ME401A LAB REPORT

Experiment Number : 4
Group Number : B2
Names : Ritik Rohit 160576
Rochak Ranjan Parida 160578
Rohit Narayani 160587
Saboo Mahesh Satish 160595

Date experiment was done on : 26/09/2019

Date of submission of report : 03/10/2019

Refrigeration System

OBJECTIVE:
1. To learn the basics of refrigeration system.
2. To calculate the coefficient of performance for single, series and parallel refrigeration
system for with and without load.
3. To calculate the performance factor relative to Carnot process for single, series and
parallel refrigeration system for with and without load.
4. To plot the p-h plot for single, series and parallel refrigeration system with and without
load.
INTRODUCTION:
Refrigeration is the process of ​cooling​ a space, substance, or system to lower and/or maintain its
temperature below the ambient one. Heat is removed from a low-temperature reservoir and
transferred to a high-temperature reservoir.​ ​Refrigeration has many applications, including, but
not limited to: household refrigerators, industrial freezers, cryogenics, and air conditioning.
Major components of a refrigeration system are evaporator, condenser, compressor and
expansion valve.

EXPERIMENTAL SETUP:
The model includes two separate refrigeration chambers with evaporator and expansion
elements. The evaporators can be optionally operated connected in series or in parallel. Two fans
in the refrigeration chambers support the achievement of an even temperature distribution. With
heaters cooling loads can additionally be simulated. One of the refrigeration chambers can
optionally be operated with an expansion valve or a capillary tube as expansion element. The
various operation modes are set via solenoid valves. An evaporation pressure controller permits
in parallel operation the independent adjustment of the temperature level in the upper chamber.
All components are clearly arranged on a panel. The operation of individual system components,
here temperature control, fan, heater, compressor and solenoid valves, takes place via the
software. The software offers the option to simulate faults. Temperatures and pressures in the
system are recorded by sensors and displayed dynamically in the software.

WORKING PRINCIPLE:
The refrigeration system must have 4 parts. A ​condenser​, an ​evaporator​,​ compressor​ and an
expansion device​. Starting with the compressor, refrigerant gas is compressed to a higher
pressure. After passing through the compressor, it passes to the condenser. The high pressure
gas transfers its heat to the surrounding air and condenses. It then passes through the expansion
device, which is a restriction separating the ​high side​ from the ​low side​. After passing through
the expansion device, the pressure is reduced because the compressor is removing gas from the
end of the evaporator. This lowers the boiling temperature of the refrigerant. The lower
temperature absorbs heat from the air passing over the evaporator and boils the liquid to a gas.
The gas then passes into the compressor and the cycle repeats.
 1-2: Isentropic compression
2-3: Isobaric Condensation
3-4: Isenthalpic expansion
4-1: Isobaric evaporation
1*-1: Superheating
3*-3: Refrigerant sub-cooling

OBSERVATION TABLE (​In Lab data sheet​)

SAMPLE CALCULATION (​Attached inside the lab report​)
GRAPHS (​Attached inside the lab report​)

RESULTS
● The COP for single evaporator refrigeration system is found to be:
○ With load, COP = 7.1
○ Without load, COP = 5.3

● The COP for series evaporator refrigeration system is found to be:

○ With load, COP = 17.7
○ Without load, COP = 10.9

● The COP for parallel evaporator refrigeration system is found to be:

○ With load, COP = 6.14
○ Without load, COP = 6.22

● The Performance factor for single evaporator refrigeration system is found to be:
○ With load, η = 0.98
 ○ Without load, η = 0.85

● The Performance factor for series evaporator refrigeration system is found to be:
○ With load, η = 11.3
○ Without load, η = 1.13

● The Performance factor for parallel evaporator refrigeration system is found to be:
○ With load, η = 0.916
○ Without load, η = 0.88

DISCUSSION
● Ideally, the performance factor of a refrigeration system should be <1, but we can see that
in case of series evaporator refrigeration system, the performance factor is >1. This is
because of the error in the refrigeration apparatus in parallel configuration.
● The COP in case of with load should be more than without load case, which is exhibited
in single and series evaporator, and not in parallel evaporator due to apparatus error.
● The performance factor in case of with load is more than without load, in all cases
without exception.

CONCLUSION
● We can see that the series evaporator refrigeration system exhibits higher COP and
performance factor than other cases, that is why, it is mostly used in industries.
● The installation setup is least in single evaporator refrigeration system, that is why, it is
used in home refrigerator.

SOURCES OF ERROR
● Error in refrigeration apparatus.
● Error in noting the p and h values from the software.