SP23 ME – 326 HVAC

Reversed Carnot & Vapor Compression

Refrigeration Cycle Part-II

Instructor: Dr. Waqas Khalid

Email: waqaskhalid@smme.nust.edu.pk
Carnot Efficiency
TL
• Consider the Carnot Efficiency: th ,rev = 1−
TH
Note that TL and TH are absolute temperatures

 The thermal efficiencies of actual

and reversible heat engines
operating between the same
temperature limits are compared
as follows:

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Carnot Refrigerator Coefficient of Performance
• Consider the COP of Carnot Refrigerator and Heat Pump:

1 1 1 1
COPHP,rev = = and COPR ,rev = =
1 − QL QH 1 − TL TH QH QL − 1 TH TL − 1

• The coefficients of performance of

actual and reversible refrigerators
operating between the same
temperature limits can also be
compared as follows:

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 Conclusion Drawn by Comparing Reversible
and Real Systems

• The efficiency of a reversible heat engine, such as

a Carnot engine, is always higher than a real
engine.
• The COP of a reversible heat pump is always
higher than a real heat pump.
• The COP of a reversible refrigerator is always
higher than a real refrigerator.

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 The Reversed Carnot Cycle

• The reversed Carnot cycle is the most efficient

refrigeration cycle operating between two
specified temperature levels.
• It sets the highest theoretical COP.
• The Refrigerant changes from a saturated vapor
state to a saturated liquid state in the condenser
during process 3-4.
• The Carnot cycle cannot be approximated in an
actual cycle, because:
1. Executing Carnot cycle requires a compressor that can
handle two-phases
2. Process 4-1 involves expansion of two-phase flow in a 𝑥1 𝑥2

turbine.
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 The Reversed Carnot Cycle

The coefficient of performance for Carnot

refrigerator and heat pump are:
1 1
COPHP ,rev = =
1 − QL QH 1 − TL TH
Only true for the
reversible case
1 1
COPR ,rev = =
QH QL − 1 TH TL − 1

Note: Both COPs increase as the difference between the

two temperatures decreases, that is, as TL rises or TH falls.

Consider T-s diagram:

𝑥1 𝑥2

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 Thermodynamics Processes

Recall the processes:

➢Isothermal = constant temperature (ΔT=0)

➢Isochoric = constant volume (ΔV=0)
➢Adiabatic = no heat exchange, well insulated (Q=0)
➢Isentropic = constant entropy (ΔS=0)
➢Isobaric = constant pressure (ΔP=0)
➢Isotropic = no change with direction

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 The Ideal Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle

• The vapor-compression refrigeration is the most

widely used cycle for refrigerators, air
conditioners, and heat pumps.
• Assumptions for ideal vapor-compression cycle
are:
 Irreversibilities within the evaporator, condenser
and compressor are ignored
 No frictional pressure drops
 Refrigerant flows at constant pressure through the
two heat exchangers (evaporator and condenser)
 Heat losses to the surroundings are ignored
 Compression process is isentropic
Note that: Area under the process curve on a T-s diagram
represents the heat transfer for internally reversible processes.
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 The Ideal Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle

The Ideal Vapor-compression Refrigeration Cycle consists of the following four

processes:
• 1-2: Isentropic compression in a compressor
• 2-3: Constant-pressure heat rejection in a condenser
• 3-4: Throttling in an expansion device – (an irreversible process)
• 4-1: Constant-pressure heat absorption in an evaporator
Steady Flow Process:

Note: The COP improves by 2 to 4% for each °C

the evaporating temperature is raised or the
condensing temperature is lowered.
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 The Ideal Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle

P-h Diagram:
• In the analysis of Vapor-Compression Refrigeration
Cycle, we also use P-h diagram.
• An advantage of this diagram is that:
• Three out of four processes are represented by
straight lines.
• The heat transfer across condenser (2-3) and
evaporator (4-1) is proportional to the length of
the corresponding process curve.
• Note: the ideal vapor compression refrigeration
cycle is not an internally reversible cycle since it
involves an irreversible (throttling) process.
• Replacing the expansion valve by a turbine,
although advantageous, is not practical since the
added benefits cannot justify the added cost and
complexity.
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R-134a: Property Tables

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 Temperature Table: R-134a

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 Pressure Table: R-134a

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 Superheated Table: R-134a

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 Superheated Table: R-134a

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 The Ideal Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle
Example: 11-1 (Cengal)
A refrigerator uses refrigerant-134a as the working fluid and operates on an ideal vapor-
compression refrigeration cycle between 0.14 and 0.8 MPa. If the mass flow rate of the
refrigerant is 0.05 kg/s, determine:
(a) the rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space and the power input to the compressor
(b) the rate of heat rejection to the environment, and
(c) the COP of the refrigerator.
Solution:
• We assume: compressor is isentropic
• refrigerant leaves the condenser as a saturated liquid
• refrigerant enters the compressor as saturated vapor
From the refrigerant-134a tables, the enthalpies of the
refrigerant are:

http://theengineeringmindset.com/thermody
namic-properties-refrigerant-r-134a/

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 The Ideal Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle
Example: 11-1 cont’
A refrigerator uses refrigerant-134a as the working fluid and operates on an ideal vapor-
compression refrigeration cycle between 0.14 and 0.8 MPa. If the mass flow rate of the
refrigerant is 0.05 kg/s, determine;
(a) the rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space and the power input to the compressor
(b) the rate of heat rejection to the environment, and
(c) the COP of the refrigerator.
Solution cont’

(a)

and

(b)

Alternately:

(c)

The refrigerant removes about 4- units of thermal energy for each unit of electricity
consumption 14-Feb-23
 Actual Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle
• An actual vapor-compression refrigeration cycle Differences
differs from the ideal one in several ways, owing • Superheated vapor at evaporator exit (8)
mostly to the irreversibility • Non-isentropic compression (2’)
• Sub-cooled liquid at condenser exit (4)
• Irreversibilities occur in various components, • Pressure drops in condenser and
evaporator (3-4) & (7-8)
mainly due to fluid friction (causes pressure
drops) and heat transfer to or from the
surroundings (non-adiabatic process)
• The COP decreases as a result of irreversibilities.

Ideal Cycle Actual Cycle

 Actual Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle
Example: 11-2
Refrigerant-134a enters the compressor of a refrigerator as superheated vapor at 0.14 MPa and
-10oC at a rate of 0.05 kg/s and leaves at 0.8 MPa and 50oC. The refrigerant is cooled in the
condenser to 26oC and 0.72 MPa and is throttled to 0.15 MPa. Disregarding any heat transfer
and pressure drops in the connecting lines between the components, determine:
(a) the rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space and the power input to the compressor
(b) the isentropic efficiency of the compressor
(c) the coefficient of performance of the refrigerator.

Solution:

https://www.ohio.edu/mechanical/thermo/property_
tables/R134a/R134a_Super3.html

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 Actual Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle
Example: 11-2 cont’

(𝑎) 𝑄𝐿 = 𝑚 ℎ1 − ℎ4 = 0.05 246.37 − 87.83 = 7.93 𝐾𝑊

𝑊𝑖𝑛 = 𝑚 ℎ2 − ℎ1 = 0.05 286.71 − 246.37 = 2.02 𝐾𝑊

(𝑏) the Isentropic efficiency of the compressor is;
ℎ2𝑠 − ℎ1
ƞ𝑐 =
ℎ2 − ℎ1

Where the enthalpy at state 2s (𝑃2𝑠 = 0.8 𝑀𝑃𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠2𝑠 =

𝑠1 = 0.9724 𝐾𝐽 . 𝐾) is 284.2 KJ/Kg. thus
𝐾𝑔

284.2 − 246.37
ƞ𝑐 = = 0.938
286.71 − 246.37

𝑄𝐿 7.93
𝑐 𝐶𝑂𝑃𝑅 = = = 3.93
𝑊𝑖 2.02

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 Actual Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle
Problem: 11-17 (Cengel)
Refrigerant-134a enters the compressor of a refrigerator as superheated vapor at 0.20 MPa and
-5oC at a rate of 0.07 kg/s, and it leaves at 1.2 MPa and 70oC. The refrigerant is cooled in the
condenser to 44oC and 1.15 MPa, and it is throttled to 0.21 MPa. Disregarding any heat
transfer and pressure drops in the connecting lines between the components, show the cycle
on a T-s diagram with respect to saturation lines, and determine:
(a) the rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space and the power input to the compressor
(b) the isentropic efficiency of the compressor
(c) the COP of the refrigerator.

Solution:

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Actual Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle
Problem: 11-17 cont’

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 End of Lecture

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