THE VAPOR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION

CYCLE
 What is a Vapor compression
refrigeration cycle?

The Vapor Compression Cycle , is the most widely used refrigeration cycle. It has
applications in both air conditioning and commercial and industrial refrigeration.
 The four key component of a vapor
compression cycle

A typical vapor compression system is

consist of four main components:
1. Compressor
2. A condenser
3. A metering device ( also known
as expansion valve or throttling
valve)

4. An evaporator

A complete cycle is consist of four

processes; compression,
condensation, expansion and
evaporation
 Compression

The compressor is the heart of the system where in

the refrigeration cycle starts and ended.

Refrigerant compression happened in the compressor

At point 1, a low pressure, low temperature 2

refrigerant vapor from the evaporator enters
in the suction of the compressor. The
compressor then compressed the vapor
mechanically into a high pressure ,
temperature and then discharges it at point 2 1
to the condenser .
 Condensation

The condenser is the component in a refrigeration

system that condenses the refrigerant from its
gaseous phase into a liquid phase.
Refrigerant condensation happened in the condenser
2
During the cycle, the high pressure high
temperature refrigerant gas discharged by the
3
compressor at point 2 is received and cooled
by the condenser by giving its heat to the
surrounding air, through the fans that blows
the coils. By releasing its heat refrigerant gas 1
condensed and turn into liquid and discharges
it at point 3 to the expansion valve.
 Expansion

The expansion valve, also known as a metering

device or throttling device is a component in
refrigeration system which controls the amount of
refrigerant released into the evaporator
The process involved is called expansion 2
3
The expansion valve separates the high-
pressure part of the system from the low-
pressure part

The expansion valve makes sure that the 1

evaporator has always enough refrigerant as
what the demands ask.
 Evaporation

The evaporator is a component in the refrigeration

system, that turns the refrigerant liquid into gas by
the process of evaporation

After the refrigerant exited the expansion

2
device, the pressure drops to an appropriate 3
saturated press/temp that is low enough to pick
up heat from the air passing around it.   As it
heat is being absorbed, refrigerant gas boils and 4
turned into gaseous state.
1
The gas is then again sucked by the
compressor and the cycle will be repeated