Simulation and Evaluation on the Dynamic Performance of a Cryogenic Turbo-Based Reverse Brayton Refrigerator

Abstract

In this study, a cryogenic turbo-based refrigerator, with high-speed foil gas bearing turboexpander and plate-fin heat exchanger, was presented. For the cooling process of a cryogenic refrigerator is long and complex, the efficient simulation of the dynamic performance is vital for its evaluation and operation. It is difficult to achieve this purpose. Because the cryogenic refrigerator will go through great temperature changes, resulting in dynamic performances of components going to complexity. In this article, the turboexpander was simulated using CFX, and the matching models with expansion works of consumption and utilization were unified and modified. With numerical calculation of heat exchanger, the dynamic simulation model of the refrigerator was improved via MATLAB code. The calculation method of the required input energy of the refrigerator in cooling processes was proposed based on the simulation and integration. The energy efficiency and economy cost of the refrigerator were evaluated under different operation modes. The refrigerator with a motor was more stable than the one with a blower. The refrigerator was tested under different conditions, the results of which agreed well with simulation data. The simulation method is efficient to serve practical applications, improve energy efficiency and reduce costs.

Black-Box Mathematical Modeling and Heuristic Optimizing of Hampson-Linde Cycle Based on Joule-Thomson Effect and Ohm’s Law for Thermal Circuits

“…All values resulting from the particle swarm optimization algorithm are listed below in Table 2. Comparing the obtained characteristics and results with studies mentioned in [20] even with the limitation, which will be further discussed within the next section, result were comparable to cryogenic coolers using all or any Brayton cycle, Claude and Kapitz cycle. Figures 17 and 18 show a characteristic that opposed external heat transfer (non adiabatic gas expansion) and an adiabatic gas expansion temperature characteristic.…”

Experimental and numerical analysis to predict the performance of a turboexpander at cryogenic temperature

“…Zhao et al 11 carried out the experimental analysis to measure the performance of the radial turbine used in the reversed Brayton cycle‐based air refrigerator. Yang et al 12‐14 studied the dynamic behavior of a reverse Brayton cycle‐based turboexpander system. A transient cooling model has been proposed to investigate the performance of the refrigerator at different operating conditions.…”

Influence of Frost Growth and Migration in Cryogenic Heat Exchanger on Air Refrigerator

“…The cryogenic heat exchanger is a very important equipment in low temperature equipment. It not only affects the economy of the cryogenic equipment, but also affects the possibility of process realization [5][6][7][8].…”

“…Much research has been conducted on plate-fin heat exchanger both theoretically and experimentally. Yang et al [8] simulated the dynamic performance of a cryogenic heat exchanger under different energy utilization modes using the numerical method. Kays and London et al [9] specialized in the experimental study of compact surface, and their famous literature contained the experimental data of 56 types of plate fin surface.…”