With on-going developments in the field of trans-critical carbon dioxide (R-744) vapour compression cycles, a need to effectively describe the heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide for application in larger diameter tube-in-tube heat exchangers was identified. This study focuses on the in-tube cooling of supercritical carbon dioxide for application in the gas cooler of a trans-critical heat pump. A literature study has revealed Nusselt number correlations specifically developed for the cooling of supercritical carbon dioxide. These correlations were proven to be accurate only for certain operating conditions and tube geometries. A shortcoming identified in the reviewed literature was a generic heat transfer correlation that can be applied over a wide range of fluid conditions for supercritical carbon dioxide cooling. The objective of this study was to compare experimental data obtained from a trans-critical heat pump with different Nusselt number correlations available in literature. The experimental tube diameter used for this study (16mm), was considerably larger than the validated tube diameters used by the researchers who developed Nusselt number correlations specifically for the supercritical cooling of carbon dioxide. The experimental Reynolds number (Re) ranges (350’000 - 680’000) were very high compared to the studies found in the literature (< 300’000), due to the test section from this study forming part of a complete heat pump cycle. Experimental results showed that correlations specifically developed for supercritical carbon dioxide cooling generally over-predicts experimental Nusselt numbers (Nuexp) with an average relative error of 62% to 458% and subsequently also over-predicts the convection heat transfer coefficient. Furthermore, generic heat transfer correlations were compared to the experimental results which over-predicted the Nuexp with an average relative error between 20% and 45% over the entire Re number range. More specifically, the correlation by Dittus & Boelter (1985) correlated with an average relative error of 9% for 350’000 < Re < 550’000. From the results of this study it was concluded that cooling heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide in larger tube diameters at higher Re numbers is more accurately predicted by the generic Dittus & Boelter (1985) and Gnielinski (1975) correlations mainly due to the absence of thermo-physical property ratios as seen in the CO2-specific correlations. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

With on-going developments in the field of trans-critical carbon dioxide (R-744) vapour compression cycles, a need to effectively describe the heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide for application in larger diameter tube-in-tube heat exchangers was identified. This study focuses on the in-tube cooling of supercritical carbon dioxide for application in the gas cooler of a trans-critical heat pump. A literature study has revealed Nusselt number correlations specifically developed for the cooling of supercritical carbon dioxide. These correlations were proven to be accurate only for certain operating conditions and tube geometries. A shortcoming identified in the reviewed literature was a generic heat transfer correlation that can be applied over a wide range of fluid conditions for supercritical carbon dioxide cooling. The objective of this study was to compare experimental data obtained from a trans-critical heat pump with different Nusselt number correlations available in literature. The experimental tube diameter used for this study (16mm), was considerably larger than the validated tube diameters used by the researchers who developed Nusselt number correlations specifically for the supercritical cooling of carbon dioxide. The experimental Reynolds number (Re) ranges (350’000 - 680’000) were very high compared to the studies found in the literature (< 300’000), due to the test section from this study forming part of a complete heat pump cycle. Experimental results showed that correlations specifically developed for supercritical carbon dioxide cooling generally over-predicts experimental Nusselt numbers (Nuexp) with an average relative error of 62% to 458% and subsequently also over-predicts the convection heat transfer coefficient. Furthermore, generic heat transfer correlations were compared to the experimental results which over-predicted the Nuexp with an average relative error between 20% and 45% over the entire Re number range. More specifically, the correlation by Dittus & Boelter (1985) correlated with an average relative error of 9% for 350’000 < Re < 550’000. From the results of this study it was concluded that cooling heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide in larger tube diameters at higher Re numbers is more accurately predicted by the generic Dittus & Boelter (1985) and Gnielinski (1975) correlations mainly due to the absence of thermo-physical property ratios as seen in the CO2-specific correlations. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This thesis theoretically and experimentally investigates different aspects of the application of CO2 in supermarket refrigeration. Theoretical analysis has been performed using computer simulation models developed to simulate CO2 indirect, NH3/CO2 cascade, CO2 trans-critical and direct expansion (DX) R404A systems. The models supported the selection of the CO2 system solutions to be tested experimentally and facilitated the design of NH3/CO2 cascade and trans-critical systems test rigs. Performance evaluation and systems’ optimizations have also been carried out. In order to verify the findings of the theoretical analysis an experimental evaluation has been performed whereby a scaled-down medium size supermarket has been built in a laboratory environment. NH3/CO2 cascade and trans-critical systems have been tested and compared to a conventional R404A system installed in the same laboratory environment. Experimental findings have been compared to the computer simulation models. In supermarket refrigeration applications, safety is a major concern because of the large number of people that might be affected in the event of leakage. Therefore, a computer simulation model has been developed to perform calculations of the resulting concentration levels arising from different scenarios for leakage accidents in the supermarket. The model has been used to validate some of the risks associated with using CO2 in the application of supermarket refrigeration. Results of the experiments and the computer simulation models showed good agreement and suggest that the NH3/CO2 cascade system is a more efficient solution than the analyzed conventional ones for supermarket refrigeration. On the other hand, CO2 trans-critical solutions have efficiencies comparable to the conventional systems analyzed, with potential for improvements in the trans-critical systems. From a safety point of view, the analysis of the calculations’ results clearly shows that using CO2 in supermarket refrigeration does not create exceptional health risks for customers and workers in the shopping area. Studies conducted in this thesis prove that the CO2 systems investigated are efficient solutions for supermarket refrigeration. / QC 20100909

Behrn Arena in Örebro, Sweden, is an ice rink facility where the company is interested in ways of improving their current energy system in terms of energy efficiency. Currently, district cooling is purchased to reclaim the waste heat from the ice rink refrigeration system, which is further used as a heat source for local district heating distributor. In return, the cost of district heating is reduced. A techno-economic analysis was conducted where the current refrigeration and heating system in Behrn Arena was compared to three different scenarios. These were defined as the current refrigeration system with improved performance, the most common ice rink heating and refrigeration system in Sweden, and an ice rink with a trans-critical CO2-refrigeration system with heat recovery. Furthermore, alternatives to how the reclaimed heat may be utilized were investigated from an economic point of view. This included using the heat internally in the facility or selling the heat to a district heating distributor. From this study it was concluded that the current refrigeration system using district cooling as a heat sink, with the cost reductions, had a lower cost of operation relative to the typical ice rink in Sweden. Furthermore, a CO2-refrigeration system running in trans-critical operating conditions with two-stage heat recovery has potential of reducing the seasonal cost of energy of the current system with regards to heating and cooling by approximately 50 %. At the same time the heating demand coverage will be up to 89.5 %. Finally, selling heat to a district heating distributor proved to be unfavourable from a prosumer perspective if the waste heat could be utilised internally by the facility. / Behrn Arena i Örebro är en isrinkanläggning där intresse från fastighetsägaren finns för att förbättra det nuvarande energisystemet för ökad energieffektivitet. Det nuvarande systemet återvinner spillvärmen från kylaggregaten via det lokala fjärrkylanätet genom att anläggningen köper fjärrkyla. Spillvärmen används sedan som värmekälla för en värmepump som vidare distribuerar fjärrvärme. Ersättningen för att köpa fjärrkylan är en prissänkning av vad fastighetsägaren betalar för fjärrvärme. En teknoekonomisk analys genomfördes med syfte att jämföra det nuvarande kyloch värmesystemet med tre olika scenarier. Dessa definierades som en mer energieffektiv version av det nuvarande kylsystemet, det vanligaste kyl- och energisystemet för isrinkar i Sverige samt ett system för transkritiskt CO2 och värmeåtervinning i två steg. Därtill undersöktes olika alternativ för hur spillvärmen kan användas, till exempel genom att använda den internt eller sälja den till en fjärrvärmesdistributör. Från denna studie framkom det att det nuvarande kylsystemet med fjärrkyla som värmesänka, inklusive kostnadsreduktionen av fjärrvärme, hade en lägre driftkostnad jämfört med den typiska isrinken i Sverige. Därutöver finns potential att reducera driftenergikostnaden av det nuvarande energisystemet med avseende på kyla och värme med cirka 50 % genom att nyttja ett kylsystem med värmeåtervinning i två steg och en transkritisk kylcykel med CO2. Samtidigt uppgår täckningen av värmebehovet till 89,5 %. Slutligen framkom det att sälja spillvärme till en fjärrvärmedistributör är ekonomiskt ofördelaktigt om det finns ett värmebehov inom fastigheten.