Calculated Characteristics of a Hydraulic Refrigeration System

An unconventiona l cyclic type of refrigeration system is described whjch has only liquid pumps as its moving parts. A first-approximation type analytical model is presented in which the flow is considered one-dimensional, although two-phase in some parts of the system. The conventional friction factor is used to account for fluid friction and other "losses" are simply but appropriately modeled. Calculations are implemented in a digital computer program which solves the modeling equations serially around the (two) fluid loops, using iteration as necessary. Refrigerant properties are used with locally correct values as retrieved from property functions provided to the main program. The calculated performance of the hydraulic refrigeration system (HRS) using Freon 114 and water as the fluids, and with a capacity of approximately 3 tons (10.55-kW), is presented extensively graphically as an example of the characteristics of an HRS. Calculated results for the HRS in 10-ton (35.16-kW) and 100-ton (351.6-kW) sizes using Freon 114 are presented less extensively, and performance is briefly given using certain other Freon refrigerants. The calculations indicate that the HRS is capable of producing refrigeration at 45 °F (7.2°C) with a COP better than obtainable with conventional refrigeration systems. A cf CD COP d d D / F g h K m p p