Idalex Refrigerant Condenser
Idalex Refrigerant Condenser for
Air Conditioners, Refrigerators and Freezers
Results and Benefits
The test of the first prototype Idalex refrigerant condenser in July 2003 increased the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of a standard residential air-conditioner from a 7.55 to an 11.9 (a 57% increase). This one pass prototype, that was built for a residential A/C system with little modeling or optimization, had results better than anything on the market today. It also proved that the Maisotsenko Cycle can cool any fluid at any pressure.
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Lee Gillan (left) and Dr. Valeriy |
The Idalex Refrigerant Condenser uses the Maisotsenko Cycle and provides more benefits than those delivered by large industrial evaporative condensers without the mineral build-up drawback. In addition the Idalex system is scaleable for use in industrial, commercial, freezing, residential and micro-computer applications.
These improvements will allow existing system manufacturers the flexibility to reduce the size of the compressor which will further reduce the amount of power consumed. Another benefit is the dramatic reduction in air flow requirements, which allows for a much smaller fan on the condenser. This noise reduction benefit is very apparent in medium to high density residential applications such as apartments and condominiums.
Road to Production
Idalex Condenser Team member, Norm Costello1 developed detailed modeling software with technical assistance provided by Lee Gillan. This simulation software has allowed us to model and predict results without building an actual unit.
The software was used to optimize the design of the second prototype with a two pass system, which is being built.
The Idalex Refrigerant Condenser Concept
The
Idalex refrigerant condenser uses the Maisotsenko cycle, water and ambient
air to cool a product stream (refrigerant). The working air stream,
which is exhausted from the system, is used to cool the fluid. The
working air passes through the condenser, which consists of sections of wet
and dry channels, incrementally cooling the fluid both sensibly and
evaporatively.
In a vapor compression cooling system, the compressor discharges the super heated, high-pressure refrigerant into the condenser. The condenser then rejects this heat, allowing the refrigerant to undergo a phase change from vapor to liquid. The colder the fluid, the lower the vapor pressure, which requires less work by the compressor, reducing the amount of energy required.
Thus, the operating efficiency for an air conditioner is higher based on the effectiveness of the condenser.
Condenser Comparison
There are 5 main types of condensers:
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Air-cooled condensers are the most common and least efficient.
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Recycled water-cooled condensers are more efficient than air-cooled condensers because they can operate at much lower temperatures. However the limiting factor for these water-cooled systems is the ideal wet bulb temperature of the surrounding air. The water must cycle through a cooling tower to reject the heat gained during the condensation process. In general, a cooling tower can only cool the water to within 7°F of the wet bulb temperature of the outside air. These systems are common in commercial and industrial applications.
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Evaporative-cooled condensers according to ASHRAE: “Evaporative condensers typically provide lower condensing temperatures than the cooling tower/water cooled condenser because the heat and mass transfer steps (between the refrigerant and the cooling water and between the water and ambient air) are more efficiently combined in a single piece of equipment, allowing minimum sensible heating of the cooling water.2”
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Maisotsenko Cycle-condensers, as detailed in this text, provide lower condensing temperatures than evaporative cooled condensers by employing evaporation through the Maisotsenko cycle.
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Non-recycled, water-cooled condensers are used when there is a constant source of cool water available such as from a lake, stream or artesian well. These condensers can be the most efficient if the water source remains cool throughout the summer.
The industry’s efforts to improve the efficiency of a condenser have focused on increasing its surface area. The perfect condenser -- one that condenses the refrigerant or steam at the ambient air temperature -- would be massive and impractical. The Idalex Refrigerant Condenser provides the energy efficiency gains the industry is seeking and does so while reducing the size of the condenser.
Click here to contact Idalex regarding their refrigerant condenser.
References
1. Idalex Refrigerant Condenser team member Norm Costello is a Technical Engineering consultant specializing in Heat Transfer. Mr. Costello spent 16 years with Modine Manufacturing Company, where he served as the Manager of New Products and Senior Technical Advisor, Research and Development for nearly 10 of the 16 years. Questions regarding this software or its performance abilities can be addressed to Mr. Costello at norm@InstinctCode.com.
2. 2000 American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning (ASHRAE) Handbook, HVAC Systems and Equipment pg.35.14 .
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