ME 375 - Refrigeration & Building

Mechanical Systems
Lecture 01
Ahmed Zawad Ul Hoque
Lecturer, Department of ME
Sonargaon University
Email: hoque.me.kuet@gmail.com, Phone: 01919303838
Definitions

Refrigeration: Refrigeration is defined as the process of cooling of bodies or

fluids to temperatures lower than those available in the surroundings at a
particular time and place.

Air Conditioning: Air Conditioning refers as the treatment of air so as to

simultaneously control it's temperature, moisture content, quality and
circulation, as required by occupants, a process, or products in the space
Refrigeration is not same as cooling!

Cooling can be spontaneous and the final temperature need not be lower
than the surroundings. Example: Cooling of a hot cup of coffee

Refrigeration is not spontaneous and the final temperature should be lower

than the surroundings. Example: Cooling of a glass of water by adding ice
Applications of Refrigeration

• Food processing and preservation

• Chemical and process industries

• Comfort and Industrial Air conditioning

• Miscellaneous
History of Refrigeration

Can be divided into two phases:

a) Age of natural refrigeration - from pre-historic times to the beginning

of 19th century'

b) Age of artificial refrigeration - from 19th century and onwards

Natural Refrigeration Methods

1. Use of natural ice, that is:

a) Transported from colder regions

b) Harvested in winter and stored for summer

c) Produced by nocturnal cooling

2. Use of evaporative cooling

3. Cooling by salt solutions

Nocturnal Cooling
Evaporative Cooling
Evaporative Cooling

• water evaporates into surrounding air it produces a cooling effect because

evaporation is an endothermic process.

• cooling of human bodies on a hot day. That is how that is how we lose the
heat on a hot day.

• evaporative cooling is very effective when the surrounding air is dry.

• if the surrounding air is very humid then the evaporation cannot be

effective.
Cooling by Salt solutions
Limitations of natural methods

• Dependent of local condition

• Uncertainty due to dependence on weather

• Difficult to produce large amount of refrigeration

• Not available to every one

Thank You! Any Questions?