PERFORMANCE OF A

REFRIGERATION
PLANT
• Before any evaluation of the performance of a refrigeration system
can be made, an effectiveness term must be defined. The index of
performance is not called efficiency, however, because that term is
usually reserved for the ratio of output to input. The ratio of output
to input would be misleading applied to a refrigeration system
because the output in process 2-3 is usually wasted.
• The concept of the performance index of the refrigeration cycles is the same as
efficiency, however, in that it represents the ratio

𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑦

𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒

The performance of term in the refrigeration cycle is called the

COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE, defined as

𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝐶𝑜𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 =
𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘

The two terms which make up the coefficient of performance must be in the
same units, so that the coefficient of performance is dimensionless.
Conditions for highest coefficient of performance

A high coefficient of performance is desirable because it

indicates that a given amount of refrigeration requires
only a small amount of work. What can be done to
maintain a high coefficient of performance?

𝑇1 (𝑠1 − 𝑠4 ) 𝑇1
𝐶𝑂𝑃 = =
𝑇2 − 𝑇1 𝑠1 − 𝑠4 𝑇2 − 𝑇1
Pentafluorobutane

Tetrafluoroethane

Trifluoroethane

difluorometane

Dichlorotrifluoroethane

Solkatherm (azeotropic mixture)

(a) Standard Vapor-Compression Cycle
(b) Flow diagram

ℎ1 − ℎ4
COP =
ℎ2 − ℎ1
PERFORMANCE FACTOR
- The performance of a heat pump is expressed by the performance
factor. In keeping with the practice of defining the performance
index as the amount desired commodity divided by the amount
expenditure, the performance factor is,

Heat
ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒 rejected
PF =
𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑

𝑇2 (𝑠1 −𝑠4 ) 𝑇2 𝑇2 𝑇2 −𝑇1

PF= = = - +1
𝑇2 −𝑇1 𝑠1 −𝑠4 𝑇2 −𝑇1 𝑇2 −𝑇1 𝑇2 −𝑇1

PF= 𝐶𝑂𝑃 + 1
QUIZ
1. The performance term in the refrigeration cycle is called?
2-3. Formula of COP
4. T-S Diagram of a Carnot Refrigeration Cycle (2pts.)
5. Draw the Standard Vapor-Compression Cycle (2pts.)
6. Flow diagram of the Standard Vapor-Compression Cycle (2pts.)
7. Formula of Performance Factor
1. Coefficient of Performance 5 and 6. 7.
2. COP =
𝑇1 PF= 𝐶𝑂𝑃 + 1
𝑇2 −𝑇1
ℎ1 −ℎ4
3. COP =
ℎ2 −ℎ1
4.