vacuum in the evaporator
is necessary for proper functioning of the system.
3.Since the ejected vapour and motive steam
condensed in the condenser, the magnitude of heat
transfer is about 3 to 4 times that needed in the
vapour compression system per tone per hour. Thus
large size of condenser is needed.
4.Coefficient of Performance is very low.
5.The use of direct evaporation to produce chilled
water is usually limited as tremendous volume of
vapour is to be handled.
6.Efficiency of ejector is not good.

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 APPLICATIONS
1.Food processing plant

2.Gas plants

3.Breweries

4.Rubber and vulcanizing industries

5.Paper and pulp industries

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 ICE Refrigeration System
Quantity of heat required to convert one kg of ice
from and at 0 ⁰C is 335 kJ/kg
Therefore, ICE can be used to produce cold
Applications: Food and Vegetable storage
ICE refrigeration
•ICE kept in small cabin at top level of
insulated small container
•Arrangement is such that, air comes in
contact with ice first , get cooled and
flow downwards due to increase in
density
•Low density air moves upwards and
thus set convection currents.
•Thus foods, vegetables kept in trays at
different levels get cooled and
preserved.
•Cooling would continue till the ICE
melts
•The melted water is drained out
• ICE is also used to produce refrigeration on large
scale
• System is suitable for transport refrigeration
• And for food refrigeration when one don’t want to
invest in costly refrigeration system