ME 13 Lecture 03:

Vapor Compression System

Vapor Compression Cycle

- Most widely used refrigeration cycle in practice.
- Vapor is compressed then condensed to a liquid, following which the pressure is dropped
so that fluid can evaporate at a low pressure.

Standard Vapor Compression Cycle (SVCC)

𝟏 → 𝟐: Reversible and Adiabatic Compression from saturated vapor to the condenser
pressure.

𝟐 → 𝟑: Reversible rejection of heat at constant pressure, causing desuperheating and

condensation of the refrigerant.

𝟑 → 𝟒: Irreversible Expansion at constant enthalpy from saturated liquid to the evaporator

pressure.

𝟒 → 𝟏: Reversible addition of heat at constant pressure causing evaporation to saturated

vapor.

1
Properties of Refrigerants
- All the common refrigerants for Vapor Compression Systems (VCS) exhibit similar
characteristics, although numerical values of properties vary from one refrigerant to
another.
❖ R-22: generic name for a refrigerant (e.g. Freon 22 and Genetron 22)
❖ Ammonia: For industrial refrigeration systems
- For refrigerant properties, P-h diagram is the usual diagram to use. Enthalpy is mostly
needed and utilized.
❖ Ammonia, R-11, R-12, R-22 properties and P-h charts can be found in the
Appendix
❖ Table A-7: Table of Superheated Vapor for R-22

❖ Horizontal temperature line in mixture as it corresponds with the saturation pressure.

❖ Temperature of a compressed liquid determines the enthalpy and not the pressure
(Using steam tables at moderate pressures). To find the enthalpy of liquid water that
is subcooled:
ℎ = ℎ𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 @ 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒

❖ For the superheated region: when the line of constant temperature becomes vertical,
∆ℎ = (𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡)(∆𝑡)
(Relationship of enthalpy of a perfect gas)

2
 Note: Interpolation might be used, and tables of superheated vapor will be observed.

❖ As pressure increases during compression, enthalpy also increases during the

isentropic process.

Performance of SVCC
• Mass Flow Rate
❖ Circulation rate of the refrigerant
𝑚̇ [kg/s]

• Work of Compression
Recall Steady-flow energy equation.
𝑉1 2 𝑉2 2
ℎ1 + + 𝑔𝑍1 + 𝑞 = ℎ2 + + 𝑔𝑍2 + w
2 2

Changes in Potential and Kinetic Energies are negligible. Since the process is adiabatic as
well, q = 0.
𝑤 = ℎ1 − ℎ2 [kJ/kg]
̇
𝑊𝑐 = 𝑚̇𝑤 = 𝑚̇(ℎ1 − ℎ2 ) [kW]

❖ Negative since work is done ON the system.

❖ Possible largest or one of the largest operating costs of the system.

• Heat Rejection
𝑞𝑅 = ℎ3 − ℎ2 [kJ/kg]
𝑄𝑅̇ = 𝑚̇(ℎ3 − ℎ2 ) [kW]

❖ Negative since heat goes out from the refrigerant.

3
 ❖ Used in sizing the condenser and calculating the required flow quantities of the
condenser cooling fluid.

• Refrigerating Effect
❖ Heat added to the system in the evaporator.
𝑅𝐸 = ℎ1 − ℎ4 [kJ/kg]
𝑅𝐸 = 𝑚̇(ℎ1 − ℎ4 ) [kW]
Note: 3.516 kW = 1 ton of Refrigeration (TOR)

• Coefficient of Performance
𝑅𝐸 ℎ1 − ℎ4
𝐶𝑂𝑃 = =
𝑊𝐶 ℎ2 − ℎ1
• Volume Flow Rate
❖ Sometimes found/computed at the compressor inlet.
❖ Rough indication of the physical size of the compressor
❖ A larger value of the volume flow rate indicates a larger displacement of the
compressor in 𝑚3 /𝑠.
❖ If saturated vapor state, then the specific volume can be found at the saturated
liquid and vapor tables for the given refrigerant.

• Power per Kilowatt of Refrigeration

❖ Inverse of COP
❖ Efficient refrigeration systems have a low value of power per kilowatt of
refrigeration but high COP.
1
𝑃(𝑘𝑊) = 𝐶𝑂𝑃 [kW/kW]

4
❖ It may seem advantageous to use heat exchangers due to the increased refrigeration effect,
increased capacity and COP but this is not necessarily true since the compression is pushed
farther out in the superheat region, where work in compression is greater than it is close to
the saturated vapor line.
❖ State 1 or the compressor inlet has a higher specific volume than State 6 so that a
compressor which is able to pump a certain volume delivers less mass flow if the intake is
at point 1. As a result, the pros are counterbalanced by the cons.
❖ Justification of using heat exchangers is such that the vapor entering the compressor must
be superheated to avoid liquid entering the compressor.
❖ Another practical reason is that subcooled liquid from the condenser prevents bubbles of
vapor from restricting the refrigerant flow through the expansion valve.

5
❖ Suffers from inefficiencies.
❖ Differences from the Standard Vapor Compression Cycle:
o Pressure drops due to the friction in the Condenser and Evaporator, in the
subcooling of liquid leaving the condenser, and in the superheating of the vapor
leaving the evaporator.
o Due to pressure drops, compression process requires more work compared to
SVCC.
o Compression is no longer isentropic. Inefficiencies due to friction and losses.

6
7
8
9
10
References
Stoecker, Wilbert F., & Jones, Jerold W. Refrigeration & Air Conditioning. McGraw-Hill Book
Company, 1983, pp. 187-202.
Mandawe, J.A., & Capote, R. S. Industrial Plant Engineering. 2007.

11