Dimensionamento e seleção de equipamentos para um sistema de refrigeração de um supermercado utilizando fluidos refrigerantes naturais

Abstract

The present work of completion of course work, in Mechanical Engineering, focuses on the design and selection of equipment for the refrigeration system of a supermarket. The system is designed to service the preservation and freezing of perishable products. The same has as innovation the use of natural alternative fluids. A few years ago, refrigeration and air conditioning systems have been forced to undergo changes with respect to the refrigerants used by them. And the reason for these changes is concern for the environment, because of the impacts that the more popular synthetic refrigerants have been causing. These are the destruction of the ozone layer and the so-called greenhouse effect. In light of this, natural refrigerants have emerged as an alternative. These fluids are generated through natural biochemical processes, so they do not pose a risk to the ozone layer and have very low or no contribution rates to the greenhouse effect when compared to synthetic fluids. As much as they have been partially abandoned in the past, the technological level of the present day allows them to be used more efficiently and safely. CO2 and NH3 are two fluids that deserve special mention, especially when it comes to applications in the supermarket sector. Something already well consolidated in Europe and that has been growing here in Brazil. The characteristics of these fluids allow their implementation in a cascade-type cooling cycle, this type of arrangement alleviates safety problems, but is also quite efficient. Allowing the system to reach even or even higher COPs than systems using more traditional fluids.