Al Akhawayn University EGR3302 - Fall 2021

School of Science and Engineering

Solution of Test 2

A refrigeration cycle
A commercial refrigerator with refrigerant-134a as the working fluid is used to keep the refriger-
ated space at −35 ◦ C by rejecting waste heat to cooling water that enters the condenser at 18 ◦ C
at a rate of 0.25 kg/s. The refrigerant enters the condenser at 1.2 MPa and 50 ◦ C and leaves at
the same pressure subcooled by 6.3 ◦ C.(see Fig.1)

Figure 1: Schematic of the refrigeration cycle

We make the following assumptions:

ˆ The refrigerator operates steadily.

ˆ The kinetic and potential energy changes are zero.

ˆ The enthalpy of a compressed liquid state can be approximated by the enthalpy of the
saturated liquid state at the same temperature hT ≃ hf @T .

I. The condenser
The condenser is an Heat Exchanger device (see Fig.2) where water and refrigerant-134a are the
two used fluids.

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 Figure 2: Schematic of the condenser as an Heat Exchanger

1. What is the purpose of an Heat Exchanger device?

Heat exchangers are devices where two moving fluid streams exchange heat without mixing

2. Starting from the energy balance of the heat exchanger

dE
Ėin − Ėout =
dt
show that

ṁR ∆hR = −ṁw ∆hw

where the subscript w indicates water and R the refrigerant-134a and ∆h = hin − hout is
the change of the fluid enthalpy through the condenser.
0
dE
7
Ėin − Ėout =  (Steady flow)
dt
Ėin = Ėout
0  0 0
> X 0 0 >
 *0 X
 0 0
Q̇ >

+ Ẇ
in  in
 + ṁ(h + ke
>+ pe)

>
 = out  out +
Q̇  + Ẇ ṁ(h + 
ke
>+ pe)


>
in out

Because: No heat or work enters the exchanger and KE and PE are neglected

So ṁin in in in out out out out

w hw + ṁR hR = ṁw hw + ṁR hR

And we have ṁin out in out

w = ṁw = ṁw and ṁR = ṁR = ṁR (Because single streams)
Finally ṁR (hin out in out
R − hR ) = −ṁw (hw − hw )

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 3. Using the R-134a tables show that ∆hR = 170 kJ/kg.

ˆ R-134a enters the condenser at 1.2 MPa and 50 ◦ C. Since Tsat@1.2 MPa = 46.29 ◦ C ≤
50 ◦ C, this is a superheated state: from Table (A-13), hin = 278.28 kJ/kg.

ˆ The refrigerant leaves the condenser subcooled by 6.3 ◦ C, which means that its in a
compressed liquid state with T = Tsat@1.2 MPa − 6.3 ◦ C = 46.29 − 6.3 ◦ C ≃ 40 ◦ C
So hout ≃ hf @40 ◦ C = 108.28 kJ/kg (from Table (A-11))

Finally, ∆hR = hin − hout = 170 kJ/kg

4. Knowing that ∆hw = −33.5 kJ/kg, find the mass flow rate of the refrigerant-134a

From question 2 we have ṁR ∆hR = −ṁw ∆hw

ṁw ∆hw 0.25 × −33.5

So ṁR = − = ≃ 0.05 kg/s
∆hR 170

II. The compressor

The compressor is an adiabatic system and receives a mass flow rate ṁR = 0.05 kg/s of refrigerant-
134a. At the inlet, the refrigerant is in a saturated mixture phase at a pressure of 200 kPa and a
quality of 75 %. By applying some work rate Ẇin , we provide exactly enough energy to completely
evaporate the refrigerant and increase the pressure to 1.2 MPa.

5. The temperature at the entry state is:

□ Higher than the saturation temperature Tsat@200 kPa .
■ Equal to the saturation temperature Tsat@200 kPa .
■ Approximately equal to −10 ◦ C.
□ We cannot exactly know.

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6. Draw the process from the entry to the exit states on this P-V diagram and
indicate the pressure values on the graph. (Bonus: draw the isothermal lines for the
temperature values at these states)

7. Using the refrigerant-134a tables, give the entry and exit enthalpies hin and hout
of the system.

ˆ At the entry, the refrigerant is at a saturated mixture state with a quality of x = 75 %

and a pressure of 200 kPa.
So hin = hf @200 kPa + x × hf g@200 kPa .
Frome Table (A-11), hin = 38.41 + 0.75 × 206.09 = 192.97 kJ/kg.
ˆ At the exit, the refrigerant is completly and exactly evaporated so it is in a saturated
vapor sate at pressure 1.2 MPa.
Frome Table (A-11), hout = hg@1.2 MPa = 273.92 kJ/kg.

8. Determine the amount of power that we need to provide the system Ẇin .
The system (compressor) is adiabatic, steady-flow and single stream so:

Ėin = Ėout
0 0
>
 *0

Q̇in + Ẇin + ṁR hin = 

>

Q̇out + 
 Ẇ
out + ṁR hout (The copmpressor provides no work)

Ẇin = ṁR (hout − hin )

Ẇin = 0.05 × (273.92 − 192.97)
Ẇin = 4.04 kW

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III. The refrigerator
The refrigerator can be considered as a refrigeration cycle device operating between two thermal
reservoirs at temperatures TH and TL .

9. Which of the following statements are correct

■ Carnot refrigeration cycle has the highest COPR .
□ A refrigeration cycle can only produce work by interacting with two different thermal
sources.
□ COPR can never be greater than unity.
□ A refrigeration cycle that has no work provided to the system violates the first law of
thermodynamics.

10. For this refrigerator, explain why we should take TH = 18 ◦ C and TL = −35 ◦ C
TH and TL are the temperatures of the high and low energy sources between which the
refrigeration cycle operates. The sources are assumed to be thermal reservoirs (constant
temperature). In this case, the refrigeration space temperature is wanted constant, and we
assume it to be the lower temperature source, so TL is the temperature of the refrigeration
space, which is −35 ◦ C. Samely, the water is considered the high energy source as we assume
that it enters the condenser at a constant temperature of 18 ◦ C that we take as TH .

11. Let W˙in be the work rate provided to the refrigerator’s compressor. Show that
Q̇L = Q̇H − W˙in
The refrigerator operates in a cycle, which means that its total energy change is zero.
In the absence of Kinetic and Potential energy this reduces to:

∆E = ∆U = 0

The first law of thermodynamics can be written as:

∆U = Qnet,in − Wnet,out

So:

Qnet,in = Wnet,out

And in rates form:

Q̇net,in = Ẇnet,out
Q̇in − Q̇out = Ẇout − Ẇin
*0

Q̇L − Q̇H =  out − Ẇin
Ẇ

Finally, we get Q̇L = Q̇H − W˙in

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 1
12. Show that COPR = , then determine its value for this refrigerator, if the
Q̇H
−1
Q̇L
compressor consumes 4 kW of power.

ˆ The desired output for a refrigerator is QL (heat extracted from the refrigeration
space), while the input is Win . So:
QL Q̇L
COPR = =
Win Ẇin
Q̇L
= (from question 11)
Q̇H − Q̇L
1
=
Q̇H
−1
Q̇L

ˆ In order to determine COPR we need to determine Q̇L , which is equal to Q̇H − W˙in
from question 11. Q̇H is the amount of heat rejected to water, which is the amount of
heat exchanged between water and the refrigerant-134a in heat exchanger (condenser).
So if we consider water as the system we have:

Ėin = Ėout
Q̇in + ṁw hin out
w = ṁw hw

Q̇H = ṁw (hout in

w − hw ) = −ṁw ∆hw = ṁR ∆hR

Q̇H = 0.05 × 170 = 8.5 kW

Finally,
Q̇L
COPR =
Ẇin
Q̇H − Ẇin 8.5 − 4
= = = 1.125
Ẇin 4

13. What is the maximal COPR we can get for a refrigerator operating between the
same temperature limits?
The maximal COPR is obtained for a reversible refrigeration cycle, for which we have
Q̇H QH TH
= = , so the expression in question 12 becomes:
Q̇L QL TL
1
COPR =
TH
−1
TL
1
= = 4.49
18 + 273
−1
−35 + 273

End of the exam

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