Project Report on
Closed Joule-Thompson
Cycle
Submitted By: Submitted To:
Bhuvanyu Sc. Abhishek Dixit
Prince
Jatin
Kabir
THEORY
The Joule–Thomson cycle for gases like nitrogen or argon is an
adiabatic throttling process where the gas expands through a
valve at constant enthalpy. Both nitrogen and argon cool upon
expansion at room temperature because they are below their
inversion temperature. This cooling effect is exploited in
liquefaction plants and cryogenic systems, where nitrogen and
argon are commonly stored as liquids for industrial and scientific
use. Unlike ideal gases, these real gases show a measurable
temperature drop during expansion, making the Joule–Thomson
effect vital in refrigeration and gas separation technologies.
Compressor Calculation:
3 Compression Stages (from 1 bar to 150 bar) + Booster (from 150 bar to 300 bar)
Compressor Train:
Pi = 1bar, Po = 150 bar, Ti = 27 °C/ 300 K
Stage Pressure => Pressure Ratio = (150/1)1/3 = 1500.33 = 5.31 (for each compression stage)
Compression Stage 1:
Po = 1bar, Tin = 27 °C/ 300 K
P1 = Pressure Ratio × Po = 5.31 × 1
P1 = 5.31 bar
Tout = Tin × (Pout / Pin) (Y-1)/Y [ Y = 1.3] {Gas}
Tout = 300 × (5.31) 0.3/1.3 = 441 K = 167.85 °C
Water – Intercooler Stage 1:
The obtained temperature is decreased using chilled water at 15 – 20 °C,
through which, the temperature is decreased to around 30 °C. Similar procedure
is used for all other stages as well.
Compression Stage 2:
Pin = 5.31 bar
Tin = 30 °C = 303 K
Pout = 5.31 × 5.31 = 28.196 bar
Tout = 303 × (28.196 / 5.31)0.3/1.3
Tout = 445.42 K = 172.27 °C
Water-intercooler Stage 2:
Similarly at the end of the first compression stage, the temperature is cooled
using the chilled water, back down to 30°C.
Compression Stage 3:
Pin = 28.196 bar
Tin = 30 °C = 303 K
Pout = 28.196 × 5.31 = 149.72 bar ~ 150 bar
Tout = 303 × (149.72 / 28.196)0.3/1.3
Tout = 445.42 K = 172.27 °C
Water–intercooler Stage 3:
The temperature of the vapour is reduced from 172 °C to 30 °C using chilled
water.
Gas Booster:
Pin = 150 bar
Tin = 30 °C = 303 K
Pout = 300 bar
Tout = 303 × (300 / 150)0.3/1.3
Tout = 355.56 K = 82.41 °C
After Cooler:
After the three compression stages and air boosting, the obtained vapour will
then be cooled using chilled water at 10 °C, so that the temperature drops down
to 20 °C.
Intercooler Length Calculations
i) Mass flow rate of gas = Nozzle diameter = 80 µm = 8×10-5 m
Nozzle Area = πd2/4 = π×(8×10-5)2/4 = 5.03×10-9 m2
Nozzle Inlet = T0 = 20 °C = 293.15 K
Po = 300 bar = 3×107 Pa
Y = 1.67 {Argon}
R = 208.13 J / kg K
mg = At ×Po× [Y × ((2 / Y+1) Y+1 / Y-1) / R×T0]1/2
mg = 5.03×10-9 × 3×107 × [1.67 × ((2 / 1.67+1) 1.67+1 / 1.67-1) / 208.13 × 293.15]1/2
mg = 7.15 g/s
Cpg = 0.52 kJ/ kg K {Argon}
Tin = 172.6 °C, Tout = 30 °C, ΔTg = 142.6 °C
Chilled Water: Tin = 10 °C, Cpw = 4.184 kJ / kg K
mw = 2 litre / min = 2 / 60 = 0.033 kg / s
Q = mg × Cpg × ΔTg = mw × Cpw × ΔTw
= 0.00715 × 0.52 × 142.6 = 0.033 kW
=> 0.033 = 0.033 × 4.184 × (Tout - Tin)
=> Tout = 14°C
Q = U A ΔT => Total Heat Load for Intercooler
Re = Ρ V di / µ = 4 mtot / π di µ
µ = 2.7 × 10-5 Pa-s, di = 0.00457 m, do = 0.00635 m
Re = 4 × 0.00715 / π × 0.00457 × 2.7 × 10-5 = 73700 (Turbulent)
Nu = 0.023 (Re)0.8 (Pr)0.3
Pr = M Cp / K = 2.7 × 10-5 × 0.52 × 103 / 0.025 = 0.67 {k = 0.025 of Argon}
Nu = 0.023 (73700)0.8 (0.67)0.3 = 159.4, hg = Nu k / di
= 159.4 × 0.025 / 0.00457 = 872 W / m2 k
Water: 2 litre / min = 2 / 1000×60 = 3.33 × 10-5 m3 / s
Tubing: Di = 12mm, do = 0.00635 mm, A = π (Di2 – do2) / 4 = 8.143 × 10-5 m2
Vw = V / A = 3.33 × 10-5 / 8.143 × 10-5 = 0.41 m/s
Rew = Ρ V di / µ = 1000 × 0.41 × 0.012 / 0.00123 = 3413 (Laminar)
Prw = M Cp / k = 0.00123 × 4184 / 0.582 = 8.85
Nuw =0.6 (Rew)0.8 (Prw)0.3 = 71.86
hw = Nuw × kw / Di = 71.86 × 0.582 / 0.012 = 4182 W / m3 K
1 / u = 2 × (1/hg – 1/hw) = 2 × (1/872 – 1/4182) = 2 / 721.5
u = 397 W / m3 K
ΔTem = (ΔT1 – ΔT2) / ln (ΔT1 / ΔT2) = ((172.6 – 13.8) – (30-10)) / ln ((172.6 – 13.8) / (30-10)) = 67 °C
Q = U A ΔTem => A = Q / U ΔTem = 0.53 / 0.397 × 67 = 0.0199 m2
L = A / π × do = 0.0199 / / π × 0.00635 = 100cm {All watercoolers of same length)
Helical Wiring, let radius be 50mm = 0.05m
N = 1 / π × 0.05 = 6.4 Turns
Aftercooler design: Tin = 82.6 °C, Tout = 20 °C, ΔTg = Tm – Tout 62.6 °C
Q = mg × Cpg × ΔTg = 0.00715 × 0.52 × 62.6 = 232.7 W
Chilled Water: 2 litre / min = 0.033 kg / s
Tin = 10 °C, Tout = 2 °C
ΔTw = Q / mw × Cpw = 0.2327 / 0.033 × 4.184 = 1.7 °C
Tout = Tin + 1. 7 °C = 12 °C
Q =U A ΔTem
ΔT1 = 70.9 °C, ΔT2 = 10 °C
ΔTem = (ΔT1 – ΔT2) / ln (ΔT1 / ΔT2) = (70.9 – 10) / ln (70.9 / 10)
A = 0.2327 / 0.39 × 31.1 = 0.0192 m2
L = A / π × do = 0.0192 / / π × 0.00635 = 96 cm (Aftercooler length)
Turns (r = 0.05 cm) = 0.96 / π × 0.05 = 6.1 turns
CONCLUSION
The Joule-Thompson Effect is verified and open J-T cycle
has been converted into a closed J-T cycle.