Performance improvement of an ejector cooling system with thermal pumping effect (ECSTPE) by doubling evacuation chambers in parallel

Sheng Zhang and Yong Cheng

Applied Energy, 2017, vol. 187, issue C, 675-688

Abstract: The existing ejector cooling system with thermal pumping effect (S-ECSTPE) operates without consuming electricity, but has waste problems of thermal energy and chilling water. An innovative ECSTPE with double evacuation chambers in parallel (D-ECSTPE) can effectively mitigate these waste problems. The high-pressure vapor with high temperature (HPVHT) in one evacuation chamber, which is directly chilled by chilling water in the S-ECSTPE, is reused in the D-ECSTPE to pre-pressurize refrigerant in the other evacuation chamber. Performance improvement mechanisms of the D-ECSTPE are explained from both thermal energy transfer and mass transfer of the HPVHT. Case studies showed that the severer the waste problems of the S-ECSTPE, the greater COP increase and reduction in chilling water demand achieved by the D-ECSTPE. Also, the D-ECSTPE performed well with environment-friendly refrigerants (e.g., R1234yf, R161 and R1234ze(E)), which were unsuitable for the S-ECSTPE due to severe waste problems. Compared to the S-ECSTPE, the D-ECSTPE with R1234yf, R134a, R161, R1234ze(E), R1234ze(Z), R1233zd(E), R365mfc and R141b increased the COP by at least 49.44%, 26.30%, 22.33%, 19.38%, 4.39%, 3.55%, 2.14% and 1.77%, respectively, and reduced the chilling water demand by at least 29.77%, 18.04%, 15.55%, 13.86%, 3.36%, 2.76%, 1.72% and 1.37%, respectively. In all cases, the D-ECSTPE reduced the wasted thermal energy and chilling water of the S-ECSTPE by at least 65.83% and 81.14%, respectively, and its exergy efficiency was generally superior to those of the S-ECSTPE and conventional ejector cooling system. An additional increase in the number of paralleled evacuation chambers can further improve the system performance.

Keywords: Performance improvement; Ejector cooling; Thermal pumping effect; Double paralleled evacuation chambers; Environment-friendly refrigerants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.11.080

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