Ammonia-water absorption refrigeration systems with flooded evaporators

The harmful effects of water accumulation in the evaporator in ammonia-water absorption refrigeration systems (AARS) with flooded evaporators are a crucial issue. In this paper, the effects of the ammonia purification and the liquid entrainment and blow-down from the evaporator in AARS are analyzed. A mathematical model based on a single stage system with complete condensation has been developed. The ammonia purification is evaluated by means of the Murphree efficiencies of the stripping and rectifying sections of the distillation column. The entrainment and blow-down are taking into account considering the corresponding flow rates as a fraction of the dry vapour at the evaporator outlet. The influence of the distillation column components efficiency on the attainable distillate concentration and the effects of the distillate concentration and the liquid entrainment and blow-down on the system operating conditions and performance are analyzed and quantified. If no liquid entrainment or blow-down is considered, very high efficiencies in the distillation column are required. Small values of liquid entrainment or blow-down fractions increase significantly the operating range of the absorption system. If high values of the blow-down fraction are required, then a heat exchanger should be added to the system in order to recover the refrigeration capacity of the blow-down by additional subcooling of the liquid from the condenser. For a fixed value of the distillation column efficiency, an optimum value of the liquid blow-down fraction exists. Moreover, an optimum combination of generation temperature, reflux ratio and blow-down fraction can be found, which should be considered in designing and controlling an AARS. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.