Fundamentals of Refrigeration Part 1

Refrigeration System
Concept by Analogy
Refrigerants
The Vapour Compression Refrigeration System and its Basic Cycle
This series of articles covers the Fundamental Principals of Refrigeration.
Author !r. ! ! Roy" B.#.#lect #ngg. $elhi %niversity" $.B.!. &.B.'.!.S."
!umbai. " (eneral !anager" (her)i #astern *td.
Refrigeration System
't is a natural phenomenon that +heat+ al,ays flo,s from a body or space at a
higher temperature to another body or space at a lo,er temperature.
-eat ,ill not by itself" flo, from a lo,er temperature level to a higher temperature
level unless aided by an e.ternal agency.
Refrigeration is the process by ,hich it is possible to remove heat from a region
of lo,er temperature" transfer this heat to a higher temperature level by input of
mechanical ,or/ and then re0ect this heat to a heatsin/ 1such as ambient air or
cooling ,ater2. The 3uantum of heat removed from the lo,er4temperature region
is called refrigeration effect
Concept by Analogy
The concept of refrigeration is better understood by an analogy ,ith a simple
hydraulic system
Hydraulic System
Transfer ,ater" say from a ground4level tan/" filled ,ith ,ater to an empty
roof4level tan/ in a building" by using a buc/et as +,ater4carrier+" in the
follo,ing steps
Step 1: *o,er the ,ater4carrier i.e. buc/et belo, ground level tan/ and
allo, ,ater from this tan/ to drain into and fill the buc/et by gravity flo,.
Step 2 *ift the buc/et full of ,ater from ground4level to a level higher than
the roof4level tan/ by doing mechanical ,or/.
Step 3: #mpty the buc/et by allo,ing its ,ater to drain by natural gravity
flo, into the roof4level tan/" empty buc/et is no, ready to resume ,ater4
lifting operation from Step 5 on,ards.
Refrigeration System
Transfer heat from a lo,er4temperature level body to higher4temperature
level by using a heat4carrier substance /no,n as +refrigerant+ in the
follo,ing steps
Step 1: *o,er the heat4carrier6s" i.e.refrigerant+s temperature belo, that of
the lo,4temperature level body" to allo, natural heat4flo, from the lo,er4
temperature body to the refrigerant.
Step 2: Raise the temperature level of the heat4carrier refrigerant no,
loaded ,ith heat" to a temperature higher than that of heat4sin/" by raising
its pressure by doing mechanical ,or/ of compression.
Step 3: Re0ect the heat from the refrigerant" already raised to higher
temperature level in Step 7" by natural heat4flo, to the heat4sin/ 1ambient
air or cooling ,ater2. After draining its heat content to the heat4sin/" the
refrigerant is no, ready to resume heat transfer operations" from Step 5
on,ards.
Refrigerants
Refrigerants or heat4carriers in refrigeration systems are volatile li3uids ,hich
change from li3uid to vapour phase or vice4versa at different temperatures
depending on the pressures these refrigerants are sub0ected to.
For e.ample" ,ater boils at 757 deg.F 1588 deg. C2 at normal atmospheric
pressure" but ,hen the ,ater is sub0ected to higher pressures li/e in pressure4
coo/ers" its boiling temperature becomes higher than 757 deg. F6 ,hereas if ,ater
is sub0ected to pressure lo,er than atmospheric" its boiling temperature falls
belo, 757 deg. F.
$ifferent refrigerants have different pressure4boiling point characteristics.
Refrigerants such as Ammonia 19-2" halogenated hydrocarbons such as R477
1C-CF2 or even ,ater4vapour are chosen ,ith most desirable properties" /eeping
re3uirements of specific applications or systems in mind.
The Vapour Compression Refrigeration System and its Basic Cycle
Refrigeration Cycle
The ma0ority of refrigeration systems for air4conditioning as ,ell as process
cooling applications use the apour compression refrigeration cycle in ,hich
the heat added to the refrigerant at the lo,er temperature 1from the space or body
being cooled2 is added as heat of aporisation in the evaporator and the heat
re0ected by refrigerant vapour after being compressed and raised to the higher
temperature level is re0ected as heat of condensation in a condenser.
The Basic System and the Cycle are e.plained belo, for a R477 refrigeration
system often adopted for air4conditioning applications.
Refrigerant flo,s through the system components alternating bet,een the li3uid
and vapour phases as indicated in the Basic Cycle.
Saturated li3uid leaves the condenser at condensing pressure and temperature
and is stored in the receiver to maintain steady supply of refrigerant for the
system.
This high4pressure li3uid refrigerant then enters the e.pansion valve" and
undergoes the follo,ing processes
5.Throttling
7. #vaporation
:. Compression
;. $e4superheating and condensation.
Throttling !"#pansion$ Process
#.pansion of the li3uid refrigerant from the condenser pressure to the evaporator
pressure is an adiabatic 1Constant enthalpy2 process.
Point < is located in the li3uid4vapour mi.ture area of Pressure4#nthalphy since
during this throttling process +flash+ vapour is produced by ta/ing the re3uired
latent heat of evaporation from the li3uid ,hich is cooled do,n to a saturation
temperature of ;8deg. F at a reduced pressure of =:.>7 psia.
"aporation Process
*i3uid refrigerant mi.ed ,ith a small portion of flash gas" from outlet of the
e.pansion valve at a reduced pressure of =:.>8 psia" no, enters the evaporator
coil and fully evaporates at the corresponding saturated evaporation temperature
of ;8deg. F by ta/ing the re3uired latent heat of vaporisation" the air 1flo,ing
across the evaporator coil2 being chilled in the process from =<deg. F to <<deg. F.
Compression Process
Saturated refrigerant vapour leaves the evaporator and enters the compressor
suction port at point ? of the cycle and its pressure and temperature is increased
by compression until the superheated discharge gas at a pressure of 7:8 psia 1i.e.
same as condensing pressure2 leaves the discharge port at point @ of the cycle.
Aor/ done on the refrigerant gas during compression is /no,n as heat of
compression and is absorbed by the gas.
%esuperheating & Condensation Process'
This process ta/es place in the condenser. 'ntially the hot discharge gas is
desuperheated by cooling do,n to the saturated condensing temperature
corresponding to the condensing pressure of 7:8 psia and thereafter further
removal of heat for condensing refrigerant fully to reach point 5 on the 588B
saturated li3uid line of Pressure4#nthalpy is effected by re0ecting the heat of
condensation( to the ambient air flo,ing over the condenser tubes.
Total heat re0ected by the refrigeration system to the condenser cooling medium C
heat absorbed by the refrigerant in the evaporator 1refrigeration effect2 D heat
e3uivalent of ,or/ input during compression.