Recirculating carbon dioxide refrigeration unit for freezing food

Abstract

The article describes the development process of a refrigeration unit using carbon dioxide as a refrigerant. A feature of the plant is the possibility of recirculating carbon dioxide. The authors substantiate the use of the natural substance CO2 as a refrigerant and consider the prospects for using the refrigerant R744. The efficiency of the cycle of a one-stage subcritical refrigeration unit is analyzed. The authors have designed a recirculating carbon dioxide refrigeration unit based on the traditional subcritical cycle. The essential and auxiliary components of the refrigeration machine were presented and described. The developed scheme allows freezing food products by direct contact of the product with snow-like carbon dioxide. After that, the sublimation process takes place in the freezing chamber and the gas-liquid mixture is sent through the liquid separator for recirculation. The article describes the operation of the system diagram, the principle of operation, and the purpose of the elements of automation and regulation.