P/H Diagram

&
P/T Chart
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Pressure Enthalpy Diagram

Pressure-Enthalpy (P/H) diagram (Mollier chart)
is a graph of pressure (vertical axis) versus the
enthalpy (horizontal axis) of a substance with
constant temperature, specific volume and
entropy lines. See fig. below.

 
Fig.1. Typical Pressure-Enthalpy (P/H) diagram
P/H diagram is used to analyze and calculate the
heat transfer and performance of a refrigeration
cycle.
P/H diagram Zones
The state of the refrigerant can be either liquid
(left side from saturated liquid line) or vapor (right
side from saturated vapor line) or in saturated
liquid/vapor mix (between saturated liquid and
saturated vapor lines under the dome)
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P-T Chart:
P-T Chart is pressure /temperature relationship
for the saturated refrigerant. Refer to table below 

Pressure /temperature chart.

Refrigerant in the high pressure side of the

system is available in all three different states:
vapor in discharge line, mixture of liquid &vapor
in the condenser coil & liquid in the liquid line.
Refrigerant in low pressure side of the system is
available in two states: mixture of liquid &vapor
from the outlet of TEV (expansion valve) to
nearly the outlet of evaporator and vapor in the
suction line. See fig. 2 below.
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Fig.2.Typical refrigeration cycle

Important:
Pressure temperature relationship as shown by a
P-T chart is only valid when there is a mixture of
refrigerant liquid and vapor (evaporator,
condenser and receiver if used). When
refrigerant liquid and vapor exist together, the
condition known as saturated, otherwise
refrigerant will be subcooled or superheated.
Definitions:
Energy is the capability of a system for doing
work. Energy form (heat, mechanical & electrical)
Specific Enthalpy-is the energy content per unit
mass of a substance Btu/lb, (KJ/Kg.)                       
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Entropy (ratio): is the ratio of heat absorbed by a

substance to the absolute temperature at which it
was added.
Condenser Heat Rejection Effect is the amount
of heat energy rejected to its surrounding by the
condenser of a system. Heat rejection is equal to
cooling capacity plus heat of compression.
Sub-cooling is how many degrees the liquid
cooled below saturated condensing temperature.
Superheat is how many degrees the vapor
heated above saturated evaporating temperature
corresponding to its pressure.
Refrigerating Effect is the rate of heat extracted
by a unit mass of refrigerant during the
evaporating process in the evaporator and equal
to the difference between specific enthalpies of
the refrigerant leaving and entering the
evaporator. (Btu/Lb or KJ/Kg)
Critical Point (temperature): saturation temperature
corresponding to the critical state of the
substance at which the properties of liquid and
vapor are identical (top of the dome on P/H
diagram representing critical point temperature)
SST (Saturated Suction Temperature). It is the
temperature at which liquid refrigerant
evaporates inside the evaporator. 
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Condensing Temperature – the temperature at

which refrigerant vapor condenses into a liquid
inside the condenser.
Refrigerant parameters at each phase of the
cycle; see fig.3 below for details.
Evaporation:
1. Pressure is constant
2. Temperature is constant (phase change),
increases (superheat) after saturation
3. Enthalpy increases (absorbs) heat.
Compression:
1. Increase in pressure, temperature and
enthalpy heat of compression added.
Condensing:
1. Pressure is constant
2. Reduction in temperature (de-super heat),
constant temperature (phase change); reduction
in temperature after liquid saturated (sub-
cooling).
3. Reduction in enthalpy as heat is rejected to
other surrounding substance (air or water)
Expansion:
1. Enthalpy is constant
2. Reduction in pressure
3. Reduction in temperature.                                      
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Figure 3
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Analyzing Refrigerant Condition

Figure 4 below shows some actual pressure-

temperature measurements throughout a
normally operating system using R-134a
refrigerant. Read the parameters shown on the
fig in line with PT chart.

Figure 4 Pressure-temperature measurements

using R-134a refrigerant
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Example for selection

Exercise involving pressure - temperature
measurement in normally operating system using
R-22 is shown in Fig.5 below, use PT chart to
solve this exercise

Figure 5 Pressure-temperature measurements

using R-22 refrigerant (exercise)

Date: 10/11/2011 revised on 29/04/2015                      

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