Topic: Refrigeration​

Outline of the Presentation

 The Principles of Basic Refrigeration

 Basic Refrigeration Cycle
 There are countless applications for refrigeration plants now.
 How do things get colder
 Main Components
 Accessories
 Pressure
 Pressure And Temperature
 Refrigerator used for Cooling
 Analysis of the Carnot Refrigerator
 Terminology
 The Vapor Compression Refrigeration Cycle
 The Pressure-Enthalpy Diagram
 Vapor Compression Refrigeration Analysis
 VCR Cycle Irreversibilities
 The Principles of Basic Refrigeration

Refrigeration, or cooling process, is the removal of unwanted heat from a selected object, substance, or
space and its transfer to another object, substance, or space. Removal of heat lowers the temperature and
may be accomplished by use of ice, snow, chilled water or mechanical refrigeration.

Refrigerant compressors work by taking in low pressure gas on the inlet and compressing
it mechanically. Different types of compression mechanisms are what differentiate compressors
(discussed below). This compression creates a high temperature, high pressure gas - an essential step in
the overarching refrigeration cycle

TH

TL
 Basic Refrigeration Cycle

 Liquids absorb heat when changed from liquid to gas

 Gases give off heat when changed from gas to liquid.
For an air conditioning system to operate with economy, the refrigerant must be used repeatedly. For
this reason, all air conditioners use the same cycle of compression, condensation, expansion, and
evaporation in a closed circuit. The same refrigerant is used to move the heat from one area, to cool
this area, and to expel this heat in another area.

 The refrigerant comes into the compressor as a low-pressure gas, it is compressed and then
moves out of the compressor as a high-pressure gas.
 The gas then flows to the condenser. Here the gas condenses to a liquid, and gives off its heat to
the outside air.
 The liquid then moves to the expansion valve under high pressure. This valve restricts the flow
of the fluid, and lowers its pressure as it leaves the expansion valve.
 The low-pressure liquid then moves to the evaporator, where heat from the inside air is
absorbed and changes it from a liquid to a gas.
 As a hot low-pressure gas, the refrigerant moves to the compressor where the entire cycle is
repeated.
 There are countless applications for refrigeration plants now.

Examples are:
 Foodstuff conservation
 Process refrigeration
 Air conditioning plants
 Drying plants
 Fresh water installations
 Refrigerated containers
 Heat pumps
 Ice production
 Freeze-drying
 Transport refrigeration
 How do things get colder

They are of course: solid, liquid and gas. It is important to note that heat must be added to a
substance to make it change state from solid to liquid and from liquid to a gas. It is just as
important to note that heat must be removed from a substance to make it change state from a gas to
a liquid and from a liquid to a solid.

Main Components

There are 4 main components in a mechanical refrigeration system. Any components beyond these
basic 4 are called accessories. The compressor is a vapor compression pump which uses pistons or
some other method to compress the refrigerant gas and send it on it's way to the condenser.
The condenser is a heat exchanger which removes heat from the hot compressed gas and allows it to
condense into a liquid. The liquid refrigerant is then routed to the metering device. This device restricts
the flow by forcing the refrigerant to go through a small hole which causes a pressure drop. And what did
we say happens to a liquid when the pressure drops? If you said it lowers the boiling point and makes it
easier to evaporate, then you are correct. And what happens when a liquid evaporates? Didn't we agree
that the liquid will absorb heat from the surrounding area? This is indeed the case and you now know how
refrigeration works.
This component where the evaporation takes place is called the evaporator. The refrigerant is then routed
back to the compressor to complete the cycle. The refrigerant is used over and over again absorbing heat
from one area and relocating it to another. Remember the definition of refrigeration? (the removal and
relocation of heat).
 Accessories

Even though there are only 4 basic components to a refrigeration system there are numerous accessories
that can be added. The next graphic shows a liquid line filter and a sight glass. The filter catches unwanted
particles such as welding slag, copper chips and other unwanted debris and keeps it from clogging up
important devices such as TX Valves. It has another function as well.
 Pressure

To understand the refrigeration cycle, you must understand pressure and the terms used with pressure.
In the HVAC industry, pressure is measured in three ways:

 psi - pounds per square inch

 inches Hg - inches of mercury
 inches wg - inches water gauge

Pressures You Need To Know

Pressure is pressure - right? WRONG! You will be dealing with three different pressure
measurements.
Atmospheric pressure
Gauge pressure (psig)
Absolute pressure (psia)
 Pressure And Temperature

A change in pressure affects the temperature at which a liquid changes state (boils or condenses). The
pressure-temperature relationship is an important principle for refrigeration.

As pressure decreases, the change-of-state temperature also decreases. For example, at sea level, water
boils at 212°F. At 5,000 feet, water boils at 202°F. This principle is applied in the refrigeration system:

• When the pressure is increased, refrigerant condenses or boils at a higher temperature.

• When the pressure is decreased, the refrigerant condenses or boils at a lower temperature.

The relationship between pressure and temperature allows the refrigeration system to make use of
the latent heat absorbed or released by a change of state.
 Refrigerator used for Cooling

energy sought Q
E   in  COPC
energy that costs Wcycle
TH

Observation: E may be >1 E  100%

TL The concept of an efficiency being greater than 100% makes people

uneasy. Therefore, the conversion efficiency for a refrigerator is called the
Cooling Coefficient of Performance (COPC). A refrigeration system that
is used for cooling is called a refrigerator.
 Analysis of the Carnot Refrigerator

For the Refrigeration cycle …

Qin Qin 1
th  COPR   
Wcycle Qout  Qin Qout / Qin  1
TH
1 1 TL
COPR,Carnot   COPR,Carnot 
 Qout / Qin rev  1 TH / TL  1 TH  TL

For the Heat Pump cycle …

Qout Qout 1
th  COPH   
TL Wcycle Qout  Qin 1  Qin / Qout
1 1 TH
COPH,Carnot   COPH,Carnot 
1   Qin / Qout rev 1  TL / TH TH  TL
 Terminology

• Refrigeration cycle

– The cycle is operating in a refrigeration cycle

• The goal is to keep the cold space cold

– Transfer heat from a low-temperature source to the cycle

• Heat pump cycle

– The cycle is operating in a refrigeration cycle

• The goal is to keep the hot space hot

– Transfer heat to a high-temperature sink from the cycle

The words refrigeration or heat pump define the goal of the cycle.
 The Vapor Compression Refrigeration Cycle

Two phase changes

• Boiling (evaporator)
• Condensing (condenser)
Working fluid = Refrigerant
Low temperature boiling fluids

TH

TL
The Pressure-Enthalpy Diagram
 Vapor Compression Refrigeration Analysis

 m  h 2  h3  Performance

Qin
COPC 
Wc

 m  h 2  h1 
h3  h 4

 m  h1  h 4 
 VCR Cycle Irreversibilities

2s
Pressure drop through the 2
condenser 3
Isentropic efficiency of
Pressure drop through the 4 the compressor
evaporator 1

h
 Practical VCR Cycle

P T3 SCT SCT = Saturated Condensing Temperature

DSC = Degrees of Subcooling = SCT – T3

Subcooling increases the refrigeration capacity

2s 2
3
Superheating provides a dry vapor at the
compressor inlet

1
4

SET = Saturated Evaporating Temperature

T1
DSH = Degrees of Superheat = T1 – SET
SET
h
Thank you all