The paper shows and analyzes circuit solutions for improving the existing schemes of ejector heat-using refrigeration machines, which are used as part of cogeneration plants. One of the promising areas is the use of an aerothermopressor, which implements the effect of thermogasdynamic compression, which is to increase the pressure while reducing the temperature in the evaporation of liquid, which injected into the flow of vapor moving at speed near the sound. To analyze the efficiency of ejector refrigeration machines, the developed calculation model was used, which takes into account the use of an aerothermopressor in the cycles of refrigeration machines with the features of the calculations of cycles and circuits. To select and determine possible circuit solutions, the efficiency of an aerothermopressor for different refrigerants was evaluated and a comparative analysis of the characteristic parameters of the efficiency of an aerothermopressor in the range of cooling temperature differences is 20–100 oC was made. It is possible to increase the efficiency of ejector heat-using refrigeration machines when using an aerothermopressor by providing a temperature difference of 60–100 oC. The analysis showed that the most important are: R717, R134a, R227ea, R1234ze (E), R1234yf (2–4%). It is possible to provide a higher thermal coefficient for ejector heat-using refrigeration machines by using an aerothermopressor in the circuit using the circulation of liquid refrigerant. The corresponding increase in the thermal coefficient is 1.5–2.0%. The use of an aerothermopressor in the scheme with heat recovery allows removing additional overheating of vapor before suctioning into the ejector with a corresponding increase in the thermal coefficient by 4-8%. The analysis shows that the total increase in the thermal coefficient due to the combined use of an aerothermopressor, heat recovery, and recirculation is 10–15% at a base value of 0.30–0.40.

The most common way to increase power and reduce fuel consumption by modern power plants is contact cooling of a gas or air flow by water injection. A promising development of this direction is to use aerothermopressor technologies. The use of heat air, which is compressed by the power plant compressors, accelerates the flow to a speed close to the sound one and almost instantaneous evaporation of injected water (the effect of thermo-gas-dynamic compression). It is important to determine the rational parameters of the organization of thermophysical and hydrodynamic processes when developing such technologies. In this case, one should be taken into account the appropriate development of the flow path design and a special software product. It is necessary to use methods and means to determine the optimal operating parameters of the power plant heat recovery systems. This paper presents a block diagram and an algorithm of a rational methodology for designing an aerothermopressor, which makes it possible to accurately determine the efficiency of using an aerothermopressor as part of a power plant (based on a gas turbine engine) for cooling cycle air, considering the peculiarities of operating modes in the flow path, as well as under various climatic operating conditions. The algorithm of a rational methodology for designing aerothermopressor technologies allows calculating the characteristics of equipment, systems, and circuit design solutions when used as part of a power plant: an electric generator; heat-using refrigerating machines (ejector refrigerating machines, absorption refrigerating machines); turbine generator or steam generator as part of a trigeneration unit or as part of a turbo-compound unit (power plants of marine vessels); recovery boiler of one or two pressures. Modeling the aerothermopressor-cooling system operation makes it possible to reveal the effectiveness of using such a system as part of a power plant and compare it with traditional methods of cooling and humidifying cycle air.

Maintaining the operation of refrigeration compressors in nominal or close modes by selecting a rational design thermal load and distributing it in response to the behavior of the current thermal load according to the current climatic conditions is one of the promising reserves for improving the energy efficiency of air conditioning systems, which implementation ensures maximum or close to it in the annual cooling production according to air conditioning duties. In general case, the total range of current thermal loads of any air-conditioning system includes a range of unstable loads caused by precooling of ambient air with significant fluctuations in the cooling capacity according to current climatic conditions, and a range of relatively stable cooling capacity expended for further lowering the air temperature from a certain threshold temperature to the final outlet temperature. If a range of stable thermal load can be provided within operating a conventional compressor in a mode close to nominal, then precooling the ambient air with significant fluctuations in thermal load requires adjusting the cooling capacity by using a variable speed compressor or using the excess of heat accumulated at reduced load. Such a stage principle of cooling ensures the operation of refrigerating machines matching the behavior of current thermal loads of any air-conditioning system, whether the central air conditioning system with ambient air procession in the central air conditioner or its combination with the local indoors recirculation air conditioning systems in the air-conditioning system. in essence, as combinations of subsystems – precooling of ambient air with the regulation of cooling capacity and subsequent cooling air to the mouth of the set point temperature under relatively stable thermal load.

The cold output for the heat-moisture treatment of ambient air in air conditioning systems depends on its parameters (temperature and relative humidity), which vary significantly during operation. To determine the installed (design) cooling capacity of air conditioning system chillers, it is proposed to use a reduction in fuel consumption of a power plant or cooling capacity generation following its current conditioning spending over a certain period, since both of these indicators characterize the efficiency of using the installed cooling capacities of the air conditioning system. To extend the results of the investigation to a wide range of air conditioning units, two methods were used to determine the design cooling capacity (refrigerating capacity): by the maximum annual value and by the maximum growth rate of the efficiency indicator. The first method allows choosing the design cooling capacity, which provides a maximum annual reduction in the specific fuel consumption due to air cooling or maximum cooling capacity generation, which is necessary for air cooling following current climatic conditions. The second method allows determining the minimum design (installed) cooling capacity of chillers, which provides the maximum rate of reduction in fuel consumption by the power plant and the increment in the annual cooling capacity generation following the installed cooling capacity of chillers. The efficiency of air conditioning systems was analyzed for different climatic conditions: a temperate climate using the example of Voznesensk city (Ukraine) and the subtropical climate of Nanjing city (China). It is shown that the design cooling capacity values calculated by both indicators of its use efficiency are the same for the same climatic conditions. Wherein, if to determine the design cooling capacity by both methods - by the maximum annual value and the maximum rate of growth of the indicator, its values turned out to be quite close for tropical climatic conditions and somewhat different for a temperate climate.

One of the most attractive reserves for improving the energy efficiency of air conditioning systems is to ensure the operation of refrigeration compressors in nominal or close to nominal modes by selecting a rational design heat load and distributing it within its design value according to the behavior of the current heat load under variable current climatic conditions to provide the maximum or close to maximum annual cooling capacity generation according to cooling duties of air conditioning. In the general case, the overall range of current thermal loads of any air conditioning system includes a range of unstable loads associated with the precooling of ambient air with significant fluctuations in cooling capacity according with current climatic conditions, and a relatively stable range of cooling capacity consumed to further reduce air temperature from a certain threshold temperature to the final outlet temperature. It is quite obvious that a stable range of heat load can be ensured within operating a conventional compressor in a mode close to the nominal mode while precooling the ambient air with significant fluctuations in heat load requires regulation of the cooling capacity through the use of a variable speed compressor. Thus, in response of the behavior of the change in current heat loads, any air conditioning system, whether the central air-conditioning system with its heat procession in a central air conditioner, or a combination thereof with a local recirculation system of indoor air, essentially consists of two subsystems: pre-cooling the ambient air and then cooling it to the set point temperature. The proposed method of distribution of design heat load depending on the behavior of the current heat load is useful for the rational design of central air conditioning systems and their combined versions with the local air conditioning system.