Abstract: In this paper, a novel system using direct contact heat transfer between air and water solution was proposed to generate ice slurry. The heat transfer process and the system performance were studied; energy efficiency coefficients of 0.038, 0.053, and 0.064 were obtained using different solutions. An empirical relationship between the volumetric heat transfer coefficient U_v and the main parameters was obtained by fitting the experimental data. The U_v calculated from the empirical formula agreed with the experimental U_v quite well with a relative error of less than 15%. Based on the empirical formula, a laboratory-scale direct contact ice slurry generator was then constructed, with practical application in mind. If the air flow rate is fixed at 200 m³/h, the ice production rate will be 0.091 kg/min. The experimental results also showed that the cold energy consumption of the air compressor accounted for more than half of the total amount. To improve the system energy efficiency coefficient, it is necessary to increase the air pipes insulation and the solution’s thermal capacity, and also it is appropriate to utilize the free cold energy of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Key words: Ice slurry, Generator, Air and water solution, Direct contact, Volumetric heat transfer coefficient, Liquefied natural gas (LNG)

Please provide your name, email address and a comment

Your Name: Affili: E-Mail Address:

Comment (Please comment in English):


Verification Code(click to change a pic):