EXPERIMENT No 9

Calculate the specific heat of water

Objective:

To measure the specific heat of water

Experimental Apparatus:

 Condenser
 Evaporator
 Expansion Valve
 Refrigerant 134a
 Cold water
 Gauge meter
 Mass Flow meter

EXPLANATION:

1. CONDENSER:

A condenser is a device or unit used to condense a substance from its gaseous to

its liquid state, by cooling it. In so doing, the latent heat is given up by the substance and transferred
to the surrounding environment. Condenser are used in refrigerator, air conditioning, , industrial
chemical processes such as distillation, steam power plants and other heat-exchange systems.

Types;

 Water-cooled
 Air-cooled

Water Cooled:

In this type of condenser , cooled water flows outside of the pipes while the refrigerant is flowing
inside of the pipes. This type of condenser is used in the measurement of specific heat of water.

Air Cooled:

In this type of condenser, air is passing outside of the pipes while liquid is flowing inside the pipes. It is
used in domestic refrigerators, and upright freezers.

EVAPORATOR:

An evaporator is a device in a process used to turn the liquid form of a chemical substance such as
water into its gaseous-form/vapor. The liquid is evaporated, or vaporized, into a gas form of the
targeted substance in that process. It can be used for separating liquid chemicals as well as to
salvage solvents, air conditioning units, recovery of the sodium hydroxide.
EXPANSION VALVE:

An expansion valve is a valve used for different purposes i.e. to control the expansion of steam,
to expand a gas. There are two types of expansion valves, expansion valve for steam engines,
thermodynamic expansion valve (a component in refrigeration and air conditioning systems).

REFRIGERANT-134a;

1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, R-134a, is a haloalkane refrigerant with thermodynamic properties similar

to R-12. It has the formula CH2FCF3 and a boiling point of −26.3 °C (−15.34 °F) at atmospheric
pressure. R-134a cylinders are colored light blue. It is a non-flammable gas. It is used as Refrigerant
in refrigerators, organic solvent, automobile air conditioners.