88 ASHRAE Jour nal www. ashr aej our nal .

or g Oct ober 2000

O
A Look at Hot Gas Defrost
By Ellis Norton
Member ASHRAE
ne of the most common applications of ammonia re-
frigeration systems is to produce and maintain space
temperatures by circulating air through a refrigerated
coil. If the temperature of the ammonia in the coil is
below 32F (0C), water in the air freezes and accumu-
lates on the coil. The ice blocks airflow and acts as an insulator,
penalizing coil performance. For efficient performance, the coil
must be defrosted periodically. The defrost cycle is a necessary
and important part of the design of the refrigeration system.
Over the years, various defrost methods have been used. One
of the first methods was to arrange the coil in such a manner that
it could be isolated from the cold room. Warm air was circulated
over it until the ice melted. Another method is to run water over
the coil. Careful design of the water lines
into and out of the cold room prevents
freezing of the defrost water. Electric
heater rods inserted into formed holes
through aluminum fins work effectively,
and this type is common for halocar-
bon systems. All of these have been
used for ammonia coils, but the most
common method is hot gas from the
compressor discharge.
Hot gas defrost is simple and effec-
tive, it removes ice rapidly, and is rela-
tively inexpensive to install. However, the control valves selec-
tion and the sequence of operation must be correct for reliable
and efficient defrosts. Lets look at a typical hot gas defrost
cycle design.
Figure 1 is a diagram of an ammonia air unit designed for
liquid recirculation with hot gas defrost. When the liquid sole-
noid valve (LSV) opens, cold ammonia liquid passes through the
expansion (or balancing) valve (HEV) and enters the coil. A com-
bination of gas and excess liquid exit the coil through the suction
stop valve (SSV) and return to the recirculation vessel. When
the defrost cycle is initiated, the following sequence occurs:
1. Pump-out period (10 to 30 minutes).
LSV closes.
Unit fans remain on.
The liquid supply is stopped and the fans circulate room air
over the coil to evaporate the liquid charge. This is done for
safety reasons and to provide quick defrost.
2. Hot gas period (five to 30 minutes).
Fans stop.
SSV closes.
Soft hot gas solenoid valve (SHGSV) opens for a timed inter-
val. This slowly pressurizes the coilagain, for safety reasons.
After the SHGSV pressurizing interval the hot gas solenoid
valve (HGSV) opens.
Hot gas enters (and heats) the drain pan and exits through
the pan check valve (PCK), then enters the coil via the suction
line. The thermostat cycles the HGSV so that only condensed
liquid exits the coil (via the liquid line). The liquid check valve
(LCK) prevents reverse flow, so the liquid is forced to go through
the defrost relief regulator (DRR) and into the suction line down-
stream of the SSV.
The DRR is set to relieve at 75 psig (618 kPa), keeping the coil
temperature at approximately 50F (10C). This prevents exces-
sive fogging of the defrost melt. The hot gas condenses at
approximately three times the rate that it evaporates during the
cooling mode. Each pound produces approximately 550 Btu
(580 kJ) of heat, or enough to melt 3.8 lbs (1.7 kg) of ice. Since
the coil is heated from the inside, the ice melts rapidly. A 30-ton
(105 kW) coil with an ice coating of 1,200 lbs (544 kg) is cleaned
in a little more than 10 minutes.
3. Equalizing period (two to five min-
utes).
HGSV and SHGSV are closed.
Bleed solenoid valve (BSV) opens.
This period is important for large
units. The coil is allowed to equalize
slowly to suction pressure. This allows
the SSV to close with no pressure dif-
ferential and prevents slamming.
Also, it prevents liquid slugs in the
suction line from being accelerated by
high-velocity gas. This also is a quiet
time for the last bit of water to drain from the coil.
4. Fan delay period (one to three minutes).
SSV opens and BSV is closed.
Any water remaining on the coil is re-frozen. This prevents
water blow-over when the fan comes on.
5. Return to refrigeration mode.
Fans are energized (and may be controlled by the space
temperature sensor).
LSV opens and is controlled by space temperature sensor.
The defrost cycle can be initiated by time of day (TOD), accu-
mulated run time (RT), or frost detection (FD). For systems with
many evaporators, a common means of initiation is TOD or a com-
bination of TOD and RT. It may appear that RT would be the most
efficient method. However, if all units operate on RT, they may tend
to ice up at the same time, and have to get in line for defrost,
which negates the advantages. The optimum time for each of the
four periodspump-out, hot gas, equalizing, and fan delay is a
function of physical size and coil loading, which changes with the
seasons and traffic in the space. The period times and time of
defrost initiation should be reviewed periodically and adjusted
when conditions change.
Ellis Norton is senior vice president of The Facility Group in
Smyrna, Ga.
Figure 1: An ammonia air unit designed for
liquid recirculation with hot gas defrost.
TSTAT
PCK
Suction
Liquid
Hot Gas
HGSV
HEV
BSV
DRR
SSV
LCK LSV
SHGSV