REFRIGERATION SYSTEM REVIEWER
The prevention of leakage of the refrigerant is
SIMPLE VAPOR COMPRESSION
REFRIGERATION SYSTEM
Vapor Compression Refrigeration System
 An improved type of air refrigeration
system in which a suitable working
substance, termed as refrigerant, is used.
 It condenses and evaporates at
temperatures and pressures close to the
atmospheric conditions.
 In evaporating, the refrigerant absorbs
its latent heat from the brine (salt water)
which is used for circulating it around
the cold chamber. While condensing, it
gives out its latent heat to the circulating
water of the cooler.
 Therefore, it is a latent heat pump, as it
pumps its latent heat from the brine and
delivers it to the cooler.
Refrigerants Usually Used:
 ammonia (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2)
and sulfur dioxide (SO2).
Advantages and Disadvantages of Vapour
Compression Refrigeration System over Air
Refrigeration System
 Advantages
1. It has smaller size for the given capacity of
refrigeration.
2. It has less running cost.
3. It can be employed over a large range of
temperatures.
4. The coefficient of performance is quite high.
 Disadvantages
1. The initial cost is high.
2.
the major problem in vapour compression
system.
Five Essential Parts
1. Compressor
o The low pressure and
temperature vapor refrigerant
from evaporator is compressed
to a high pressure and
temperature.
2. Condenser
o Condenser or cooler consists of
coils of pipe in which the high
pressure and temperature vapour
refrigerant from compressor is
cooled and condensed.
o The refrigerant, while passing
through the condenser, gives up
its latent heat to the surrounding
condensing medium which is
normally air or water.
3. Receiver
o The condensed liquid refrigerant
from the condenser is stored in a
vessel known as receiver from
where it is supplied to the
evaporator through the
expansion valve or refrigerant
control valve.
4. Expansion valve
o It is also called throttle valve or
refrigerant control valve.
o allow the liquid refrigerant
under high pressure and
temperature to pass at a
controlled rate after reducing its
pressure and temperature.
o Some of the liquid refrigerant
evaporates as it passes through
the expansion valve, but the
greater portion is vaporised in
 the evaporator at the low
pressure and temperature.

5. Evaporator
o consists of coils of pipe in
which the liquid-vapour
refrigerant at low pressure and
temperature is evaporated and
changed into vapour refrigerant
at low pressure and temperature.
o the liquid vapour refrigerant
absorbs its latent heat of
vaporization from the medium
(air, water or brine) which is to
be cooled.
Types of Vapour Compression Cycles
1. Cycle with dry saturated vapour after
compression
2. Cycle with wet vapour after compression
3. Cycle with superheated vapour after
compression
4. Cycle with superheated vapour before
compression
5. Cycle with undercooling or subcooling of
refrigerant

Processes in Every Types of Vapor

Compression Cycles
1. Compression Process
- The vapour refrigerant at low
pressure />, and temperature T, is
compressed isentropically.
- The pressure and temperature rises
from p1 to p2 and T1, to T2,
respectively.
- The work done during isentropic
compression per kg of refrigerant is
given by:
- w = h2 – h1

2. Condensing Process

PH Chart
 - The high pressure and temperature
vapour refrigerant from the
compressor is passed through the
condenser where it is completely THEORETICAL VAPOR COMPRESSION
condensed at constant pressure P2 WITH DRY SATURATED VAPOUR AFTER
and temperature T2 COMPRESSION
- The vapour refrigerant is changed
into liquid refrigerant.
- Qr = h2 – h3

3. Expansion Process
- The liquid refrigerant at pressure p3
= p2 and temperature T3 = T2 is
expanded by throttling process
through the expansion valve to a
low pressure p4 = p1 and
temperature T4 = T1
- during the throttling process, no heat
is absorbed or rejected by the liquid
refrigerant.
THEORETICAL VAPOR COMPRESSION
CYCLE WITH WET VAPOUR AFTER
4. Vaporising Process COMPRESSION
- The liquid-vapour mixture of the
refrigerant at pressure p4 =p1, and
temperature T4 = T1, is evaporated
and changed into vapour refrigerant
at constant pressure and temperature
- heat which is absorbed by the
refrigerant is called refrigerating and
it is briefly written as RE. The
process of vaporisation continues
upto point I which is the starting
point and thus the cycle is
THEORETICAL VAPOUR COMPRESSION
completed.
CYCLE WITH SUPERHEATED VAPOUR
- Qa = h1 – h4
AFTER COMPRESSION
-

-
THEORETICAL VAPOR COMPRESSION
CYCLE WITH SUPERHEATED VAPOR
BEFORE COMPRESSION
THEORETICAL VAPOR COMPRESSION
CYCLE WITH UNDERCOOLING OR
SUBCOOLING OF REFRIGERANT
Main Deviations Between Theoretical Cycle
and Actual Cycle
1. The vapour refrigerant leaving the evaporator
is in superheated state.
2. The compression of refrigerant is neither
isentropic nor polytropic.
3. The liquid refrigerant before entering the
expansion valve is sub-cooled in the
condenser.
4. The pressure drops in the evaporator and
condenser.
Effect of Suction Pressure
The decrease in suction pressure
1. decreases the refrigerating effect from (h1 –
h4) to (h1’ – h4’)
2. increases the work required for compression
from (h2 – h1) to (h2’ – h1’)
Since the C.O.P. of the system is the ratio of the
refrigerating effect to the work done, therefore
with the decrease in suction pressure, the net
effect is to decrease the C.O.P. of the
refrigerating system for the same amount of
refrigerant flow. Hence with the decrease in
suction pressure, the refrigerating capacity of the
system decreases and the refrigeration cost
increases.
 Compound Vapor Compression
- Compression carried out in two or
more compressors placed in series.
- the compression work is greatly
reduced if the refrigerant is
compressed very close to the
saturated vapour line. This can be
achieved by compressing the
refrigerant in more stages with
intermediate intercooling.
- The refrigerating effect can be
increased by maintaining the
condition of the refrigerant in more
Effect of Discharge Pressure liquid state at the entrance to the
evaporator. This can be achieved by
The increase in discharge pressure expanding the refrigerant very close
to the saturated liquid line.
1. Decreases the refrigerating effect from
(h1 – h4) to (h1 – h4’)
2. Increases the work required for
compression from (h2 – h1) to (h2’ –
h1’).
The effect of increase in discharge pressure
is similar to the effect of decrease in suction
pressure. But the effect of increase in
discharge pressure is not as severe on the
refrigerating capacity of the system as that
of decrease in suction pressure.

COMPOUND VAPOR COMPRESSION

REFRIGERATION SYSTEM