Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET)

Introduction to Refrigeration System

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Reference books:
Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach
Yunus A. Cengel; Michael A. Boles

Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning

G.F. Hundy; A.R. Trott; T.C. Welch

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Objectives:
 Introduce the concept of refrigeration and their measure of
performance.
 Application of refrigeration
 Analyze the ideal vapour-compression refrigeration cycle.
 Analyze the actual vapour-compression refrigeration cycle.
 Discuss the factors involved in selecting the right refrigerant for an
application.
 Introduce the concept of absorption refrigeration systems.
 Discuss the operation of refrigeration systems.
 Analyze air refrigeration cycle.
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Concept of refrigeration system

 The transfer of heat from a low-temperature region to a
high-temperature one requires special devices called
refrigerators.

 Refrigerant enters the compressor as a vapor and is compressed

to the condenser pressure.
 Relatively high temperature refrigerant from compressor cools
down at condenser by rejecting heat to the surrounding medium.
 Pressure and Temperature drop drastically when it enters a
capillary tube where its due to the throttling effect.
 The low-temperature refrigerant then enters the evaporator,
where it evaporates by absorbing heat from the refrigerated
space.
 The cycle is completed as the refrigerant leaves the evaporator 4
and reenters the compressor.
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COP of refrigeration system

The efficiency of a refrigerator is expressed in terms of the

coefficient of performance (COP), denoted by COPR.

The objective of a refrigerator is to remove QL from the

cooled space.

𝑳

𝒏𝒆𝒕,𝒊𝒏

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Heat Rejection by a Refrigerator

The food compartment of a refrigerator, shown in Fig., is

maintained at 4°C by removing heat from it at a rate of 360
kJ/min. If the required power input to the refrigerator is 2 kW,
determine (a) the coefficient of performance of the refrigerator
and (b) the rate of heat rejection to the room that houses the
refrigerator.

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Application of Refrigeration systems

i. Domestic refrigeration
ii. Commercial refrigeration
iii. Industrial refrigeration
iv. Land refrigerated transport
v. Marine refrigerated transport

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Application of Refrigeration systems

• Refrigerators to preserve perishable foods have long been one of
the essential appliances in a household.
• They have proven to be highly durable and reliable, providing
satisfactory service for over 15 years.
• A typical household refrigerator is actually a combination
refrigerator-freezer since it has a freezer compartment to make
ice and to store frozen food.
• A household refrigerator is designed to maintain the freezer
section at -18°C (0°F) and the refrigerator section at 3°C (37°F).

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Application of Refrigeration systems

• The size of the compressor and the other
components of a refrigeration system are
determined on the basis of the anticipated heat
load (or refrigeration load), which is the rate of
heat flow into the refrigerator.
• The heat load consists of the predictable part,
such as heat transfer through the walls and
door gaskets of the refrigerator, fan motors,
and defrost heaters.
• The unpredictable part, which depends on the
user habits such as opening the door, making Fig. The cross section of a refrigerator showing the
ice, and loading the refrigerator. relative magnitudes of various effects that constitute the
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predictable heat load.
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Application of Refrigeration systems
The amount of energy consumed by the refrigerator can be minimized by practicing good
conservation measures as follows:

 Open the refrigerator door the fewest times possible for the shortest duration possible.

 Cool the hot foods to room temperature first before putting them into the refrigerator.

 Clean the condenser coils located behind or beneath the refrigerator. The dust and grime
that collect on the coils act as insulation that slows down heat dissipation through them.

 Check the door gasket for air leaks. This can be done by placing a flashlight into the
refrigerator, turning off the kitchen lights, and looking for light leaks. Heat transfer
through the door gasket region accounts for almost one-third of the regular heat load of
the refrigerators, and thus any defective door gaskets must be repaired immediately. 10
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Application of Refrigeration systems

 Avoid unnecessarily low temperature settings. The recommended temperatures for
freezers and refrigerators are -18°C (0°F) and 3°C (37°F), respectively.

 Avoid excessive ice build-up on the interior surfaces of the evaporator. The ice layer on
the surface acts as insulation and slows down heat transfer from the freezer section to the
refrigerant.

 Use the power-saver switch that controls the heating coils and prevents condensation on
the outside surfaces in humid environments.

 Do not block the air flow passages to and from the condenser coils of the refrigerator.
The heat dissipated by the condenser to the air is carried away by air that enters through
the bottom and sides of the refrigerator and leaves through the top. 11
Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET)

Application of Refrigeration systems

commonsense conservation measures

will result in a reduction in the
energy and maintenance costs of a
refrigerator as well as an extended
trouble-free life of the device.

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Application of Refrigeration systems

The interior lighting of refrigerators is provided by incandescent lamps whose

switches are actuated by the opening of the refrigerator door. Consider a
refrigerator whose 40-W lightbulb remains on continuously as a result of a
malfunction of the switch. If the refrigerator has a coefficient of performance of
1.3 and the cost of electricity is 8 cents per kWh, determine the increase in the
energy consumption of the refrigerator and its cost per year if the switch is not
fixed.

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Ideal vapour-compression refrigeration cycle

The vapor-compression refrigeration
cycle is the ideal model for refrigeration
systems.

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Fig. Schematic and T-s diagram for the ideal vapor-compression refrigeration cycle.
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Ideal vapour-compression refrigeration cycle

𝑄 ℎ −ℎ
𝐶𝑂𝑃 = =
𝑊 ℎ −ℎ

Where ℎ = ℎ @𝑃

Fig. An ordinary household refrigerator. Fig. P-h diagram of an ideal vapor-compression refrigeration cycle. 15
 Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET)
Ideal vapour-compression refrigeration cycle
A refrigerator uses refrigerant-134a as the working fluid
and operates on an ideal vapor-compression refrigeration
cycle between 0.14 and 0.8 MPa. If the mass flow rate of
the refrigerant is 0.05 kg/s, determine:
(a) the rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space and
the power input to the compressor,
(b) the rate of heat rejection to the environment, and
(c) the COP of the refrigerator.

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Actual vapour-compression refrigeration cycle
An actual vapor-compression
refrigeration cycle differs from the
ideal one in several ways, owing
mostly to the irreversibilities that
occur in various components, mainly
due to fluid friction (causes pressure
drops) and heat transfer to or from the
surroundings.

DIFFERENCES
• Non-isentropic compression
• Superheated vapor at evaporator exit
• Subcooled liquid at condenser exit
• Pressure drops in condenser and
evaporator
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Actual vapour-compression refrigeration cycle
In the ideal cycle, the refrigerant leaves the
evaporator and enters the compressor as saturated
vapor. In practice, however, it may not be possible
to control the state of the refrigerant so precisely.
Instead, it is easier to design the system so that the
refrigerant is slightly superheated at the compressor
inlet. This slight overdesign ensures that the
refrigerant is completely vaporized when it enters
the compressor.
Also, the line connecting the evaporator to the compressor is usually very long; thus the pressure drop
caused by fluid friction and heat transfer from the surroundings to the refrigerant can be very significant.
The result of superheating, heat gain in the connecting line, and pressure drops in the evaporator and the
connecting line is an increase in the specific volume, thus an increase in the power input requirements to
the compressor since steady-flow work is proportional to the specific volume.
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Actual vapour-compression refrigeration cycle
The compression process in the ideal cycle is
internally reversible and adiabatic, and thus
isentropic. The actual compression process, however,
involves frictional effects, which increase the
entropy, and heat transfer, which may increase or
decrease the entropy, depending on the direction.
Therefore, the entropy of the refrigerant may
increase (process 1-2) or decrease (process 1-2)
during an actual compression process, depending on
which effects dominate. The compression process 1-2 may be even more desirable than the isentropic
compression process since the specific volume of the refrigerant and thus the work input requirement are
smaller in this case. Therefore, the refrigerant should be cooled during the compression process whenever
it is practical and economical to do so.

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Actual vapour-compression refrigeration cycle
In the ideal case, the refrigerant is assumed to leave
the condenser as saturated liquid at the compressor
exit pressure. In reality, however, it is unavoidable to
have some pressure drop in the condenser as well as
in the lines connecting the condenser to the
compressor and to the throttling valve.
Also, it is not easy to execute the condensation
process with such precision that the refrigerant is a
saturated liquid at the end, and it is undesirable to
route the refrigerant to the throttling valve before the refrigerant is completely condensed. Therefore, the
refrigerant is subcooled somewhat before it enters the throttling valve. We do not mind this at all, however,
since the refrigerant in this case enters the evaporator with a lower enthalpy and thus can absorb more
heat from the refrigerated space. The throttling valve and the evaporator are usually located very close to
each other, so the pressure drop in the connecting line is small.
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Actual vapour-compression refrigeration cycle
Refrigerant-134a enters the compressor of a refrigerator as
superheated vapor at 0.14 MPa and -10°C at a rate of 0.05 kg/s
and leaves at 0.8 MPa and 50°C. The refrigerant is cooled in the
condenser to 26°C and 0.72 MPa and is throttled to 0.15 MPa.
Disregarding any heat transfer and pressure drops in the
connecting lines between the components, determine (a) the
rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space and the power
input to the compressor, and (c) the coefficient of performance
of the refrigerator.

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Selecting the Right Refrigerant

Selection, Characteristics and Effect of Refrigerants (Ref.: ASHRAE

2004, ASHRAE 2005, UNEP 1994) 22
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Selecting the Right Refrigerant

• Several refrigerants may be used in refrigeration systems such as chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), ammonia, hydrocarbons (propane, ethane, ethylene, etc.), carbon dioxide, air
(in the air-conditioning of aircraft), and even water (in applications above the freezing
point).
• R-11, R-12, R-22, R-134a, and R-502 account for over 90 percent of the market.
• The industrial and heavy-commercial sectors use ammonia (it is toxic).
• R-11 is used in large-capacity water chillers serving A-C systems in buildings.
• R-134a (replaced R-12, which damages ozone layer) is used in domestic refrigerators
and freezers, as well as automotive air conditioners.
• R-22 is used in window air conditioners, heat pumps, air conditioners of commercial
buildings, and large industrial refrigeration systems, and offers strong competition to
ammonia.
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Selecting the Right Refrigerant

• R-502 (a blend of R-115 and R-22) is the dominant refrigerant used in commercial
refrigeration systems such as those in supermarkets.

• CFCs allow more ultraviolet radiation into the earth’s atmosphere by destroying the
protective ozone layer and thus contributing to the greenhouse effect that causes
global warming. Fully halogenated CFCs (such as R-11, R-12, and R-115) do the most
damage to the ozone layer. Refrigerants that are friendly to the ozone layer have been
developed.

• Two important parameters that need to be considered in the selection of a refrigerant

are the temperatures of the two media (the refrigerated space and the environment)
with which the refrigerant exchanges heat.
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Selecting the Right Refrigerant

ASHRAE number IUPAC chemical name Molecular formula
R-11 Trichlorofluoromethane CCl3F
R-12 Dichlorodifluoromethane CCl2F2
R-22 Chlorodifluoromethane CHClF2
R-134a 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane C2H2F4
R-502 R-22/115 (48.8/51.2) 48.8% CHClF2 · 51.2% C2F5Cl

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Properties of an Ideal Refrigerant

i. Low boiling point and low freezing point.
ii. Low specific heat and high latent heat. Because high specific heat decreases the refrigerating effect per
kg of refrigerant and high latent heat at low temperature increases the refrigerating effect per kg of
refrigerant.
iii. Pressures required to be maintained in the evaporator and condenser should be low enough to reduce the
material cost and must be positive to avoid leakage of air into the system.
iv. High critical pressure and temperature to avoid large power requirements.
v. Low specific volume to reduce the size of the compressor.
vi. High thermal conductivity to reduce the area of heat transfer in evaporator and condenser.
vii. Non-flammable, non-explosive, non-toxic, and non-corrosive.
viii. Should not have any bad effects on the stored material or food, when any leak develops in the system.
ix. High miscibility with lubricating oil and it should not have reacting properly with lubricating oil in the
temperature range of the system.
x. Should give high COP in the working temperature range. This is necessary to reduce the running cost of
the system.
xi. Readily available and it must be cheap also. 26