Why Multi-Stage Vapour Compression refrigeration systems?

A single stage vapour compression refrigeration system has one low side pressure (evaporator pressure)
and one high side pressure (condenser pressure). The performance of single stage systems shows that
these systems are adequate as long as the temperature difference between evaporator and condenser
(temperature lift) is small. The temperature lift can become large either due to the requirement of very
low evaporator temperatures and/or due to the requirement of very high condensing
temperaturesExamples:In frozen food industries the required evaporator can be as low as –40 0C, while in
chemical industries temperatures as low as –150 0 C may be required for liquefaction of gasesOn the high
temperature side the required condensing temperatures can be very high if the refrigeration system is used
as a heat pump for heating applications such as process heating, drying etc.

As the temperature lift increases the single stage systems become inefficient and impractical

The effect of decreasing evaporator temperatures on T s and P h diagrams are

For a given condenser temperature, as evaporator

temperature decreases (Pressure Ration Increases)

i. Throttling losses increase

ii. Superheat losses increase

iii. Compressor discharge temperature increases

iv. Quality of the vapour at the inlet to the evaporator increases

v. Specific volume at the inlet to the compressor increases

With the increase in pressure ratio volumetric efficiency decreases and hence the refrigeration capacity
decreases and work of compression increases. Also the volumic refrigeration effect also decreases. The
compound compression employ when pressure ratio between evaporator & condenser is greater than 4 or
5.

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Due to these drawbacks, single stage systems are not recommended when the evaporator temperature
becomes very low and/or when the condenser temperature becomes high.Apart from high temperature lift
applications, multi-stage systems are also used in applications requiring refrigeration at different
temperatures

Examples: in a dairy plant refrigeration may be required at –30 0C for making ice cream and at 2 0C for
chilling milk. In such cases it may be advantageous to use a multi-evaporator system with the low
temperature evaporator operating at –30 0C and the high temperature evaporator operating at 2 0C

A multi-stage system is a refrigeration system with two or more low-side pressures. Multi-stage systems
can be classified into:

a) Multi-compression systems b) Multi-evaporator systems c) Cascade systems

Multistage or Compound Compression

The slope of constant entropy lines on the p-H diagram decreases for the isentropic away from the
saturated vapour line. Thus the multi stage compression with intercooling is one effective method of
reducing work of compression by working on isentropic closer to saturation curve

Two methods employed during multi staging are i) flash gas removal, and ii) intercooling

Flash gas removal using flash tank

One of the problems with high temperature lift applications is the high quality of vapour at the inlet to the
evaporator. This vapour called as flash gas develops during the throttling process.it does not contribute to
the refrigeration effect as it is already in the form of vapour, and it increases the pressure drop in the
evaporator.It is possible to improve the COP of the system if the flash gas is removed as soon as it is
formed. One way of improving the performance of the system is to remove the flash gas at an
intermediate pressure using a flash tank

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 A flash tank is a pressure vessel, wherein the refrigerant liquid and vapour are separated at an
intermediate pressure. The refrigerant from condenser is first expanded to an intermediate pressure
corresponding to the pressure of flash tank, Pi using a low side float valve (process 6-7). The float
valve also maintains a constant liquid level in the flash tank. In the flash tank, the refrigerant liquid
and vapour are separated. The saturated liquid at point 8 is fed to the evaporator after throttling it to
the required evaporator pressure, Pe (point 9) using an expansion valve. Thus a system with flash
chamber eliminates undesirable throttling of the vapour generated at intermediate pressure and results
power economy

Intercooling in multi-stage compression

The specific work input, w in reversible, polytropic compression of refrigerant vapour is given by

From the above expression, it can be seen that specific work input reduces as specific volume, v1 is
reduced. At a given pressure, the specific volume can be reduced by reducing the temperature. This is
the principle behind intercooling in multi-stage compression. Instead of compressing the vapour in a
single stage from state 1 to state 2’, if the refrigerant is compressed from state 1 to an intermediate
pressure, state 2, intercooled from 2 to 3 and then compressed to the required pressure (state 4),
reduction in work input results. If the processes are reversible, then the savings in specific work is
given by the shaded area 2-3-4-2’ on P-v diagram.

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 Intercooling of the vapour may be achieved by using either a water-cooled heat exchanger or by the
refrigerant in the flash tank

Intercooling may not be always possible using water-cooled heat exchangers as it depends on the
availability of sufficiently cold water to which the refrigerant from low stage compressor can reject
heat. Water cooling is commonly used in air compressors. Intercooling not only reduces the work
input but also reduces the compressor discharge temperature leading to better lubrication and longer
compressor life

Water Intercooling

Flash Inter cooling

For Flash Intercooling the compressed vapours from the lower stage are led and bubbled through the
liquid flash chamber and a part of liquid evaporates which goes to higher stage along with the

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 vapoursfrom lower stage. Flash intercooling thus enables the higher stage compression takes place
along the steeper isentropic, nearer the saturated line

Intercooling using liquid refrigerant from condenser in the flash tank may or may not reduce the
power input to the system, as it depends upon the nature of the refrigerant. This is due to the fact that
the heat rejected by the refrigerant during intercooling generates additional vapour in the flash tank,
which has to be compressed by the high stage compressor. Thus the mass flow rate of refrigerant
through the high stage compressor will be more than that of the low stage compressor. Whether total
power input to the system decreases or not depends on whether the increased power consumption due
to higher mass flow rate is compensated by reduction in specific work of compression or not. For
ammonia, the power input usually decreases with intercooling by liquid refrigerant; however, for
refrigerants such as R12, R22, the power input marginally increases. Thus intercooling using liquid
refrigerant is not effective for R12 and R22. But one benefit of intercooling is the reduction in
compressor discharge temperature, which leads to better compressor lubrication and its longer life

It is also possible to intercool the refrigerant vapour by a combination of water-cooled heat exchanger
and the refrigerant liquid in the flash tank. As a result of using both water-cooling and flash-tank, the
amount of refrigerant vapour handled by the high-stage compressor reduces leading to lower power
consumption. However, the possibility of this again depends on the availability of cooling water at
required temperature

One of the design issues in multi-stage compression is the selection of suitable intermediate
pressureFor a two-stage air compressor with intercooling, the optimum intermediate pressure,

Pi = √ (PLOW*PHIGH)

1. SYSTEM WITH FLASH GAS REMOVAL

In compound compression the throttling

expansion of liquid done in stages. The
liquid from the condenser 6 first expands
into a flash chamber to 7 at the
intermediate pressure Pi. Inside the flash
chamber the liquid & vapour refrigerants
are separated by centrifugal action and
only the liquid refrigerant from the flash

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 chamber at 8 enters the evaporator through another
expansion valve and expands at 9. Then instead of
passing the refrigerant vapour from the low-stage
compressor through the flash tank, vapour from the
flash tank is mixed with the vapour coming from the
low-stage compressor. As a result, the inlet condition
to the high-stage compressor will be slightly
superheated. This systems is in used for Refrigerants
R 12 & R 134a due to their low discharge
temperatures

2. FLASH CHAMBER AS LIQUID SUB COOLER

Another method of obtaining same result as that of

flash gas removal is employ flash chamber as a liquid
sub cooler which sub cools the liquid by the
evaporation of the liquid refrigerant in the flash
chamber As a result, a small amount of refrigerant
vapour is generated in the flash tank, which needs to be
compressed in the high-stage compressor.

3. FLASH INTERCOOLING

Sometimes the flash tank is used for

intercooling of the refrigerant vapour
between the low and high-stage
compressors. It is not used for flash gas
removal. The compressed vapours
from the lower stage are led and

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 bubbled through the liquid in the flash
chamber. The vapours are thus cooled to
saturation temperature at the pressure of
flash chamber and a apart of liquid
evaporates which goes to the higher stage
along with the vapours from the lower
stage. Flash inter cooling thus enables the
higher stage compression to takes place
in steeper isentropic, nearer the
saturation vapour line. From the figure
the discharge vapours from the lower stage at 2 are cooled to 3 by the evaporation of a part of
liquid refrigerant from the flash chamber at 6. Thus the vapours entering the higher stage
compressor m2 comprise these vapours in addition to vapours m1 from the lower stage. Thus the
specific work is reduced in the higer stage because of working along with steeper isentropic 3-4
instead of 2-2” But the actual mass flow rate through the higher stage may increase the work of
higher stage. This is used in multi stage ammonia refrigeration system where comparatively small
mass of refrigerant is evaporated for flash intercooling due to high latent heat of ammonia

4. COMPLETE MULTI STAGE COMPRESSION SYSTEM

A complete multi stage compression

system is with flash gas removal using a
flash tank, and intercooling of refrigerant
vapour by a water-cooled heat exchanger
and flash tank.The superheated vapour
from the water cooled heat exchanger
bubbles through the refrigerant liquid in
the flash tank. It is assumed that in this
process the superheated refrigerant
vapour gets completely de-superheated
and emerges out as a saturated vapour at
state 4. However, in practice complete
de-superheating may not be possible. The
use of combination of water cooling with

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 flash tank for intercooling reduces the vapour
generated in the flash tank. Here the liquid
refrigerant from the flash chamber expands
through an expansion valve and reaches the
evaporator. Then the refrigerant vapours enter the
low stage compressor, where they will be
compressed. The vapours from the low side
compressor enter the flash chamber through a
water inter cooler. Thus the part of heat of low
stage compression can be removed by water inter
cooling in case of discharge temperature from the
stage is substantially high and the isentropic will be steeper and close to saturation vapour line

The advantages of the above system are

a) Quality of refrigerant entering the evaporator reduces thus giving rise to higher refrigerating effect,
lower pressure drop and better heat transfer in the evaporator

b) Throttling losses are reduced as vapour generated during throttling from Pc to Pi is separated in the
flash tank and recompressed by Compressor-II.

c) Volumetric efficiency of compressors will be high due to reduced pressure ratios

d) Compressor discharge temperature is reduced considerably.

WHY MULTI EVAPORATOR SYSTEMS?

There are many applications where refrigeration is required at different temperatures. For example, in a
typical food processing plant, cold air may be required at –300 C for freezing and at +7 0C for cooling of
food products or space cooling. One simple alternative is to use different refrigeration systems to cater to
these different loads. However, this may not be economically viable due to the high total initial cost.
Another alternative is to use a single refrigeration system with one compressor and two evaporators both
operating at −300 C. But operating the evaporator at –30oC when refrigeration is required at +7 0C is
thermodynamically inefficient. In addition to this there will also be other difficulties such as: evaporator
catering to space cooling (7 0C) may collect frost leading to blockage of air-flow passages, if a liquid is to
chilled then it may freeze on the evaporator and the moisture content of air may become too low leading
to water losses in the food products. In such cases multi-stage systems with multiple evaporators can be
used.

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Situation arises when varied types of cooling loads are connected to the same refrigerated systems. Each
load may require an evaporator working at different refrigeration temperatures. The whole system may
therefore be operated either at suction pressure equal to lowest evaporator pressure leading to a single
compressor system or various suction pressures with individual compressors for each evaporator leading
to a multi compressor system

1. SINGLE COMPRESSOR – INDIVIDUAL EXPANSION VALVE WITH A PRESSURE-

REDUCING VALVE (PRV)

This system also uses individual expansion valves and a pressure regulating valve (PRV) for reducing the
pressure from that corresponding to the high temperature evaporator to the compressor suction pressure.
The PRV also maintains the required pressure in high temperature evaporator (Evaporator-II). Compared
to the earlier system, this system offers the advantage of higher refrigeration effect at the high
temperature evaporator. However, this advantage is counterbalanced by higher specific work input due to
the operation of compressor insuperheated region. However, this system is still preferred to the earlier
system due to proper operation of high temperature evaporator

2. SINGLE COMPRESSOR MULTIPLE EXPANSION VALVES WITH PRV

The advantage of this system compared to the system with individual expansion valves is that the
refrigeration effect of the low temperature evaporator increases as saturated liquid enters the low stage

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expansion valve. Since the flash gas is removed at state 4, the low temperature evaporator operates more
efficiently.

3. MULTI-EVAPORATOR SYSTEM WITH MULTI-COMPRESSION, INTERCOOLING

AND FLASH GAS REMOVAL

When one or more evaporators are in operation t very low temperatures and individual compressors
are installed then compound compression can be used for effective power saving with multiple
arrangement of expansion valves and flash inter cooling . The flash chamber is maintained at the
pressure of the high temperature evaporator.

This system is good for low

temperature lift applications with

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different refrigeration loads. For example one evaporator operates at say –40 0C for quick freezing of
food products and other evaporator operate at –25 0C for storage of frozen food.

Superheated vapour from the low-stage compressor is cooled to the saturation temperature in the flash
tank. The low temperature evaporator operates efficiently as flash gas is removed in the flash tank. In
addition the high-stage compressor (Compressor-II) operates efficiently as the suction vapour is saturated.
Even though the high stage compressor has to handle higher mass flow rate due to de-superheating of
refrigerant in the flash tank, still the total power input to the system can be reduced substantially,
especially with refrigerants such as ammonia

4. MULTI-EVAPORATOR SYSTEM WITH INDIVIDUAL COMPRESSORS AND

MULTIPLE EXPANSION VALVES

The total power requirement can be reduced by the use of an individual compressor for each evaporator
and by multiple arrangement of expansion valve. This parallel operation of evaporators is called
sectionalizing. There may be separate condenser for each compressor or common for the plant.

LIMITATIONS OF MULTI-STAGE SYSTEMS

 Since only one refrigerant is used throughout the system, the refrigerant used should have high
critical temperature and low freezing point
 The operating pressures with a single refrigerant may become too high or too low. Generally only
R12, R22 and NH3 systems have been used in multi-stage systems as other conventional working

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 fluids may operate in vacuum at very low evaporator temperatures. Operation in vacuum leads to
leakages into the system and large compressor displacement due to high specific volume.
 High Pressure ratio and therefore low COP
 Possibility of migration of lubricating oil from one compressor to other leading to compressor
break-down.
 Difficulties encountered in operation of mechanical devices at very low temperatures.

The above limitations can be overcome by using cascade systems

CASCADE SYSTEMS

In a cascade system a series of refrigerants with progressively lower boiling points are used in a series
of single stage units. The condenser of lower stage system is coupled to the evaporator of the next
higher stage system and so on. The component where heat of condensation of lower stage refrigerant
is supplied for vaporization of next level refrigerant is called as cascade condenser. this system
employs two different refrigerants operating in two individual cycles. They are thermally coupled in
the cascade condenser. The refrigerants selected should have suitable pressure-temperature
characteristics.An example of refrigerant combination is the use of carbon dioxidein low temperature
cascade and ammoniahigh temperature cascade.It is possible to use more than two cascade stages.In
practice, matching of loads in the cascade condenser is difficult, especially during the system pull-
down. Hence the cascade condensers are normally oversized.

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 Applications of cascade systems:

i. Liquefaction of petroleum vapours

ii. Liquefaction of industrial gases

iii. Manufacturing of dry ice

iv. Deep freezing etc.

Advantages of cascade systems:

i. Since each cascade uses a different refrigerant, it is possible to select a refrigerant that is best suited
for that particular temperature range. Very high or very low pressures can be avoided

ii. Migration of lubricating oil from one compressor to the other is prevented

AUTO-CASCADE SYSTEMS

An auto-cascade system may be considered as

a variation of cascade system, in which a
single compressor is used. In a two-stage
auto-cascade system two different working
fluids; a low boiling point (low temperature)
refrigerant and a high boiling point (high
temperature) refrigerant are used. The vapour
mixture consisting of both these refrigerants is
compressed in the compressor to a discharge
pressure (Pdischarge). When this high
pressure mixture flows through the partial
condenser, the high temperature
refrigerantcan condense by rejecting heat (Qc,out) to the external heat sink, if its partial pressure in
the mixture is such that the saturation temperature corresponding to the partial pressure is higher than
the external heat sink temperature. Since the saturation temperature of the low temperature refrigerant
is much lower than the external heat sink temperature at its partial pressure, it cannot condense in the
partial condenser, hence, remains as vapour. Thus it is possible theoretically to separate the high
temperature refrigerant in liquid form from the partial condenser. Next this high temperature, high
pressure liquid is expanded through the expansion valve into the condenser operating at a pressure

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 Psuction. Due to the expansion of the high temperature refrigerant liquid from Pdischarge to Psuction,
its temperature drops to a sufficiently low value (Te,h) so that when the low temperature, high
pressure refrigerant vapour comes in contact with the high temperature, low pressure refrigerant in the
condenser it can condense at a temperature Tc,l. This condensed, high pressure, low temperature
refrigerant is then throttled to the suction pressure and is then made to flow through the evaporator,
where it can provide the required refrigeration effect at a very low temperature Te. Both the high
temperature refrigerant from condenser and low temperature refrigerant vapour from evaporator can
be mixed as they are at the same pressure. This mixture is then compressed in the compressor to
complete the cycle. Thus using a single compressor, it is possible to obtain refrigeration at very low
temperatures using the auto-cascade system.

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