Refrigeration loop system
Simulation of a Propane Refrigeration Loop
Refrigeration systems are commonly found in the petroleum refining
and gas processing industries, and refrigeration is employed to cool a
gas to meet a hydrocarbon dewpoint specification and to produce a
marketable liquid. In this case study, a propane refrigeration loop is
reviewed using Hysys simulation software shows a propane
refrigeration system.
Propane refrigeration system.
Why is propane used as refrigerant?
Propane is already widely used in domestic fridges and freezers. ... As
a result, the refrigeration charge for propane can be 40-60% less than
other common refrigerants. Propane is non-toxic, and has an ozone
Refrigeration loop system
depletion potential (ODP) of 0 and a global warming potential (GWP)
of 3.
Joule–Thomson effect
in thermodynamics, the Joule–Thomson effect (also known as the Joule–
Kelvin effect or Kelvin–Joule effect) describes the temperature change of
a real gas or liquid (as differentiated from an ideal gas) when it is forced
through a valve or porous plug while keeping it insulated so that no heat is
exchanged with the environment. This procedure is called a throttling
process or Joule–Thomson process. At room temperature, all gases
except hydrogen, helium, and neon cool upon expansion by the Joule–
Thomson process when being throttled through an orifice; these three gases
experience the same effect but only at lower temperatures. Most liquids such
as hydraulic oils will be warmed by the Joule–Thomson throttling process.
The gas-cooling throttling process is commonly exploited in refrigeration
processes such as air conditioners, heat pumps, and liquefiers. In hydraulics,
the warming effect from Joule–Thomson throttling can be used to find
internally leaking valves as these will produce heat which can be detected
by thermocouple or thermal-imaging camera. Throttling is a
fundamentally irreversible process. The throttling due to the flow resistance
in supply lines, heat exchangers, regenerators, and other components of
(thermal) machines is a source of losses that limits the performance.
The adiabatic (no heat exchanged) expansion of a gas may be carried out in a
number of ways. The change in temperature experienced by the gas during
expansion depends not only on the initial and final pressure, but also on the
manner in which the expansion is carried out.
If the expansion process is reversible, meaning that the gas is
in thermodynamic equilibrium at all times, it is called
Refrigeration loop system
an isentropic expansion. In this scenario, the gas does
positive work during the expansion, and its temperature decreases.
In a free expansion, on the other hand, the gas does no work and absorbs
no heat, so the internal energy is conserved. Expanded in this manner, the
temperature of an ideal gas would remain constant, but the temperature of
a real gas decreases, except at very high temperature.
The method of expansion discussed in this article, in which a gas or liquid
at pressure P1 flows into a region of lower pressure P2 without significant
change in kinetic energy, is called the Joule–Thomson expansion. The
expansion is inherently irreversible. During this
expansion, enthalpy remains unchanged (see proof below). Unlike a free
expansion, work is done, causing a change in internal energy. Whether the
internal energy increases or decreases is determined by whether work is
done on or by the fluid; that is determined by the initial and final states of
the expansion and the properties of the fluid.
1.Sign of the Joule–Thomson coefficient, {\displaystyle \mu _{\mathrm {JT}
} for N2. Within the region bounded by the red line, a Joule–Thomson
expansion produces cooling ({\displaystyle \mu _{\mathrm {JT} }>0}
);
2. outside that region, the expansion produces heating. The gas–liquid
coexistence curve is shown by the blue line, terminating at the critical point
(the solid blue circle). The dashed lines demarcate the region where N2 is a
supercritical fluid (where properties smoothly transition between liquid-like
and gas-like).
3.The temperature change produced during a Joule–Thomson expansion is
quantified by the Joule–Thomson coefficient, {\displaystyle \mu _{\mathrm
{JT} }}. This coefficient may be either positive (corresponding to cooling) or
negative (heating); the regions where each occurs for molecular nitrogen, N2,
are shown in the figure. Note that most conditions in the figure correspond to
N2 being a supercritical fluid, where it has some properties of a gas and some
Refrigeration loop system
of a liquid, but can not be really described as being either. The coefficient is
negative at both very high and very low temperatures; at very high pressure it
is negative at all temperatures. The maximum inversion temperature (621 K
for N2[10]) occurs as zero pressure is approached. For N2 gas at low
pressures, {\displaystyle \mu _{\mathrm {JT} }} is negative at high
temperatures and positive at low temperatures. At temperatures below the
gas-liquid coexistence curve, N2 condenses to form a liquid and the
coefficient again becomes negative. Thus, for N2 gas below 621 K, a Joule–
Thomson expansion can be used to cool the gas until liquid N2 forms.
Isentropic efficiency
The isentropic efficiency of a compression process is defined as the ratio of
the ideal work done to the actual work done.
Polytropic efficiency
Polytropic Efficiency is a process whereby compression is divided into
numerous small steps with the steps contain similar isentropic efficiency. It
does not depend upon thermodynamic effect
