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Prologue: A basic introduction to the role of compressors in refrigeration for uninformed

readers which will segue into the main topic of paper.

Chapter 1: Goal of the paper: Refrigerants and their function. A tricky topic to explain due to

the wide range of refrigerants available.

Prologue:
Listen to your refrigerator and you’ll notice it’ll suddenly make a noise as if it were a car

igniting. It will hum for some time and then fall silent. This will repeat itself as what is occurring

is a cycle. A cycle is a series of events regularly repeated in the same order. This cycle belies a

mechanical process involving a motor which is called a compressor. Compressors come in many

shapes and forms according to the amount of energy demanded by them. The compressor in your

household is what they would call low-capacity; and those seen on commercial/industrial

rooftops belong to an altogether different breed of compressors which contain their own distinct

inner mechanisms. These demand levels will dictate their design. Ultimately, however, the

compressor in refrigeration systems carries out the same function no matter what type it is. It

increases the pressure in the system and transfers the vapor refrigerant from the low-pressure

side to the high-pressure side. As such, it’s also known as a vapor pump.

Now, what does all this matter to the average citizen? What exactly is being moved from vapor

to liquid? Let’s contrast all this with another modern technology. A car engine converts refined

petroleum (gasoline) to make a car move. A compressor, on the other hand, converts refrigerant

(see below to know more) through various states of matter to transfer heat from area to another—

in other words, to keep spaces cool which is why it’s classified as a heat pump. Moving on, a gas

engine without gas is useless and a compressor without refrigerant is likewise so. Except,

whereas a gas engine uses combustion to acquire energy and needs a constant influx of energy to
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operate, a compressor is energized to pump the same fluid over and over again. It needs an

external source of energy to power it. All this here is to emphasize the importance of refrigerants.

What are they? What is the science behind them? How do they play into energy resources? What

are their effects on the environment? How have they evolved over time? And what exactly is this

system are we talking about?

Chapter 1:

It is impossible to have refrigeration without refrigerants. This paper, thus, will explain

the nature and effects refrigerants and, consequently, the impact they have on the environment.

Its goal is to define these chemical compounds in a manner which provides a practical viewpoint

that will serve to give readers a reactive and proactive stance toward refrigerants. Also known by

the trademark name Freon, refrigerants are an essential facet of modern life. As ubiquitous as

electricity, cement or steel. Given the broad classification of their properties, however, an

introductory and practical account of their function is necessary.

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Cambridge dictionary defines a refrigerant as a chemical substance that can be used to

make or keep things cold. It’s important to note, however, that there is no such thing as

measurements of coldness so much as the absence of heat. Refrigerants allow for refrigeration

which itself is better seen as the process of removing heat from one place to another. Simple

enough yet it has transformed the world economy and revolutionized agricultural yields as it

prevents spoilage to the point where urban living standards are viable. In addition, refrigerants

are also used for air-conditioning which is orientated more toward human comfort as opposed to

commercial uses (which it does have).

Before we continue, it is best to describe what refrigeration or air-conditioning is exactly. One

can define it as the process of making/keeping something cold so that it stays cool under adverse

conditions. What is the process, however? There is more than one way at looking at it.

 Practical Definition: The fluid in a refrigeration system that changes from a liquid to a

vapor and back to a liquid at practical pressures

 Functional Definition:

How so? When air is treated, a solution (freon) within the system (machine) must conduct this

process of refrigeration through a pump. The pump reduces the volume of gas and increases its

pressure in order to condense the gas. The gas is continuously transformed through the liquid and

gaseous states. It does this via the pump—a compressor. The refrigerant (solution) has to change

its state to cool down for the copper pipes to be blown through and thus forcing cold air into the
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room and then has to return to a low-pressure gas before returning to the pump and transitioning

back to a high-pressure liquid for the endless loop to cycle itself.

Note, it is an infinite cycle. The refrigerant compound should theoretically last forever.

The most common types of refrigerants over the years have been:

1) CFC’s- Chlorofluorocarbons

2) HCFC’s- Hydrochlorfluorocarbons

3) HFC’s

[ CITATION Bil09 \l 1033 ]