THE VAPOR

COMPRESSION
REFRIGERATION CYCLE
Topic 5 | Thermodynamics 2
 REFRIGERATION BASIC CONCEPTS
➢Refrigeration is defined as the process of providing and
maintaining a temperature well below that of surrounding
atmosphere. In other words “refrigeration is the process of
cooling a substance”.

➢Refrigerator is a machine which is used to extract heat from a

body at low temperature and then reject this heat temperature
body thereby cooling the body. The machine used for this
purpose is called a refrigerator.
➢Refrigerant is a substance which is used as a working fluid in
refrigerators.

➢Capacity of Refrigerator it may be defined as the rate at which

heat can be removed from the cold body i.e. the rate at which the
refrigeration can be produced.
➢Standard unit is Ton of refrigeration.

➢Ton of refrigeration is defined as the quantity of heat removed

(refrigeration effect) to freeze one ton of water at 00C in 24 hrs.

1 ton of refrigeration = 12000 BTU/hr

= 3024 kcal/hr
= 3.52 kJ/sec (kW)
➢Co-efficient of performance (COP) COP of a refrigeration system is
defined as the ratio of heat extracted in a given time (refrigeration
effect) to the work input.
➢COP = heat extracted / work done
➢COP = Refrigeration effect (N) / Compressor work (q)
➢COP can be any value above zero.
➢It normally ranges from 0 to 10
➢Refrigeration effect. It is defined as the ratio of the quantity of
heat removed and the time taken.
➢ Refrigeration effect N = Heat removed
Time taken
 PROPERTIES OF REFRIGERANTS
➢It should be non-flammable
➢It should be non explosive
➢Non toxic
➢Should not react with lubricating oil
➢Should not react with moisture to form acids
➢Non contaminate the food
➢Low boiling temperature
➢Freezing point should be low
➢Low specific heat & high value of latent heat of vapourisation.
➢Low specific volume in vapour state
➢It should have high electrical resistance
 REFRIGERANTS
Commercially available Refrigerants
➢Ammonia
➢Carbon dioxide
➢Freon – 12

✓The standard comparison of refrigerants as used in refrigeration

applications is based on an evaporating temperature of -150 C and
a condensing temperature of +300C
 REFRIGERANTS
Ammonia (NH3)
➢It is widely used in ice storage and cold storage plant
➢It boils at -330C
➢It is also cheaper than Freon – 12

Demerits
➢Toxic
➢Explosive at high temperature
➢Irritating to eyes , nose , throat
➢Corrosive to alloys such as Cu, Zn, brass in the presence of
humidity
 REFRIGERANTS
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
➢It has a boiling point of -73.60C
➢It is one of the first refrigerant used in refrigerating systems
➢Recent days use of carbon dioxide is limited in use
➢It is particularly used in the production of solid CO2 (dry ice)
➢This gas is colourless and odourless
➢It is non flammable
➢Non explosive & non toxic
➢It brings suffocation when in high concentration
 REFRIGERANTS
Freon – 12 (F 12)
➢It has a boiling point of -300C
➢Freon-12 is fluoro carbon of methane and ethane series
➢It is a combination of the halogens – chlorine and
fluorine
➢F 12 is the commonly used refrigerant in domestic
refrigerators
➢It’s formula is 12 [C CL2 F2]
➢Chemical name is dichloro difluoro methane
➢Non toxic
➢Non flammable and non explosive
➢Non corrosive to metals
 REFRIGERANTS
Freon – 12 (F 12)
Non irritant to human body
No objectionable odour is produced

Note :-
➢Freon-12 condenses at moderate pressure and under normal
atmospheric temperature conditions
➢This property makes the refrigerant suitable for most refrigeration
application.
 TYPES OF REFRIGERATION
Vapour refrigerators system is widely used in refrigerators

➢VCRS - VAPOUR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

➢VARS - VAPOUR ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

WORKING PRINCIPLE
High Temperature Reservoir

Heat Rejected

R Work Input

Heat Absorbed

Low Temperature Reservoir

VAPOUR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION
SYSTEM

3
Condenser
High Pressure
4 Side

Expansion
Device Compressor

2 Low
1
Pressure
Side
Evaporator
Low pressure liquid refrigerant in
evaporator absorbs heat and
changes to a gas
3
Condenser
High Pressure
4 Side

Expansion
Device Compressor

2 Low
1
Pressure
Side
Evaporator
The superheated vapour enters the
compressor where its pressure is
raised

3
Condenser
High Pressure
4 Side

Expansion
Device Compressor

2 Low
1
Pressure
Side
Evaporator
The high pressure superheated gas
is cooled in several stages in the
condenser

3
Condenser
High Pressure
4 Side

Expansion
Device Compressor

2 Low
1
Pressure
Side
Evaporator
 Liquid passes through expansion device,
which reduces its pressure and controls the
flow into the evaporator

3
Condenser
High Pressure
4 Side

Expansion
Device Compressor

2 Low
1
Pressure
Side
Evaporator
 19

THE IDEAL VAPOR-COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION CYCLE

The vapor-compression refrigeration cycle is the ideal model for refrigeration
systems. Unlike the reversed Carnot cycle, the refrigerant is vaporized completely
before it is compressed and the turbine is replaced with a throttling device.

This is the
most widely
used cycle for
refrigerators,
A-C systems,
and heat
pumps.

Schematic and T-s diagram for the ideal

vapor-compression refrigeration cycle.
Choice of compressor, design of
condenser, evaporator determined by
➢ Refrigerant
➢ Required cooling
➢ Load
➢ Ease of maintenance
➢ Physical space requirements
➢ Availability of utilities (water, power)
Refrigeration and Refrigerant
• Refrigeration
• is the process of transferring heat from a low-temperature area to a
high-temperature area.
• Refrigerant
• is the working substance in a refrigeration system.

T 2
1
3
1

1
4
1

S
Vapor Compression Cycle Operation
• Saturated vapor at low pressure enters the compressor
and undergoes a reversible adiabatic compression,
process 1-2.
• Heat is then rejected at constant pressure in process 2-3,
and the working fluid exits the condenser as saturated
liquid.
• An adiabatic throttling process, 3-4, follows, and
• the working fluid is then evaporated at constant pressure,
4-1, to complete the cycle.
VAPOUR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION
SYSTEM
QL

2
Condenser
High Pressure
3 Side

Expansion
Device Wc

Compressor

1 Low
4
Pressure
Side
Evaporator

QL
Analysis of Vapor Comp. Cycle
• The refrigerant mass flow rate is

• The compressor power is

• The refrigerating effect is

Fig. Household Refrigerator

• The coefficient of performance as a refrigerator is

Deviation of the Actual Vapor-Compression
Refrigeration Cycle from the Ideal Cycle
Analysis of Deviated VCR Cycle
• The refrigerant mass flow rate is

• The compressor power is

• The refrigerating effect is

• The coefficient of performance as a refrigerator is

Sample Problem No. 1:
A refrigerator with R-12 as the working fluid has a minimum
temperature of -10°C and a maximum pressure of 1 MPa.
Assume an ideal refrigeration cycle.

Find the specific heat transfer from the cold space and that
to the hot space, and the coefficient of performance.
VAPOUR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION
SYSTEM
QL

Sat. Liquid 2 1 MPa

Condenser
High Pressure
3 Side

Expansion
Device Wc
@Throttling: H3=H4
Compressor

1 Low
4
Pressure
Side
Evaporator
-10oC
Sat. Vapor
QL
Solution to Sample Problem No. 1
Sample Problem No. 2:
A refrigerator with R-12 as the working fluid has a minimum
temperature of -10°C and a maximum pressure of 1 MPa.
The actual adiabatic compressor exit temperature is 60°C.
Assume no pressure loss in the heat exchangers.

Find the specific heat transfer from the cold space and that
to the hot space, the coefficient of performance and the
isentropic efficiency of the compressor.
VAPOUR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION
SYSTEM
QL

Sat. Liquid
1 MPa 2 1 MPa, 60oC
Condenser
High Pressure
3 Side

Expansion
Device Wc
@Throttling: H3=H4
Compressor

1 Low
4
Pressure
Side
Evaporator
-10oC
Sat. Vapor
QL
Solution to Sample Problem No. 2:
AIR STANDARD
REFRIGERATION CYCLE
(Vapor Compression Refrigeration Cycle)
AIR-STANDARD REFRIGERATION
CYCLE
• The principal equipment of air-cycle refrigeration system
are air cooler, refrigerator, air expander, and air
compressor, actually, the principle involves in the
operation of this cycle is almost the same as vapor
compression cycle.
• The coefficient of performance of this cycle is smaller than
for vapor compression, so the input power requirement is
larger.
• This cycle is ideally suited for use in aircraft because it is
light in weight and requires less space than the vapor
compression cycle.
Air Standard Refrigeration Cycle Analysis
• Cycle Analysis
• Process 1-2: Isentropic compression
• Process 2-3: Constant pressure heat rejection
• Process 3-4: Isentropic expansion
• Process 4-1: Constant pressure heat absorption
An Air Refrigeration Cycle that Might
be Utilized for Aircraft Cooling
The Air Refrigeration Cycle Utilizing a
Heat Exchanger
Sample Problem 3.
• Consider the simple air-standard cycle. Air enters the
compressor at 0.10 MPa, -20oC, and leaves at 0.50 MPa.
Air enters the expander at 15oC. Determine
• The coefficient of performance for this cycle.
• The rate at which air must enter the compressor to provide 1 kW of
refrigeration.
Solution to Sample Problem No. 3:
Sample Problem No. 4:
A heat exchanger is incorporated into an ideal air-standard
refrigeration cycle. It may be assumed that both the
compression and the expansion are eversible adiabatic
processes in this ideal case. Determine the coefficient of
performance for the cycle.
Solution to Problem No. 4:
COMBINED-CYCLE POWER
AND REFRIGERATION
SYSTEM
(Vapor Compression Refrigeration Cycle)
Mercury/Water Binary Power System
Combined Brayton/Rankine Power
System
Sample Problem No. 5:
A binary system power plant uses mercury for the high-
temperature cycle and water for the low-temperature cycle.
The temperatures and pressures are shown in the
corresponding T–s diagram. The maximum temperature in
the steam cycle is where the steam leaves the superheater
at point 4 where it is 500°C. Determine the ratio of the
mass flow rate of mercury to the mass flow rate of water in
the heat exchanger that condenses mercury and boils the
water and the thermal efficiency of this ideal cycle.
Solution to Problem No. 5
Sample Problem No. 6:
A cascade system is composed of two ideal refrigeration cycles. The
high-temperature cycle uses R-22. Saturated liquid leaves the
condenser at 40°C, and saturated vapor leaves the heat exchanger at -
20°C. The low-temperature cycle uses a different refrigerant, R-23.
Saturated vapor leaves the evaporator at -80°C, h = 330 kJ/kg, and
saturated liquid leaves the heat exchanger at -10°C, h = 185 kJ/kg. R-
23 out of the compressor has h = 405 kJ/kg. Calculate the ratio of the
mass flow rates through the two cycles and the coefficient of
performance of the system.
Solution to Sample Problem No. 6: