Effect of Refrigerant on the Performance of a C3/MRC Liquefaction Process

The Mixed Refrigerant(MR)component is an important factor influencing the performances of natural gas lique-faction processes.However,there is a lack of systematic research about the utilization of propane pre-cooled(C3/MRC).In this paper,this mixed refrigerant cycle liquefaction process is simulated using the HYSYS software and the main influential parameters involved in the process are varied to analyze their influence on the liquefaction rate and power consumption.The results show that an effective way for lowering the power consumption of the compressor consists of reducing the flow through the compressor through optimization of the percentage of mixed refrigerant.The power consumption of the compressor in the hybrid refrigeration process is affected by both flow and pressure ratios.Its specific power consumption can be reduced by increasing the flow and decreasing the pressure ratio at the same time.The increase in refrigerant pressure at the high-pressure end can significantly mitigate the energy loss of the heat exchanger and compressor.

Design and analysis of dual mixed refrigerant processes for high-ethane content natural gas liquefaction

Recovery and purification of ethane has a significant impact on economic benefit improvement of the high-ethane content natural gas.However,current LNG-NGL integrated processes mainly focus on conventional natural gas,which are not applicable to natural gas with high ethane content.To fill this gap,three dual mixed refrigerant processes are proposed for simulation study of high-ethane content natural gas liquefaction.The proposed processes are optimized by a combination method of sequence optimization and genetic algorithm.Comparatively analysis is conducted to evaluate the three processes from the energetic and exergetic points of view.The results show that the power consumption of Process 3 which compressing natural gas after distillation is the lowest.For safety or other considerations,some common compositions of the mixed refrigerant may need to be removed under certain circumstances.Considering this,case studies of mixed refrigerant involving six composition combinations are carried out to investigate the effects of refrigerant selection on the process performance.

Optimization of FX-70 refrigerant evaporative heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics inside the corrugated tubes using multi-objective genetic algorithm

In this study,the heat transfer optimization(evaporation)and the specification of the FX-70 zeotropic refrigerant flow inside a corrugated pipe have been investigated.Despite the low HTC(HTC),this type of refrigerant is highly applicable in low or medium temperature engineering systems during the evaporation process.To eliminate this defect,high turbulence and proper mixing are required.Therefore,using heat transfer(HT)augmentation methods will be necessary and effective.In order to find the most favorable operating conditions that lead to the optimum combination of pressure drop(PD)and HTC,empirical data,neural networks,and genetic algorithms(GA)for multi-objective(MO)(NSGA II)are used.To investigate the mentioned cases,the geometric parameters of corrugated pipes,vapor quality,and mass velocity of refrigerant were studied.The results showed that with vapor quality higher than 0.8 and corrugation depth and pitch of 1.5 and 7 mm,respectively,we would achieve the desired optimum design.

Magnetic entropy change of Ce6Ni2Si3-type and large refrigerant capacity GdCoSiGe compound＊

Magnetic entropy change （△SM） and refrigerant capacity （RC） of Ce6Ni2Si3-type Gd6Co1.67Si2.5Geo.5 compounds have been investigated. The Gd6Col.67Si2.5Geo.5 undergoes a reversible second-order phase transition at the Curie temperature Tc = 296 K. The high saturation magnetization leads to a large ASM and the maximal value of △SM is found to be 5.9 J/kg. K around TC for a field change of 0-5 T. A broad distribution of the △SM peak is observed and the full width at half maximum of the △SM peak is about 101 K under a magnetic field of 5 T. The large RC is found around TC and its value is 424 J/kg.

Numerical Investigations on Supercritical Heat Transfer Characteristics of Environmental Friendly Refrigerants

The heat transfer of supercritical fluids is a vastly growing field, specifically to find suitable alternatives to replace conventional R134a, which can be beneficial for climate change. Most of the experimental and numerical investigations have been conducted to explore supercritical water, carbon dioxide and R134a as heat transfer working fluids. Hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) and refrigerants blends have been considered the most environment-friendly refrigerants to replace Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrochlorofluoro-carbons (HCFCs) and Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Their main advantage of zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and comparatively lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) have attracted growing amount of attention to mitigate environmental issues. This work adopts the computational method and takes the environmentally friendly refrigerants to investigate the heat transfer characteristics under widely used shear-stress transport (SST) model. A comprehensive comparison was performed at reduced pressure of 1.10 for supercritical fluids R515A, R1234ze(E) and R134a. The peaks of heat transfer coefficient occurred in the vicinity of pseudo critical temperature for all of these considered fluids;however, R134a resulted in higher heat transfer coefficient, Reynolds number and Prandtl number in comparison with R515A and R1234ze(E). The higher heat transfer coefficient of supercritical fluid R134a is owing to its thermophysical properties and the specific heat plays crucial role in the heat transfer of supercritical fluids. Owing to environmental issues, R515A can be a considerable replacement of R134a. R1234ze(E) is also promising alternative to R134a;however, safety issues should thoroughly concern its mild flammable characteristics.

Experiment on Boiling Heat Transfer of Refrigerant R134a in Mini-channels

The flow boiling heat transfer characteristics of refrigerant R134 a flowing inside two different kinds of minichannels are investigated. One channel is multi-port extruded with the hydraulic diameter of 0.63 mm,and the other one is rectangular with offset fins and a hydraulic diameter of 1.28 mm. The experiments are performed with a mass flow rate between 68 and 630 kg/(m^2·s),a heat flux between 9 and 64 kW/m^2,and a saturation pressure between 0.24 and 0.63 MPa,under the constant heat flux heating mode. It is found that the effect of mass flow rate on boiling heat transfer is related to heat flux,and that with the increase of heat flux,the effect can only be efficient in higher vapor quality region. The effects of heat flux and saturation pressure on boiling heat transfer are related to a threshold vapor quality,and the value will gradually decrease with the increase of heat flux or saturation pressure. Based on these analyses,a new correlation is proposed to predict the boiling heat transfer coefficient of refrigerant R134 a in the mini-channels under the experimental conditions.

Simulation of Air Source Heat Pump with Refrigerant Injection for Heating Operation

An air source heat pump(ASHP)with refrigerant injection is proposed for the air conditioning system of electric vehicles(EVs),especially for efficient heating in cold winter,when there is no wasted heat of engines.The simulation model is built with the framework of two-phase fluid network,where the compressor is separated as two compressors and the economizer is treated as two heat exchangers in the injection path and the main refrigerant path.With the validated simulation model,the heating performance is analyzed,and the results show that the coefficient of performance(COP)of ASHP with refrigerant injection is higher than 1.4 and the discharge temperature is less than 100℃ when the outdoor temperature is-20℃.The above performance ensures that the air conditioning system and EVs can operate normally with high efficiency even in the cold winter,which is much helpful for the practicability of EVs.

OPTIMIZATION OF THE COMPOSITIONS FOR CFC ALTERNATIVE MIXTURE REFRIGERANTS

In this work,eight commonly used and recently developed cubic EOSs have beenextensively tested for the calculation of thermodynamic properties,including vapor pressure,vaporand liquid densities and heat of vaporization for 26 pure CFCs and their alternatives.The modifiedDu-Guo EOS is recommended for the vapor-liquid equilibria calculations of mixtures for its goodaccuracy.A method for the development of the optimized mixture compositions of CFC alternativeshas been proposed by using minimization of deviations between the vapor pressures of CFC and thealternative mixtures of interest.As examples,two binary mixtures R22-R142b and R22-R152a,and aternary R22-R142b-R152a have been tested.The results show that the vapor pressure of R12 can bewell duplicated by a mixture refrigerant with the optimized composition.On the other hand,thedeviations between the heat of vaporization are somewhat apparent within 10 percent.Moreover,allthe mixtures discussed here are of the characteristics of being near azeotropic。

ENTROPY CHARACTERISTICS OF MAGNETIC REFRIGERANTS

Mathematical models for predicting magnetic entropy,lattice entropy and electron entropy of magnetic refrigerants are carried out from the molecular field appoximation,the Debye model and the electron energy level theory respectively of quantum mechanics.Using theabove models the temperature and magnetic field dependences of the calculated magnetic entropy,lattice entropy,electron entropy and the total entropy of gadolinium,which is a typical magnetic refrigerant near room temperature,are obtained.The Influences of kinds of entropy on the performance of magnetic refrigeration are discussed,and some general rules for selecting magnetic refrlyerants are drawn to hely the develoyment of highly economic magnetic refrigerators.

Performance Investigation of Capillary Tubes for Machine Tool Coolers Retrofitted with HFC-407C Refrigerant

The machine tool coolers are the best managers of coolant temperature in avoiding the deviation of spindle centerline for machine tools. However, the machine coolers are facing the compressed schedule to phase out the HCFC （hydro-chloro-floro-carbon） refrigerant and little attention has been paid to comparative study on sizing capillary tube for retrofitted HFC （hydro-floro-carbon） refrigerant. In this paper, the adiabatic flow in capillary tube is analyzed and modeled for retrofitting of HFC-407C refrigerant in a machine tool cooler system. A computer code including determining the length of sub-cooled flow region and the two phase region of capillary tube is developed. Comparative study of HCFC-22 and HFC-407C in a capillary tube is derived and conducted to simplify the traditional trial-and-error method of predicting the length of capillary tubes. Besides, experimental investigation is carried out by field tests to verify the simulation model and cooling performance of the machine tool cooler system. The results from the experiments reveal that the numerical model provides an effective approach to determine the performance data of capillary tube specific for retrofitting a HFC-407C machine tool cooler. The developed machine tool cooler system is not only directly compatible with new HFC-407C refrigerant, but can also perform a cost-effective temperature control specific for industrial machines.

Theoretical and Experimental Study of Explosion Limits and the Inhibition of Flammable Refrigerants

In this study, we analyze factors affecting the explosion limits of flammable refrigerants. We conclude that any method used for measuring flammable refrigerant explosion limits has its conditional restrictions. Flammable refrigerants in the atmosphere can also explode under certain conditions, when the concentration is approaching the explosion limits. An experimental study on the explosion limits of six kinds of flammable refrigerants is carried out with a mixture of refrigerant and combustible refrigerant, which has a similar effect to a flame retardant. An experimental apparatus was designed to test the explosion limits of mixtures made from three different nonflammable refrigerants and six different flammable refrigerants. Two practical models were developed to estimate the critical concentration for inhibiting explosion of refrigerant mixtures: one was made up of two flammable components with one nonflammable component, and the second was made up of one flammable component with two nonflammable components.

Effect of Refrigerant on Solidification Structure of Steel

By the solidification experiment of a medium carbon steel with refrigerant added.the effect of refrigerant on solidification structure of steel was studied.The results clearly show that refrigerant can increase the ratio of equiaxed crystal,fine grains and decrease central porosity and segregation.

Application of MCU in refrigerant charging system

The technique of Microprocessor Control applicable to the refrigerant charging system is introduced while the technique of interface between LCD module MCG12864A4-2 and MCU is described, and the work flow and the idea of software are presented as well.

AIR CONDITIONING REFRIGERANTS AND OZONE PROTECTION

Until recently, CFC-11 and CFC-12 were the most widely used refrigerant gases in air conditioning systems. Environmental agencies around the world, however, have specifical concern for these gases as a direct cause of the depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer. Consequently, the world’s industrial nations are taking concerted action to decrease the use of CFCs, calling for attention of the engineers and designers involved in the manufacture and application of refrigeration systems for air conditioning. This paper analyses the available alternatives of CFCs in the industry and examines the problem found in process application.

DETERMINATIONSOFREFRIGERANTCHARGEOFAREFRIGERATORWHENREFRIGERANTISREPLACEDBYR134aORR152a

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POLYNOMIAL CURVE FITTING METHOD FOR REFRIGERANT THERMODYNAMIC SATURATION PROPERTIES

Fast calculation of thermodynamic properties of refrigerant is fundamental and important for refrigeration system simulation. But the existing models for the thermodynamic properties evaluation are not suitable because of their complexity form or limited available range. A new polynomial curve fitting method was developed to meet the requirements of fast evaluation of thermodynamic properties of refrigerant for refrigeration system simulation. An implicit cubic linear function was adopted for curve fitting of refrigerant saturation properties and a sectional smooth technique was developed for wider fitting range. Case studies using refrigerants R12, R22, R134a and R600a, in common encountered temperature range show high agreement to the reference data and good flexibility in refrigeration system simulation.

Thermodynamic Analysis of Hydrocarbon Refrigerants-Based Ethylene BOG Re-liquefaction System

The present study aims to make a thermodynamic analysis of an ethylene cascade re-liquefaction system that consists of the following two subsystems: a liquefaction cycle using ethylene as the working fluid and a refrigeration cycle operating with a hydrocarbon refrigerant. The hydrocarbon refrigerants considered are propane(R290), butane(R600), isobutane(R600a), and propylene(R1270). A computer program written in FORTRAN is developed to compute parameters for characteristic points of the cycles and the system's performance, which is determined and analyzed using numerical solutions for the refrigerant condensation temperature, temperature in tank, and temperature difference in the cascade condenser. Results show that R600 a gives the best performance, followed by(in order) R600, R290, and R1270. Furthermore, it is found that an increase in tank temperature improves system performance but that an increase in refrigerant condensation temperature causes deterioration. In addition, it is found that running the system at a low temperature difference in the cascade condenser is advantageous.

Development of Environmentally Friendly and Energy Efficient Refrigerants for Refrigeration Systems

This paper presents the improvement of eco-friendly and power consumption saving refrigerants for refrigeration systems.The novel azeotropic refrigerant mixtures of HFCs and HCs can replace refrigeration systems,and using the R134,R32,R125,and R1270 refrigerants in several compositions found using the decision tree function of the RapidMiner software(which camefirst in the KDnuggets annual software poll).All refrigerant results are mixed of POE,which is A1 classification refrigerant,non-flammable,and innocuous refrigerant,and using REFPROP software and CYCLE_D-HX software are under the CAN/ANSI/AHRI540 standards.The boiling point of the new refrigerant mix R-No.595 is 4.58%,lower than that of R404A,with a higher refrigerant effect and 50.34%lower GWP value than R404A.The proposed mix R-No.595 can be operated in hot environmental country and has high critical temperature and heat-rejection effects,due to the presence of R32 and R1270.The COPc of R463A is 13.49%,higher than R404A in freeze condition.The novel refrigerant mixes provide alternate refrig-erant options mixed of 1%R1270,and which are related with the development of current refrigerants,containing a compose of HFOs and eco refrigerants for producing low-GWP,zero ODP,high-refrigerant effect,low-operating pressure,and innocuous refrigerants.

Table-like shape magnetocaloric effect and large refrigerant capacity in dual-phase HoNi/HoNi2 composite

Nowadays,magnetic cooling(MC) technology by using the magnetocaloric effect(MCE) has attracted extensive research interest for its promising practical applications.A constant large/giant MCE covers wide refrigeration temperatures(denote as table-like shape) is beneficial for obtaining high efficiency performance for MC.In this paper,the HoNi/HoNi2 composite was successfully synthesized by arc-melting method and proved to be composed of HoNi and HoNi2 crystalline phases with weight ratios of 52.4 wt.% and 47.6 wt.%,respectively.The maximum magnetic entropy change(-ΔSMmax)is 18.23 J/(kg·K),and the refrigerant capacity values RC1,RC2,and RC3 are 867.9 J/kg,676.4 J/kg,and 467.8 J/kg with ΔH=0-70 kOe,respectively.The table-like shape MCE and large refrigerant capacity values make the composite attractive for cryogenic MC using the Ericsson cycle.

Effect of Aluminum Coating on Corrosion and Heat Transfer Performance of Magnetic Refrigerant Gadolinium

The surface of gadolinium was covered with a layer of Al film(10-15 μm) by hot-press.Corrosion resistance, thermal conductivity and diffusivity of the composites were studied. As a result,temperature and pressure are the main factors that influence the combination of Gd and Al, and the effect of pressure is especially obvious. When the pressure exceeds 700 MPa, the binding force reaches 9 MPa. After coating, corrosion resistance of the composites is significantly improved, Corrosion rate is significantly reduced and mass loss reduced to one-tenth of pure Gd after 15 days. The current density decreases by an order of magnitude and corrosion potential increases by 0.3 V. The thermal conductivity of the composites is 11.12 W·m^-1·K^-1. Due to good thermal diffusion coefficient of aluminum, the magnetic work piece coated with Al film might show better heat transfer performance.