You are on page 1of 20

4.

Refrigeration equipment selection


Refrigeration equipment selection is done based on operating conditions of the system and a
heat load calculation conducted for the environment we are aiming to cool and dehumidify.
Equipment selection means relating product rating and specifications with cooling load and
prevailing working conditions. Inputs or information from particular applications (cooling load
and operating conditions) together with product performance data and specifications from
manufacturers' literature will result in an informed selection decision. Different manufacturers'
may use different rating and specification parameters; therefore, all the possible rating and
specification parameters and their relation with refrigeration load and working condition
parameters are to be seen.
Operating conditions & Cooling load
To design or select a system the heat load and operating conditions of the system must be
known. The operating conditions of the system are determined from the application and working
environment of the system.
Operating condition parameters
Operating (working) condition parameters are determined from application and prevailing
environment of the storage. These are:
Room air dry bulb temperature and relative humidity or wet bulb temperature
Ambient air dry bulb temperature and relative humidity or wet bulb temperature
Atmospheric pressure or altitude of the site
Power supply
Cooling load (refrigeration load)
Refrigeration load is the sum of all heat load elements, per day, of the space to be refrigerated.
This load is to be extracted by the refrigerating equipment during run time of the compressor
operation time of compressor per day.
Here under, two ways of equipment selection are to be covered. These are:
1) Packaged equipment selection
Packaged equipment selection means simply selecting factory assembled equipment which can
yield the required refrigerating effect economically with in the prevailing working conditions.
2) Component based selection
Component based selection means selecting components of refrigeration system based on the
prevailing cooling load and working conditions and then system balance is to be conducted. In
this paper selection of the main components is to be seen i.e.:

Evaporator selection
Compressor selection
Condenser selection
Expansion valve selection

4.1. Packaged refrigeration equipment selection


Possible packaged unit performance data and specification parameters are:
-

Nominal electric power


Refrigerant
Nominal absorption
Rated voltage
Cooling capacity
Defrost type
Discharge pressure (or SDT)

Suction pressure (or SST)


Sub cooling
Superheat
Condenser air flow
Evaporator air flow
Air throw
mass flow rate

Possible load and operating condition parameters are:


Power supply
Power supply is the available power input (Volt/Phase/Hz)
Required condition of room air - determined from its application, these are:
Room air dry bulb temperature (DB)
Room air relative humidity (RH) or wet bulb temperature (WB)
Conditions of ambient air determined from site metrological data. These are:
Ambient air temperature (DB)
Ambient air relative humidity (RH) or WB
Atmospheric pressure or altitude of the place
Cooling load
Heat load per day of the space to be refrigerated, see cooling load calculation above.
To select packaged equipment all are some of the following parameters are important. These are:
1) Refrigerant
Refrigerant selection depends on many factors, but the most factors which influence refrigerant
selection are heat of vaporization of the refrigerant, ozone depilating potential and global
warming effect. Currently, for commercial refrigeration the choice of the refrigerants is as
follows: R404A and R134A the preference is according to the order.
2) Cooling capacity
Cooling capacity is heat extraction capacity of the evaporator (cooling unit) per day based on
running time of the compressor. It depends on saturated suction (evaporation) temperature (SST)
which can be calculated by:
SST = Room Temperature TD

Where
TD is temperature difference which depends on RH, see table 1
2

3) Run time and defrost operations


Run time - is the maximum time that the compressor is in operation per 24 hours
Defrosting operation is a method of removing the frost formed on the evaporator coils
Frost formation on the evaporator coils depends on saturated suction temperature (SST) which
implies SST determines defrost operation needed and consequently run time of the compressor,
which influences the required cooling capacity of the evaporator.
When the design suction temperature is over 30F, a defrost cycle is not normally required, and it
is common practice to select equipment on a 20 to 22 hour compressor operation.
a. Air defrost
For suction temperatures below 30F and room temperatures over 35F, off-cycle (air defrost)
can generally be used. This involves cycling the compressor off with a time clock while the
evaporator fans remain in operation and room air melts the ice on the coil. For every two hours
of compressor operation, one hour of air defrost time is needed. Therefore, compressor selection
is based on 16 hours per day.
For suction temperatures below 30F and rooms below 35F, electric defrost, hot gas defrost or
water defrost is required. With these positive methods of defrost, equipment selection can be
based on longer compressor operation, with 18 to 20 hours most common. However, this
depends on the type of equipment used and the latent load in the storage. A modern unit cooler
or product cooler in a tight room with average latent load can be selected on 20 hour operation.
The type of defrost used is generally a matter of either contractor or owner preference. Different
geographic regions tend to use one particular type of defrost more frequently.
As a rule, electric defrost is more common than hot gas, and hot gas more common than water
defrost.
b. Electric Defrost
Electric defrost is the most common method in use today. Equipment cost is about the same as
with hot gas but installed cost can be lower. Operating cost is about 15% higher with electric
defrost than with hot gas and a fair amount of heat and moisture is released in the room during
defrost.
c. Hot Gas Defrost
Hot gas defrosting is still the most efficient method of defrosting regardless of storage
temperature but, unfortunately, most contractors are reluctant to use it. Defrost is very quick with
minimum room temperature rise. Hot gas defrost, however, requires care to ensure that the
compressor is protected against liquid slugging.
d. Water Defrost
While not very common, water defrost can be used on both medium and low temperature
storages. Water must be at least 50F and is sprayed on the coil at a rate of about 3gpm/square
foot of coil for five to 15 minutes, depending on severity of frosting. Water defrost is fast and
efficient but some moisture is re-released into the room. These systems also require more
maintenance than electric or hot gas systems.

e. General Defrost Considerations


Because of high suction pressure (and high load) after defrost, compressor selection must be
checked to see that it can operate in a higher range than the actual design point. If not, a
crankcase pressure regulator may be required to keep suction pressure down to acceptable
values. If this is the case, an accumulator should also be used. This is very important for a blast
freezer. On large air defrost systems (gravity coil, for example) it is a good idea to have
solenoids in the liquid and suction lines so refrigerant will not migrate during defrost. In
addition, large fin coil installations are often split into sections with a thermostat for each section
to compensate for uneven room loading.
It is also recommended that a pump down system be used for both off- cycle and all defrost
periods.
f. Frost and dust (fin spacing) reduction factor (table 2)
While high fin density gives increased coil capacity, it also increases the problem of dirt and
frost collection, which results reduction in cooling capacity.
Cooling capacity formula
Required cooling capacity =

Cooling Load per 24 hours


Run Time F

4) Evaporator fan air quantity (or Evaporator coil face velocity)


In air cooled direct expansion (DX) systems refrigeration is achieved by passing air over an
evaporator coil surface which is directly cooled by an evaporating refrigerant flowing inside a
tube, or tubes, over which the air passes. Therefore; the quantity of air per KW of cooling
capacity that has to pass over the evaporator coil surface to achieve the required cooling can be
approximated by:
.

R
V
=
KW

P C 1 Texit
p
Tin

Where
.

KW

R
P
Cp
Tin

Texit

is evaporator air quantity (m3/s) per KW of cooling capacity


is gas constant, for air = 277.7kJ/kg
is pressure of entering air (atmospheric pressure) in KPa
is average specific heat capacity of air = 1.005kJ/kg. K
is absolute temperature of entering air
is absolute temperature of leaving air

5) Evaporator coil face velocity


Evaporator coil face velocity ( v ) can be calculated by calculated by:
.

V
v=
A
Where
A is evaporator coil face area = Fin height x Finned length
6) Suction pressure ( Ps )
Suction pressure of compressor is given by:
Ps = Psat - PD

Where
Psat
PD

is saturation pressure @ SST


is evaporator pressure drop

7) Discharge pressure ( Pg )
Discharge pressure is the pressure at the exit of the compressor. Discharge pressure for a given
refrigerant is the saturation pressure corresponding to condensing temperature of the refrigerant.
The condenser is cooled by the ambient air; therefore, condensing temperature depends on the
ambient air temperature.
Entering temperature difference (ETD) of Condensers
ETD is the temperature difference of entering (ambient) air dry bulb temperature and condensing
temperature. ETD for air condensers is in the range (
).
Condensing temperature ( Tc ) = ETD + Tatm

From refrigerant properties table of the selected refrigerant:


Discharge pressure = saturation pressure @ Tc

8) Power consumption
Power consumption is the power to be absorbed by the system to extract the cooling load. The
power consumption of the system is calculated as follows:
Power transferred to the refrigerant ( Win ) can be calculated by:
Win =

Cooling Capcity
COP

Where
COP is coefficient of performance of a system with sub cooling & superheating
5

i.

Power in put at the compressor shaft ( W shft ) can be calculated by:


W shft =

Where

com

com is compressor efficiency

ii.

Required electric power supply (W) will be:


W=

Where

Win

Wshft

mec em

mec is mechanical efficiency


em is electric motor efficiency

9) Condenser heat rejection (THR) and condenser fan air quantity


The heat load absorbed at the evaporator and heat of compression has to be rejected at the
condenser. To absorb this heat sufficient air should pass over the air cooled condenser coil.
a. Total heat rejection (THR) at a condenser can be calculated by:
THR = Q + Win
Where
Q
Win

is cooling capacity
is power transferred to the refrigerant

b. Condenser fan air quantity (m3/s) per KW of heat rejection can be calculated by:
.

R
V
=
KW

P C 1 Texit
p
Tin

Where
.

KW

R
P
Cp
Tin

Texit

is condenser air quantity (m3/s) per KW of heat rejection


is gas constant, for air = 277.7kJ/kg
is pressure of entering air in KPa
is specific heat capacity of air
is absolute temperature of entering air
is absolute temperature of leaving air

10) Condenser coil face velocity


Condenser coil face velocity ( v ) can be calculated by:
.

V
v=
A
Where
A is condenser coil face area = Fin height x Finned length
.

11) Refrigerant mass flow rate ( m )

m=

Cooling Capacity
h1 h4

Where

h1 = h @ Ps and T s = SST + Superheat


h 4 = h f @ T L = Tc - sub cool
Where
Superheat and liquid temperature (sub cool) are to be taken from product rating
12) Required Air throw
Air throw can be estimated roughly as follows:
Air throw should be, at least maximum of (width, height or length of the storage room)

4.2. Packaged unit selection form


I.

Inputs

i)

Cooling load & Operating Conditions


-

ii)
II.

Available power supply (Volt/Phase/Hz): _____/____/____


Room air:
DB _____ o C or _____ o F
WB _____ o C or _____ o F , or
RH _____ %
Ambient air:
DB _____ o C or _____ o F
WB _____ o C or _____ o F , or
RH _____ %
Site condition:
Atmospheric pressure ( Patm ) ______Pa, or
Altitude above sea level (H) ______ m
Cooling load per 24hrs: ___________KW = __________tons = ________BTU/hr
Product specification (manufacturers catalog)

Liquid temperature:
______ o C
Superheat:
______ o C
Temperature difference (TD) ______ o C
Coil face area:
______ m2, or
Fin height: ______m & Finned length: ______m
Leaving air: DB ____ o C & WB _____ o C
Leaving air velocity: ____m/s or _____CFM, or
Air throw: _____m
Fixing and relating the parameters

1. Refrigerant selection
- Order of preference: R404A, R134a, according to heat of vaporization requirement and
evaporation temperature
2. Cooling capacity calculation
2.1 Fix SST ( saturated suction temperature)
SST = Room Air Temperature (DB) TD
TD use table1 or product catalog

2.2 Fix defrost method


For SST > 30 o F , normally no need of defrost cycle
For SST < -1 o C or 30 o F and room temperatures > 2 o C or 35 o F :
Air defrost off cycle defrost
For SST < 30 o F and room temperatures < 35 o F : a positive defrost method
Order of preference: Electrical, Hot gas and Water defrost respectively
2.3 Fix run time (compressor operation time per day)
For no defrost cycle 20 to 22 hrs
For off cycle (air) defrosting - 16 hrs
For a positive defrost method - 18 to 20 hrs
2.4 Fix fin spacing
8fins/inch- down to 32 o F
6fins/inch- hold freezers
4fins/inch- blast freezers
Cooling Capacity formula
Cooling Load per 24 hours
Run Time F

Required cooling capacity =


Where

F is fin spacing reduction factor (see table 2)


3. Evaporator air quantity per KW of Cooling Capacity
.

R
V

KW =

P C 1 Texit
p
Tin

Where
P = Patm in KPa
C p = average specific heat capacity of air
Texit = Leaving air temperature (DB)
Tin = ambient air temperature (DB)
3.1 Evaporator coil face entering air velocity
.

V
v=
A
Where
Coil face area (A) is to be taken from product specification
4. Required Air throw (X)
X should be, at least maximum of (width, height or length of the storage room)

5. Suction pressure
Suction pressure of compressor is given by:
Ps = Psat - PD

Where
Psat
PD

is saturation pressure @ SST


is evaporator refrigerant pressure drop

6. Discharge pressure
From refrigerant properties table of the selected refrigerant:
Discharge pressure = Saturation pressure @ Tc
Where
Condensing temperature ( Tc ) = ETD + Tatm
ETD = () or specified by the manufacturer

7. Refrigerant flow rate ( m )


.

m=

Cooling Capacity
h1 h4

Where

h1 = h @ Ps and T s = SST + Superheat


h 4 = h f @ T L = Tc - sub cooling
Where
Superheat and sub cooling temperatures are to be taken from product rating
8. Compressor power absorption ( W shft ) and Electric power supply (W)
Power input at the compressor shaft ( W shft )
W shft =

Win

com

Where
Cooling Capcity
COP
COP is coefficient of performance of a system with sub cooling & superheating given by:
Win

COP = (1 Y1 Y3 Y4 )COPb

10

Where

COPb is coefficient of performance of the system with out sub cooling and super heating
Y1 is percentage influence of sub cooling on COP
Y3 is percentage influence of internal super heating on COP
Y 4 is percentage influence of external super heating on COP
(See refrigerant cycle data table)

Required electric power supply (W) will be:


W=
Where

Wshft

mec em

mec is mechanical efficiency


em is electric motor efficiency

9. Selection
Knowing the above parameters, from manufacturers catalog packaged unit which best full fills
the parameters is to be selected.

11

4.3. Evaporator selection


To absorb the total heat loads at the given operating conditions the system must:
Have refrigerant in the evaporator at a sufficiently low Temperature to enable it to
absorb heat from the storage room air and
Have a sufficient quantity of refrigerant flowing through the evaporator.
Therefore let's work from the evaporator to determine system capacities.

The evaporator is the basis for capacity calculation - it is the component directly
responsible for absorbing heat energy from the storage.

The main factors which influence evaporator selection are:


Room size, shape, orientation and application
System temperature difference (TD)
Refrigerant type
Saturated suction temperature (SST) - Evaporating temperature (Te)
Air velocity (coil face velocity), evaporator air quantity or evaporator fan capacity
Leaving air velocity (air throw)
Specification and rating parameters of DX coil evaporators
- Refrigerant
- Refrigerant Flow
- Evaporating Temperature (SST)
- Refrigerant PD
- System temperature difference (TD)
- Leaving Air DB/WB
- Fin spacing
- Maximum Air Pressure Drop
- Capacity
- Leaving Vapor Velocity
- Coil face area (Fin Height & Fined Length)
- Coil (Tub) Type
- Evaporator fan air quantity
- No of Rows
- Super heat
- No of Circuits
- Liquid temperature ( T L )
- Fin material
Relation of specification and rating parameters with cooling load and operating conditions
Relation of cooling load and operating conditions with specification and rating parameters are
shown above in packaged unit selection. Accordingly, DX fin and tube evaporator is to be
selected.

12

Evaporator Selection Form

I.

Inputs

i)

Cooling load & Operating Conditions


Room air:
DB _____ o C or _____ o F
WB _____ o C or _____ o F , or
RH _____ %
Ambient air:
DB _____ o C or _____ o F
WB _____ o C or _____ o F , or
RH _____ %
Atmospheric pressure ( Patm ) ______Pa, or
Altitude above sea level (H) ______ m

Cooling load per 24hrs: ___________KW = __________tons

ii)
-

II.

Product specification (manufacturers catalog)


Liquid temperature:
______ o C
Superheat:
______ o C
Temperature difference (TD) ______ o C
Coil face area:
______ m2, or
Fin height: ______m & Finned length: ______m
Leaving air: DB ____ o C & WB _____ o C
Leaving air velocity: ____m/s or _____CFM, or
Air throw: _____m

Fixing and relating the parameters

1. Refrigerant selection
- Order of preference: R404A, R134a, according to heat of vaporization requirement and
evaporation temperature
2. Cooling capacity calculation
a. Fix SST ( saturated suction temperature)
SST = Room Air Temperature (DB) TD
TD use table1 or product catalog
13

b. Fix defrost method


For SST > 30 o F , normally no need of defrost cycle
For SST < -1 o C or 30 o F and room temperatures > 2 o C or 35 o F :
Air defrost off cycle defrost
For SST < 30 o F and room temperatures < 35 o F : a positive defrost method
Order of preference: Electrical, Hot gas and Water defrost respectively
c. Fix run time (compressor operation time per day)
For no defrost cycle 20 to 22 hrs
For off cycle (air) defrosting - 16 hrs
For a positive defrost method - 18 to 20 hrs
d. Fix fin spacing
8fins/inch- down to 32 o F
6fins/inch- hold freezers
4fins/inch- blast freezers
Cooling Capacity formula
Cooling Load per 24 hours
Required cooling capacity =
Run Time F
Where
F is fin spacing reduction factor (see table 2)
3. Evaporator air quantity per KW of Cooling Capacity
.

R
V

KW =

P C 1 Texit
p
Tin

Where
P = atmospheric pressure ( Patm ) in KPa
C p = average specific heat capacity of air
Texit = Leaving air temperature (DB)
Tin = ambient air temperature (DB)

Evaporator coil face entering air velocity


.

V
v=
A
Where
Coil face area (A) is to be taken from product specification
4. Required Air throw (X)
X should be, at least maximum of (width, height or length of the storage room)
14

5. Refrigerant flow rate ( m )


.

m=

Cooling Capacity
h1 h4

Where

h1 = h @ Ps and T s = SST + Superheat


h4 = h f @ TL
Where
Superheat and liquid temperature are to be taken from product rating

6. Selection
Knowing the above parameters, from manufacturers catalog DX fin and tube evaporator which
best full fills the parameters is to be selected.

15

4.4.Compressor selection
The compressor has 2 functions in respect to the circulation of refrigerant. It must:
Discharge refrigerant into the condenser against the head pressure (high side pressure)
(determined in principle by the ambient temperature) and
Pull refrigerant through the evaporator (via the suction) to provide a nominated
saturation temperature / pressure at an adequate flow rate (i.e. to pull the refrigerant
temperature down)
The flow rate varies depending on the conditions in which the compressor is operating.
These conditions are often specified in the compressor ratings or performance graphs, which
must be referred to in the selection process of the compressor. The following parameters are
important for compressor selection:
i)
Compressor capacity
Since the capacity and power requirement of a compressor and so of the system, vary with
changes in evaporating and condensing temperatures (pressures), liquid sub cooling and super
heating of the refrigerant, these conditions must be specified on selecting a compressor for an
application.
ii)
Operating conditions of the compressor
The maximum operating conditions of the compressor (suction & discharge pressures) can be
determined from the ambient temperature and required evaporation temperature as follows:
P
iii)
Suction pressure ( s )
Suction pressure is the pressure at the inlet of the compressor.
Suction pressure of compressor is given by:
Ps = Psat - PD

Where
Psat
PD

is saturation pressure @ SST


is evaporator pressure drop

If PD is not known, then:


When selecting compressor, use Suction Temperature 5F below evaporating temperature to
allow for suction line Pressure Drop and 10F when suction accumulator is not used.

iv)
Discharge pressure ( Pg )
Discharge pressure is the pressure at the exit of the compressor. Discharge pressure for a given
refrigerant is the pressure corresponding to condensing temperature of the refrigerant.
From refrigerant properties table of the selected refrigerant:
Discharge pressure = Saturation pressure @ Tc
16

Where

Condensing temperature ( Tc ) = ETD + Tatm


ETD is the temperature difference of entering (ambient) air dry bulb temperature and condensing
temperature. ETD for air condensers is in the range (
).
.

v)
Compressor mass flow rate ( m comp )
Mass flow rate of compressor is given by:
.

m comp = suc V act

Where
.

m comp is compressor mass flow rate


suc is density of suction vapor
.

V act is actual compressor volume flow rate

Density of suction vapor is given by:

suc =

1
v suc

Where
v suc

is specific volume of suction vapor which can be read from refrigerant properties
table of the selected refrigerant at suction pressure and temperature i.e.

v suc = v @ suction pressure ( Ps ) and suction temperature ( T s ) = SST + Superheat

Actual volume flow rate of compressor is given by:


.

V act = v V

Where

v is volumetric efficiency of compressor


.

is theoretical volume of compressor

Theoretical volume of compressor is given by:


D 2 L
V= N
4
.

Where
N
D

is number of cylinders
is cylinder bore diameter
17

is stroke length

Compressor capacity ( Q comp ) can be calculated by:


.

Q comp = m comp ( h1 - h 4 )

Where

h1 = h @ Ps and T s = SST + Superheat


h 4 = h f @ T L = Tc - sub cooling
vi)
Power consumption (BHP/ton)
Brake horse power, power required at the compressor shaft, per ton of compressor capacity is
given by:
4.72
Bhp
=
Ton COP
Where
COP is system coefficient of performance, see above
vii)

Required electric power supply (W)

Required electric power supply (W) can be calculated by:


W=

Where

Wshft

mec em

mec is mechanical efficiency


em is electric motor efficiency

18

4.5.Forced convection type air cooled condenser


In commercial refrigeration forced circulation type air cooled condensers are used. An air-cooled
condenser is required to reject the heat load as well as the power drawn by the compressor. The
air-cooled condenser, installed outside, rejects the heat to outdoor ambient air.
The selected air-cooled condenser must meet the capacity requirements at the maximum outdoor
ambient air temperature of the region where the air-cooled condenser is installed.
Condenser Selection Factors
There are factors that are required to enable the selection of a suitable condenser. These are:
- Application (low, medium, high temperature), approximate evaporating temperatures are:
High +30F to +50F
Medium -10F to +30F
Low 40F to -10F
- Total heat rejection
- Condenser fan air quantity
Selection Procedure
1. Maximum ambient operating temperature should be slightly greater or equal to ( Tatm )
2. Total heat rejection (THR)
Medium temperature refrigeration applications - use the following formula:
THR = Compressor capacity x THR factor x 1.05
Low temperature applications - use the following formula:
THR= Compressor capacity x THR factor x 1.1

3. Condenser fan air quantity


Condenser fan air quantity (m3/s) per KW of heat rejection can be calculated by:
.

R
V
=
KW

P C 1 Texit
p
Tin

Where
.

is condenser air quantity (m3/s) per KW of heat rejection


KW

R
is gas constant, for air = 277.7kJ/kg
P
is pressure of entering air in KPa
C p is specific heat capacity of air
Tin

Texit

is absolute temperature of entering air


is absolute temperature of leaving air

19

Condenser coil face velocity ( v ) can be calculated by:


.

V
v=
A
Where
A is condenser coil face area = Fin height x Finned length
4.6.Expansion valve
The function of an expansion device in a refrigerating system is first to maintain the pressure
differential between the low pressure side (evaporator) and the high pressure side (condenser) for
a compressor driven refrigerating process. The second purpose is to regulate the refrigerant flow
to match the heat flux in the heat exchangers. If the heat flux in the evaporator increases, the
mass flow through the evaporator should be increased accordingly.
Expansion devices can be divided into eight basic types:
1. Hand expansion valve
5. Electronic expansion valve
2. Capillary tube
6. Low pressure float valve
3. Automatic expansion valve
7. High pressure float valve
4. Thermostatic expansion valve (TEV)
8. Constant level regulator
The first two are non-regulating expansion devices, while the other types adjust the flow based
on different means of signals.
In commercial refrigeration capillary tube and TEV are commonly used.
Selection
Using inputs from the selected evaporator, compressor and condenser suitable expansion valve
from manufacturer's catalog is to be selected. The inputs are:
- Refrigerant type
- Compressor mass flow rate or capacity
- Pressure drop ( P )
4.7. System balance

20

You might also like