Lesson 1

BASIC REFRIGERATION CYCLE AND CONCEPTS, STANDARD RATING

OF REFRIGERATING MACHINES

1.1 Introduction

The American Society of Heating, Air conditioning and Refrigerating Engineers

(ASHARE) defines refrigeration as the science of providing and maintaining
temperatures below the immediate surrounding temperatures. Thus it is a process of
removing heat from a medium. In other words, the term “refrigeration” is used to
denote maintenance of a system or body at a temperature lower than that of its
surroundings. In other words it is the process of cooling a substance below the initial
temperature of the substance.
1.2 What is Air Conditioning?
Air conditioning refers the control of environmental conditions of air depending on
the use of air conditioning. Air-conditioning signifies the control of an atmospheric
environment either for human or to carry out industrial or scientific process
efficiently. The purpose of air-conditioning is to supply sufficient volume of condition
air having a specific amount of water vapour at a required temperature within a
selected space. The space may be a small compartment such as a research laboratory,
computer laboratory or big area like cinema hall, shopping centre, air port etc. Thus,
air conditioning refers the control of temperature, relative humidity, quality of air and
distribution of air depending upon the application of air conditioning. The
environmental air conditioned in terms of temperature, humidity, purity of air results
in greater comfort to occupants when applied to public places, offices and factories.
Air conditioning designed for industrial purpose has several benefits including better
control of product quality and efficiency.
1.3 Importance of Refrigeration in Dairy Industry
Refrigeration is a basic requirement for the processing and storage of milk and milk
products as majority of dairy products are perishable in nature. The need of
refrigeration is indicated below.
1. Chilling of milk at producers’ level by employing bulk milk coolers and at
milk chilling centers is the first requirement in dairy industry. Immediate
cooling of milk to about 2-3 ºC is very important to reduce the multiplications
 of micro-organisms and to get low bacterial count in the milk and milk
products.
2. Processing of milk using either batch pasteurizer or HTST plant requires
chilled water or any other cooling medium for cooling of milk.
3. Manufacture of many products requires refrigeration. e.g. butter, ice-cream
etc.
4. Storage of milk and milk products requires maintaining low temperature in
the cold storages depending on the type of product to be stored. e.g. milk is
stored at around 3-4 ºC while ice-cream is stored at -30 ºC temperature.
5. Transportation of many products requires refrigerated vehicles to maintain the
quality of products.

6. Low temperature storage is required for distribution of products as well as at the

consumers’ level.

Thus, refrigeration is a basic requirement from production to consumption level for

dairy and food products. The concept of cold chain of transportation has been
accepted in order to supply quality products to the consumers.

1.4 Methods of Refrigeration

1.4.1 Natural methods 

1. Use of water: If a material is cooled below the initial temperature by using

water, the process is called refrigeration. This method has limitations as desired
value of low temperature water may not be available and it is not possible to
reduce the temperature of the product/material to a required level. 
2. Use of water added with salt: When salts ( e.g. sodium chloride) are added in
water, the temperature of the water falls and if this salt water is used for
cooling , the process is called refrigeration. This is not practical as the drop in
temperature is very small.
3. Use of naturally harvested ice: If naturally available ice is used for cooling,
the process is called natural refrigeration. But, ice is not available every place
and it can not meet the requirement of low temperature.
4. Use of ice and salt mixture: When salts (e.g. sodium chloride) are mixed in
ice, it is possible to achieve temperature below 0 ºC. In many towns, ice-cream
 is made using hand freezers employing ice and salt mixture for freezing of ice-
cream.
5. Evaporative cooling with water: When ambient air passes through a spray of
water or a wet grass pad, evaporation of part of water takes place by using
sensible heat of the same air. As the sensible heat of the air decreases, the dry
bulb temperature of the air decreases. The vapour produced due to evaporation
of water goes with the air and hence total enthalpy of the air remains constant.
This process is called adiabatic process. This method of air cooling is more
effective when the relative humidity of the air is less. This principle of air
cooling is employed in air coolers/dessert coolers. The lowest possible
temperature of the air achieved in evaporative cooling is up to the wet bulb
temperature of air. Another limitation of this method of cooling is higher
humidity in the room area. The knowledge of psychrometry is necessary to
understand the process of evaporative cooling which may not have much
significance in air conditions, but the understanding of the process is important
to understand the process of spray drying, cooling of water in cooling tower etc.
1.4.2 Artificial methods
The artificial method of refrigeration, which is known as vapour compression
refrigeration system, is commonly used in dairy plants, food factories, air conditioning
systems etc. The basic working principle is the same in all such systems. It may be
house hold freeze, small capacity air conditioner or a big capacity refrigeration plant
of any dairy/food factory. The basic cycle of the vapour compression refrigeration
system is discussed in lesson 2.

1.5 Unit of Refrigeration

Capacity of refrigeration system is expressed as ton of refrigeration (TR). A ton of

refrigeration is defined as the quantity of heat to be removed in order to form one ton
(2000 lbs.) of ice at 0 ºC in 24 hrs, from liquid water at 0 ºC. This is equivalent to
12600 kJ/h or 210 kJ/min or 3.5 kJ/s (3.5 kW).
1 TR = 12600 kJ/h or 210 kJ/min or 3.5 kW.
The capacity of refrigeration plant required in any dairy/food plant can be estimated
based on the cooling load requirement of the plant.