Master's Thesis

Absorption Refrigeration System

Utilizing Engine Exhaust Gas for Bulk Gas Carriers




( Kim, Ki-hong)

School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Systems Engineering,
Division of Ocean Systems Engineering

KAIST

2011










Absorption Refrigeration System
Utilizing Engine Exhaust Gas for Bulk Gas Carriers
















Absorption Refrigeration System
Utilizing Engine Exhaust Gas for Bulk Gas Carriers
Advisor : Professor Daejun Chang

by
Kim, Ki-hong
Division of Ocean Systems Engineering
KAIST
A thesis submitted to the faculty of KAIST in partial fulfillment of the re-
quirements for the degree of Master of Science and Engineering in the School
of Mechanical, Aerospace and Systems Engineering, Division of Ocean Sys-
tems Engineering. The study was conducted in accordance with Code of Re-
search Ethics
1



2010. 12. 20
Approved by
Professor Chang, Daejun
(Seal or signature)

1
Declaration of Ethical Conduct in Research: I, as a graduate student of KAIST, hereby declare that I have not
committed any acts that may damage the credibility of my research. These include, but are not limited to: falsi-
fication, thesis written by someone else, distortion of research findings or plagiarism. I affirm that my thesis
contains honest conclusions based on my own careful research under the guidance of my thesis advisor.











.

2010 12 20










()

()

()




i

MOSE
20093048

. Kim, Ki-hong. Absorption Refrigeration System Utilizing Engine Ex-
haust Gas for Bulk Gas Carriers.
. School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Systems Engineer-
ing, Division of Ocean Systems Engineering. 2011. 47 p. Advisor Prof. Chang,
Daejun.


ABSTRACT
This study demonstrated the feasibility of an absorption refrigeration system (ARS) that is capable of utiliz-
ing the engine exhaust gas of bulk gas carriers as the heat source and generating cooling source either for reli-
quefaction of the boil-off gas or for heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC). The ARS employed an
NH
3
/H
2
O mixture as the refrigerant solution. The process was designed and simulated using the properties of
the exhaust gas from the commercially available engines. The coefficient of performance increased with the
temperature of the generated cooling source. A decrease in the engine load resulted in a decrease in the ex-
haust flow rate and, consequently, in a decrease in the cooling capacity. Although the exhaust temperature
reached its minimum near the normal continuous rating, the dependence of the cooling capacity on the engine
load was not significantly affected. A case study for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier verified that the re-
frigeration system afforded a sufficient cooling capacity to satisfy both the required work and the temperature
level needed for reliquefaction of the boil-off gas (BOG).

Keywords: absorption refrigeration; exhaust gas, waste heat, BOG reliquefaction; bulk gas carriers


















ii

Table of Contents
List of Figures ..................................................................................................... iii
List of Tables ....................................................................................................... iv
Nomenclature ....................................................................................................... v
Chapter 1. Introduction ...................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background ............................................................................................... 1
1.2 History of Absorption Refrigeration ......................................................... 2
1.3 Principle of Absorption Refrigeration....................................................... 3
1.4 Aims and objectives .................................................................................. 5
1.5 Literature Review ..................................................................................... 8
Chapter 2. System description and model ....................................................... 10
2.1 Concept of ARS utilizing engine exhaust gas ......................................... 10
2.2 Properties of engine exhaust gas ............................................................. 16
Chapter 3. Results and discussion .................................................................... 21
3.1 COP Vs. Cooling Source Temperature ................................................... 21
3.2 Cooling Source Capacity Vs. engine type .............................................. 24
3.3 Cooling Source Capacity Vs. Engine Load for a -30 Cooling Source
Temperature with 6S60MC6.1 ............................................................... 25
Chapter 4. Case Study ....................................................................................... 26
4.1 Reliquefaction system in LPG carrier ..................................................... 26
4.2 Reliquefaction system in LNG carrier .................................................... 29
4.3 Comparison with conventional systems ................................................. 32
Chapter 5. Conclusion ....................................................................................... 34
Reference ............................................................................................................ 36




iii


List of Figures

Figure 1. Principle of the absorption refrigeration ................................................ 4
Figure 2. Conceptual design of reliquefaction system utilizing ARS ................... 6
Figure 3. Schematic of ans ARS that utilizes engine exhaust gas ....................... 11
Figure 4. Process flow diagram of ans ARS utilizing engine exhaust gas .......... 12
Figure 5. Typical emissions from ans engine of ship .......................................... 16
Figure 6. Flow rate and temperature of exhaust gas vs. engine power [25] ........ 19
Figure 7. Exhaust gas temperature and flow rate vs. engine load for 6S60MC6.1 [25] 20
Figure 8. COP vs. cooling source temperature .................................................... 21
Figure 9. Cooling source capacity vs. engine type .............................................. 24
Figure 10. Cooling source capacity vs. engine load for a -30 cooling source temperature
with 6S60MC6.1 ................................................................................. 25
Figure 11. Conventional BOG of LPG reliquefaction system ............................. 26
Figure 12. BOG of LPG reliquefaction system with ARS .................................. 27
Figure 13. Conventional BOG of LNG reliquefaction system ............................ 29
Figure 14. BOG of LNG reliquefaction system with ARS .................................. 30
Figure 15. Comparison of the reliquefaction systems in conventional system and ARS
application (LPG) ............................................................................... 32
Figure 16. Comparison of the reliquefaction systems in conventional system and ARS
application (LNG) ............................................................................... 33




iv
List of Tables

Table 1. MTA and P values for process simulation ........................................... 13
Table 2. Simulation basis for an ARS ................................................................. 14
Table 3. Engine exhaust gas composition ........................................................... 17
Table 4. Engine power according to the carrier type, cargo capacity and engine type [24] 18
Table 5. Stream properties of an ARS (in Figure 4), producing a -30 cooling temperature
for a 6S60MC6.1 engine ..................................................................... 22
Table 6. Energy balance for the ARS in Table 4 ................................................. 23
Table 7. Capability of ARS for LPG carriers ...................................................... 28
Table 8. Capability ARS for LNG carriers .......................................................... 31


v
Nomenclature

ARS Absorption refrigeration system
BOG Boil-off gas
ESP Electrostatic precipitator
LNG Liquefied natural gas
LPLT Low-pressure, Low-temperature
m Mass flow rate, kg/h
MTA Minimum temperature approach
NCR Normal continuous rating
P Pressure, kPa
Q Heat flow rate, kW
Q
ARS
Cooling source generated by ARS, kW
Q
BOG
Cooling source required by BOG reliquefaction, kW
RHX Refrigerant heat exchanger
SHX Solution heat exchanger
SMCR Specified maximum continuous rating
T Temperature,
P Pressure drop, kPa

Subscripts

1, 2, 3, etc. systems point designation
abs absorber
con condenser
des desorber
ex engine exhaust gas
eva evaporator (cooling source)
in inlet
out outlet
p pump

- 1 -

Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1 Background
Various factors encourage efficiency and quality improvements in ship propulsion systems,
such as the high cost of fuel. Even though shipping remains an economic transport alternative,
fuel consumption is a leading cost component of the operating expenditure. Another factor is
regulation of the engine exhaust gas emissions. Polluting species such as SOx, NOx and par-
ticulate materials are regulated to stay below certain levels [1]. Much effort has been dedicat-
ed to improving the propulsion system. Leu and Huang. [2] investigated ways to enhance en-
gine efficiency and decrease polluting emissions using alternative fuels. Currently, even car-
bon dioxide (the inevitable byproduct of fossil fuel) is being seriously considered for emis-
sion regulation. It is expected that all regulations will become tougher in the future.

The engine exhaust gas is considered to be a potential source for improving the energy effi-
ciency of ships, due to the massive quantity produced and its elevated temperature level. A
popular solution is to generate steam with the hot exhaust gas. Most ships are equipped with
an apparatus, called the economizer, for this purpose. A heat recovery steam generator
(HRSG) can be used to extract even more energy (at higher expense), by absorbing both me-

- 2 -
chanical and thermal energy from the exhaust gas. There are two turbines in this system: an
exhaust gas expansion turbine and a steam turbine. The latter uses the steam generated by the
HRSG, whereas the former makes use of the boosted pressure of the exhaust gas exiting the
engine. While the flue gas is still hot after exiting the gas expansion turbine exhaust, it can be
further used to generate steam and to increase the total steam throughput. Shaft work from
the turbines is either used to generate electric power or connected to a propulsion shaft to re-
duce fuel consumption [3].

1.2 History of Absorption Refrigeration
The theory of absorption refrigeration was established in 1777 by Narine who was French.
Carre from France developed a NH
3
/H
2
O type of absorption refrigerator in 1860. In the Unit-
ed States, a H
2
O/LiCl type of absorption refrigerator was developed in 1929 and became
commercialize in 1945. After that, York, McQuay, Trane and Dunham-Bush put variable type
of absorption refrigerators on the market.
On the other hand, in Japan, a H2O/LiBr type of absorption refrigerator package was devel-
oped and utilized in industry and district heating and cooling system in 1958. Kawasaki
heavy industry developed a double effect type of absorption refrigerator in 1968, so the in-

- 3 -
itiative in the absorption refrigerator has gone over to Japan from the United States.
In Korea, Hyundai-Yanghang introduced a production technology of absorption refrigerator
and placed it on the market in 1975. Since then, Kyungwon Century co.,ltd produced and
put Hitachis the single effect type of absorption refrigerator and the double effect type one
on the market. In the past part of the 1980, in Korea, the natural gas as city gas came into
wide use. At that time, the absorption refrigerator market rapidly grew due to the rational
energy supply policy from Korean government and deterioration of the electrical power sit-
uation.

1.3 Principle of Absorption Refrigeration
The Absorption refrigeration differs from the more prevalent mechanical type of refrigera-
tion in that the power source is heat energy, rather than mechanical energy or electric energy.
The simplest absorption refrigerators are residential refrigerators, with a gas flame at the de-
sorber and no electric energy involved. Some absorption refrigerators are more complicated
and larger, but the basic principle is the same.


- 4 -


Figure 1. Principle of the absorption refrigeration

Figure 1 is principle of the absorption refrigeration. There are mainly four sub device,
which are the evaporator, absorber, desorber and condenser.
Firstly, in evaporator, the refrigerant exchanges heat with something (Q
H1
) to need cooling
source and the refrigerant becomes vapor phase owing to losing its latent heat. The vaporized
refrigerant is absorbed by the solution in absorber. When the solution starts to absorb, it cause
an exothermic reaction. So, the low temperature heat source (Q
L1
) assists the solution to ab-
sorb the more refrigerant by cooling the solution during exothermic reaction. The solution

- 5 -
that contains much refrigerant is called a dilute solution and it is unable to absorb the refrige-
rant. On the other word, the solution that has a little refrigerant is called a strong solution. So
obviously it can absorb the refrigerant.
In the desorber, the dilute solution separate into the strong solution and refrigerant by ex-
changing heat with the high temperature heat source (Q
H2
). Basically, this situation utilizes
difference in the boiling points of these fluids. The strong solution from the desorber returns
to the absorber and absorb the refrigerant continually. In the other word, the refrigerant go to
the condenser and exchange heat with low temperature heat source (Q
L2
), thereby becoming
liquid phase. Next, it pass through the expansion valve as a result of the Joule-Thomson ef-
fect, the refrigerant becomes a low-pressure, low-temperature (LPLT) mixture of liquid and
vapor. This circulation is repeated and the energy balance is following equation 1.


2 1 2 1 L L H H
Q Q Q Q (Equation 1)

1.4 Aims and objectives
One new means of utilizing the engine exhaust gas is the absorption refrigeration system
(ARS). Instead of generating shaft power, this system is able to produce a cooling source.

- 6 -
The ARS employs a mixture of NH
3
/H
2
O as the refrigerant solution. The hot engine exhaust
gas heats up the mixture and separates the refrigerant from the solution. After providing a
cooling source, the refrigerant is absorbed back into the solution.



Figure 2. Conceptual design of reliquefaction system utilizing ARS

As described above Figure 2, one application of the ARS is reliquefaction of boil-off gas
(BOG) from a cargo containment system of bulk gas carriers, such as LPG, LNG and CO
2

carriers. To improve safety and increase the cargo density, these carriers transport cargo at a
low temperature and low pressure. In spite of heavy insulation, external heat ingress is un-

- 7 -
avoidable while generating the BOG, which is then used as propulsion fuel or reliquefied at
the expense of electric power consumption.

For the ARS, reliquefaction of the BOG delivers heat energy recovered from the exhaust gas
directly to the cooling source, whereas the HRSG-based system needs to convert the generat-
ed electric energy to the shaft work for the compressors of the reliquefaction system. As a
result, the former system is simpler and more compact than the latter system if the carrier
transports low-temperature liquefied gas cargo.

There are a couple of alternatives for the refrigerant mixture. A NH
3
/H
2
O solution is the
primary choice for the BOG reliquefaction system for bulk gas carriers. A H
2
O/LiBr solution
provides a higher level of efficiency, but using water as the refrigerant imposes some limita-
tions because the freezing point of water is relatively high at moderate pressure. Conversely,
an ARS using NH
3
is capable of generating a cooling source down to -33 at 1 bar.



- 8 -
1.5 Literature Review
Several studies have explored the possibility of applying an ARS to gas processing with va-
riable power sources. Colonna and Gabrielli. [4] studied an ARS system that utilized waste
heat from a power plant and used the cooling source for various applications, such as the
food, pharmaceutical and ice production industries. Jo et al. [5] proposed an ARS that uti-
lized LNG cold energy as the cooling source. Kalinowski et al. [6] applied an ARS to extract
heat from gas turbines and pre-cool the feed gas for LNG recovery processes. The ARS pro-
posed by Bruno et al. [7] utilized the exhaust gas from a biogas-driven micro gas turbine for
cooling and to reduce the humidity of the combustion air. Rossa and Bazzo. [8] studied a nat-
ural gas micro turbine that used an ARS to replace a natural gas burning system. Abu-Ein et
al. [9] analyzed the performance of an ARS that used solar power as the heat source.

Manzela et al. [10] studied the performance of an ARS that used engine exhaust gas with the
opening rate in the throttle valve of an exhaust gas pipe. Keisuke Takeshita et al. [11] expe-
rimentally evaluated a cogeneration system made up of three turbine systems and an ARS.

Several new ways to utilize an ARS have been proposed. Kang et al. [12] proposed an ener-
gy transportation system that utilized an ARS, the solution transportation absorption system,

- 9 -
whereas Xu et al. [13] proposed combining Rankine cycle with an absorption refrigeration
cycle. Vijayaraghavan et al. [14] attempted to improve the resource utilization efficiency in
the combined power and cooling cycle, and Liu et al. [15] proposed a novel NH
3
/H
2
O mix-
ture cycle to cogenerate power and refrigeration. Other researchers [16, 17] have analyzed
the ARS and properties of the NH
3
/H
2
O mixture.

There have been some investigations that have focused on optimizing the ARS. Chang [18]
optimized the heat transfer area for a refrigeration plant in a ship, and Zhao et al. [19] opti-
mized the combined compression refrigeration system and the ARS using a NH
3
/H
2
O mix-
ture as the working fluid.

This study focuses on an ARS that utilizes the exhaust gas of a ship; this is a system that has
not received much attention. An ARS is designed to use the exhaust gas from various bulk
gas carriers. The performance and capability of the system is revealed for the engines, which
were commercially implemented. Sensitivity studies were conducted for the exhaust gas flow
rate, the cooling water temperature, and the engine load.


- 10 -
Chapter 2. System description and model

2.1 Concept of ARS utilizing engine exhaust gas
An ARS is generally composed of four parts: the condenser, evaporator, absorber, and de-
sorber. This study used NH
3
and H
2
O for the refrigerant and the solution, respectively. Figure
3 is a schematic of an ARS that utilizes engine exhaust gas. The vapor refrigerant (NH
3
) from
the desorber is liquefied in the condenser through heat exchange with the cooling water. After
expanding through the expansion valve as a result of the Joule-Thomson effect, the refrige-
rant becomes a LPLT mixture of liquid and vapor. The refrigerant is then vaporized, exchang-
ing heat with the cooling source in the evaporator, and is absorbed into the solution (H
2
O) in
the absorber. Because the absorption process is exothermic, the solution in the absorber be-
comes warmer and loses its absorption capacity. To counteract this effect, cooling water is
supplied to cool down the solution.


- 11 -


Figure 3. Schematic of ans ARS that utilizes engine exhaust gas

The more refrigerant the solution absorbs in the absorber, the lower the concentration of the
solution. Thus, the solution in the absorber is called the dilute solution. This solution is trans-
ferred to the desorber by the pump and separates into the refrigerant and the strong solution.
The separation in the desorber results from the difference in the boiling temperature between
the solution and the refrigerant. When the dilute solution in the desorber exchanges heat with
the exhaust gas, the refrigerant vaporizes favorably and splits from the solution. The mixture
remaining in the liquid phase is rich in the solution and is called the strong solution. The re-

- 12 -
frigerant from the desorber is passed to the condenser while the strong solution is returned to
the absorber.



Figure 4. Process flow diagram of ans ARS utilizing engine exhaust gas

Figure 4 illustrates the detailed features of the ARS process that utilizes the engine exhaust
gas. Note that some additional components are inserted into the schematic in Figure 3. The
rectifier downstream from the desorber is a type of distillation column and acts as a purifier
to increase the refrigerant concentration. The solution heat exchanger (SHX) and the refrige-

- 13 -
rant heat exchanger (RHX) facilitate heat exchange within the process and increase the ener-
gy efficiency.

Table 1. MTA and P values for process simulation

Components
MTA,
P, kPa
Condenser 5 10
RHX 5 21
Evaporator 5 0
Absorber 5 10
SHX 28 21
Desorber 28 10

The refrigerant concentration, a minimum temperature approach (MTA) and a pressure drop
(P) are assumed in Table 1. The vapor fraction of the refrigerant after the evaporator and the
concentration of the refrigerant from the rectifier are assumed to be 0.99 and 99 %, respec-
tively [20]. This level of purity is achievable with commercially available equipment. The
temperature in the ARS ranges from approximately -30 to 150 . Of the six heat ex-
change components, the temperatures of the hot stream in the SHX and at the desorber are
much higher than those of the other components. Consequently, it is assumed that the MTA
should be 28 for these two exchangers and 5 for the rest.

- 14 -
In case of phase change in these components, it is assumed that the P is 10 kPa. Otherwise,
the P is assumed to be 21 kPa. The evaporator and the absorber comprise one assembly in
the real system. As a result, the absorber is assumed to have only 10 kPa of P. The desorber
is supposed to also have 10 kPa of P because the phase change is active in the distillation
column (desorber).

Table 2. Simulation basis for an ARS

Item Unit Value
Refrigerant / solution - NH3/H2O
Refrigeration temperature, -30~0
Sea water temperature,
Inlet

25~36
Outlet 35~46
Refrigerant concentration
After Rectifier
%
99
Dilute Solution 26~50
Strong Solution 16~40
Vapor fraction (after evaporator) % 99
Fluid Package - Sour-SRK

- 15 -

Table 2 indicates the simulation basis for ARS. The process was modeled with HYSYS
launched by Aspen Plus. The Sour-SRK equation of state is used as a fluid package to predict
the physical properties of the sour solution precisely [21]. The fluid package is validated by
comparing its predictions with the experimental measurements.

The cooling water temperature affects the coefficient of performance (COP) of the ARS.
The COP for this ARS is defined by the following standard equation 2 [20].

gas exhaust from transfer Heat
source cooling from reomved Heat
desorber in added Heat
evaporator in removed Heat
COP (Equation 2)

The cooling water temperature is closely related to the pressure and temperature of the re-
frigerant in the condenser. As the temperature of the cooling water decreases, the liquid frac-
tion of the refrigerant after the expansion valve increases. The liquid fraction is directly pro-
portional to the cooling capacity of the refrigerant in the evaporator. To reveal the effect of
the cooling water temperature, three levels of cooling water temperature are considered: 25,
32, and 36 .


- 16 -
2.2 Properties of engine exhaust gas
The Figure 5 indicates the typical emissions from an engine of ship. The engine combusts
the fuel with the air and generates the propulsion work. The rest of the combustion energy,
however, is released as heat to the exhaust gas and to the cooling medium. Only half of the
energy contained in the fuel is converted to the population work. A quarter of the combustion
energy is used by the exhaust gas, and the rest is transferred to the jacket water cooler, the air
cooler and the lubricating oil cooler [22].



Figure 5. Typical emissions from ans engine of ship


- 17 -
Table 3. Engine exhaust gas composition

Component Composition, % weight
O
2
14.0
N
2
76.2
CO
2
4.5
H
2
O 5.1
Others (NOx, SOx, CO, etc.) 0.2

The properties of the exhaust gas depend on the engine itself, the fuel characteristics, and
the air properties. The composition of a representative exhaust gas is indicated in Table 3.
The temperature after the engine is approximately 225 . However, the amount of exhaust
gas depends on the engine capacity.







- 18 -
Table 4. Engine power according to the carrier type, cargo capacity and engine type [24]

Carrier type Cargo capacity, m
3
Engine type Engine power in NCR, kW
LPG carrier
30,000 5S60MC6.1 7,500
60,000 6S60MC6.1 9,000
82,000 7S60MC6.1 10,500
LNG carrier
150,000 2*5S70ME-C7.1 22,348
150,000 7K90ME-C6.1 23,521
210,000 2*6S70ME-C7.1 27,452
210,000 7K98ME-C7.1 29,451
250,000 2*7S70ME-C7.1 31,770
250,000 8K98ME-C6.1 33,864

Data from MANBW engines are used in this study because they are available in the public
domain. The normal continuous rating (NCR), which corresponds to 75 % of the specified
maximum continuous rating (SMCR), is considered as the reference case. Table 4 indicates
the engine power, which is intrinsically proportional to the size of the carrier. In general, a
pair of engines provides better propulsion efficiency than does a single engine.


- 19 -


Figure 6. Flow rate and temperature of exhaust gas vs. engine power [25]

Figure 6 indicates the flow rate and the temperature of the exhaust gas from the engines.
The flow rate of the exhaust gas is linearly proportional to the engine power. The temperature,
however, shows no significant effect and ranges from 223.9 to 226.9 .


- 20 -


Figure 7. Exhaust gas temperature and flow rate vs. engine load for 6S60MC6.1 [25]

The flow rate and temperature of the exhaust gas change with the engine load. Figure 7 in-
dicates the temperature and the flow rate of the exhaust gas according to the engine load for
6S60MC6.1. The flow rate of the engine exhaust gas is almost directly proportional to the
engine load. The tendency of the temperature is not straight, exhibiting a maximum and min-
imum at 35 % and 80 % of SMCR, respectively.

- 21 -
Chapter 3. Results and discussion

3.1 COP Vs. Cooling Source Temperature
The COP increases with both the temperature of the cooling source and the refrigerant
temperature in the evaporator, as indicated in Figure 8. Over a cooling source temperature
range from -30 to 0 , COP improves by 36 %. As the evaporator temperature increases,
the evaporator pressure increases and the amount of refrigerant absorbed by the solution in-
creases, which reduces the amount of exhaust gas that is required.



Figure 8. COP vs. cooling source temperature

- 22 -
Table 5. Stream properties of an ARS (in Figure 4), producing a -30 cooling temperature
for a 6S60MC6.1 engine

Stream P, kPa T, m, kg/h Vapor fraction NH
3
weight fraction
R
1
1,167 66.8 2,812 1.00 0.99
R
2
1,157 30.0 2,812 0 0.99
R
3
1,136 16.3 2,812 0 0.99
R
4
114 -30.0 2,812 0.16 0.99
R
5
114 1.9 2,812 0.99 0.99
R
6
104 25.0 2,812 1.00 0.99
D
1
104 52.3 23,340 0.13 0.26
D
2
104 30.0 23,340 0 0.26
D
3
1,198 30.1 23,340 0 0.26
D
4
1,177 106.4 23,340 0 0.26
S
1
1,167 145.1 20,530 0 0.16
S
2
1,146 58.1 20,530 0 0.16
S
3
104 55.9 20,530 0 0.16
EX
in
101 226.9 88,700 1.00
EX
out
101 134.4 88,700 1.00
W
1,in
136 25.0 87,210 0
W
1,out
101 35.0 87,210 0
W
2,in
136 25.0 169,000 0
W
2,out
101 35.0 169,000 0
W
3,in
136 25.0 26,670 0
W
3,out
101 35.0 26,670 0


- 23 -
Table 6. Energy balance for the ARS in Table 4

Components Heat (kW)
Q
des
2,444
Q
eva
973
W
p
11
Q
abs
2,081
Q
con
1,018
Q
rec
328

Table 5 illustrates the properties of each stream when the cooling source temperature is held
at -30 for 6S60ME-C7.1. Considering the energy balance in Table 6, the COP is estimated
at 0.398.







- 24 -
3.2 Cooling Source Capacity Vs. engine type
The cooling source capacity increases with the engine power, as indicated by Figure 9. This
effect is expected because the flow rate of the exhaust gas is almost linearly proportional to
the engine power. For a given engine power, the cooling capacity decreases with the cooling
source temperature.


Figure 9. Cooling source capacity vs. engine type



- 25 -
3.3 Cooling Source Capacity Vs. Engine Load for a -30 Cooling Source Tempera-
ture with 6S60MC6.1
The amount of exhaust gas is proportional to the engine load in the SMCR mode. Neverthe-
less, the temperature of the exhaust gas remains constant. These features are considered in
the process model. Figure 10 indicates the performance of the ARS. Although the cooling
source capacity is proportional to the overall engine load, the temperature of the exhaust gas
introduces a convex downward curve for the capacity.


Figure 10. Cooling source capacity vs. engine load for a -30 cooling source temperature
with 6S60MC6.1

- 26 -
Chapter 4. Case Study

4.1 Reliquefaction system in LPG carrier
Figure 11 indicates the conventional BOG of LPG reliquefaction system. The conventional
system is composed of multi compression stages and it means that the BOG of LPG is
compressed until the BOG becomes liquid when it exchanges heat with cooling water. When
the pressure of BOG is roughly 12.5 bar, the condensation temperature is 30 . So, the BOG
can be liquefied to exchange heat with the 25 cooling water.

LPG to tank
BOG of LPG
Cooling
Water 1
Cooling
Water 2
Cooling
Water 3
Heat
Exchanger
1
Heat
Exchanger
Heat
Exchanger
3 Heat
Exchanger
2
Separator
Scrubber 2
Scrubber 3
Compressor
1
Compressor
2
Compressor
3
Expansion
Valve

Figure 11. Conventional BOG of LPG reliquefaction system

The ARS is applicable for reliquefaction of the BOG from LPG carriers. The Figure 12
shows that case. The cooling source temperature from the ARS is -30 . However, this
temperature is not sufficiently cold to liquefy the BOG when the cargo is ethylene, which has

- 27 -
a normal condensation temperature of -42 at 1 bar. When the BOG is compressed to 2.5
bar, the condensation temperature increases to -22 , and the cooling source from the ARS
becomes capable of liquefying the BOG. Condensation of the compressed BOG is typical in
BOG reliquefaction for bulk gas carriers.

LPG to tank
BOG of LPG
Separator
Scrubber 1
Compressor 1
Expansion
Valve
ARS


Figure 12. BOG of LPG reliquefaction system with ARS







- 28 -
Table 7. Capability of ARS for LPG carriers

Item Unit Value
Volume LPG carrier m
3
30,000 60,000 82,000
Max. BOG rate %/day 0.15 0.15 0.15
BOG mass flow kg/s 0.303 0.606 0.828
Required cooling capacity for reliquefaction,
Q
BOG
kW 166 331 453
Available cooling capacity, Q
ARS
kW 810 973 1,134
Capability of ARS, Q
BOG
/ Q
ARS
% 20 34 40

Table 7 compares the cooling source capacity with the required BOG of LPG reliquefaction
load, demonstrating that the cooling source from the ARS has enough capacity for BOG of
LPG reliquefaction.








- 29 -
4.2 Reliquefaction system in LNG carrier
The Figure 13 indicates the conventional BOG of LNG reliquefaction system. There are
largely multi compression stages and N
2
reverse brayton cycle. The former one makes the
pressure of BOG high, and the condensation temperature becomes low.
In the N
2
reverse brayton cycle, the N
2
after the expander liquefy the BOG and cools itself
from multi compression stages in the N
2
heat exchanger.

BOG of LNG
Cooling
Water 1
Cooling
Water 2
Cooling
Water 3
Heat
Exchanger
1
Heat
Exchanger
Heat
Exchanger
3 Heat
Exchanger
2
Scrubber 2
Scrubber 3
Compressor
1
Compressor
2
Compressor
3
GCU
GCU/BOG
Header
Scrubber 4
Expansion
Valve
Scrubber 5
To Cargo Tank
P-34
Scrubber 1
N2
Compressor 1
N2 Heat
Exchanger 1
Cooling
Water 4
N2
Compressor 2
N2 Heat
Exchanger 2
Cooling
Water 5
N2
Compressor 3
N2 Heat
Exchanger 3
Cooling
Water 6
Expander
P-50
N2 Heat
Exchanger

Figure 13. Conventional BOG of LNG reliquefaction system

In the case of BOG of LNG, the ARS is not used for liquefaction directly. A cascaded BOG

- 30 -
reliquefaction system can utilize the ARS as a pre-cooling component rather than the propane
cycle. In the reverse N
2
expansion type, the ARS is partially utilized to cool N
2
such as
Figure 14.

BOG of LNG
Cooling
Water 1
Cooling
Water 2
Cooling
Water 3
Heat
Exchanger
1
Heat
Exchanger
Heat
Exchanger
3 Heat
Exchanger
2
Scrubber 2
Scrubber 3
Compressor
1
Compressor
2
Compressor
3
GCU
GCU/BOG
Header
Scrubber 4
Expansion
Valve
Scrubber 5
To Cargo Tank
Scrubber 1
N2
Compressor 1
N2 Heat
Exchanger 1
Cooling
Water 4
N2
Compressor 2
N2 Heat
Exchanger 2
Cooling
Water 5
N2
Compressor 3
Expander
N2 Heat
Exchanger
ARS

Figure 14. BOG of LNG reliquefaction system with ARS






- 31 -
Table 8. Capability ARS for LNG carriers

Item Unit Value
Volume LNG carrier m
3
150,000 210,000 250,000
Max. BOG rate %/day 0.15 0.15 0.15
BOG mass flow kg/s 1.33 1.862 2.216
Required cooling capacity for reliquefaction,
Q
BOG
kW 1,546 3,291 3,774
Available cooling capacity, Q
ARS
kW 2,700 3,291 3,774
Capability of ARS, Q
BOG
/ Q
ARS
% 57.3 65.8 68.3

Table 8 compares the cooling source capacity with the required BOG of LNG reliquefaction
load, demonstrating that the cooling source of the ARS has enough capacity to use the N
2
sub
cooling in the reliquefaction system.








- 32 -
4.3 Comparison with conventional systems

The Figure 15 indicates comparison of the BOG of LPG reliquefaction systems and the
Figure 16 is LNG one. While the ARS application for LPG can save approximately 70 % of
energy consumptions. It for LNG can save only 14 % of energy consumptions. The ARS is
more useful for LPG reliquefaction than it is for LNG reliquefaction. This gap starts with the
temperature difference between cooling source temperature and LNG or LPGs condensation
temperature.


Figure 15. Comparison of the reliquefaction systems in conventional system and ARS
application (LPG)

- 33 -



Figure 16. Comparison of the reliquefaction systems in conventional system and ARS
application (LNG)


- 34 -

Chapter 5. Conclusion

This study demonstrated the feasibility of the NH
3
/H
2
O ARS application for bulk gas carri-
ers utilizing the exhaust gas of engines. The flow rate and the temperature level of the engine
exhaust gas were sufficient to generate the cold source, even for reliquefaction of the BOG.
By employing an ARS, a bulk gas carrier experiences significant improvement in its fuel ef-
ficiency, removing the necessity of electric power generation for BOG reliquefaction. A con-
ventional mechanical type refrigerator can be replaced by an ARS that uses NH
3
as the refri-
gerant.

There are still some challenges for the realization of an ARS. One challenge is the effect of
ship motion because the system contains some parts that are sensitive to motion. For example,
the desorber is a type of distillation column and must be horizontal. When the ship is subject
to the movement caused by waves, the performance of the desorber may deteriorate. Note
that the BOG generated may be increased under these conditions because the stratification of
the cargo tanks would be disturbed.

Another challenge is the layout. The ARS requires heat exchange between the solution and

- 35 -
the exhaust gas surrounding the desorber. Two methods are conceivable: one method is to
inhale the exhaust gas within the desorber (as indicated in Figure 4) and the other is to pass
the solution through a heat exchanger placed in the stack. Both of these solutions require
complicated piping.

The last challenge is the safety risk posed by an ammonia leak, which would be hazardous to
the crew. A leak may result in the rapid evaporation of ammonia from the solution, especially
from the pressurized part of the system. One solution to this problem would be to install the
ARS on the deck rather than in the engine room. Detailed risk assessments should be per-
formed.

- 36 -

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- 40 -




,

. /
.
, . LPG LNG
LPG LNG ,
.

: absorption refrigeration; exhaust gas, waste heat, BOG reliquefaction; bulk gas carriers