Integrated product and process design for cascade refrigeration

Abstract

Molecular design and process design are critical components of industrial systems. In process design, the simultaneous design of working medium molecules and process operating conditions is the most effective approach to achieve optimal system performance. In cascade refrigeration systems, multiple refrigerants are required as working mediums, making it essential to design the evaporation and condensation temperatures at each stage to optimize the system's refrigeration coefficient. Unlike most industrial systems, cascade refrigeration systems uniquely require the simultaneous design of multiple molecules, necessitating the evaluation of individual and combined molecular properties. This paper introduces an integrated product (molecule) and process design framework for cascade refrigeration systems to address these challenges. This framework leverages a machine learning model to predict molecular properties and incorporates a process design method. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated in two-stage and three-stage cascade refrigeration systems.