Lab Session # 01

Objective
“Introduction to Refrigeration and Air Conditioning.”

Description
1. Heat

In thermodynamics, heat (Q) is energy in transfer to or from a thermodynamic system, by

mechanisms other than thermodynamic work or transfer of matter. As a form of energy, heat has
the unit joule (J) in the International System of Units (SI). However, in many applied fields in
engineering the British thermal unit (BTU) and the calorie are often used. The standard unit for
the rate of heat transferred is the watt (W), defined as one joule per second.
The basic equation for deriving Heat is of the form:

Where
is the cooling capacity [kW]
is the mass rate [kg/s]
is the specific heat capacity [kJ/kg K]
is the temperature change [K]
The various mechanisms of energy transfer that define heat are stated below.

1.1. Specific heat capacity:

It is the amount of energy that must be added, in the form of heat, to one unit of mass of the substance in
order to cause an increase of one unit in its temperature. The SI unit of specific heat is joule per kelvin
and kilogram, J/(K kg).

For example, at a temperature of 25 °C (the specific heat capacity can vary with the temperature),
the heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1 K (equivalent to 1 °C) is 4179.6
joules, meaning that the specific heat of water is 4179.6 J·kg−1·K−1.

2. Mechanisms of transfer of Heat (Convection, conduction, radiation)

The mechanisms of energy transfer that define heat include:

2.1. Conduction: Direct contact of immobile bodies/fixed bodies or through a wall or

barrier that is impermeable to matter; or radiation between separated bodies. When there
is a suitable path between two systems with different temperatures, heat transfer occurs
necessarily, immediately, and spontaneously from the hotter to the colder system

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Lab

 according to 2nd law of thermodynamics. Thermal conduction occurs by the stochastic
(random) motion of microscopic particles (such as atoms or molecules).
2.2. Convection: Convective circulation allows one body to heat another, through an
intermediate circulating fluid that carries energy from a boundary of one to a boundary
of the other. Convective circulation, though spontaneous, does not necessarily and
immediately occur simply because of some slight temperature difference; for it to occur
in a given arrangement of systems, there is a threshold that must be crossed.
2.3. Radiation: In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of
waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes:
electromagnetic radiation, such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light,
ultraviolet, x-rays, and gamma radiation (γ).
3. Matter and Energy

Matter is the substance of which all material is made. That means objects which have
mass.Energy is used in science to describe how much potential a physical system has to change.
In physics, energy is a property of matter. It can be transferred between objects, and converted in
form. It cannot be created or destroyed. Everything in the Universe is made up of matter and
energy. Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. Unit of energy is joule.

4. Pressure
Pressure is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which
that force is distributed. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the ambient pressure.The SI
unit for pressure is the pascal (Pa), equal to one newton per square metre (N/m 2). Other units of
pressure, such as pounds per square inch (Ibf/in2) and bar, are also in common use.

5. Refrigeration and Refrigerants

The term refrigeration means cooling a space, substance or system to lower and/or maintain its
temperature below the ambient one (while the removed heat is rejected at a higher
temperature).In other words, refrigeration is artificial (human-made) cooling. Energy in the form
of heat is removed from a low-temperature reservoir and transferred to a high-temperature
reservoir. The work of energy transfer is traditionally driven by mechanical means, but can also
be driven by heat, magnetism, electricity, laser, or other means. Refrigeration has many

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Lab

applications, including household refrigerators, industrial freezers, cryogenics, and air
conditioning. Heat pumps may use the heat output of the refrigeration process, and also may be
designed to be reversible, but are otherwise similar to air conditioning units.

5.1. Unit of Refrigeration

Cooling capacity is the measure of a cooling system's ability to remove heat. The SI unit is watt
(W). Another unit common in non-metric regions or sectors is the ton of refrigeration, which
describes the amount of water at freezing temperature that can be frozen in 24 hours, equivalent
to
3.5 kW or 12,000 BTU/h

5.2. Refrigerant of the refrigeration system

Refrigerant is responsible for transferring energy in refrigeration system. Any liquid that can be
condensed at feasible pressure and evaporated at low temperature. Following are some points
about good refrigerant
• It should be environmental compatible
• It should not be hazards to human health i.e. non-flammable, non-toxic and non-
explosive.
• It should not to freeze below 0 degree Celsius
• Leakage of the refrigerant from system should be sensible
• Low Boiling point
• High latent heat of vaporization
• Low specific volume of vapour  Non-corrosive to metal
• Low cost.

6. Air conditioning
Air conditioning (often referred to as AC, A/C, or air con) is the process of removing heat and
moisture from the interior of an occupied space to improve the comfort of occupants. Air
conditioning can be used in both domestic and commercial environments. This process is most
commonly used to achieve a more comfortable interior environment, typically for humans and
other animals; however, air conditioning is also used to cool and dehumidify rooms filled with
heat-producing electronic devices, such as computer servers, power amplifiers, and to display
and store some delicate products, such as network.
Air conditioners often use a fan to distribute the conditioned air to an enclosed space such as a
building or a car to improve thermal comfort and indoor air quality. Electric refrigerant-based
AC units range from small units that can cool a small bedroom, which can be carried by a single
adult, to massive units installed on the roof of office towers that can cool an entire building. The
cooling is typically achieved through a refrigeration cycle, but sometimes evaporation or free
cooling is used. Air conditioning systems can also be made based on desiccants (chemicals

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Lab

which remove moisture from the air). Some AC systems reject or store heat in subterranean
pipes.
In construction, a complete system of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning is referred to as
HVAC. As of 2018, 1.5 billion air conditioning units were installed, with the International
Energy Agency expecting 5.6 billion units in use by 2050. Globally, current air conditioning
accounts for 1/5 of energy usage in buildings globally, and the expected growth of the usage of
air conditioning, will drive significant energy demand growth. In response to, in 2018 the United
Nations called for the technology to be made more sustainable to mitigate climate change.

7. Piping in Refrigeration system

Piping is an important part of refrigeration systems. The incorrect design and implementation of the
refrigerant pipes could result in faulty operation or even damage to the refrigeration system. Four
different types of piping are basically differentiated in the refrigeration system. The properties of the
different piping types have a direct effect on the constructive design. In long pipelines a low-pressure
loss must in particular be ensured. In piping with vaporous refrigerant, the safe transport of oil must
be ensured. Cold or hot refrigerant pipes must be equipped with insulation to prevent heat loss or
condensation on the surface.
Name Connects state Temperature Length
intake pipe evaporator – compressor vaporous cold long
delivery pipe compressor – condenser vaporous hot short
condenser pipe condenser – collector liquid environment short
liquid pipe collector – evaporator liquid environment/cold long
Lab Rubrics
Marks CLO3 – Level C4 mapped to PLO3

10 Complete understanding and description of the apparatus is carried out

confidently and proficiently. Performance and the comments/Student
Report are described efficiently.

07 Understanding and description of the apparatus is carried out with

minor details. Performance and the comments/Student Report are not
accurately described.

03 Understanding and description of the apparatus is carried out with

several major details. Performance and the comments/Student Report
are not described accurately.

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Lab

 00 No Understanding and description of the apparatus is carried out.
Performance and the comments/Student Report are not described.

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Lab