Process Description

The purpose of the Propane Refrigeration Compressor is to compress propane vapors from the various propane evaporators so that they can be condensed using cooling water. There are three operating pressures in the circulating propane system:

After compression and condensing of the propane vapors, the liquid propane refrigerant is accumulated and distributed to the propane evaporators in the plant. The liquid from the accumulator is generally distributed to the HP evaporators first. The shell side of the MR/HP Evaporator also acts as reservoir of liquid refrigerant for two MP evaporators. As a result, refrigerant is supplied to these MP evaporators at a lower temperature. In the same fashion, two of the MP evaporators act as reservoirs of liquid refrigerant for all four of the LP evaporators.