The condenser is one of the main heat exchange equipment in the refrigeration system of the cold storage. Its function is to cool and condense the superheated vapor of the high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the assembled cold storage compressor into a high-pressure liquid. The heat released by the refrigerant in the condenser is taken away by the cooling medium.
Combined cold storage condensers are mainly divided into air-cooled and water-cooled types according to the cooling medium. The cooling load is small, and it is suitable for small mobile cold storage refrigeration systems.
Condensers are divided into three types: water-cooled condensers, air-cooled condensers and evaporative condensers according to different cooling media and cooling methods.
Water-cooled condenser: versatile, compact structure and easy to use. The performance is basically stable, but the attenuation is fast and the efficiency is not very high. Not suitable for water-scarce areas and low-temperature areas. The water system is easy to freeze in winter, and the failure rate is high. It is suitable for occasions with heavy condensing load and high ambient temperature. During operation, it should cooperate with cold source or heat exchange equipment.
Air-cooled condenser: In the air-cooled condenser, there are sleeve type, shell and tube type and plate type according to its shape. Set up one or several copper pipes (smooth pipes or low-rib pipes) with a smaller diameter, and then bend them into a circular or u-shaped spiral according to the layout requirements of the unit.
The refrigerant vapor enters the outer tube from the upper part, and the jacketed condenser used in the cold storage is assembled: steel pipe or copper pipe with larger diameter. The condensed water flows out from the lower part of the outer jacket; the cooling water enters from the lower part of the inner pipe and flows in the opposite direction to the refrigerant. It absorbs the heat of the refrigerant vapor along the way, and then flows out from the upper part. This type of condenser is often used in freon refrigeration systems in mobile cold storage and small cold storage with a cooling load of less than 40kW.
In the air-cooled condenser, the heat released by the refrigerant in the compressor of the mobile cold storage is taken away by the cooling water. Reliable performance, slightly higher cost than water cooling, high operating pressure, simple operation, maintenance and installation. It is suitable for water-scarce areas.
Evaporative condenser: It integrates condenser, mercury, cooling tower and circulating pool. Compact structure, small footprint, low investment, convenient use and maintenance, stable performance, obvious water and electricity saving, and low operating pressure. It is more energy-efficient than air-cooled, and more water-saving than water-cooled.
After comprehensive comparison, the total power consumption of evaporative condensers, water-cooled condensers, and cooling towers (refrigeration compressor power consumption + fan power consumption + circulating water mercury power consumption) can be saved by 17%. Evaporative condensers are widely used in new types of cold storage. All condensers operate by taking away the heat of gas or steam.
