Performance study on a mechanical vapor compression evaporation system driven by Roots compressor. (October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hong, Housheng; Li, Wei; Gu, Chengzhen
• Is Part Of: International journal of heat and mass transfer. Volume 125(2018)
• Page Start: 343
• Page End: 349
• Publication Date: 2018-10
• Subjects: MVC -- Evaporation rate -- SMER -- Power consumption -- Roots compressor; Heat -- Transmission -- Periodicals; Mass transfer -- Periodicals; Chaleur -- Transmission -- Périodiques; Transfert de masse -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 621.4022
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2018.03.098
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0017-9310

Abstract

Highlights: A mechanical vapor compression test platform driven by Roots compressor was set. The mathematical model of evaluating mechanical vapor compression system was established. Evaporation rate, Specific Moisture Extraction Rate and power consumption was measured in this paper. The performance of mechanical vapor compression was analyzed by changing factors. Abstract: The thermal performance of a mechanical vapor compression (MVC) system was investigated. This work presented describes the mathematical and experimental study of the MVC system, focusing on mathematical models that were established based on the energy and mass balance equations as well as correlations of the thermophysical properties and heat-transfer coefficients. As a result, a MVC experimental platform, which can handle 100 kg/h evaporation rate was designed, with a falling film evaporator heater area of 10 m 2 . A Root compressor was selected as a vapor compressor, utilizing a power of 18 kw. This paper has studied the feed temperature, evaporation pressure, compressor speed and vapor pressure increment effect on evaporation rate, Specific Moisture Extraction Rate (SMER) and power consumption, as to evaluate the MVC system performance. It was found that feed temperature reach the optimal conditions for saturated liquids. Evaporation pressure should be controlled in low level to ensure that SMER can reach high values and it was furthermore observed that the compressor speed determines the evaporation rate whilst SMER variations showed very subtle effects.