Refrigeration Systems

BSME 3A
Lecture 1 Notes

TANAY, John Michael

MARANAN, Domenick
LOMA, Russell
FERRER, Mellegel
MENDOZA, Bryant
LAGUNDAY, Jobelle
Learning Module/Lecture materials #1

Refrigeration Systems (ME 322)

2nd Semester School Year 2020-2021

TTh 1:00 – 2:30 (3A) & TTh 2:30 – 4:00 (3B)

BSME 3 Students

Objectives: As embodied in the course guide & course syllables for this particular subject.

Refrigeration - is the process of transferring heat from one area to another. If we remove heat from one
substance, it becomes cold, and cold is merely the absence of heat. The removal of heat can be
accomplished by using ice or any mechanical and non-mechanical means. Mechanical refrigeration
system uses compressor to move the refrigerant into the system and keep the cycle.

Refrigeration is that branch of science which deals with the process of reducing and maintaining the
temperature of a space or material below the temperature of the surrounding.

Principles of Refrigeration

The mechanical refrigeration system or the vapor-compression system has four stages taking place
in the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, and the evaporator. It is divided into two
pressure: the low-pressure side and the high-pressure side.

Compressor - is referred to as the heart of the system. The compressor compresses the low-pressure gas
refrigerant into high pressure gas refrigerant, thus increasing the temperature; It also lowers the
pressure in the evaporator, and keeps the refrigerant moving into the system.

Evaporator - it is a coil of tubes where heat is being absorbed in order that it may be moved and
transferred to the condenser. It is known as freezer, cooling coil or dividing unit. It can be found on the
low pressure side of the system.

Condenser - it is also a coil of tubes where a heat being absorbed in the evaporator discharges into the
atmosphere. It can be found in the high pressure side of the system.

Expansion Valve - It is the metering device that controls the flow of refrigerant to the evaporation. It
reduces the high pressure liquid refrigerant to a low pressure liquid refrigerant in the correct quantities
to operate the system at maximum efficiency and without overloading the compressor.

Refrigerant - is the blood of the system. A refrigerant is a liquid that easily boils at low temperature. It
absorbs heat in the evaporator and discharges it into the condenser.
 Expansion Valve
Low Pressure Side High Pressure Side

1 4

Heat In Heat Out

2 3

Evaporator Condenser

Refrigeration Cycle

Note: For further readings/understanding of the refrigeration cycle/system please refer to learning
materials sent online (pages 1-4)

Refrigerating Machine and Reversed Carnot Cycle

Unit of Refrigeration Capacity

The standard unit of refrigeration is ton of refrigeration. It is devoted by the symbol TR. One ton
of refrigeration (TR) is the rate of cooling required to freeze one ton of water at 32֯ (0֯ C) to ice at 32֯ (0֯ C)
in twenty-four hours.

The heat of fusion either from solid to liquid or from liquid to solid is 144 Btu/lb., thus;
𝐵𝑡𝑢 2000𝑙𝑏𝑓
144 𝑥 𝐵𝑡𝑢 𝑘𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐾𝐽
𝑙𝑏 1 𝑡𝑜𝑛 = 200 = 50.4 = 211 = 3.516 𝐾𝑤
24ℎ𝑟𝑠 𝑥 60𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑠⁄ℎ𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑖𝑛

Heat Engine and Refrigerating Machine

A system operating in a cycle and producing a net quantity of work from a supply of heat is
called a heat engine and is represented as shown in the figure.
 Hot reservoir
(source of heat)

Cold Reservoir
(receiver of heat)

Representation of a Heat Engine

𝑊 = 𝑄𝐴 − 𝑄𝑅

𝑊 𝑄𝐴 − 𝑄𝑅
𝑒= =
𝑄𝐴 𝑄𝐴

Where: QA = the heat supplied

QR = the heat rejected
W = net work
E = thermal efficiency

Refrigerating Machine – will either cool or maintain a body at a temperature below that of its
surroundings. The machine R absorbs heat QA from the cold body at temperature T1 and rejects heat QR
to the surroundings at temperature T2 and during the process requires work W to be done on the
system.
Representation of a Refrigerating Machine
𝑊 = 𝑄𝑟 − 𝑄𝐴
𝑄𝐴 𝑄𝐴
𝐶𝑂𝑃 = =
𝑊 𝑄𝑅 − 𝑄𝐴
Where: QA = the heat absorbed from the cold body or refrigeration produced

QR = the hear rejected to the surroundings

W = work done or mechanical energy consumed

COP = coefficient of performance

The Carnot Cycle

Process a – b Isothermal expansion Ta = Tb = T1

b–c Isentropic expansion Sb = Sc
c–d Isothermal compression Tc = Td =T2
d–a Isentropic compression Sd = Sa

QA = T1 (Sb-Sa)

QR = T2 (Sc-Sd)

= T2 (Sb-Sa)

W = Q A – QR

= T1 (Sb-Sa) – T2 (Sb-Sa)

= (T1-T2) (Sb-Sa)
(𝑇1−𝑇2)(𝑆𝑏−𝑆𝑎)
e = W/Q = 𝑇1 (𝑆𝑏−𝑆𝑎)

𝑇1−𝑇2
e=
𝑇1
where:

QA = the heat added by the hot body

QR = the heat rejected to the cold body

W = the work done

e = thermal efficiency

T1 = temperature of the source of heat

T2 = temperature of the sink or receiver of heat

The Reversed Carnot Cycle

The Reversed Carnot Cycle follows the same processes as in the power producing Carnot cycle, but the
cycle operates in the counterclockwise direction.

Process a - b Isentropic compression Sa = Sb

b-c Isothermal heat rejection Tb = Tc = T2
c-d Isentropic expansion Sc = Sd
d-a Isothermal heat absorption Td = Ta = T1

where:

QA = the heat absorbed from the cold body = T1 (Sa – Sd)

QR = the heat rejected to the hot body = T2 (Sb – Sc) = T2 (Sa – Sd)

W = work done = QR – QA = (T2 – T1) (Sa – Sd)

 1𝑇 (𝑆𝑎−𝑆𝑑)
COP = the coefficient of performance = QA / W = (𝑇 −𝑇 )(𝑆𝑎−𝑆𝑑)
2 1

T1 = the refrigeration temperature

T2 = the temperature of heat rejection to the surroundings

Problem: (April 1981)

A refrigerating system operates on the Reversed Carnot Cycle. The minimum and maximum
temperatures are -25°C and 72°C respectively. If the heat rejected at the condenser is 6000 kJ/min,
draw the TS diagram and find

a. Power Input required

b. Tons of refrigeration developed

Solution:

T2 = 72 +273 = 345 K

T1 = -25 +273 = 248 K

QR = 6000 kJ/min

a. Power input required, W

1 𝑇 (𝑆𝑎−𝑆𝑑) 1 𝑇 (−25+273)
COP = (𝑇 −𝑇 )(𝑆𝑎−𝑆𝑑)
= (𝑇 −𝑇 )
= (72+273)−(−25+273) = 2.557
2 1 2 1

𝑄𝐴
COP = 𝑊
; Wnet = QR – QA ; QA = QR – Wnet (Equation 1)

𝐴𝑄
Wnet = 𝐶𝑂𝑃 (100%)

QA = (2.557) (Wnet) (Equation 2)

Equating 1 & 2:

(2.557) (Wnet) = QR – Wnet

(2.557 + 1) Wnet = QR
 (3.557) Wnet = 6000 kJ/min
6,000
Wnet = 3,557
= 1686.8 𝑘𝐽/𝑚𝑖𝑛

b.) Tons of refrigerant developed, QA or Refrigerating Effect

211 𝑘𝐽/𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑅.𝐸.( )
1 𝑡𝑜𝑛
COP = 𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡

(𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 )(𝐶𝑂𝑃)
R. E. = 𝑘𝐽
211
𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑖𝑛

𝑘𝐽
1686.8 (2.557)
𝑚𝑖𝑛
R. E. = 𝑘𝐽
211
𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑖𝑛

R. E. = 20.44 𝑇𝑜𝑛𝑠

Problem 1

The Coefficient of performance of a Reversed Carnot Cycle is 5.35 when refrigeration is done at 255 ˚K,
s= 0.38 kJ/K during the isothermal heat interactions, Find:

a) Heat added in the cycle

b) Temperature at which heat is added
c) Net Work, Wnet

Solution:
𝑘𝑗
a. 𝑄𝐴 = 𝑇1 ∆𝑠 = (255𝐾 ) (0.38 𝐾 ) = 96.9 𝑘𝐽

b. 𝑇1 = 255𝐾 − 273 = −18°𝐶

𝑄
𝐴 96.9 𝑘𝐽
c. 𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝐶𝑂𝑃 = 5.35
= 18.11 𝑘𝐽

Problem 2

A refrigeration cycle operates on a Reversed Carnot Cycle between 244.4 ˚K and 305.6 ˚K with an input
of 7.46 kW. Sketch the cycle on the TS-plane and determine:

a) COP
b) Tons of refrigeration
 Solution:

305.6K

244.4K

1 𝑇 244.4𝐾
a. 𝐶𝑂𝑃 = 𝑇 −𝑇 = 305.6𝐾−244.4𝐾 = 3.99
2 1

1 𝑡𝑜𝑛
b. 𝑄𝐴 = 𝐶𝑂𝑃(𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 ) = 3.99(7.46 𝑘𝑊 ) (3.5 𝑘𝑊) = 8.504 𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑠

Problem 3

A refrigeration system operates on the Reversed Carnot Cycle. If the heat added and heat rejected in the
system are 5000 kJ/min and 6500 kJ/min respectively, draw the schematic diagram and find:

a) Coefficient of Performance
b) Ratio Tmax/Tmin
c) Power required

Solution:

𝑄𝐴 5000 𝑘𝐽/𝑚𝑖𝑛
a. 𝐶𝑂𝑃 = = = 3.33
𝑄𝑅 −𝑄𝐴 6500 𝑘𝐽/ min − 5000 𝑘𝐽/𝑚𝑖𝑛

1 𝑇 1 𝑇2 −𝑇1 𝑇 𝑇2 1
b. 𝐶𝑂𝑃 = 𝑇 −𝑇 ; 𝐶𝑂𝑃
= 𝑇1
= 𝑇2 − 1 ; 𝑇1
= 𝐶𝑂𝑃 + 1 ;
2 1 1

𝑇2 1 𝑇2 1
𝑇1
= 3.33 + 1 ; 𝑇1
= 3.33 + 1 = 1.30

𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛
= 1.30

𝑘𝐽 𝑘𝐽
c. 𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑄𝑅 − 𝑄𝐴 = 6500 − 5000 = 1500 𝑘𝐽/𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑖𝑛