Lecture 2

Vapor Compression cycle

Book:

Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning by Wilbert F.

Stoecker / Jerold W. Jones(Chapter 10)

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 1

 Vapor Compression cycle

o The Carnot Cycle

o Reversed Carnot Cycle
o Carnot Heat pumps
o Modifications in Ideal Carnot Cycle for practical reasons
o Vapor Compression Cycle components
o Introduction to PH charts
o Performance of Standard VCC
o Heat Exchangers
o Actual Vapor Compression Cycle

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 2

 Vapor Compression cycle

The Carnot Cycle

Ideal thermodynamically Reversible Cycle, first investigated by Sadi Carnot
in 1824
A measure of the maximum possible conversion of heat energy into
mechanical energy
T2=T3
2 3
Heat from high
temperature source

2 3
T1=T4 4
1

Turbine Work SA SB
Work Compressor Entropy

Process 1-2: Adiabatic Compression

1 4 Process 2-3: isothermal addition of heat
Cool Liquid Process 3-4: adiabatic expansion
Heat rejected to low
temperature sink Process 4-1: isothermal rejection of heat
Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 3
 Vapor Compression cycle

The Carnot Cycle

Heat supplied during isothermal expansion (2-3) T2=T3
2 3

= T2 (SB - SA)
Heat rejected during isothermal compression
T1=T4 4
1
(4-1) = T1 (SB SA)

work done = Heat supplied Heat rejected SA SB

Entropy
= T2 (SB SA) T1 (SB SA)
Process 1-2: adiabatic compression
= (SB SA)(T2 T1) Process 2-3: isothermal addition of heat
Process 3-4: adiabatic expansion
 Process 4-1: isothermal rejection of heat
  

Efficiency increases as T2 is increased and T1 is decreased

Heat should be taken in, at as high temperature as possible and rejected
at as low a temperature as possible.

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 4

 Vapor Compression cycle

Reversed Carnot Cycle (i.e. Carnot Cycle for Refrigeration Cycle)

A measure of the maximum performance to be obtained from a refrigerating
machine Heat to high
temperature source

3 2
3 2

Net Work

Compressor 4 1
Work Turbine

Entropy
4 1
Cool Liquid 1-2: Adiabatic compression
Heat from low 2-3: Isothermal heat rejection
temperature sink 3-4: Adiabatic expansion
4-1: Isothermal addition of heat or isothermal
expansion

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 5

 Vapor Compression cycle

Reversed Carnot Cycle (i.e. Carnot Cycle for Refrigeration Cycle)

Heat absorbed from the low temperature 3 2

source in process 4-1 is the Refrigeration Step
Net Work

Carnot Cycle: 4 1

o A standard of comparison,
o A convenient guide to the temperatures Entropy
that should be maintained to achieve
maximum effectiveness 1-2: Adiabatic compression
2-3: Isothermal heat rejection
3-4: Adiabatic expansion
4-1: Isothermal addition of heat or
isothermal expansion

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 6

 Vapor Compression cycle

Coefficient of Performance (COP)

Ratio of out put to input would be misleading for 3 2

a refrigeration system as the o/p in process 2-3 is
usually wasted Net Work

4 1
  

 
Entropy

1-2: Adiabatic compression

2-3: Isothermal heat rejection
3-4: Adiabatic expansion
 4-1: Isothermal addition of heat


or isothermal expansion

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 7

 Vapor Compression cycle

Conditions for Highest Coefficient of Performance

Useful Refrigeration is the heat transferred in

process 4-1, or the area beneath the line 4-1 3 2

Area underline 2-3 represents the Heat Net Work

Rejected from the cycle 1
4

Area enclosed in rectangle 1-2-3-4 represents Refrigeration

the Net Work
Entropy (S)
Work done = Heat Rejected Heat Supplied KJ / Kg.K

= T2 (S2 S3) T1 (S1 S4)

= (T2 T1) (S1 S4) = Area of rectangle

 

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 8

 Vapor Compression cycle

Coefficient of Performance (COP)

COP indicates that a given amount of

3 2
refrigeration requires only a small amount of
work
Net Work

COP of the Reversed Carnot Cycle is entirely a 4 1

function of the temperature limits and can vary
Refrigeration
from zero to infinity

Entropy (S)
To obtain maximum possible COP KJ / Kg.K
1-2: Adiabatic compression
o Cold body temperature T1 should be as high as possible
o Hot body temperature T2 should be as low as possible 2-3: Isothermal heat rejection
3-4: Adiabatic expansion
4-1: Isothermal addition of heat
or isothermal expansion

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 9

 Vapor Compression cycle

Temperature Limitations

All refrigeration works against certain temperature limitations

o Cold room to be maintained at -20 oC or 253 K

o Reject heat to the atmosphere at 30 oC or 303 K T t
3 2
30 oC = 303 K Atmosphere
During Heat Rejection Process,
refrigerant temperature must be
higher than 303 K -20 oC = 253 K Cold Room
4 1
t

During the Refrigeration Process, refrigerant

temperature must be lower than 253 K S

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 10

 Vapor Compression cycle

Temperature Limitations

we can keep the as small as possible T t

3 2
Reduction of can be accomplished by Atmosphere
increasing A or U in the heat exchange
equation: Cold Room
4 1
t
Q=UA

S
To decrease to zero, either U or A would have to be infinite

Infinite values of U and A would also require an infinite cost

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 11

 Vapor Compression cycle

Carnot Heat Pump Heat Pump Refrigeration system operates

for the purpose of delivering heat at a high
level of temperature
Refrigeration cycle absorbs heat at a Heat Pump rejects heat at a high
low temperature temperature

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 12

 Vapor Compression cycle

Carnot Heat Pump

Performance Factor T
3 2


   Net Work

4 1 Heat
Rejected

COP of Refrigeration Cycle with the same S

temperatures would be: T1/(T2 - T1).

  
Performance
Factor
   

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 13

 Vapor Compression cycle

Example 1

Carnot refrigeration cycle absorbs heat at 270 K and rejects heat at 300 K.

(a) Calculate the coefficient of performance of this refrigeration cycle.

(b) If the cycle is absorbing 1130 kJ/min at 270 K, how many kJ of work is
required per second.

(c) If the Carnot heat pump operates between the same temperatures as the
above refrigeration cycle, what is its Performance Factor.

(d) How many kJ/min will the heat pump deliver at 300 K if it absorbs 1130
kJ/min at 270 K.

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 15

 Vapor Compression cycle

Example 2

The capacity of a refrigerator is 200 TR when working between 6 C and 25 oC.

Determine the mass of ice produced per day from water at 25 C. Also find the
power required to drive the unit. Assume that the cycle operates on reversed
Carnot cycle and latent heat of ice is 335 kJ/kg, Specific Heat of water is 4.187
KJ/Kg oC.

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 16

 Vapor Compression cycle

Carnot Refrigeration Cycle for Vapor as Refrigerant

If vapor/gas such as air is used as the refrigerant, cycle would differ from the
familiar rectangle of the Carnot cycle.

Cycle differs from the Carnot cycle by the x

2
addition of areas x and y 3 Atmosphere
T

Effect of area x is to increase the work

Cold Room
required, which decreases the COP. 1
4 y

Effect of area y is to increase the work required S

and in addition reduce the amount of
refrigeration

Both these effects of areas x and y reduce the COP

Mechanical Engineering Dept. CEME NUST 17