Energy Consumption with CO2/Cascade Systems

CO₂ cascade systems have been used in refrigeration for many years and are growing in popularity for a number of reasons. Reduction in ammonia charge, reduced cost of refrigerant, reduction in compressor size, reduced risk of air ingress, and reduced energy consumption are all cited as possible advantages with CO₂ cascade. This study takes a detailed look at energy consumption using CO₂ cascade systems to determine whether they are in fact energy competitive with two stage ammonia systems or other possible systems over the range of temperatures normally encountered in food freezing and storage applications.