TECHNICAL FEATURE

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Industrial Refrigeration Systems

Sequencing & Control
Of Compressors
BY DOUGLAS T. REINDL, PH.D., P.E., FELLOW ASHRAE

Virtually every built-up refrigeration system used in commercial or industrial

applications has multiple compressors available for operation to meet loads.
One of the challenges in designing and operating a system with multiple
compressors is deciding how best to sequence their controls to meet variable
refrigeration loads while avoiding inefficient compressor performance at
part-load to maintain high system efficiency.
This article discusses typical part-load efficiency char-
acteristics for screw and reciprocating compressors
commonly found in built-up industrial refrigeration
systems. It includes recommendations for sequenc-
ing and control strategies that enable efficient system
operation.
Introduction
Industrial refrigeration systems come in all different
sizes, configurations, and arrangements. The nature
of the food production and storage facilities this tech-
nology most frequently calls “home” are quite varied,
and nearly all of the refrigeration systems installed in
these applications are custom-engineered to meet the
specific thermal requirements of loads within the facil-
ity. Individual owners establish specific requirements
for their refrigeration infrastructure, and the relative
importance of these requirements vary on a plant-by-
plant basis. The requirements can be grouped into two
categories “non-negotiable” and “negotiable.”
Non-negotiable requirements dictate that the refrig-
eration system must be: safe and able to meet the mag-
nitude and temperature requirements of coincident
load(s). Safety is achieved by ensuring the systems are
designed, constructed, and operated in accordance with
the latest applicable standards, codes, regulations, and
industry best practices. Guaranteeing the refrigeration
system can reliably meet its loads requires appropri-
ate sizing of key components including compressors. In
some cases, achieving the ability to reliably meet loads
may necessitate redundant compressors. Negotiable
requirements can include capital cost, operating costs,

ABOUT THE AUTHOR  Douglas T. Reindl, Ph.D., P.E., is a professor and director at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Industrial Refrigeration Consortium in Madison, Wis.

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 TECHNICAL FEATURE

system complexity, extent of redun- TABLE 1  

Summary of compression technologies commonly found in industrial refrigeration applications.
dancy, and energy efficiency. Technology Application Size Range (typical) Capacity Control Comments
Depending on the temperature
Single-Stage 70 – 675 cfm On/Off
requirements and magnitude of the Reciprocating Two-Stage: 15 – 330 tons Discrete Cylinder Limited to approximately
loads, a refrigeration system might Booster Duty, 40 – 300 hp Unloaders 8:1 compression ratio.
High-Stage Duty Variable Speed
be configured to operate as a single-
On/Off
stage or multi-stage compression Rotary Vane Booster Duty Becoming extinct.
Variable Speed
system. As the temperature require- Single-stage 60 – 6,000 cfm On/Off
ments for given loads decrease, Two-Stage: 5 – 3,500 tons Continuous Slide Valve
Twin Screw 30 – 3,000 hp Poppet Valves Larger HP machines are
Booster Duty,
systems generally transition from High-Stage Duty Variable Speed not cycled on/off as a
normal means for capacity
single-stage compression to two- Single-stage 400 – 3,000 cfm On/off control due to limitations
stage compression to overcome limi- Two-Stage: 20 – 1,340 tons Continuous Slide Valve on start/stops per hour.2
Single Screw 100 – 1,150 hp Variable Speed
Booster Duty,
tations of the compression machines High-Stage Duty
themselves or to maintain an
acceptable system operating efficiency. Jekel and Reindl1 Reciprocating Compressors
provide more complete coverage of single-stage vs. two- As noted earlier, smaller systems such as ice rinks typi-
stage compression systems. cally use reciprocating compressors. Although small
Let’s look at the compression technologies most com- reciprocating compressors can be cycled on and off to
monly used in multiple compressor industrial refrig- meet loads as they vary, this operating strategy is strictly
eration systems today, and consider the factors that avoided on larger machines due to the adverse effects of
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influence their operating efficiency. The overall objec- frequent starts and stops on the larger horsepower elec-
tive of this article is to provide guidance on compressor tric motors.
sequencing and controls to maintain high efficiency For example, NEMA2 guidance recommends limiting
without compromising the system’s ability to meet ther- a 250 hp (186 kW) motor to four starts per hour with a
mal loads. rest time on the order of 10 minutes between successive
starts to avoid premature motor failure. Larger frame
Compressor Technology Options and Capacity Control motors are generally more restrictive. In addition to
Because industrial refrigeration systems preferentially motor limitations, on/off compressor operation leads to
use anhydrous ammonia as the refrigerant, the com- wider fluctuations in system suction pressures that may
pressor technology options are necessarily limited. The not be desirable or tolerable for some applications.
compressors used in ammonia refrigeration systems The most common form of capacity control for the
are an open-drive configuration to prevent ammonia’s reciprocating compressors in industrial refrigera-
corrosive effects to copper from damaging the electric tion systems is the use of cylinder unloaders. Cylinder
motor’s rotor and stator windings. Industrial ammonia unloaders consist of electrically or hydraulically actu-
refrigeration systems principally rely on positive dis- ated push rods that hold open the suction valve on one
placement compression machines including: recipro- or more cylinders. When unloaders are actuated, suc-
cating, rotary vane, single screw and twin screw. tion vapor flows into the cylinder as the piston moves
By far, screw compressors are the most common tech- downward and then back out of the cylinder through
nology in the industrial refrigeration market today. the suction valve when the piston moves upward. The
Reciprocating compressors can still be found in smaller compressor’s capacity reduction is proportional to the
systems and for specialty use in larger systems (e.g., number of cylinders unloaded.
pump-out) and the rotary vane compression technology For example, if two cylinders of a six cylinder recipro-
is being phased-out of service due to its low operating cating compressor are unloaded, the compressor’s full-
efficiency and relatively high maintenance costs. Table load capacity is reduced by 33%. For larger multi-cylin-
1 provides a summary of the compression technolo- der reciprocating compressors (8, 12, 16 cylinder), the
gies found in today’s industrial ammonia refrigeration parasitic energy associated with carrying those cylinders
systems. not developing compression is small.
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TECHNICAL FEATURE
FIGURE 1 Part-load performance of a multi-cylinder reciprocating compressor.
100
90
80
Percent of Full Load Power
70
60
50
40
30
20 Recip. Unloading Steps
10 Ideal Unloading
95°F Condensing
0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent of Full Load Capacity
Figure 1 shows the unloading characteristic of recipro-
cating compressor equipped with three steps of loading
(100%, 66%, and 33%) expressed as a percent of full-
load power over a range of part-load conditions. A fully
unloaded (0%) option can also be used to accommodate
load fluctuations without cycling the electric motor on
and off.
Reciprocating compressors can be equipped with a
variable frequency drive (VFD) for capacity control and,
because it is a positive displacement machine, its capac-
ity is directly proportional to speed. From an energy-
efficiency perspective, there is little advantage to equip-
ping a reciprocating compressor with a VFD because the
machine’s part-load efficiency with cylinder unloading
is excellent. There is a potential for maintenance cost
savings associated with the VFD because slower com-
pressor shaft speeds will significantly reduce wear and
tear and extend the machine’s life.
Screw Compressors
Screw compressors are the dominant technology found
in industrial refrigeration system applications today.
They are available in a wide range of sizes and offer
exceptional reliability and life when properly operated
and maintained. Although possible and used in situa-
tions with smaller horsepower motors, on/off control
for modulation is not widely implemented as a capacity
control strategy for larger screw compressors. The two
most common approaches for modulating the capacity
of a screw compressor to meet systems loads are by the
use of either a continuous slide valve or speed control
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FIGURE 2 Example of the relationship between capacity and slide valve position for one
specific twin screw compressor design.
100
90
80
Capacity Part Load (%)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Slide Valve Position (%)
with a variable speed drive. The slide valve enables
capacity modulation of the screw by changing the start-
ing point for the compression process. The moving slide
valve will expose more or less of the screw’s thread to
suction; thereby, changing the volume of trapped gas
to begin the compression process. At full load, the slide
valve allows the largest portion of the screw thread to
trap gas and begin the compression process (maximum
capacity). Conversely, at minimum load, the smallest
volume of gas will be trapped.
As we will see momentarily, the part-load ratio is a
key variable in establishing the operating efficiency
of a given compressor. The part-load ratio is simply the
ratio of the compressor’s operating capacity (tons) to
the maximum available capacity at its operating suction
and discharge pressure. A frequent point of confusion
related to the part-load operation of a screw compressor
is interpreting the mechanical and/or electronic indica-
tors on screw compressors that show the machine’s slide
valve position.
There is a relationship between the capacity of a screw
compressor and its slide valve position but this rela-
tionship is non-linear as shown in Figure 2. Each screw
compressor design will have its own unique slide valve
vs. capacity relationship, but for this particular screw
compressor design, its capacity drops sharply during the
initial slide valve movement away from its 100% position
(full load). By the time the slide valve moves to its 90%
position, the compressor’s capacity has already dropped
to 70% of full load. The importance of understanding
this non-linear behavior will become more evident
TECHNICAL FEATURE
FIGURE 3 Relationship between capacity and speed for a twin screw compressor.
100
90
Twin Screw Compressor
Percent of Full Load Capacity
80
70
60
50
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent Compressor Speed
when we consider the part-load efficiency of screw com-
pressors and guidance for maintaining efficient opera-
tion at part-load conditions.
Because each rotation of the screw’s rotor translates to
a defined volume of gas being compressed and expelled
out the discharge port, changing the shaft speed trans-
lates to a direct proportional change of gas flow through
the compressor. Figure 3 shows the capacity of a typical
twin screw compressor directly varying as a function of
shaft speed. Screw compressors have a limited range of
capacity modulation using speed control based on their
design. Most compressor designs will accommodate
turndown to 50% of full speed, but some compressor
designs can accommodate lower speeds (as low as 20%).
In cases where a compressor retrofit from fixed speed
to variable speed is considered, it is essential to consult
with the manufacturer to establish the minimum speed
for a given machine. If additional capacity modulation
on a VFD-equipped machine is required, the slide valve
can be used in conjunction with speed control. Efficient
operating strategies for this tandem approach for capac-
ity control is discussed later in this article.
Figure 4 shows the efficiency of a smaller capacity twin
screw compressor in single-stage duty equipped with
slide-valve as the only form of capacity control and
the comparative efficiency of the same machine VFD-
equipped. As noted in the figure, the results are for the
compressor-only and do not factor in the mechanical-
electrical conversion efficiency associated with the
electric motor or variable speed drive and system effects
such as pressure drop in piping are omitted.
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FIGURE 4 Part-load efficiency for twin screw compressor with slide valve and VFD/
slide valve.
6.0
Compressor Only Saturated Suction Temperature: –20°F
5.5 Saturated Discharge Temperature: 90°F
5.0
4.5
Efficiency (hp/ton)
Slide Valve Control
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
VFD and Slide Valve Control
Refrigerant: Ammonia (R-717)
2.0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Capacity (Percent of Full Load)
In both cases, the best efficiency point (lowest hp/ton)
is at full load. For the screw compressor equipped with a
slide valve for capacity control, the efficiency decreases
as the machine unloads. The specific character of
degraded performance will vary depending on the size
of the screw compressor, its design details, and operat-
ing suction/discharge pressures but all screw compres-
sors exhibit this general trend.
The part-load penalty shown in Figure 4 is for a com-
pressor operating in a relatively high compression
ratio situation. For lower compression ratio operation,
the efficiency penalty at lower part load is not as dra-
matic. When equipped with a variable speed drive, the
degradation of the compressor’s operating efficiency
can be held in check until low part-load conditions
are reached at which time the performance begins to
rapidly decrease with further capacity reduction. The
lower hp/ton for the variable speed case might suggest
that it would be advantageous to equip all compressors
on an operating suction pressure level with a variable
speed drive, but that is certainly not the case as will be
discussed.
So far we have ignored other factors that affect the
operating efficiency of a compressor once integrated
into the system. As the load on a compressor decreases,
the gas flow into and out of the compressor will
decrease, resulting in lower suction and discharge line
pressure losses. Lower suction and discharge line pres-
sure loses will help compressor performance.
Another factor ignored so far is the efficiency of
the conversion process from primary energy in the
 TECHNICAL FEATURE

form of electricity to shaft work. Fortunately, for Compressor Sequencing and Control
the larger electric motors commonly found driving All industrial refrigeration systems will be equipped
compressors, the electrical efficiency is high (94% with more than one compressor for each suction pres-
to 95%) and remains relatively constant until very sure level. There are a number of factors that complicate
low part-load conditions are reached (e.g., below the development of compressors sequencing and capac-
20%) when the motor efficiency will begin drop ity control for industrial refrigeration systems including
dramatically. compressors with varying sizes (capacities), age (lower or
For example, a premium efficiency
150 hp (112 kW) motor having a 95.1%
efficiency at full load will experience
a decrease in efficiency to 89.5% at
20% of full load. When this motor’s
load drops to 5% of full load, its effi-
ciency will decrease to 68%.
Figure 5 shows the efficiency of a
twin screw compressor over a range
of part-load conditions in single-
stage duty for a range of suction
pressures and a constant discharge
pressure. Rather than expressing
the efficiency as the shaft bhp into
the compressor divided by its capac-
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ity in tons, the efficiency in this case
is expressed as the kW of electricity
required to drive the compressor for
each ton of refrigeration it devel-
ops. A motor efficiency of 94% is
included.
As noted previously, the efficiency
penalty for part-load operation
becomes more severe as the com-
pression lift increases. For example,
the 0 psig suction case will experi-
ence a 50% penalty compared to full-
load efficiency at a part-load ratio of
48% while the 25 psig (172 kPa) suc-
tion case can unload to 33% before
the comparable efficiency penalty is
reached.
In addition to electric motor inef-
ficiencies, machines equipped with
variable speed drives will also have
electric losses associated with the
drive. Nominal drive losses at full-
load conditions for larger horse-
power motors are in the range of 3%
to 4% and those losses climb to 10%
and higher at low part loads.3
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TECHNICAL FEATURE

FIGURE 5 Efficiency for twin screw compressor operating with ammonia at part- FIGURE 6 Comparative performance of both reciprocating and screw compressors
loads over a range of suction pressures. operating with ammonia in single stage duty including system pressure
drop effects (adapted from Manske, et al.5).
8
0 psig Suction 150 psig Discharge 0.7
7 Low Pressure
Receiver
6 Single Screw Temperature
0.6

Compressor Specific Power

Efficiency (kWe/ton)

5 10 psig Suction Reciprocating

4 0.5
–15°F
3
2 0.4
25 psig Suction –5°F
1
Refrigerant: Ammonia (R-717) 0.3
0 5°F
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Saturated Discharge Temperature = 85°F
Part Load (%) 0.2
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
Compressor Part Load Ratio
higher nominal operating efficiency), technology (recip-
rocating or screw), and load characteristics. In a system FIGURE 7 Performance comparison for equally sized ammonia screw compressors
including system effects (adapted from Manske, et al.5).
that has a mix of screw and reciprocating compressors, is
it better to base-load with the reciprocating compressors and trim 0.40
Equal Sized Compressors
with the screw compressors? Is it better to run smaller compressors Saturated Discharge Temperature = 85°F
Aggregate Compressor Specific Power

0.39
at full-load and trim with larger compressors? Is it better to equalize Low Pressure Receiver Temperature = –5°F
run hours on compressors regardless of their part-load ratio? 0.38 Crossover Point
These are just a few of the questions that arise when
Equal Compressor Loading
considering the best approach for sequencing and con- 0.37
trol of compressors in an industrial refrigeration system.
Let’s address some of the major factors that influence 0.36
One Comp. Only
the operating efficiency of compressors and try to gen-
0.35
eralize some practices for sequencing their operation to One Comp. at 100% Load
yield efficient system performance. 0.34
0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80 0.90 1.00
Part Load (Ratio)
Reciprocating vs. Screw Compressors
Manske4 and Manske, et al.,5 conducted a detailed
evaluation and optimization of a multi-temperature efficiency measure known as the coefficient of perfor-
level industrial refrigeration system serving a refriger- mance (COP).
ated warehouse. The installed system used both screw Specific Power = Power
and reciprocating compressors. For a particular system RE
being studied, Manske determined operating sequences where Power is the system or compressor power (Btu/h)
to maximize its operating efficiency, and he general- and RE is the total refrigeration effect (Btu/h).
ized his findings to extend their applicability to other Figure 6 shows the comparative performance of an
systems. ammonia screw compressor and an ammonia recipro-
Manske elected to use “specific power” as a key per- cating compressor at part-load conditions over a range
formance indicator in his analysis where the specific of saturated suction temperatures for a fixed satu-
power is defined as the ratio of total power (of system or rated discharge temperature where both compressors
compressor) to the capacity where each are expressed in include the effects of system piping pressure drop. From
consistent units to yield a dimensionless quantity. The the results shown, the screw compressor has slightly
specific power is the inverse of the more commonly used improved performance compared to the reciprocating
compressor at full-load conditions.
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TECHNICAL FEATURE

As the reciprocating
compressor is unloaded,
its efficiency actually
improves due to its
nearly ideal part-load
performance coupled
with the decreased suc-
tion line and discharge
pressure drop attrib-
utable to the reduced
refrigerant volume flow FIGURE 8 
Field installation of a booster compressor monitored during both operation with a variable frequency drive and fixed speed.
rate at part-load. The
screw compressor’s performance also benefits from Because screw compressors have a highly non-linear
decreased system piping pressure drop at part-load part-load operating characteristic, establishing sim-
operation; however, the unloading characteristics of a ple rules to yield efficient operation is slightly more
screw compressor are not as forgiving as a reciprocat- complex.
ing compressor and the specific power increases as it Consider a situation with two equally sized screw com-
is unloaded. This suggests that systems with multiple pressors operating to meet loads. On a design basis for
reciprocating compressors should sequence and con- this case, the capacity of each compressor is exactly one
trol their operation to equally load each operating half of the total required to meet the design system load.
compressor in order to minimize piping system pres- As the system load decreases, we have the choice of oper-
sure drop for the most energy-efficient operation. ating one compressor at full load (base-loaded) with the

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TECHNICAL FEATURE
second compressor trimming or unloading both com-
pressors to maintain equal part-load ratios.
Figure 7 (Page 20) shows a performance map for both of
these operating scenarios. The left-most curve illustrates
the compressor specific power for a screw compres-
sor operating. The most efficient operating point is at
full load (which coincides with a system load of 50%).
Whenever the system part-load exceeds 50%, two com-
pressors are needed. The two curves show the specific
power for base-loading one machine and trimming with
the second as well as equal part-load operation for both
compressors.
At high system loads, the most efficient operation is
attained by base-loading one of the compressors and
trimming with the second compressor. However, there
comes a point at which the combined specific power
for both compressors will increase above that of equal
compressor part-load operation. This “cross-over point”
occurs at a system part-load ratio of approximately 65%,
which corresponds to a part-load operation at 30%
capacity for the trim machine.
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FIGURE 9 Booster compressor (ammonia) performance during fixed speed and vari-
able speed operation.
110
Compressor C-2
100 Fixed Vi = 2.6 Fixed Speed
Compressor Power (kWe/ton)
90
80
70
60
Variable Speed
50
40
30
20
10
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
Part Load Ratio
Referring back to the results shown in Figure 5 for the 10
psig (69 kPa) suction pressure case, it becomes clear that
the precipitous decrease in part-load efficiency below
the 30% of full-load capacity is responsible for diminish-
ing the performance of the entire system. As the system
load decreases further, it is more efficient to transition
to an equal part-load operation for each compressor
until the 50% system load operating point is reached, at
which point one machine would be shut down.
Keep in mind, this is one example for specific com-
pressors and their associated operating performance
in a relatively high compression ratio application. The
decrease in screw compressor efficiency at part load
is less severe in lower compression ratio applications.
Because of the diversity of operating conditions found in
industrial refrigeration applications, each specific situa-
tion warrants its own evaluation.
Fixed Speed vs. Variable Speed Screw Compressors
As the capital cost for variable frequency drives contin-
ues to decrease, engineers are increasingly applying this
technology throughout industrial refrigeration systems
including: condenser fans, evaporator fans, and com-
pressors. Figure 4 showed the comparative energy effi-
ciency for both a fixed speed and variable speed screw
compressor, but the results did not include inefficien-
cies associated with the motor or variable speed drive or
the effects of suction/discharge line pressure drops dur-
ing operation.
To evaluate these effects, field tests were conducted
on a twin screw compressor operating in booster duty
shown in Figure 8a. In a somewhat unique situation,

this particular compressor was installed with a VFD, as
well as a solid state starter, that allowed the machine to
operate by electrically bypassing the drive to run in a
traditional fixed speed operating mode. The installation
of this compressor afforded an opportunity to directly
compare the performance of the same physical com-
pressor operating as a fixed speed machine using a slide
valve for capacity control and variable speed; thereby,
eliminating any machine-to-machine variability. With
the VFD active, speed was used as the first level of capac-
ity control until the manufacturer’s recommended
minimum speed of 1,775 rpm was reached. If further
capacity reduction was required at the minimum speed,
the control system then used the compressor’s continu-
ous slide valve.
This particular compressor operates with a nominal
suction pressure of 0.4 psig (2.7 kPa) and discharges
to an intercooler operating at a fixed pressure of 37
psig (255 kPa). The nature of this particular installa-
tion gave complete flexibility in varying the load on the
compressor and maintaining a given load condition
for an extended period of time to ensure stead- state
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TECHNICAL FEATURE
conditions were reached. The capacity of the compressor
was determined by measuring the flow rate of refriger-
ant in the discharge line using a differential pressure
flow sensor (Figure 8b) and the refrigerant conditions at
the compressor discharge condition. Both true power
and apparent power were measured using a watt trans-
ducer with inputs of measured voltage and three-phase
current supplied to the compressor.
Figure 9 (Page 24) shows the measured compressor true
power input to the variable frequency drive over a range
of part-load conditions while operating in both variable
speed and fixed speed modes. Note the higher electrical
power required at full-load condition for the variable
speed case is attributable to the added penalty of electri-
cal losses for the variable frequency drive itself. Once the
machine unloads below 95%, variable speed drive has
an increasing power advantage compared to the fixed
speed drive operation.
From an efficiency perspective, it is advisable to avoid
operating a VFD-equipped compressor at or near full
load. When one combines this finding with the relatively
high capital cost for a large horsepower low voltage (480
N OVEM BER 2013  ashrae.org  A S H R A E J O U R N A L 27
TECHNICAL FEATURE
V) drive that would be needed for many of the screw
compressors industrial refrigeration systems, the rec-
ommendation to consider limiting the VFD-equipped
compressors to a maximum of one machine per suction
pressure level becomes evident.
The preferred operating strategy base-loads the
fixed speed compressors at full load and uses the VFD-
equipped machine for trimming. There may be applica-
tions where more than one VFD-equipped compressor
per suction pressure level would be considered, but
it is important to keep in mind that running a VFD-
equipped compressor at or near full load will result in
increased energy consumption from drive losses com-
pared to a fixed speed machine.
Conclusions
Almost without exception, industrial refrigeration sys-
tems use a multiplicity of compressors to meet loads on
each suction pressure level for a given system. Because
the loads are variable, the capacity of the operating com-
pressors must vary to match the instantaneous loads to
maintain a constant suction pressure. As a compressor
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28 A S H R A E J O U R N A L   ashrae.org  N OVEM BER 2013
unloads, its operating efficiency will be affected. The
part-load efficiency characteristics of a compressor
depend on a number of factors including: the compres-
sion technology, the means for unloading, and the oper-
ating compression ratio.
The following are recommendations for compressor
sequencing and control.
•• For systems with a mix of reciprocating and screw
compressors, base-load the screw compressors and use
the reciprocating compressors for trimming.
•• For systems with screw compressors equipped with a
slide valve for capacity control:
• Select one compressor to operate as a trim machine.
The selected trim machine can be rotated to distrib-
ute run hours as-required. The selected trim machine
should be of adequate size/capacity to accommodate
expected load variation over a reasonable time period
(e.g., 24 hours or longer).
• If the operating trim compressor unloads to less
than 50% capacity, begin to unload one or more com-
pressors operating. This can be accomplished by setting
a lower bound on the trim compressor unloading at a
 TECHNICAL FEATURE

slide valve percentage that corresponds to 50% capacity 3. DOE. 2012. “Adjustable Speed Drive Part-Load Efficiency.” Motor
Systems Tip Sheet #11, U.S. Department of Energy Publication DOE/
for a respective machine. GO-102012-3730.
• If loads continue to decrease, sequentially shut- 4. Manske, K.A. 2000. Performance Optimization of Industrial Refrigeration
down individual compressors to enable the part-load Systems. M.S. Thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
operation of the remaining compressors to increase. 5. Manske, K.A., S.A., D.T. Reindl. 2002. “Load sharing strategies in
multiple compressor refrigeration systems.” ASHRAE Transactions
•• In considering the application of variable speed 108(1).
drives for screw compressors:
• For most installations, install
one VFD-equipped machine per
suction level, and use that compres-
sor as the trim machine.
• When trimming with a VFD-
equipped machine, use speed as
the first level of capacity control and
then slide valve for additional ca-
pacity modulation once minimum
speed is reached.
• It is essential to field-commis-
sion a VFD-equipped compressor
by ramping it slowly through its
entire speed range to detect if ab-
normal or excessive vibration is
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experienced at one or more speeds.
Those speeds or drive frequencies
where such vibrations exist must
be programmed into the drive con-
trols so they can be “skipped” dur-
ing normal operation.
Recognize that, like other aspects
of dynamic facilities, the sequences
and controls for compressors
need to adapt and continuously
improve. Keep in mind that indus-
trial refrigeration systems are quite
varied and developing compressor
control sequences that meet pro-
cess needs while achieving efficient
operation requires case-by-case
evaluation.

References
1. Jekel, T.B., D.T. Reindl. 2008. “Single- or
two-stage compression.” ASHRAE Journal
50(8).
2. NEMA. 2001. “Energy Management Guide
for Selection and Use of Fixed Frequency
Medium AC Squirrel-Cage Polyphase In-
duction Motors.” Publication MG 10-2001,
Rosslyn, Va.: National Electrical Manufac-
turers Association.

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