Recent Developments in Plate Exchangers—Ammonia/Carbon Dioxide Cascade Condensers

摘要

The use of carbon dioxide and ammonia in low temperature cascade systems is gaining momentum in the industrial refrigeration market. The use of a plate exchanger as cascade condenser is a viable option due to the high thermal efficiency and smaller footprint characteristics of such exchangers. There is a lack of reliable data in the open literature on condensation of carbon dioxide and evaporation of ammonia in such heat exchangers. This article presents the latest research on condensation of carbon dioxide and evaporation of ammonia in various corrugated plate exchangers at different saturation temperature and heat/mass flux. The data are reduced to generalized empirical correlations to be used as design tools by engineers. It also discusses the mechanical aspects of plate exchanges and their suitability in cascade systems.