Condenser & Evaporators

Evaporator and Condensers

➢ Evaporator – Function to absorb heat in the vapor
compression system. Heat is removed from air or
water or any other fluid such as brine solution.
➢ Condenser - Primary function is to reject heat in the
vapor compression system. Cooled the refrigerant
vapor to saturation and condensed it to liquid state.
 Type of Evaporator
• Finned Type Evaporator used as direct expansion coil or
cooling coils in refrigeration and air-conditioning system
application. The air or any fluid circulating in the system are
cooled directly by the refrigerant. A direct expansion cooling
is the cooling coil of a window type air-conditioner.

• Shell and Tube Type Evaporator (Flooded Type) used as a

chiller evaporator where a secondary fluid is chilled by the
refrigerant. This type utilizes a chilled fluid pump that
circulate secondary fluid from the main evaporator to the
secondary evaporator. The cooling of air or fluid in the
secondary evaporator is therefore achieved indirectly using
the secondary refrigerant.

• Plate Type Evaporator used as a freezer of a refrigerator. The

wall of the freezer is actually the plate evaporator. The
refrigerant flows throughout the plate evaporator beneath
the wall of the freezer. The freezer form ice on the outside
wall cooling also the whole refrigerator
 Finned Type
Direct Expansion Coil (DX)
 Thermostatic Expansion
Valve Air Out in Cross-flow

Finned
Liquid Line
Row 4 D-X Coil

Row 3

Row 2

Suction Line

Row 1

Air In
 Shell and Tube Type Evaporator
From Expansion Valve
Refrigerant
Chilled Water

Fan

Air Handling
To Compressor Unit

Cooling
Coil
Chilled Water
Pump
 DIRECT EXPANSION CHILLER Water out

10

Refrigerant
Liquid in
7

5
2
8
4
Refrigerant
vapour out 6 3
5 1
9
1. Shell 6. Baffles 5
2. Headers 7. Refrigerant Inlet (from EV)
3. Tubes 8. Refrigerant Outlet
Water in
4. Tube Sheet 9. Water Inlet
5. Partition 10. Water Outlet
 Plate Type
Freezer Coil of Refrigerator
Refrigerant

Ice
formation Aluminum
material

Refrigerator
 Evaporator
• Evaporator – is a Heat Exchanger which absorbs heat.
The vaporization portion of a refrigeration system.
• Direct System – Cooling by direct contact with the
space or material being refrigerated
Example: Direct Expansion Coil
• Indirect system – Cooling by using a secondary
refrigerant.
Example: Chiller
• Secondary Refrigerants – water, Brine, Methanol,
Glycerin, Etc.
• Fouling – scale formed on the tube which reduces
the water side transfer coefficient and restricts the
quantity of water circulated causing increase in
condensing pressure.
 Shell and Tube Type Evaporator
From Expansion Valve
Refrigerant TR
TL
Chilled Water

Fan
TE

Air Handling
To Compressor Unit

TR Cooling
Coil
Chilled Water
Pump
 Pressure Enthalpy Diagram

3 TR 2

4 TR
1

H
 Evaporator Equations

➢ Qo = Ao Uo D
➢ Qo = m cp (TE – TL)
➢ D = (TE – TR) – (TL – TR) / Ln (TE – TR)/(TL – TR)
➢ 1/U = R/fi + L/K + 1/fo
 Evaporator Equations
▪ Qo – Evaporator Capacity in kW
▪ Ao – Surface area of the evaporator in m2
▪ Uo – Over all heat transfer coefficient in kW/m2 K
▪ D – Logarithmic Mean Temperature Difference in K
▪ TE – Temperature of air or water entering
▪ TL – Temperature of the air or water leaving
▪ TR – Temperature of the refrigerant
▪ fi – Conductance inside surface film in W/m2 K
▪ L/K – Heat flow resistance by metal tubes and fins
▪ fo – Conductance outside surface film in W/m2 K
▪ R – Ratio of outside surface to inside surface
Logarithmic Mean Temperature
 Condenser
• A heat exchangers which reject heat.
• Cooled the refrigerant vapor to saturation and
condensed it to liquid states.
 Type of Condensers
▪ Air-Cooled condensers, heat is removed using outside air
either in natural or through forced circulation using
propeller fans. Used in small capacity machines, such as
refrigerators, small water coolers, window and packaged
air conditioners.
▪ Water-Cooled type condensers - a shell and tube type
heat exchanger where water flow inside the tubes and
the refrigerant condensing in the shell or vice versa. The
use of cooling tower with water pump re-circulate the
water from the shell and tube type condenser and back
to the cooling tower.
▪ Evaporative Condenser - utilized both water and air to
remove heat from the condenser coil. Water is sprayed
and at the same time the outdoor air being blown using
fans to the condenser coil.
Air Cooled Condensers
 Air Cooled Condensers

Packaged Air Window type Air

Domestic Refrigerator
Conditioning units Conditioner
Water-cooled Condensers
Recirculated Water System
 Water-Cooled
Waste Water System
Two-pass Water-Cooled Shell
& Tube Condenser
Evaporative Type Condensers
Evaporative Condenser
 Condenser Fouling Factor
▪ Scale formed on the tube which reduces the
water side transfer coefficient and restricts the
quantity of water circulated causing increase
in condensing pressure.
 Fouling Factor
The following fouling factors are recommended

1 = 0 .00009 J −1sm 2 K for copper tubes and

h R 22 condensers
f

1 = 0 .0009 J −1sm 2 K for steel tubes and

h Ammonia Condensers
f

For hard water conditions, the recommended value

is 0.001 to 0.0025
 Water-Cooled Condenser
REFRIGERANT IN

TR
WATER FROM THE
COOLING TOWER
CONDENSER
TE

BACK TO COOLING TOWER

TL REFRIGERANT OUT
TR
 Pressure Enthalpy Diagram

3 TR 2

4 TR
1

H
 Condenser Equations

➢ Qk = Ak Uk D
➢ Qk = m cp (TL – TE)
➢ Qk = 1.2 V (TL – TE)
➢ D = (TR – TE) – (TR – TL) / Ln (TR – TE)/(TR – TL)
➢ Face Velocity = Air Quantity/Face Area
 Condenser Equations
▪ Qk – Condenser Capacity in kW
▪ Ak – Surface Area of condenser in m2
▪ Uk – Overall heat transfer coefficient in kW/m2 K
▪ D – Logarithmic Mean Temperature difference in K
▪ m – Mass flow rate of air or water in kg/s
▪ Cp – Specific heat of condensing medium, kJ/kg K
= 1.02 kJ/kg k for air
= 4.183 kJ/kg k for water
▪ V – Volume flow rate in m3/second
▪ TR – Refrigerant temperature
▪ TE – Entering Temperature of air or water
▪ TL – Leaving Temperature of air or water
Logarithmic Mean Temperature
 Heat Rejection Ratio

• Heat Rejection ratio – Rate of heat flow at the

condenser to that of the evaporator
Qk = Qo + W
Qk/Qo = 1 + W/Qo
Qk/Qo = 1 + 1/ Ec
HRR = Qk/Qo
 Cooling Towers
Cooling Tower – for water conservation devices
TYPES OF COOLING TOWER
▪ Natural Draft or Atmospheric Tower – air circulation
through the tower is by natural convection.
▪ Mechanical Draft – air circulation through the tower
is by the action of a fan or blowers.
▪ Induced Draft – Fans draws the air through the
tower.
▪ Forced Draft – forced the air or blow it through
the tower.
 Natural draft or Atmospheric Tower
Natural Draft or Atmospheric Tower – air
circulation through the tower is by natural
convection.
 Mechanical draft
• Mechanical Draft – air circulation through the
tower is by the action of fan or blowers.
 Mechanical Draft: Induced Draft

• Induced Draft – Fans draws the air

through the tower.

Induced Draft (counter flow)

 Mechanical Draft: Forced Draft

• Forced Draft – Forced the air or blow it

through the tower.

Forced Draft (counter flow)

 Cooling Tower
▪ Water Make-up
▪ Water evaporated + Drift + bleed off
▪ Drift
▪ Small amount of water in the form of small
droplets entrained and carried away by air passing
through the tower.
▪ Bleed off
▪ Intermittent wasting of a certain percentage of
circulated water to avoid build-up in the
concentration of dissolved mineral solids and
other impurities in the condenser water.
 Cooling Tower Equations
▪ Tower Approach – Temperature difference between
the water leaving temperature and the ambient wet
bulb temperature
▪ Tower Range – Temperature difference between
entering and leaving water temperature.

▪ Tower Load – flow rate (L/s) x 4.19 kj/kg K

x (entering – leaving water temperature)

▪ Tower Load – Refrigerating Capacity x Heat Rejection

Ratio
 Problem - Water-Cooled System
Required:

1.
MR
Qc
MCW
BAS o
33 C
IN MCH

29oC
MCA
MCW
A Condenser

MR
A Evaporator
ACoiling Coil
Condensing Temperature = 35 oC
W
o
12 Co 7oC
Evaporating Temperature = 0 C
U = 0.7 W/m2 K
MCH
Qe = 50 KW
19oC
R-22
29oC
MCA
Problem - Air-Cooled System
 Air-cooled System
▪ The U value is 0.7 watt per sq. meter-k
▪ Condensing Temperature is 45 C
▪ Compute the following:
– Area of the Condenser
– Area of the Cooling Coil
– Mass of Refrigerant
– Mass of Condenser Air
– Mass of Cooled Air
– Capacity of Condenser
 Problems
3. An air cooled condenser has a U Value of 30 W/m2 K. The
condenser capacity is 60 KW with an airflow rate of 15
kg/sec and entering air temp of 35 oC. If condensing
temperature is 48oC, what is required air side area?

4. A R 22 system having a refrigerating capacity of 55

operates with an evaporating temperature of 5 °C and
rejects heat using a water cooled condenser. The
compressor is hermetically sealed. The condenser has a U
value of 450 W/m2 °K and heat transfer area of 18 m2 and
receives a flow rate of cooling water of 3.2 kg/sec. at a
temperature of 30 °C. what is the condensing temperature is the
Heat Rejection Ratio is 1.2?