Vapour Absorption Refrigeration

System
 Topics
1. Introduction
2. Principle of Vapour Absorption Refrigeration System
3. Construction
4. Working Principle of Vapour Absorption Refrigeration System
5. REFRIGERANT –ABSORBER PAIRS
6. Simple Ammonia – Water Vapour Absorption System
7. Practical Ammonia – Water Vapour Absorption System
8. Advantages and Disadvantages of V A R
9. Applications of V A R
 Introduction

 The vapour absorption refrigeration system is one

of the oldest methods of producing refrigeration
effect
 The principle of vapour absorption was first
discovered by Michal Faraday in 1824
 The first vapour absorption refrigeration machine
was developed by French Scientist, Ferdinard Carre
in 1860.
 In this system ammonia is used as the refrigerant
and water is used as the absorbent.
Principle of Vapour Absorption Refrigeration
System

• In the vapor absorption cycle, a process of suction and compression

is carried out by two different devices called absorbers and
generators. Thus the absorber and generator replace the compressor
in the vapor absorption cycle. The absorber enables the refrigerant
to flow by absorbing from the absorber to the generator.
 Construction
It consists Of Condenser, Generator, Absorber, Expansion Valve, Pressure Reducing
Valve & Pump.

A) ABSORBER:- From Evaporator, Vapour NH3 Enters into Absorber. An absorber is

Already filled with Absorbent (water+NH3). Absorbent Absorbs the  NH3 Vapours
and Strong NH3 Solution is Forms. During Absorption of NH3, Heat is Generated.
If Temperature Inside the Absorber Increases, Water will lose Absorbing Capacity so
a Strong NH3 Solution will Not Form. 
Hence Cooling is Available at Absorber.
B) Pump:- It is Used to Suck the Strong NH3 Solution From Absorber & Deliver to
Generator.
C) Generator:- It is Used to Heat the NH3 Solution with the help of heating Coils.
From Pump, Strong NH3 Enters into the Generator. This NH3 Heated by Generator,
Hence High-Pressure NH3 Vapours are Form.
From Generator High-Pressure NH3 Vapours Goes to Condenser & Remaining Weak
Solution From Generator Returns to Absorber through Pressure Reducing Valve
( PRV ) . 
If this Weak Solution Goes to Condenser, It may damage the system.
D) Pressure reducing valve ( PRV ):- It is Used to Reduce Pressure of
Weak NH3 Solution. It is located Between the Generator & Absorber.
E) Condenser:- From Evaporator, NH3 Vapours Enter into the
Condenser. Condensation Is Heat Removal Process. Hence in Condenser
heat is Remove From NH3 Vapours with the help of a Cooling Medium.
After Condenser, High-Pressure Liquid NH3 Goes to Expansion Valve.

F) Expansion valve:- Expansion Valve is located between the condenser

& evaporator. After the condenser, high-pressure liquid NH3 Enters into
Expansion Valve. Expansion Valve Converts the High-Pressure Liquid
NH3 to Low-Pressure Vapour NH3 by Expansion. After Expansion Valve,
Liquid NH3 Goes to Evaporator.
G) Evaporator:- After Expansion Valve, Low-Pressure NH3 Vapours
Enters into the Evaporator. Evaporator Absorbs the Heat from Enclosed
Room ( to be Cooled ) with the help of NH3.
After Evaporator, Vapour NH3 Goes to Absorber.
 Working Principle of Vapour Absorption
Refrigeration System

1) When Vapour NH3 from Evaporator Enters into the Absorber, It gets
Absorbed by Absorbent ( water + NH3 ) and Strong NH3 Solution Forms. 
2) The Strong NH3 Solution From Absorber Suck by Pump & Deliver to
Generator. 
3) When Strong NH3 Solution enters into Generator, Generator heat the
NH3 Solution with the help of Heating Coils. 
4) From Generator High-Pressure Vapour NH3 Forms which is Flows
through Condenser. The Weak Solution Remains in Generator is Returns
to Absorber through Pressure Reducing Valve.
5) When High-Pressure Vapour NH3 enters into Condenser,
Condenser Removes the heat from Vapour NH3 with the help of
Cooling Medium. 
6) After Condenser, High-Pressure Liquid NH3 Enters into the
Expansion Valve, where it Expands and Converted into Low-
Pressure Vapour NH3.
7) After Expansion Valve, Vapour NH3 Enters into the Evaporator,
Where It Absorbs heat from Enclosed Room ( to be Cooled )
8) After Evaporator, Vapour NH3 again enters into the Absorber.
 Hence In this way Cycle Continues and provides Cooling to
Enclosed Room.
REFRIGERANT –ABSORBER PAIRS
REFRIGERANT ABSORBER STATE OF ABSORBER

AMMONIA WATER LIQUID

AMMONIA SODIUMTHIOCYNATE SOLID

AMMONIA LITHIUM NITRATE SOLID

AMMONIA CALCIUM CHLORIDE SOLID

AMMONIA ISOBUTANE SOLID

WATER LITHIUM BROMIDE SOLID

WATER LITHIUM CHLORIDE SOLID

METHYL CHLORIDE DIMETHYL ETHER OF LIQUID

TETRA ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Simple Ammonia – Water Vapour Absorption
System
 Water has ability to absorb large quantity of NH3 vapours. Solution
is known as Aqua-ammonia.
 L.P. NH3 vapours are absorbed by cold water in the Absorber (Qa Heat
rejected to cooling water).
 Absorption of NH3 Vapours in water lowers the pressure in absorber
which draws more NH3 vapours from Evaporator which raises temp.
of solution.
 Water cooling arrangement is provided in the absorber to remove
heat of solution, which increases absorption capacity of water.
 Strong solution from absorber is pumped to the Generator.
 The pump raises the pressure of solution to condenser
pressure.
 The strong NH3 solution is heated in the generator by steam or gas (Qg
Heat is supplied).
Simple Ammonia – Water Vapour Absorption
System
 The ammonia vapours are driven off the solution at high
pressure.
 The hot weak solution from generator flows back to absorber at low
pressure after passing through pressure reducing valve.
 The H.P. NH3 vapours are condensed in condenser to high
pressure liquid NH3 (Qc Heat rejected to cooling water).
 The H.P. liquid ammonia through receiver is expanded to low
pressure liquid ammonia in expansion valve.
 Low pressure liquid ammonia is evaporated in the evaporator to
produce the required refrigeration effect (Qe Heat is
absorbed).
Practical Ammonia – Water Vapour Absorption
System
Cooling Cooling
Water
Water

H.P. NH3 Vap

CONDENSER
RECTIFIER
ANALYZER
RECEIVER

Weak Soln Liquid NH3

HE-I HE-II
Pump
EXPANSION
PRV
VAVE
Strong
Soln ABSORBER
L.P. NH3 Vap. EVAPORATOR
Cooling
Water
 Practical Ammonia – Water Vapour
Absorption System
ANALYZER:-
 In Simple System In Generator some water is also vaporized with
Ammonia.
 These water vapours flows into the condenser along with the NH3
Vapours.
 If these unwanted water particles are not removed before
entering into the condenser they will enter into the Expansion valve
where they freeze & choke the pipe line.
 To remove these unwanted water particles ANALYZER is used.
 Analyzer is the integral part of Generator or made sometimes
a separate piece of equipment.
 It consists of series of trays mounted above the Generator.
 The strong solution from Absorber is introduced at the top of
Analyzer & flows downwards over trays into the Generator.
 Practical Ammonia – Water Vapour Absorption System

 The vapours from Generator are cooled and most of the water vapours are
condensed and only Ammonia vapours leaves the top of Analyzer.
 Since strong solution is heated by vapours, less external heat is required
in the Generator which enhance the Performance of the system.
•RECTIFIER:-
 The water vapours are not completely removed from
the Analyzer.
 A closed type vapour cooler called Rectifier or Dehydrator is
• used.
 The Rectifier is generally water cooled double pipe, Shell & Tube type.
 The function of rectifier is to cool further the
ammonia vapours leaving the analyzer.
 Practical Ammonia – Water Vapour Absorption System

 The remaining water vapours are condensed in the rectifier and only
dry NH3 vapours flows to the condenser.
 The condensate from rectifier returns to the top of analyzer by drip
return pipe.

•HEAT EXCHANGER (HE-I):-

 It is provided between Pump and Generator.
 It is used to cool the weak solution from Generator.
 The heat removed from the weak solution raises the
temperature of strong solution.
 This operation reduces the heat supplied to Generator and amount
of cooling required for the absorber which enhance the performance
of the system.
 Practical Ammonia – Water Vapour Absorption System
•HEAT EXCHANGER (HE-II):-
 It is provided between Condenser and Evaporator.
 It is also called as liquid Sub-cooler.
 The liquid refrigerant leaving the condenser is subcooled by low
temperature ammonia vapours from the evaporator.
•COP of the System:-
 The net refrigerating effect (RE).
• RE = Heat Absorbed by refrigerant in the Evaporator (Qe).
 The total energy Supplied
• = Heat supplied in generator + Pump work
• = (Qg + Qp)

Heat Absorbed in the Evaporator (Qe )

COP 
Heat suppliedin Generator (Qg )  Pump work (Qp )
Qe
COP 
Qg  Qp
 Advantages of Vapour
Absorption Refrigeration System
• Less wear and tear due to less number of moving parts.
• No compressor or any reciprocating component is required.
• Use of low grade energy (heat energy) to change the condition of
refrigerant leaving the evaporator.
• No refrigerant leakage problem.
• Less noisy , because the system has only one moving part(i.e,
pump).
• Exhaust steam may be used as a source of heat energy in the
generator.
• System can be used in remote places, where availability of
electricity is a problem.
• Easy to control.
• Less overall cost.
• Environment friendly.
 Disadvantages of Vapour Absorption Refrigeration
System

• Lower COP.
• It takes more time to produce the same refrigerating effect, as
compared to VCC.
• Bulky in size.
• Costly pump is required.
• If kerosene is used for supplying heat energy to the generator, it
gives out bad smell.
 Applications of Vapour
Absorption Refrigeration System
• Vapour absorption refrigeration system is used in the applications
where availability of electricity is problem.
• Vapour absorption refrigeration system is used in the applications
where solar energy is available.
• Lithium bromide absorption refrigeration systems are extensively
used in large capacity air conditioning systems.
• Chilling of drinking water. 
• Chilling of beverages and fruit juices.