Dynamic simulation on operating modes of ejector in transcritical CO2 ejector expansion refrigeration cycles

Abstract

This article proposes an ejector model based on the real properties of CO2, which includes the critical mode and sub-critical mode (the critical mode means the primary and suction flows are both choked, and the sub-critical mode refers to only the primary flow choking). Moreover, a dynamic model of the transcritical CO2 ejector expansion refrigeration cycle is developed to simulate system responses at different ejector operational modes. The prediction results by the ejector model and system model are compared with available experimental data, respectively. Furthermore, the dynamic responses of the ejector expansion refrigeration cycle based on the entire ejector model are compared with those predicted upon the ejector model only with critical mode. The present results show the entrainment ratio provided by the ejector model coincides well with the experimental data, and most data lie within ±10% error. The system model predicts the gas cooler pressure and evaporator pressure with errors of 1.8% and 4.2% for the measured results, respectively. Moreover, the pressure and mass flow rates of the system based on the ejector model only with critical mode are higher than that by the entire ejector model. The proposed model is useful to predict performances accurately and conduct dynamic analysis reasonably.