Industrial refrigeration, as the name implies, refers to refrigeration technology used in industrial production processes. Compared with household and commercial refrigeration, industrial refrigeration systems are larger in scale and more complex, and need to meet more stringent temperature control and reliability requirements.
1. Application areas of industrial refrigeration
Industrial refrigeration is widely used in various industries. The following are some typical application areas:
Food processing: cooling, freezing, refrigeration, quick freezing, etc. of meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, fruits and vegetables.
Chemical industry: cooling of chemical reaction processes, gas liquefaction, product separation, etc.
Pharmaceutical industry: refrigeration, freezing, low-temperature storage of drugs, vaccines, blood products, etc.
Machinery manufacturing: metal processing cooling, heat treatment, low-temperature assembly, etc.
Construction industry: concrete cooling, ice making in ice rinks, etc.
2. Basic components of industrial refrigeration system
Industrial refrigeration system usually consists of the following main parts:
Refrigeration compressor: The heart of the refrigeration system, responsible for compressing low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas into high-temperature and high-pressure gas.
Common types: piston compressor, screw compressor, centrifugal compressor, etc.
Condenser: Cools and condenses high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas into high-pressure liquid and releases heat.
Common types: water-cooled condenser, air-cooled condenser, evaporative condenser, etc.
Throttling device: Controls the refrigerant flow rate to make the high-pressure liquid refrigerant pressure drop suddenly and the temperature drop.
Common types: expansion valve, capillary tube, etc.
Evaporator: Low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant liquid absorbs the heat of the cooled medium in the evaporator and evaporates into gas, thereby achieving the purpose of refrigeration.
Common types: air cooler, row pipe, plate heat exchanger, etc.
Auxiliary equipment: including liquid storage tank, oil separator, filter, dryer, control system, etc., used to ensure the safe and stable operation of the refrigeration system.
3. Types of industrial refrigeration systems
According to different refrigerants, industrial refrigeration systems can be divided into the following categories:
Ammonia refrigeration system: Ammonia (NH3) is used as a refrigerant, which has the advantages of high refrigeration efficiency and low price, but ammonia is toxic, flammable and irritating, and requires strict safety measures.
Freon refrigeration system: Freon (CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs) is used as a refrigerant, which has the advantages of non-toxic, non-flammable, and stable chemical properties, but some Freon has a destructive effect on the ozone layer and has a high global warming potential (GWP).
Carbon dioxide refrigeration system: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is used as a refrigerant, which has the advantages of environmental protection, safety, non-toxicity, and non-flammability, but the system operating pressure is high and the equipment requirements are high.
4. Key points of industrial refrigeration system design
The design of industrial refrigeration system needs to consider the following factors:
Refrigeration capacity: Calculate the required refrigeration capacity according to the type, quantity, temperature requirements, etc. of the cooled medium.
Refrigerant selection: Select the appropriate refrigerant according to environmental protection requirements, safety, economy and other factors.
System type selection: Select the appropriate system type according to factors such as refrigeration capacity, temperature requirements, and use environment.
Equipment selection: Select the appropriate compressor, condenser, evaporator and other equipment according to the system design parameters.
Control system design: Design a reasonable control system to ensure safe and stable operation of the system and realize automatic control.