and
low charge Ammonia
Refrigeration systems
Regulation
Safety
Reduce the risk of personal injury, by
designing safe systems
following safe procedures for maintenance
educating the operation staff
Quality
Reliable refrigeration systems will increase food
and product quality
Maintaining a cold chain will avoid waste
Environment
Sustainable refrigeration systems
Use natural refrigerants with no ODP and no/low
GWP
Make efficient use of materials and operating fluids
(e.g. less lubricants, less water consumption)
Consume less energy
LP System
Indirect system /
water cooled
condenser
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Microchannel
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LP refrigerant systems
The liquid refrigerant from the condenser is
completely expanded to the low pressure side
no high pressure receiver
The charge is mainly on the low pressure side
increased safety
The liquid is normally drained with high side float
regulators at ambient temperature reduced
energy consumption
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LP refrigerant systems
Additional aspects
During stand-still the pressure is equilized the
compressor can start unloaded
Stable pressure situation no pressure
fluctuations due to regulating-/ automatic control
valves
Easy mechanical design failsafe, no no need
for settings/adjustments
Maintenance-free
TH. WITT Kltemaschinenfabrik GmbH
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Inlet valve
Protective cap
for hand lever
control
Control unit
(float ball with lever
Outlet valve
Connection for
safety valve
TH. WITT Kltemaschinenfabrik GmbH
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C and D correct!!!
no gas intake
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Parallel condensers
System design
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Examples
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Advantages / Disadvantages
Indirect refrigeration system
Advantages
Low refrigerant charge
Refrigerant charge limited to the machinery room (safety
increased)
Easy handling of the brine
Disadvantages
Additional heat exchanger required
Less efficient than direct systems (e.g. brine pumps use
more energy than refrigerant pumps)
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Refrigeration systems
direct refrigeration system
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Refrigeration systems
direct refrigeration system
refrigerant pumps supply evaporators
Direct evaporation of refrigerant in the
coolers
Due to overfeed of refrigerant the coolers
operate as flooded heat exchangers
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Advantages / Disadvantages
direct refrigeration system
Advantages
Easy control of the refrigerant due to overfeed
Energy efficiency maximised
Disadvantages
Larger refrigerant charge than indirect systems
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CONTRA
More sensitive (always liquid refrigerant needed,
no dirt or oil contamination allowed)
More complex work when repair is needed
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subcooling [K]
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-40C
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-10C
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0C
+35C
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0
R134a
R404A
Ammoniak
CO2
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downleg
Liquid droplets
boiling
Gas bubbles
Sideglass
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Pump arrangement
allow for sufficient space around the pump for
normal ice accumulation around the pump and
to clean filters and execute maintenance
Straight runs will not improve pump operation
when using refrigerants = boiling liquids
(compared to e.g. operation with water)
Top connection of the pump is recommended to
allow gas bubbles can rise
Piping and fittings should avoid gas
accumulation
TH. WITT Kltemaschinenfabrik GmbH
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Pump arrangement
Two pumps in operation
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Pump arrangement
One pump in stand-by
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Downleg design
Protude the downleg about 30 40 mm into the surge
drum
Use vortex breakers
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Valve installation
Liquid trapped
gas trapped
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Safety procurements
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Safety procurements
Refrigerant pumps must be supplied with liquid at all
times!
Install a low level switch (LLS) that will shut off the pump if
the liquid level above the vortex breaker is less than 15 mm
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Safety procurements
Protect the pump against contamination
Use shot-blasted pipes and vessels
Install a start-up filter when contamination is
likely (no shot-blasted pipes available)
Clean the start-up filter frequently during the
first weeks of operation until clean
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Start-up filters
Use diameter of the downleg for the filter
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Safety procurements
Protect hermetic pumps against contamination
with oil
Frequently drain oil from the system, because oil
avoids proper cooling of the internal motor and
bearings with liquid refrigerant
Use automatic oil draining systems wherever
possible (this will also increase system safety and
avoid waste of lubricants)
Change over of pumps in operation and stand-still,
so pump in stand-still will not fill up with oil over
time
TH. WITT Kltemaschinenfabrik GmbH
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Safety procurements
Never operate refrigerant pumps against closed
discharge!
Install a differential pressure operated overflow valve
and set the pressure lower than the max. permitted
delivery pressure
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Safety procurements
Never operate refrigerant pumps against
closed discharge!
Use a diffential
pressure switch with
a delay of 30 60
sec. If the pump has
not built up pressure
during that time the
pump is switched off
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Pressure losses
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Required flow
more liquid refrigerant is pumped to the evaporators
than needed for evaporation. That way the surface
is always fully wetted.
mass flow pump
mpump
Recirculation rate = ----------------------------- -------evaporated refrigerant m Q0
e.g. recirculation factor = 4 means:
1 part refrigerant is evaporated and 3 parts are
returned as liquid
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NH3
R22
CO2
Air Cooler
3 - 4
2 - 3
1,2 - 2,0
Plate Freezer
7 - 10
5 - 10
5 - 10
Liquid Chiller
1,2 1,5
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Vent line
It is important the pump is vented properly before
started
Some hermetic types have an internal vent line to the
suction side. For these types the suction downleg must
be open during stand still or suffictly long enough
before start. For pumps that vent to the suction side
there is no additional piping required.
Vent line must be individually piped for each pump, so
there is no interference between pump in stand-still and
pump in operation
Install vent line with a constant slope (no traps) to avoid
liquid hammer
TH. WITT Kltemaschinenfabrik GmbH
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Qmin flow
Attention
The Qmin flow must be added to the required system
flow that is calculated by the design engineer.
The pump curves normally do not consider by-pass
flows.
Differential set overflow valves only open when the
pressure reaches the set differential pressure (normally
the maximum permitted pump pressure). Therefore no
additional flow has to be considered
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Qmax orifices
Most hermetic pumps are only allowed to operate
in a defined range. The permitted range is defined
by the manufacturer, depending on the design
condition.
In order to provide sufficient back pressure most
manufaturers will require a Qmax orifice, that is
calculated individually for the selected pump and
operating conditions.
It is also possible to use constant flow valves
instead that will avoid the high pressure loss of
Qmax orifices,
TH. WITT Kltemaschinenfabrik GmbH
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Qmax orifices
Attention: Qmax orifices create an additional
pressure loss that must be considered by the
design engineer.
Qpump
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Flow and
pressure no
longer
corresponding
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Control system
Operating conditions normally vary due to
evaporators being opened/closed
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Demand control
Easiest way to control a liquid pumping system
Requirement:
Automatic valves that signal open/closed position
Pump is switched on when one or more evaporators
are open and stopped when all evaporators are closed
Attention: Avoid frequent starts/stops (as this will
reduce the pump lifetime) by programming a minimum
stand-still period and run time
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Pressure control
Since delivery head and volume flow is normally
corresponding it is possible to use pressure control for
switching on/off a second pump
Delivery head to switch off the second pump is with
ammonia typically 0,7 bar higher than the minimum
pressure
It is recommended to program a minimum run time to avoid
frequent starts/stops
Attention: Too small programmed differences btween
minimum and maximim pressure may result in instable
operating conditions
TH. WITT Kltemaschinenfabrik GmbH
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Frequency converters
Frequency converters will keep te pressure fairly stable
and safe energy.
The evaporator
with highest
pressure loss
should be
supplied
properly at
minimum
frequency
The set point should be about 0.3 bar higher than the
minimum required pressure
TH. WITT Kltemaschinenfabrik GmbH
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Frequency converters
Check minimum and maximum permitted
frequencies with the manufacturer (normally between
40 Hz and 60 Hz).
Maintain the pressure in the system stable (typically
with a proportional-integral (PI) control system
Ramping times should be short to allow the check
valve behind the pump opens fast enough
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