ME 13 Lecture 02:

Introduction to Refrigeration Systems

Refrigeration
- the process of cooling a space or substance below the temperature of its surroundings.
- Related to Air-conditioning but both are entirely different.

AIR CONDITIONING REFRIGERATION

Heating Industrial Refrigeration
Humidifying Food Preservation
Control of Air Quality Chemical Industries
Comfort Requirement Process Industries
Similarities: Cooling and Dehumidifying operations

Applications of Refrigeration
• Food Storage and Distribution
➢ Freezing Food
➢ Storage
➢ Distribution
• Food Processing – dairy products, beverages, etc.
• Chemical and Process Industries
• Special Applications
➢ Drinking Fountains
➢ Dehumidifiers
➢ Ice Makers
➢ Ice Skating Rinks
➢ Construction
➢ Desalting of Seawater

Carnot Refrigeration Cycle – efficiency cannot be exceeded when operating between

temperature limits.

Process 𝟏 → 𝟐: Adiabatic Compression

𝟐 → 𝟑: Isothermal Rejection of Heat
𝟑 → 𝟒: Adiabatic Expansion
𝟒 → 𝟏: Isothermal Addition of Heat (Refrigeration)
Note: All processes in Carnot Cycle are thermodynamically reversible.
Processes 1-2 and 3-4 are isentropic.

Importance of Carnot
- Serves as a standard of comparison.
- Convenient guide to the temperatures that should be maintained to achieve maximum
effectiveness.

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Refrigerant
- Working substance in a refrigeration system.
- Several compounds may be used as the refrigerant.

Conditions for Highest COP

Recall: 𝑞𝑟𝑒𝑣 = ∫ 𝑇𝑑𝑠 which gives the area under a curve (or in this case, process)
𝑄 = 𝑇∆𝑆
𝑄𝐴 = 𝑇1 (𝑆1 − 𝑆4 )
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = (𝑇1 − 𝑇2 ) (𝑆1 − 𝑆4 )

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Carnot Heat Pump – same as refrigeration system in terms of schematic diagram but has a
different purpose.

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 - Area x increases Work required, which makes the COP decrease.
- Area y increases Work required, reducing the amount of refrigeration.
- Instead of a gas, a Refrigerant may be used that condenses during heat rejection and boils
during heat addition.

Revisions of Carnot Cycle

• Wet Compression vs. Dry Compression
1 → 2: Wet compression because the process occurs in the mixture region
When a reciprocating compressor is used:

1) The liquid refrigerant may be trapped in the cylinder head by the rising piston. Even
though at point 2, the refrigerant is supposed to be saturated vapor, actual cases prove
that there is still a small portion of liquid. This can damage the valves and cylinder
head.

2) During compression, the droplets of liquid are vaporized by an internal heat-transfer

process which requires time. High speed compressors are prone to damage by liquid
because of the short amount of time needed for heat transfer. Point 2 on the saturated
vapor line represents average conditions of a mixture of superheated vapor and liquid.

3) Lubricating oil from the cylinder walls may be washed away, accelerating wear.

Dry Compression is then considered since no liquid droplets are present.

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• Expansion Process
An Isentropic process should be maintained in the expansion process and the resulting work
be used to help drive the compressor.

Practical Difficulties:
1) Possible work that can be derived from the engine is a small fraction of that
which must be supplied to the compressor.

2) Lubrication intrudes when a fluid of two phases drives the engine,

3) In the past, the economics of power recovery did not justify the cost of
expansion engines.

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References:
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning by W.F. Stoecker and J.W. Jones
Industrial Plant Engineering by J.A. Mandawe and R.S. Capote