ME 183 WFXY

Sir Paul Rodgers

Lab HW 1

Heat Pump Trainer (Hampden H-RST-8)

Additional parts and functions
1. Liquid Receiver
It is between the condenser and liquid control device. It separates any leftover vapor in the receiver.
The outlet is near the bottom; thus, the only liquid flows out of the receiver. “This feature allows
the quantity of refrigerant to be less critical. The liquid receiver serves as a storage tank for liquid
refrigerant [1].”
2. Suction Accumulator
The compressor can be damaged by liquid refrigerant. Therefore, a suction accumulator is placed
just before the compressor to trap any liquid that may come from the evaporator.
3. High/Low Pressure Sensor
• The LOW SIDE light will come on if the compressor shuts off due to low pressure.
• The HIGH SIDE light will come on if the compressor shuts off due to high pressure.
4. Sight Glass and Filter/Drier
For the system to function properly, moisture should be kept to a minimum. The sight glass is a
handy tool to quickly check whether moisture has entered the system.
5. Valves
a. Reversing Valve
“ In recent years, usage of the ‘heat pump’ principle to enable an air conditioning unit to supply
both cooling and heating has become increasingly popular [1].” This basically reverses the flow,
thus reversing the function of the evaporator and condenser. The indoor coil will be used for
cooling, while the condenser will be used for heating.
b. Thermostatic Expansion Valves (TEV-1 and TEV-2)
“The most commonly used device for controlling the flow of liquid refrigerant into the
evaporator is the thermostatic expansion valve. An orifice in the valve meters the flow into the
evaporator, the rate of flow is modulated by a needle type plunger and seat, which varies the
orifice opening [1].”
c. Hand Expansion Valves (HV-1 and HV-2)
“The hand expansion valve is the least precise liquid control device equipped on the H-SRT-6. A
needle valve controls the rate of refrigerant flow into the evaporator and is adjusted manually.
The degree adjustment is dependent on system load, and capacity of the evaporator and the
type of refrigerant. [1]”

Works Cited

[1] M. J. Moran and H. N. Shapiro, Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics, 5th ed.,

West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2006.