Refrigerant R134a at 1.072 MPa and 50.

7°C is cooled and condensed at

constant pressure in a steady-state process in the condenser of a 3-stage
compression 2500 TR centrifugal chiller until it is saturated liquid. Cooling
water enters the condenser at 40°C and leaves at 35°C. If the mass flow
rate of the cooling water is 7000 USgpm= 442 kg/s, what is the mass flow
rate of the refrigerant and what would be the ratio of 𝒎∗𝒘 /𝒎∗𝑹 ?
Solution:

The inlet and exit enthalpies are found from the R134a pressure-enthalpy diagram.

At 1.072 MPa and 50.7°C, the inlet enthalpy is 430.1 kJ/kg.

At 1.072 MP, the saturated exit enthalpy is 259.4 kJ/kg

The energy balance is:

𝒎∗𝑹 ∆ℎ𝑅 = 𝒎∗𝒘 ∆ℎ𝑤 → 𝒎∗𝑹 (430.01 − 𝟐𝟓𝟗. 𝟒) = 𝟒𝟒𝟐 × 4.186 × (𝟒𝟎 − 𝟑𝟓) →

𝒎∗𝑹 = 𝟓𝟒. 𝟐𝟐 𝒌𝒈/𝒔 → 𝒎∗𝒘 /𝒎∗𝑹 = 𝟒𝟒𝟐/𝟓𝟒. 𝟐𝟐 = 8.15