Energy Evaluation of Multiple Stage Commercial Refrigeration Architectures Adapted to F-Gas Regulation

Abstract

This work analyses different refrigeration architectures for commercial refrigeration providing service to medium and low temperature simultaneously: HFC/R744 cascade, R744 transcritical booster, R744 transcritical booster with parallel compression, R744 transcritical booster with gas ejectors, R513A cascade/R744 subcritical booster, and R513A cascade/R744 subcritical booster with parallel compression. The models were developed using compressor manufacturers’ data and real restrictions of each system component. Limitations and operating range of each component and architecture were analysed for environment temperatures from 0 to 40 °C considering thermal loads and environment temperature profiles for warm climates. For booster systems, cascade with subcritical booster with parallel compression provide highest coefficient of performance (COP) for temperatures below 12 °C and above 30 °C with COP increases compared basic booster up to 60.6%, whereas for transcritical boosters, architecture with gas ejectors obtains the highest COP with COP increases compared to the basic booster up to 29.5%. In annual energy terms, differences among improved booster systems are below 8% in the locations analysed. In Total Equivalent Warming Impact (TEWI) terms, booster architectures get the lowest values with small differences between improved boosters.