K J SOMAIYA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, MUMBAI-77

(CONSTITUENT COLLEGE OF SOMAIYA VIDYAVIHAR UNIVERSITY)

Air Refrigeration Cycle

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 Reversed Carnot cycle

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 Reversed Carnot Cycle

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 Analysis of reversed Carnot Cycle

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 Analysis of reversed Carnot Cycle (contd…)

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 Effect of operating temperature on performance of
Reversed Carnot cycle
• Carnot COP depends only on operating temperature, it is independent of
working fluid.
• Carnot COP for cooling varies between 0 and φ.
• To obtain maximum possible COP, cold temperature should be as high as
possible and hot body temperature should be as low as possible.
• Air conditioner will have more COP as compared to refrigerator

Source: Refrigeration and Air

Conditioning by C. P. Arora

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 Limitation of reversed Carnot cycle

• Extreme pressure and large volumes are developed.

• Achieving isothermal heat absorption and heat rejection is very difficult
in practice as it require infinitely slow process (quasistatic process).
• Irreversibility in compressor and expander will lead to higher work
requirement.

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 Comparison of air cooling and water cooling

• Water is available at a temperature lower than that of air.

• Specific heat of water is about 4 times than air. Thus for the same heat rejection and
mass, temperature rise of the water is ¼th that of air and TK is lower.
• Water has higher heat transfer coefficient than air.
• For forced convection heat transfer coefficient is about 100W/m2k and in free
convection it is about 10W/m2k. Where as for water it is about 5000W/m2k.
• For the same heat rejected and same area of heat exchange, the temperature difference
required across the heat exchanger is less, which results in lower value of TK.
• Use OF water as cooling medium results in lower TK, higher COP, lower power
consumption along with much compact and smaller condenser size.
• Large refrigeration plant use water cooled condenser along with water cooling plant
(cooling tower, pump, pipes)

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 Reversed Brayton/Joule/Bell Coleman cycle

1-2: Isentropic compression

2-3: Constant pressure heat rejection
3-4: Isentropic expansion
4-1: Constant pressure heat absorption

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 Analysis

Source: Refrigeration and Air Conditioning by C. P. Arora

Considering Polytropic compression and expansion

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 Effect of pressure ratio on performance of the cycle

With increase in pressure refrigeration effect increases along with increase in work.
Increase in work is much more than increase in refrigeration effect.
Thus COP decreases with increase in compressor outlet pressure.

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 Actual cycle

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 Open Vs Closed cycle Bell-Coleman cycle

Open type Closed type

•In evaporator /refrigerator of open type, air directly comes in contact with
object to be cooled.
•In evaporator /refrigerator of closed type air indirect cooling takes place.
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 Open Vs Closed cycle Bell-Coleman cycle

Open cycle Closed cycle

• In an open cycle, as air after expansion
directly leads to conditioned space, it is • Closed cycle (dense cycle) can work at
necessary to expand air upto atmospheric suction pressure higher than
pressure. atmospheric.
• Thus requires large volume to handle.
• This reduces volume handled by
• Open cycle does not require heat compressor by compressor and expander.
exchanger for refrigeration process.
• Thus saves the weight and cost of the • Operating pressure can be reduced which
equipment. increases COP.
• If air drawn from refrigerated space is
humid, it might produce fog and ice at
the end of the expansion process and
clog line.
• A dryer in the circuit is required in such
case.

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