Recovering Waste Heat from

Boiler Flue Gas for Heat-Driven

Ejector Refrigeration System
Low-Grade Thermal Energy Sources
Heat-Driven Refrigeration Systems
Absorption Refrigeration System

Adsorption Refrigeration System

Heat-Driven Ejector Refrigeration System
 Power Cycle (Basic Rankine)

2
1 2
Boiler
1
Turbine T 5 4

Condenser
5 4

s
 Refrigeration Cycle (VCC)

5 4
Condenser
4
Com-
pressor
T 5

Evaporator
6 3 6 3

s
 Ejector Refrigeration Cycle
1 2 waste heat
Boiler

1 2
Turbine Boiler

Condenser
5 4 4
Condenser Ejector
5 4
Condenser 5

Com-
pressor

Evaporator
Evaporator
6 3 6 3
 Ejector Refrigeration Cycle
1 2
Boiler

1 4
5 4
Condenser Ejector T 5

3
6

p m s

Evaporator
s
6 3
Ejector Concept
 Mixing
Nozzle Section Constant-area Diffuser
Primary Section Section Section
fluid from Mixed
boiler Fluids to
y m s condenser

m s
y

Secondary fluid
from evaporator
Ejector Refrigeration Advantages
Compared to Other Systems

alleviates environment problems

simple structure
no moving parts
low initial and maintenance costs
natural refrigerants can be used
Mathematical Formulation
 General Cycle
Qb

1 2
Boiler

Qc
Wp
5 4
Condenser Ejector

Evaporator
6 3
Qe
Low-grade Thermal Energy from Boiler
Flue Gas Analysis
 Boiler Flue Gas Analysis
Summarized flue gas data of 150 hp fire-tube boiler from
operation logbook data for the whole month of June, 2012

Boiler Smoke Stack Temperature

260
250
240
Temperature (C)

230
220
210
200
190
6/11

6/13

6/15

6/19

6/23

6/27

6/29
6/17

6/21

6/25
6/1

6/9
6/3

6/5

6/7

Date

• Stack gas temperature was 211°C - 252°C and the average was 230°.
Fuel Consumption
Month Boiler No. 1
June, 2012 Consumption
0900H Gallons Liters

week 1 4661 17641.885

week 2 3329 12600.265

week 3 3596 13610.86
week 4 2015 7626.775

Total 13601 51479.785

Composition of Flue Gas

Component Orsat Analysis Wet Basis
CO2 13.5 9.5
O2 3.25 8
N2 83.25 82.6
H2O 0 8.86
AF Ratio and Mass Flow Rate of Stack Gas
The Air to Fuel Ratio:

Mass of air feed = Mass of Nitrogen + Mass of Oxygen feed

Mass of air feed =3,108.12 g

Mass of fuel feed = Mass of Carbon + Mass of Hydrogen

Mass of Fuel feed = 131.7 g

Air-Fuel Ratio = 23.6

Mass Flow Rate of Stack Gas:

Mass flow rate of stack gas = mass of fuel x (1+ AF ratio)

Mass of fuel = density x volume
Density of bunker fuel = 0.96 kg/L from NPC Data Sheet
Mass of the stack gas range for the month of June = 1.0 to 2.5 kg/sec
 Available and Recoverable Heat Present in
Stack Gas
Heat: Q = mcpΔT

 The cp of stack gas is 1.06 kJ/kg-K from Perry’s Chemical Engineering

Handbook.

 The temperature difference for the available heat is the inlet stack
gas temperature (230 oC) and the outlet stack gas temperature (35
o
C).

 The temperature difference for the recoverable heat is the

established inlet stack gas temperature (230 oC) and the outlet stack
gas temperature (193 oC, dew point of SO2 + cold end corrosion
prevention).

Available Heat Range: 205.6 to 542 kW

Recoverable Heat Range: 60 to 178 kW
Ejector Mathematical Formulation
Assumptions
1. Fluid flow is homogeneous.

2. Flow is in steady state and one-dimensional.

3. Processes are irreversible for primary nozzle and

diffuser where friction losses are accounted.

4. Two-phase flow condition is considered.

5. Two fluids mix at the same pressure in the

mixing chamber.
Converging - Diverging Nozzle
L total

16°

Di Dt Do
45°

T1 T2
T-dT T - 2dT P1 P2 For Converging Section
x1 x2
h1 h2
s1 s2
ν1 ν2
u1 u2
For Diverging Section
M1 M2
D1 D2
L1
Converging - Diverging Nozzle
For Irreversible process

Conservation of Energy Equation

T
Conservation of Momentum Equation

sisen sirr

Friction Factor
s
 Secondary Fluid Entrainment
y

Boiler y

T Secondary
fluid from
evaporator
Evaporator

Conservation of Energy Equation

Primary Secondary
Mass Mass
s
Mass Flux at the Hypothetical Throat
 Fluid Mixing
y m

T
y m

p s
m
Combined Conservation of Mass and
s Momentum Equations

Conservation of Energy Equation

 Normal Shock Wave
1 2 Conservation of Energy Equation

Conservation of Mass Equation

1 2

Conservation of Momentum Equation

Fanno Line – Locus of states when conservation of energy and mass

are combined.
Rayleigh Line – Locus of states when conservation of momentum and
mass are combined.
Diffuser
Conservation Equation

Combined 2nd Law of Thermodynamics and

D1
D2 Conservation of Energy Equations

50°

Diffuser Section
Results
Operating Parameters
• Boiler Temperature: 80°C to 100°C

• Evaporating Temperature: 5°C to 10°C

• Condensing Temperature: 35°C

• Working Fluid: R-134a

• REFPROP 8.0 is used for the transport properties of the working

fluid based on NIST Standard Reference Database

• Algorithms were performed using Turbo C language on a Maruo

editor
 Effect on the Entrainment Ratio

0.3

R134a
0.25 Tc = 35 °C • Entrainment ratio
increases with an
increasing boiler
Entrainment Ratio

0.2
temperature.
0.15
Te=5
Te=10 • As the evaporating
0.1 temperature increases,
the slope of the line
0.05 also increases.

0
80 85 90 95 100

Boiler Temperature (Tb)

 Effect on the COP
0.3
R134a
0.25 Tc = 35 °C
0.2
COP

0.15
Te = 5
0.1 Te = 10

0.05

0
80 85 90 95 100
Boiler Temperature (Tb)

• COP is directly proportional to boiler temperature

• Sensitivity of COP to boiling temperature increases as evaporating

temperature increases.
 Effect on the Area Ratio
5

R134a
4.5
Tc = 35 °C
4
Area Ratio

3.5
Te=5
Te=10
3

2.5

2
80 85 90 95 100
Boiler Temperature (Tb)

• Area ratio is directly proportional to the boiler temperature.

The decrease in the throat area is larger than the decrease in
the constant area.
 Cooling Load Vs. Heat Load

500
450 Tb = 100 °C
400
Tc = 35 °C
Te = 10 °C
350
Heat Load (kW)

300
250
Qb
200
Qc
150
100
50
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Cooling Load (kW)

• Correlations of heat loads are important for design purpose

Operating Conditions and Results

Boiler/ Generating temperature 100°C

Condensing temperature 34°C

Evaporating temperature 10°C

Primary mass flow rate 0.89 kg/s

Secondary mass flow rate 0.22 kg/s

Entrainment ratio 0.25

Cooling capacity 34.82 kW

Boiler heat load 140 kW

Condenser heat load 176.5 kW

Pump work 2.34 kW

Overall COP 0.245

Ejector Geometry
Conclusions
The amount of recoverable waste heat from
boiler flue gas offers a great potential to
produce cooling using ejector system.

Ifthe boiler temperature increases by 5°C, the

average entrainment ratio increases by 40%,
COP by 27% and area ratio by 25% when
other conditions remain constant.

Sensitivityof entrainment ratio and COP to

boiler temperature increases as the
evaporating temperature increases.
Recommendations
Use and compare other natural
refrigerants.

Applying a degree superheat.

Analyze and compare other low-grade

thermal sources.

Setup and perform experiment to verify

the mathematical model.
Salamat po!