Applied Thermodynamics: ME431

Unit -4: Refrigeration

Capter-2: VAPOUR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION:

CONTENT
 Description,
 Analysis.
 Refrigerating effect.
 Capacity.
 Power required.
 COP.
 Refrigerants and their desirable properties.
SIMPLE VAPOUR COMPRESSION CYCLE

QR
Heat Rejection TH

4 3
QR
Condenser

Refrigerator WIN Expansion valve Compressor

QA
Evaporator
1 2
TL
QA
Heat Absorption
•The working fluid is a vapour.
•During the process the working fluid changes its state from liquid to gas and vice
versa.
•The working fluid enters the evaporator coils in the refrigerator as a liquid and
evaporates in the coils absorbing latent heat of vapourisation from the
refrigerator there by cooling the refrigerator cavity. The pressure in the
evaporator is less than the saturation pressure corresponding to the evaporator
temperature.
•The compressor takes in the working fluid vapour from the evaporator coils and
compresses it so that its pressure and temperature increases.
•The compressor delivers the high pressure and high temperature working fluid
vapour into the condenser coils.
•In the condenser coils, the vapour condenses into liquid by rejecting latent heat
condensation. Pressure inside the condenser is more than the saturation pressure
corresponding to condenser temperature.
•From the condenser coils, the liquid working fluid reaches the expansion valve.
•Expansion valve delivers liquid working fluid at low pressure into the evaporator
coils.
•Since the pressure is less in the evaporator coils, liquid working fluid evaporates
in the evaporator coils. Unit -4
 Merits and demerits of vapour compression system over air
refrigeration system
Merits:

1. COP is very high.

2. For ground based refrigeration systems, the running cost of vapour compression systems is
only ⅕ of a same capacity air refrigeration system.
3. For the same refrigerating effect, the size of the evaporator is smaller for vapor
compression system.
4. The required temperature of the evaporator can be achieved by simply adjusting the
expansion valve.

Demerits:

1. Initial cost is high

2. Leakage of inflammable or toxic refrigerant will result in accidents.
Representation of Vapor compression system in T–S Diagram
and P–h Diagram.
Vapor Compression Cycle in Temperature – Entropy Diagram

4 3
Condenser

Expansion valve Compressor

Evaporator
1 2
Vapor Compression Cycle in Pressure – Enthalpy Diagram

4 3
Condenser

Compressor
Expansion valve

Evaporator
1 2
 Process a-b: Isentropic compression of
vapour to high pressure and temperature.
Enthalpy of the refrigerant increases.
Process b-c: High pressure and high
temperature vapour enters the condenser
where it is cooled at constant pressure so
that its temperature drops below the
saturation temp and subsequently the
vapour condenses to liquid. Entalpy of
refrigerant decreases.

Process c-d: The liquid refrigerant collected in the storage tank is expanded to a lower
pressure in the expansion valve and enters the evaporator. Enthalpy of refrigerant remains
constant.

Process d-a: Since the temperature of the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator is higher than
the saturation pressure corresponding to the evaporator pressure, liquid refrigerant
evaporates. Enthalpy of refrigerant increases. When the liquid refrigerant evaporates it
absorbs latent heat of vapourisation and evaporator temperature drops.

Ha  Hc
Refrigeration Effect = Ha-Hd = Ha-Hc . Work done = Hb-Ha
COP 
Hb  H a
Different cases of Vapour compression system in T-S diagram.
A. When the vapor is dry and saturated at the end of compression.

Area 1-2-g-f-1
Area 1-2-3-4-b-1
B. When the vapor is superheated at the end of compression.
C. When the vapor is wet at the end of compression.
Methods of increasing COP of Vapour Compression System
Types and Properties of Refrigerants
A refrigerant is defined as any substance that absorbs heat through
vaporization or expansion and loses heat through condensation or
contraction.

Types of Refrigerants:

1. Primary refrigerants;
Primary refrigerants are those refrigerants that absorbs heat
directly from the area to be cooled.
2. Secondary refrigerants.
Secondary refrigerants absorb heat from the area to be cooled
and in turn transfer the heat to a primary refrigerant.
 1. Primary Refrigerants

The various types of Primary Refrigerants are:

 Halocarbon compounds:
• Carbon tetrachloride (R-10)
• Trichloro-monofluro methane (R-11)
 Azeotropes: Azeotropes are mixtures of different substances
which cannot be separated by distillation. An azeotrope
behaves like a simple substance and have fixed thermodynamic
properties.
• Refrigerant R-500 is an azeotrope type of refrigerant.
 Hydrocarbons:
• Methane
• Ethane (R-170)
• Propane (R-290)
 Inorganic Compounds
• Ammonia (R-717)
• Water (R-718)
• Air (R-729)
• CO2 (R-744)
•Unsaturated Organic Compounds
•Trichloroethylene (R-1120)
• Ethylene (R-1150)

Unit -4
2. Secondary Refrigerants

Examples of Secondary Refrigerants:

• Brine
• Glycols
• Water
Desirable Properties of Refrigerants

1. Thermodynamic Properties
• Low boiling point
• Low freezing point
• High latent heat of vaporization
2. Chemical properties
• Non-toxicity
• Non-flammable and non-explosive
• Non-corrosive
• Chemical stability
3. Physical properties
• Low specific volume of vapour
• High sp. Heat in the evaporator and low sp. Heat in
condenser
• High thermal conductivity
• Low viscosity
4. Other properties
• Free availability and less expansive
• Ease of handling
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Unit -4
In a standard vapour compression refrigeration cycle, operating between an evaporator temperature of –
10°C and a condenser temperature of 40°C, the enthalpy of the refrigerant, Freon-12, at the end of
compression is 220 kJ/kg.
Show the cycle diagram on T-s plane. Calculate: (i) The C.O.P. of the cycle. (ii) The refrigerating capacity
and the compressor power assuming a refrigerant flow rate of 1 kg/min. You may use the extract of Freon-12
property table given below :
t(°C) p(MPa) hf (kJ/kg) hg (kJ/kg)
– 10 0.2191 26.85 183.1
40 0.9607 74.53 203.1

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Unit -4
A Freon-12 refrigerator producing a cooling effect of 20 kJ/s operates on a simple cycle with pressure
limits of 1.509 bar and 9.607 bar. The vapour leaves the evaporator dry saturated and there is no
under-cooling. Determine the power required by the machine. Sp. Heat of refrigerant, Cp = 0.747 kJ/kgK.
Given:
Temp. ps bar vg hf Enthalpy hg Enthalpy sf Entropy sg Entropy Sp.
0°C m3/kg kJ/kg kJ/kg kJ/kg K kJ/kg K Heat, kJ/kg K
– 20 1.509 0.1088 17.8 178.61 0.073 0.7082 —
40 9.607 — 74.53 203.05 0.2716 0.682 0.747

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A food storage locker requires a refrigeration capacity of 50 kW. It works between a condenser temperature
of 35°C and an evaporator temperature of – 10°C. The refrigerant is ammonia. It is sub-cooled by 5°C
before entering the expansion valve by the dry saturated vapour leaving the evaporator. Assuming a single
cylinder, single-acting compressor operating at 1000 r.p.m. with stroke equal to 1.2 times the bore.
Determine: (i) The power required, and (ii) The cylinder dimensions. Properties of ammonia are:

Saturation Pressure Enthalpy Entropy Specific volume Specific heat

temp., °C bar kJ/kg kJ/kg K m3/kg kJ/kg K
Liquid Vapour Liquid Vapour Liquid Vapour Liquid Vapour
–10 2.9157 154.056 1450.22 0.82965 5.7550 — 0.417477 — 2.492
35 13.522 366.072 1488.57 1.56605 5.2086 1.7023 0.09562 4.556 2.903
28 tons of ice at 00C is produced/day in an NH3 refrigerator. The temperature range in the
compressor is from 250C to -150C. The vapour is dry and saturated at the end of compression.
Assuming a COP of 62% that of theoretical, calculate power required to drive the compressor.
Use the following extract. Take latent heat of ice as 335kJ/kg.

o
Enthalpy kJ/kg Entropy kJ/kg
TC
hf hg sf sg
25 100.4 1319.22 0.3473 4.4852
-15 -54.56 1304.99 -2.1338 5.0585

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