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Exploring the performance characteristics of CO2 cycles in a breadboard-type test facility.

Author(s) : MONTAGNER G. P., MELO C.

Summary

This paper focuses on the study of CO2 thermodynamic cycles in order to explore design alternatives for light commercial refrigeration systems. To this end, a testing apparatus was designed and built. With this apparatus the operation conditions, component characteristics and cycle configuration can be easily modified, thereby allowing the experimental evaluation of their effects on the system performance. This paper compares the thermodynamic performance of a CO2 cycle assembled with a variable expansion device coupled to an active control of the discharge pressure with that obtained by a conventional system, assembled with a capillary tube. It is shown that the capillary tube system does not self-adjust to the variations in the operation conditions and therefore is penalized in terms of performance when such variations occur. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the discharge pressure can be properly controlled by adjusting the circuit refrigerant charge, thereby partially compensating the losses occurring when the system diverges from the design point.

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Details

  • Original title: Exploring the performance characteristics of CO2 cycles in a breadboard-type test facility.
  • Record ID : 2011-0034
  • Languages: English
  • Publication date: 2010/07/12
  • Source: Source: Proc. 2010 int. Refrig. Air Cond. Conf., Purdue Univ.
    n. 2121; 7 p.; fig.; photogr.; tabl.; 17 ref.

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