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Increase in efficiency due to ejectors
The first integration of ejectors* in a transcritical CO2 refrigeration system took place more than six years ago. A pilot installation built in 2013 in the supermarket Migros Bulle (canton of Freiburg) illustrates that with ejectors, an increase in efficiency up to 15% can be reached. One year after the successful implementation of the refrigeration system in Bulle, the concept has been developed further and was applied in two identical refrigeration systems in the shopping centre “Mythencenter” in Ibach (canton of Schwyz). Due to additional adaptions (i.a. installation of two additional ejectors) the system reached an increase in efficiency of 25% compared to regular refrigeration systems. This success gained attention in the refrigeration sector. Since then, new concepts and components by manufacturers of components, controls and valves are presented at fairs and conferences continuously. All known manufacturers in the CO2 technique tried to provide a corresponding solution for the increased demand.
The journey continues
To this day, the integration of ejectors in refrigeration systems has been established internationally. Notable manufacturers of valves and controls provide ready-to-use solutions for the installers.Nevertheless, this is not the end of the journey yet. Optimizations in the control strategies and additional integration possibilities for air-conditioning, heat pumps and integral systems are only one of the opportunities where ejectors contribute for optimization of systems. Since the first integration of ejectors in transcritical CO2 systems 6 years ago, there were over 250 ejector systems commissioned successfully.
The ejector is kind of a pump, driven by pressure differences in the system, without any need of electrical energy. The CO2 is flowing with high pressure through the nozzle A and pumps CO2 from low pressure B to a higher pressure C. The ejector allows a pressure lift from B to C, whose effect remained unused so far.