Booster ejector

Hpm— Ejector, booster, etc. —dlJllED— Durion-type mixer... 

A represents mechanical pump or steam ejector B, booster pump D, cryo, turbomolecular, sorption, ion, or trapped diffusion pumps. 

The condenser design, surface area, and condenser cooling water quantity should be based on the highest cooling water temperature likely to be encountered, if the inlet cooling water temperature becomes hotter then the design, the primaiy booster (ejector) may cease functioning because of the increase in condenser pressure. 

Steam pressure. The main boosters can operate on steam pressures from as low as 0,15 bar up to 7 bar gauge. The quantity of steam required increases rapidly as the steam pressure drops (Fig, 11-106), The best steam rates are obtained with about 7 bar. Above this pressure the change in quantity of steam required is prac tically negligible. Ejectors must be designed for the highest available steam pressure, to take advantage of the lower steam consumption for various steam-inlet pressures. 

Capacity Control The simplest way to regulate the capacity of most steam vacuum refrigeration systems is to furnish several primary boosters in parallel and operate only those required to handle the heat load. It is not uncommon to have as many as four main boosters on larger units for capacity variation. A simple automatic on-off type of control may be used for this purpose. By sensing the chilled-water temperature leaving the flash tank, a controller can turn steam on and off to each ejector as required. 

Figure 6-7A. Flow diagram of three-stage ejector wHh counter-current barometric booster condenser and intercondenser. By permission, ingersoll-Rand Co.

An evacuation booster or hogging ejector is sometimes used to remove air from a system on start-ups. Its capacity is set to bring the system pressure down to near operating conditions before the continuous operadng ejector system takes over. Figure 6-23 illustrates the instal-ladon of such a unit. 

Steam jet thermocompressors or steam boosters are used to boost or raise the pressure of low pressure steam to a pressure intermediate bettveen this and the pressure of the motive high pressure steam. These are useful and economical when the steam balance allows the use of the necessary pressure levels. The reuse of exhaust steam from turbines is frequently encountered. The principle of operation is the same as for other ejectors. The position of the nozzle with respect to the diffuser is critical, and care must be used to properly posidon all gaskets, etc. The thermal efficiency is high as the only heat loss is due to radiation [5]. 

In general, the number of boosters determines the operational flexibility of the unit with respect to the refrigeration load. A single booster unit operates continuously, regardless of load. A two booster unit can operate at 50% load by shutting off one unit at lower load levels it uses a pressure controller on the steam actuated by the condenser pressure. Because jets are not usually very flexible with respect to steam consumption and vacuum, load control may be in increments as compared to continuous variation. If a 100-ton unit is expected to operate an appreciable portion of the time at 25% of load, it may prove economical to install a four-booster unit and to operate only one for this period. Auxiliary ejectors remove uncondensed water vapor and air from the main condenser. 

The booster ejectors are usually of steel plate (or cast) with Monel steam nozzles. 

Installation arrangements, 351 Pump-down time, 380 Selection procedure, 374 Specification form, 377 Specifications, 373 Steam jet comparison, 356 Types of loads, 359 Ejectors, 346 Applications, 353 Barometric condenser, 249, 376 Booster, 370 Calculations Actual air capacity, 362 Air equivalent, 360... 

FIG. 10-99 Booster ejector with multiple steam nozzles. 

Following the condensing section, and depending on the utility situation at the plant site, either a liquid ring vacuum pump or a two-stage steam jet with an intercondenser is used. A booster ejector is not required to maintain the vacuum level required for evaporation. 

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