NUMERICALS ON

AIR REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

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1. An air refrigeration cycle has pressure ratio of 8, temperature of air
at beginning of compression is –300C and air is cooled up to 270C
after compression. Compression and expansion processes have
isentropic efficiency of 85% and 90% respectively. Determine the
refrigeration capacity and coefficient of performance. Consider Cp
= 1.005 kJ/kg ·K, γ = 1.4 and air flow rate of 1 kg/s.

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2. The capacity of a refrigerator is 200 TR when working between –
6°C and 25oC. Determine the mass of ice produced per day from
water at 25°C. Also find the power required to drive the unit.
Assume that the cycle operates on reversed Carnot cycle and
latent heat of ice is 335 kJ/kg. If the relative COP is 0.1, what is
the electricity bill when the unit power cost Rs.5?
 Solution:

 
 

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3. The ambient conditions for an aircraft cruising at 1000km/hr
are 0.35 bar and – 150C. The cabin temperature is 250 C
and turbine exit pressure is 1.06 bar. The pressure ratio of
the compressor is 3. Assuming 100% efficiency for
compressor and turbine and ideal heat exchangers,
determine for simple aircraft system of 20TR capacity, Work
requirement and COP. Assume Cp of air as 1.005kJ/kg0K, R
for air as 0.287 kJ/kg0K.
Solution:
 

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  𝑅𝑒𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑘𝑊 20∗ 3.51

𝐶𝑂𝑃= = =0.573
𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑘𝑊 122.53

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4. A simple air-cooled system is used for an aeroplane to take a load
of 10 tons. Atmospheric temperature and pressure is 25°C and
0.9atm respectively. Due to ramming, the pressure of air is
increased from 0.9atm to 1 atm. Air pressure leaving the main
compressor is 3.5atm and its 50% of heat is removed in the air-
cooled heat exchanger and then it is passed through an
evaporator where the temperature of air is reduced by 10°C.
Lastly the air is passed through cooling turbine and is supplied to
the cabin where the pressure is 1.03 atm. Assuming isentropic
efficiency of the compressor and turbine are 75% and 80%, find
a) Power required to take the cooling load from cabin
b) COP of the system.
The temperature of the air leaving the cabin should not
exceed 250C. Take reference temperature where enthalpy of air is
zero as 273K.

Solution:
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𝛾 −1 1.4−1
 
3.5
′
T 3 =T 2 ( 𝑟 𝑝 ) 𝛾
=307.11( )
1
1.4
=439.3 𝐾

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5. A bootstrap cooling system of 10 tons is used in an aeroplane. The
temperature and pressure conditions of atmosphere are 20°C and
0.9 atm. The pressure of air is increased from 0.9atm to 1.1atm due
to ramming. The pressures of air leaving the main and auxiliary
compressor are 3atm and 4atm respectively. Isentropic efficiency of
compressors and turbine are 0.85 and 0.8 respectively. 50% of the
total heat of air leaving the main compressor is removed in the first
heat exchanger and 30% of their total heat of air leaving the
auxiliary compressor is removed in the second heat exchanger
using rammed air. The cabin pressure is 1.02atm and temperature
of air leaving the cabin should not be greater than 25°C. Assume
ramming action to be isentropic. Find:
a) Power required to take cabin load
b) COP of the system

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Solution:
 

 
 

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6. Ambient air at a pressure of 0.8 bar is rammed to 1.05 bar, 17 oC
and made available for a 10 TR boot strap aircraft refrigeration
system. Air from main compressor at 4 bar, after passing through
main heat exchanger, is further compressed to 5 bar in the
secondary compressor. The isentropic efficiencies of both the
compressors and turbine are 0.85. The effectiveness of main and
auxiliary heat exchangers (using rammed air as coolant) are 0.7
and 0.75 respectively. The cabin is to be maintained at 1.01 bar
and 25oC. Find:
(i) Power required
(ii) COP of the system
(iii) Maximum cycle temperature.

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Solution:

 
 

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7. The reduced ambient air refrigeration system used for an aircraft
consists of two cooling turbines, one heat exchanger and one
cooling fan. The speed of aircraft is 1500 km/h. The ambient air
conditions are 0.8 bar and 100C. The ram efficiency is 90%. The
rammed air used for cooling is expanded in the first cooling turbine
and leaves at a pressure of 0.8 bar. The air bled from the main
compressor at 6 bar is cooled in the heat exchanger and leaves it
at 1000C. The cabin is to be maintained at 200C and 1 bar. The
pressure loss between the second cooling turbine & cabin is 0.1
bar. If the isentropic efficiencies of main compressor & both cooling
turbines are 85% & 80% respectively. Find,
(i) Mass of air supplied to cabin to take a load of 10 TR.
(ii) Quantity of ram air passing through the heat exchanger and its
exit temperature if the temperature rise of ram air is limited to
80K
(iii) Power used to drive the cooling fan
(iv) COP
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   1500 ∗ 1000
Solution: 𝑉= =416.67 𝑚 / 𝑠
3600

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To determine the mass of rammed air passes through the first
cooling turbine, which then passes to the heat exchanger to cool the
compressed air
 
Where ma = mass of air required for cabin cooling
mrammed = mass of rammed air tapped

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    ork of compression=1.01 ∗1.005 ∗ ( 537.5− 369.5 )=170.5 𝑘𝑊
W

  3.51 ∗10
C OP= =0.2058
170.5

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8. A regenerative air cooling system is used for an aeroplane to take
20 TR. The ambient air is at 0.8 bar and 100C. It is rammed
isentropically till the pressure raises to 1.2 bar. The air bled from
the main compressor at 4.5 bar is cooled by the ram air in the HE
whose effectiveness is 60%. The air from the HE is further cooled
to 600C in the regenerative HE with a portion of the air bled after
expansion in the cooling turbine. The temperature of air leaving the
regenerative HE is 1000 C. The cabin is to be maintained at 250C
and 1 bar. If the isentropic efficiencies of compressor and turbine
are 90% & 80% respectively. Find;
(i) Mass of air bled from cooling turbine to be used for regenerative
cooling
(ii) Power required
(iii) COP

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 𝛾 −1 0.2857
  𝑃 1.2

 
Solution:
4.5
𝑇 2 =𝑇 1
( )
2
𝑃1
0.2857
𝛾
=283 ( )
0.8
=317.8 𝐾
′
T 3 =317.8
1.2 ( ) = 463.53

T 3′ −𝑇 2
=0.90 𝑇
  3 =479.8 𝐾
 
𝜂𝑐 =
𝑇 3 −𝑇 2
  𝑇
  5 =273+60=333 𝐾

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  T5 4.5
0.2857
333
𝑇6
′
= ( )
1
=1.5368 →𝑇 6 =
′
1.5368
=216.68 𝐾

𝑇𝑅𝐸=3.51
  ∗ 20=𝑚 𝑐𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑛 𝐶 𝑃𝑎 ( 𝑇 𝑖 − 𝑇 6 )
 
 

𝑇 7 =𝐴𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒=273+100=373𝐾
 

(  𝑚𝑐𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑛 + 𝑚 𝑅 ) ∗ 𝐶 𝑃𝑎 ∗ ( 𝑇 4 −𝑇 5 )=𝑚 𝑅 ∗𝐶 𝑃𝑎 ∗ ( 𝑇 7 −𝑇 6 )
1.203+𝑚 𝑅 ) ∗ ( 382.6 − 333 )=𝑚 𝑅 ∗ ( 373 − 239.94 )
𝑚
  𝑅 =0.7143 𝑘 𝑔 /𝑠
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