Development of test bench for ejector refrigeration system.

This study aims to develop an ejector refrigeration system test bench to study the effects of operting and geometric conditions on the performance characteristics of the system. The ejector refrigeration is a promising technology because it could be driven by the low grade energy or the re

Project Title

Development of test bench for ejector refrigeration system.

Project Area of Specialization

Mechanical Engineering

Project Summary

This study aims to develop an ejector refrigeration system test bench to study the effects of operting and geometric conditions on the performance characteristics of the system. The ejector refrigeration is a promising technology because it could be driven by the low grade energy or the renewble energy thereby reducing the overall burden on the energy supply system and producing positive impact on the environment. 

The ejector is the core part of the ejector refrigeration system. The ejector performance depends on working fluid, operating conditions like generator pressure, evaporator pressure, condenser pressure, and the geometric parameters like ejector area ratio, length of constant area section, primary nozzle position and the secondary nozzle convergence angle. The designed ejector will be modeled and meshed in ANSYS Fluent. Mesh independent results will be ensured through the mesh convergence procedure. CFD software package FLUENT will be used to investigate the effects of operational and geometric parameters on the ejector performance. The plots of performance parameters like entrainment ratio, pressure lift ratio, refrigeration capacity and COP will be used to analyze and select the optimum geometry for the designed ejector. The FLUENT results will be validated through analytical calculations using one dimensional gas dynamics theory. A thorough discussion on the flow structures inside ejector and their dependence on the above discussed parameters will also be presented using schematic diagrams and figures.

A test bench will then be setup based on the designed ejector and the experiments will be performed under various operating conditions. The results will then be compared with the analytical and numerial results and discussion will be made on the role of different constituent components on the overall performance of the system. Optimum ranges of the operating conditions will be proposed based on the analysis. 

Project Objectives

The objective of this final year project is the development of ejector refrigeration system test bench which will further be used to study and analyze the following aspects of the system:

1. Entrainment ratio of the system

2. Pressure lift ratio and the COP of the system

3. Effects of generator pressure and temperature on the system's performnce parameters.

4. Role of ejector geometry in the overall system performance

Project Implementation Method

The project execution stages can be broadly categorized as:

1. Literature Review and Introduction: Comprehensive literature survey regarding the development of ejector refrigeration system, development of technology over time and modifications introduced. Detailed understanding of the principle of operation of the system and the main constituent  components of the system.

2. Theoretical and Analytical Models: Understanding of the analytical design proceudre of the ejector and other components of the system. Ejector design is crucial and the most complicated part of the whole design procedure.

3. Numerical Study: Ejector is the main and crucial component of the system which must be analyzed before machining it. ANSYS Fluent will be used for the detailed analysis of the ejector under different geometric and operating conditions.

4. Machining, Manufacturing, Fabrication and Integration: Once understood, designed and analyzed, the next step is to bring the designed system into reality. This involves machining of ejector, making other components and selecting relevant instrumentation. This will lead to the development of test bench for ejector refrigeration system

5. Testing and Analysis: The testing stage aims to monitor and analyze the system's performance under various operating conditions and discuss about the optimum performance conditions.

6. Publishing: The output of this study is expected to produce 2 - 3 quality journal research papers.

Benefits of the Project

The key benefits of our final year project can be summarized as follows:

1. The ejector refrigeration system does not uses compressor, which is the main energy consuming component. Therefore, it saves electricity.

2. The system can utilize waste heat of industries or the renewable energy sources.

3. The ejector refrigeration system is environment friendly and reduces the climate issues using environment friendly refrigerants.

4. It does not involve moving mechanical parts, therefore, maintenance issues are not there. Also the maintenance downtime of the system is negligible.

5. Once setup, this test bench will open avenues of research in this hot research area, targeting the design of optimum ejectors for wider operating range of pressures and temperatures.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

The technical details and specifications of each equipment and component used in the ejector refrigeration system test bench will be finalized as we approach towards the final design of our product test bench. The objective is to design the test bench of approx. 1 kW refrigerating capacity. The ejector refrigeration system test bench comprises of the following main components:

1. Ejector

2. Condenser

3. Evaporator

4. Boiler or generator (2 - 3 bar)

5. A motive pump

6. Pressure gauges and switches

7. Temperature gauges

8. Associated fittings.

Final Deliverable of the Project

HW/SW integrated system

Core Industry

Energy

Other Industries

Core Technology

Clean Tech

Other Technologies

Sustainable Development Goals

Good Health and Well-Being for People, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Climate Action

Required Resources

If you need this project, please contact me on contact@adikhanofficial.com