GENERAL TRAINING AIR CONDITIONING I Module © Refrigeration Cycle GTACGENERAL TRAINING AIR CONDITIONING MODULE 3 @ REFRIGERATION CYCLE TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Title Slide No. Page No. Introduction 1-4 1 Basic Refrigeration Cycle 5-10 3 Closed Cycle Systems 11-20 6 Mechanical Refrigeration Components 21-43 12 How to Read P-H Diagrams 44-65 at Quiz Key 30 Objectives This program will help you develop skills that will make your job easier and aid you in becoming more successful. By studying these materials, you will learn the fundamentals of refrigeration as they relate to air conditioning. Presentation Instructions 1. Obtain necessary audio-visual equipment, air conditioning equipment, handout materials and program work books for each participant. 2. Present video section by section. Review, discuss and ask questions at the end of each segment. 3. Show slides to highiight topics of importance and emphasize the basic learning block approach. 4, Distribute and review handout materials (see suggested list of handout materials below) 5. Administer quiz, then review using siide/page references noted in the quiz key. 6. Certificates of Achievement are available through Literature Distribution. Handout Materials/Additional Training Materials (Available through Literature Distribution.) 1. ABC's of Air Conditioning (slides/cassetterbook) Catalog No. 020-436 Companion Book to ABC's of Air Conditioning Catalog No. 020-435 2. Basic Refrigeration Cycles, Reciprocating, Catalog No. 020-452 Centrifugal & Absorption (1/2" VHS video) ‘Companion Book to Basic Refrigeration Cycles. Catalog No. 020-451 Self Instruction ‘When using this program for self instruction, review the video tape, read the workbook in its entirety, and complete the quiz. Quiz answers with paragraph references are located in the quiz key. MANUFACTURER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DISCONTINUE, MODIFY, OR CHANGE SPECIFICATIONS ANDIOR DESIGNS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE OR Q INCURFING OBLIGATION.” Adcttonaly, THIS PROGRAM IS INTENDED FOR FAMILIARIZATION AND‘OR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOTSE CONSIDERED OR TREATED AS COMPLETE INSTALLATION. SERVICE, OR TROUBLESHOOTING REFERENCES FOR SUBJECT OR OTHER PRODUCTS (CURRENT PRODUCT SPECIFIC INSTALLATION ANO SERVICE LTERATURE SHOULD BE CONSULTED BEFORE ATTEMPTING THE PR (OR TECHNIQUES DESCRIBED HEREIN URES, PROCESSES Copyright © Carrier Corporation 1991INTRODUCTION ® The GTAC Program GTACII on ery eas EFIGEEAT OS Essons Pd Pe) the General Training Air Conditioning (GTAC) Program is divided into two parts. The ten mod- ules of Part | provide the information and foun- @ ation you wit need to understand the basics of air conditioning. The nine modules of Part II con- tain more advanced material on mechanical air conditioning systems. To insure your understanding of the material, answer the SKILLS CHECK questions scat- tered throughout each module. Consult with your instructor if you need additional help. By reviewing the STUDENT SKILLS INVEN- TORY at the end of this module, mastering the material, and checking your knowledge through the SKILLS CHECKS, you will be using the “building block” learning process effectively. It is important to understand the material in each building block before moving on to the next. In This Module HOW TOREAD peers © ite wit acquaint you with the mechanical re- frigeration cycle — its purpose, function, compo- nents and conditions. From this study, your servic~ ing ability on all sorts of refrigeration systems will be enhanced. We will develop the temperature- enthalpy diagram skills taught in the previous module into pressure-enthalpy diagram skills These will greatly assist you in troubleshooting a mechanical refrigeration system, regardless of its use2 INTRODUCTION Let’s Make This Easy © There are many types of mechanical refrigera- tion systems. They come in a great variety of shapes, sizes, component arrangements, and uses. If you build your understanding of refriger- ation by trying to learn about each one, you will have a very long and difficult task ahead. If, on the other hand, you work hard at learning the basics of refrigeration presented in the first three modules of this program, your job will be much easier. The principles of mechanical refrigeration and the essential components of a system are the ‘same, no matter how big or small the system, and no matter how the system is packaged. So let's begin by learning about the things all refrigeration systems have in common. Then you will find it easy to sort out the details that make one system different from another. Here is a schematic diagram of a mechanical refrigeration system. You will recall that there are four components. A fluid (a liquid or gas), called refrigerant, is circulated through each component for the purpose of moving heat. It flows between components, through refrigerant piping, in the direction indicated by the arrows. ‘The order in which it flows through the compo- nents is always the same for cooling applications.| REFRIGERATION IS THE RGU Saskoan ane WHERE IT IS NOT WANTED CO 6 Xe 15) NOT OBJECTIONABLE. Refrigeration is defined in its simplest terms as cooling by removal of heat. In terms of heat trans- fer, refrigeration is the transfer of heat from a place where it is not wanted to a place where it is less objectionable. aa saes UI UPR e era aya aos AT A LOW TEMPERATURE AND Reta NO Ns eel fofel\ol NS Cae lous Resa UP aac The normal strategy in mechanical refrigera- tion is first to get the heat into the refrigerant. Then, the refrigerant is pumped to a place where the heat can be removed from it. The refrigerant makes this heat transfer possible. For practical purposes, a refrigerant isa fluid that picks up heat by evaporating at a low temperature and pres- sure and gives up heat by condensing at a higher temperature and pressure. Most of the heat transfer in a mechanical refri eration system takes place because the refriger- ant changes state. The liquid refrigerant passes through an evaporator that absorbs its latent heat of vaporization, and in the process changes from a liquid into a vapor. The gas refrigerant passing through the condenser rejects its latent heat of vaporization, thus changing from a gas into a liquid. This cyclic change in the state of the refrigerant from a liquid into a gas, and then from a gas back into a liquid, is what moves heat to the desired place.Open Cycle Versus Closed Cycle Systems Mechanical refrigeration systems always use a closed refrigeration cycle. In other words, the refrigerantis isolated from the environment. Inan ‘open refrigeration cycle the substance doing the cooling is open to its environment. ‘The old-fashioned icebox used an open refrigera- tion cycle. The ice doing the cooling was exposed to the environment around it. The icebox was not mechanically refrigerated. A piece of ice was placed in the top and the food was stored in the bottom of the icebox. Heat was carried by air convection currents from the food to the ice, cooling the food and metting the ice as it absorbed its latent heat of fusion. As the ice melted, the runoff water carried the heat ab- sorbed by the ice out of the box into a drain pan kept below the icebox. In an open cycle, the thing doing the cooling cannot be easily reused. The ice had to be replaced regularly and the drain pan emptied to keep the icebox working Cea erie Pe ad a ee ‘A canteen with a wetted outer jacket is another example of an open refrigeration cycle. The water on the canteen cover evaporates, absorbing its latent heat of vaporization from the outer canteen walls and surrounding air. The water within the canteen, in turn, loses heat to the canteen walls, cooling the water. This works especially well in hot, dry climates, where evaporation happens quickly. As with the icebox, the canteen is an open cycle and the thing doing the cooling is in direct contact with the environment around it. When it has e accomplished its work, the water on the canteen jacket is lost from the cycle and cannot be easily reused because it is now mixed with air. More water must be poured onto the canteen jacket to keep the cycle working. If water were far less plentiful than itis, its use in open cycle refrigeration systems would disap- pear. Instead, a means would be found to contain and recycle the water so that none would be lost to the environment.© Treoretically, refrigerant could be used in an open cycle refrigeration system. Here itis being released from a refrigerant drum into a coil. As the liquid refrigerant absorbs its latent heat of vaporization from the air outside the coil tubes, the airis cooled andthe refrigerant boils, changing state from a liquid into a gas. As with other open cycle systems, the thing doing the coolingis open toits environmentandis not reused. Unlike water or ice, however, refrigerants are rare and ex- pensive, as well as damaging to our atmosphere. In most places around the world, it is illegal to release them directly into the atmosphere.CLOSED CYCLE SYSTEMS Ce 95F Li cored Sen r Pome () The -system™ shown here illustrates why closed refrigeration systems must have mechanical de- vices to move heat. It has neither a compressor nor a metering device. ‘As we learned in Module 1, heat naturally flows from a warmer to a cooler temperature. In this arrangement, therefore, the refrigerant picks up heat from the outdoor air and rejects that heat to the indoor air. The space will soon reach the same temperature as the outdoor air. What is really needed is a way to move heat from a lower temperature area (the indoor air) to a higher one (the outdoor air). Just ike moving water uphill, this works against the laws of nature and, therefore, requires mechanical energy Notice also that this closed oycle refrigeration 'system" has the outdoor coil evaporating liquid refrigerant into a vapor, while the indoor coil condenses vapor refrigerant into a liquid. We need 1o rearrange temperatures and pressures within the refrigeration system so that just the opposite occurs. The indoor coil must evaporate liquid refrigerant into a vapor by absorbing heat from the indoor air. It will Cool the indoor air in the process. The outdoor coil must condense gas refrigerant into a liquid by transferring heat from the refrigerant to the outdoor air. Ca Z2.CONDENSER Pec Rises cee cla ae | © acing compressor and a metering dove solves the problem by making it a mechanical refrigeration system. These two components will allow us to do two things that were impossible without them. First, the compressor allows us to add mechanical energy to the refrigerant so that heat can be forced to flow “uphill.” Secondly, they | i reas Dour system needs to absorb heat rom the in door air in order to keep it cooler indoors than out- doors. The refrigerant in a system absorbs heat when it evaporates (boils). We need a systemthat will evaporate refrigerant at a low enough temperature that heat will flow from the indoor air into the refrigerant within the evaporator. In a comfort air conditioning system, a normal satura- tion temperature for the refrigerant in the evap- orator is 40°F. Heat will flow downhill from the 75°F air flowing over the coil to the 40°F refriger- ant within it. Since pressure and boiling points are directly related for all fluids, the refrigerant can be made to evaporate at a desired tem- perature simply by adjusting its pressure to the proper level. For R-22, a saturation temperature of 40°F occurs at a pressure of about 69 PSIG. Our system also needs to reject heat from the refrigerant to the outdoor air in order to move heat out of the building and to make the refrig- erant reusable at the evaporator the next time it goes around the system. The refrigerant rejects heat when it condenses from a gas into a liquid. We need a system that will condense refrigerant at a high enough temperature that heat will flow from the refrigerant within the condenser coil into the outdoor air flowing over the coil, A normal saturation temperature for the refrigerant in an air cooled condenser when it is 95°F outdoors is about 120°F. As in the evaporator, proper pres- sure will cause the refrigerant to change state at the desired temperature. For R-22, a saturation temperature of 120°F ocours at a pressure of about 263 PSIG. High Side/Low Side Coen LOW SIDE The compressor and metering device work together to create a high pressure zone and a low pressure zone in the same system. They allow the same refrigerant that evaporates at 40°F to condense at 120°F. These two devices mark the dividing points between the high pres- sure side and low pressure side, or simply high side and low side of the refrigeration system. eee Looking at the system diagram, we will review the components on the high side and low side of the system. Locate each item mentioned on the diagram as it is discussed.CLOSED CYCLE SYSTEMS ‘The compressor takes in refrigerant gas at low pressure and temperature (about 40°F) and com- presses it. The discharge of the compressor is on the high side of the system. The compressor has raised the pressure to about 263 PSIG and the temperature to 170°F. Also on the high side is the interconnecting tubing ("line") that carries the hot gas from the compressor to the condenser coil Thisis called the hot gas line. The condenser coil is on the high side, as is the liquid line which connects the condenser to the metering device. Refrigerant enters the metering device at a high pressure and temperature, but leaves at a low pressure and temperature. D the iniet of the metering device is on the high side, but the outlet is on the low side of the system The evaporator coil also is on the low side of the system, as is the suction line connecting the evaporator with the inlet to the compressor. The suction, or inlet, side of the compressor is the last item on the low side of the system. EVAPORATOR, CONDENSER COMPRESSOR aCe are) DEVICE © in summary, the basic, essential components of a mechanical refrigeration system are: 1) An evaporator to absorb heat into the refrig- erant system. 2) Acondenser to reject heat from the refriger- ant system. 3) Acompressor to establish the pressures. necessary to force heat to flow “up hill.” 4) A liquid metering device to regulate the flow of refrigerant and, in the process, to establish two pressure levels. Piping is used to interconnect these components and to keep the refrigerant closed off from con- tamination by the environment outside the system. Many accessories are available for the refrigera- tion system, but they are not absolutely essential toits operation. They will be coveredin a separate module, Now let's take a closer ook at each of these four basic componentsCe Ce Paved © the tour basic components can be divided into two groups, each containing two items. The first group is heat exchangers; these transfer heat The evaporator and condenser make up this group. The second is mechanical devices which regulate refrigerant pressure and flow within the system. The compressor and liquid metering de- vice belong to this group. @®srort peview skils Checks Circle those skills that need additional work. Go back and review those sections ‘once again.SKILLS CHECK 1 REFRIGERATION CYCLE 1. TorF? The easiest way to understand the many types of mechanical refrigeration systems in today's marketplace is to memorize the details of each. 2. The purpose of this module is to become familiar with the mechanical 3. Define refrigeration 4. In order to be used as a refrigerant, a fluid must be: a. Able to absorb heat by evaporating at a low temperature. b, Odorless. c. Able to destroy heat. d. Able to give up heat by condensing at a high temperature. 10CLOSED CYCLE REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS . The terms “opened” and “closed,” when used to refer to a mechanical refrigeration system deal with whether the: a. air conditioner is opened to or closed off from the air conditioned space. b. system is on (opened) or off (closed). ©. cycle uses an open compressor or a hermetic. d. refrigerant used by the cycle is open to or closed off from the environment surrounding it. . Your body is cooled when perspiration evaporates from your skin. This is an example of a refrigeration cycle. T or F? All mechanical refrigeration systems are closed cycle systems. Which of the following is not a reason for using a closed refrigeration cycle? a. Itis the simplest to design. b. The refrigerant is expensive. c. The refrigerant could be dangerous to the environment. d. Itis desirable to re-use the refrigerant. . List the 4 basic components which make up any mechanical refrigeration system: a c b. d List the components which separate the high side from the low side of the system . List one component on the high side and one on the low side of the system. a. High side b. Low side . List the refrigerant line(s) on the high side and low side of the system, a, High side b. Low side .. Draw from memory, a simple refrigerant cycle diagram and label each of the basic components as well as the refrigerant lines. Place arrows on the diagram to show the direction of refrigerant flow. 1The Evaporator EVAPORATORS ABSORB Lea The evaporator is a heat exchanger that trans- fers heat from the fluid flowing over it to the refrigerant within its tubes. The result is that the heat content of the fluid flowing over the evapora- tor is reduced while that of the refrigerant is in- creased. The evaporator-absorbs heat into the refrigeration system. Evaporators can be used to cool air or liquids. For jobs below 20 tons of cooling capacity, an air- cooling evaporator is used almost all the time. The air cooled by the evaporator is sent directly to the airconditioned space. Anair-cooling evaporator is called a direct expansion coil, often abbreviated D-X coil, or simply evaporator. COOLER ‘An evaporator that cools liquids is called a cooler and is part of a refrigeration system called a chiller which is designed to chil iquids, norm- ally water. Liquid cooling by the use of chillers becomes especially attractive when the refrigera- tion system exceeds 100 tons of capacity. When a cooler is used, the liquid it cools is piped to the areas needed, where itis then circulated through chilled water fan coils and returned to the cooler. The direct expansion evaporator, shown here, isa finned-tube type commonly used in air condi- tioning and commercial refrigeration. The fins are flat, thin sheets of aluminum fastened to the coil tubes. They provide additional heat transfer sur- face for extracting heat from the air as it passes 12‘over the coll. Some have been removed in this diagram for easy viewing of the three tubes within the coil. ‘Warm air (about 80°F) is blown over the coil by the fan. As it flows over the cool coil surface (about 53°F), the heat from the air flows downhill ‘from the warmer air into the cooler coil fins and tubes, and then into the refrigerant. The air leaving ‘the coilis considerably cooler than whenitentered; a 15°F to 25°F temperature drop is normal for comfort air conditioning systems. This cool air can now be circulated back through the space to absorb more heat and bring it back to the coil The refrigerant is supplied to the coil by small pipes which connect the liquid metering device to the evaporator. One of these pipes, or circuits is shown. There are as many circuits in the coil as there are liquid connections to the coil 13 hee aoa) ea) The temperature and condition of the refriger- ant as it passes through the evaporator can be graphed on a temperature-enthalpy (T-H) dia- gram. For this example, the heavy line shows the actual condition of the refrigerant, while the broken line shows various possible conditions of the re- frigerant at the evaporator pressure. ed eee Ce Here we see that the refrigerant enters the coil at saturation. Itis o the right of the saturated liquid point so itis a liquid/gas mixture. Itis evaporating (boiling) at a constant temperature as it passes through the coil. Its enthalpy is increasing steadily as more refrigerant changes into gas. When it reaches the saturated vapor point, additional heat absorption causes it to increase in temperature, becoming superheated.Even though the temperature change from be- ginning to end is small (only 10°F), the enthalpy change is significant. It enters at about 42 Btwlb and leaves at about 110 Btu/lb. The enthalpy change per pound of refrigerant circulated is 110 Biu/lb - 42 Btu/lb = 68 Btu/lb. It is this enthalpy change which, in large part, determines the cool- ing capacity of the system Coad Peg ets nna) ema rat Eyes £ 3 \ so To summarize: the refrigerant enters the evaporator from the metering device as a low pressure, low temperature, saturated liquid-vapor mixture that is mostly liquid. It leaves the evapo- rator as a low pressure, low temperature, super- heated gas. Refrigerant leaving the evaporator flows into the compressor inlet. The Condenser CONDENSERS REJECT rae ul CU TNH Hi ‘The condenser is a heat exchanger that trans- fers heat from the refrigerant flowing within its tubes to the fluid which flows over it.The result is that the heat content of the fluid flowing over itis increased while that of the refrigerant is con- densed. This process lets us reuse the refrigerant tocoolairorfiuidin the evaporator. The condenser rejects heat from the refrigeration system. AIR - COOLED WATER - COOLED Condensers can use either air or water to re- move heat from the refrigerant. Condensers that reject heat to air are called air-cooled condens- ers while those that reject heat to water are called water-cooled condensers. For jobs below 100 tons of cooling capacity, air- cooled condensers are used most of the time. The larger the tonnage of the job the more likely that water-cooled condensers will be used. Sys- tems above 100 tons of cooling capacity that use 14coolers to chill water often use water-cooled condensers. The vast majority of residential and light commercial equipment uses air-cooled condensers. AIR-COOLED CONDENSER ane) @he air-cooled condenser shown here is a finned-tube type commonly used in air condi- tioning and commercial refrigeration. Notice how similar its tubes, fins, and general construction are to those on the D-X (evaporator) coil, shown previously. Condenser coils are manufactured in avariety of shapes andsizes. The style offins may vary from solid, plate fins, like those shown here, to spiny fins which have a ribbon-like appearance. ‘Some of the fins have been removed in this dia gram for easy viewing of the three tubes within the coil @®brs outdoor air (about 95°F) is drawn over the condenser coil by the condenser fan, the heat from the refrigerant flows from the hot refriger- ant to the air. Even though the outdoor air has a rather high temperature, the high pressure cre- ated by the compressor makes the refrigerant quite a bit warmer (120°F saturation temperature or 170°F actual temperature with superheat) than the air so that heat is transferred from the refrigerant to the air. Refrigerant is supplied to the condenser coil by a hot gas line coming from the compressor dis- charge. Depending upon the size of the coil, there may be a single connection or multiple connec- tions from a hot gas header as shown here. The refrigerant pathway through the coil is shown here for only one circuit, even though there are as many circuits as there are hot gas connections to the coil Coker) ete td © the temperature and condition of the retiger: ant as it passes through the condenser may be graphed on a temperature-enthalpy (T-H) dia- gram, The heavy line shows the actual condition of the R-22 refrigerant at the condenser pressure of 263 PSIG. During condensation, the heat content decreases from about 125 Btu/lb to 42 Biu/lb; this creates an enthalpy difference of about 83 Btu/lb. This heat loss from the refriger- ant is about 22% higher than the enthalpy gained at the evaporator. The reason for the difference is that heat is added to the refrigerant after it leaves the evaporator. The compressor adds this heat when it compresses the gas coming from the evaporator. The condenser must remove the heat added by the compressor, as well as that gained in the evaporator, in order to restore the refrigerant to the proper condition to once again enter the evaporator as a liquid/vapor mixture.‘The refrigerant undergoes a sensible, then a latent and, lastly, a sensible heat transfer process as it flows through the condenser. In other words, the condenser desuperheats, condenses, and subcools the refrigerant. Additional subcooling is added in the condenser, in this case it is 15°F. The refrigerant comes into the condenser from the compressor outlet. When it leaves the condenser, itflows to the metering device. The enthalpy of the refrigerant leaving the condenser is the same as ‘that entering the evaporator (42 Btu/lb). We'll discuss this subject again later. The Compressor The compressor is a mechanical device that boosts pressure from the low side to the high side of the refrigeration system. It takes the low pressure, low temperature, superheated gas from the evaporator and compresses it into a high temperature, high pressure, supetheated gas. This hand pump shows in a simple way what the compressor does to the refrigerant gas. In the top view, the piston is way out and the cyl inder contains a large volume of low tempera- (60°F), low pressure (69 PSIG) R-22 gas. The gas is superheated because the saturation temperature at 69 PSIG is 40°F. To find superheat, subtract saturation temperature from actual temperatures (S.H. = AT - ST). These conditions are typical for the gas in @ comfort air conditioning system as it enters the com- pressor coming from the evaporator. In the bottom view, the piston has been forced in; this action compresses the gas into a very small space. The pressure has gone up to 263 PSIG causing the temperature to rise to 165°F. The refrigerant is now a high temperature, high pres- sure, superheated gas. The gas is still super- heated because the saturation temperature at 263 PSIG is 120°F. This compressed condition is typical for the gas as it leaves the compressor and enters the condenser. 16The compression of refrigerant gas requires constant energy input by an electric motor or other power source that generates heat which is added to the gas. This is called the heat of compression. As we mentioned in the con- denser discussion, this heat, plus the heat absor- bed in the evaporator, must be removed from the refrigerant in the condenser. The heat of com- pression usually adds about 22% to 30% to the heat absorbed in the evaporator. The Liquid Metering Device The liquid metering device is a mechanical device that provides a pressure drop. In the proo- ess, it regulates the flow of refrigerant. It separ- ates the high side from the lowside of the refrigera-_| tion system. High temperature, high pressure, subcooled liquid coming from the condenser enters the liquid me- tering device and passes through a small opening into a larger area. As it enters the larger area, the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant drop rapidly down to the low levels at which it will enter the evaporator. There are several types of metering devices used inmechanical refrigeration systems today. Some- times the pressure drop from high side to low side is accomplished entirely by the metering device, and sometimes itis a result of the metering device and the distributor combined. For more detail on metering devices, see the Metering Devices module. When the high temperature, high pressure, subcooled liquid coming from the condenser pas- ses through the liquid metering device it be- comes a low temperature, low pressure mixture of about 80% saturated liquid and 20% saturated vapor. Components Summary Let's summarize the functions of the four basic refrigeration cycle components by tracking the conditions of the refrigerant around the system. These conditions are typical for a comfort air conditioning system that uses R-22 as its refriger- ant. They are for peak load and peak capacity. The evaporator absorbs heat from the condi- tioned space into the refrigerant. The heat causes the refrigerant to boil, which changes the refrigerant from a low temperature (40°F), low pressure (69 PSIG), saturated liquid-vapor mixture into a low temperature (50°F), low pressure (69 PSIG), superheated gas. 17As this gas enters the compressor, itis reduced in volume, then compressed, so that it leaves the ‘compressor as a high temperature (170°F), high pressure (263 PSIG), superheated gas. As this gas passes through the condenser, heat, is rejected from the refrigerant, so that it changes it into a high temperature (105°F), high pressure (263 PSIG), subcooled liquid. ‘The metering device takes this liquid and, in order to regulate its flow to the evaporator, puts it through a pressure drop. In the process the re- frigerant changes into a low temperature (40°F), low pressure (69 PSIG), saturated liquid-vapor mixture. The refrigerant will repeat the cycle by entering the evaporator in this condition STOP! Review Skills Checks. Circle those skills that need additional work. Go back and review those sections Qe ‘once again,SKILLS CHECK 2 MECHANICAL REFRIGERATION COMPONENTS 1. What is the purpose of an evaporator? 2. Foran air-cooling evaporator, heat flows "downhill" from the into the 3. The difference between a D-X coil and a cooler is: a, no difference at all b. one has refrigerant inside, while the other does not. c. one cools air while the other cools liquids. 4. one evaporates refrigerant while the other evaporates water. 4. Desoribe the conditions of the refrigerant as it enters and leaves the evaporator: a. Entering b. Leaving: temperature temperature pressure pressure liquid/vapor mixture gas mixture 5. For R-22 in an air cooled system at 95°F outdoors, a typical pressure in the evaporator is about PSIG. The refrigerant temperature entering the evaporator is about F and about F leaving it 6. The condenser is similar to the evaporator in all but which of the following way(s)? a. They both absorb heat into the system. b. They both transfer heat, c. They both reject heat from the system. . They both have refrigerant inside. e. Heat flows “downhill for both of them 1. They both operate at about the same pressure and temperature. 7. The two most common types of condenser are and 8. A mechanic working on systems under 100 tons of cooling capacity is most likely to be working on cooled condensers 9. As refrigerant flows through a condenser it goes through a sensible, then a latent, then a sensible heat transfer process called: subcooling, condensing and desuperheating. condensing, desuperheating and subcooling, desuperheating, condensing and subcooling. desuperheating, subcooling and condensing, eose 1910. For an air-cooled condenser heat flows downhill from the into the 11. Describe the conditions of the refrigerant as it enters and leaves the condenser. a. Entering: b, Leaving temperature temperature pressure pressure gas liquid 12. For an air-cooled system at 95°F outdoor temperature which uses R-22, a typical pressure in the condenser is PSIG. The refrigerant temperature entering should be about F and F when it leaves, 13. What two things cause the temperature of the refrigerant to increase in the compressor? a. The movement of its internal parts. b. The increase in pressure raises the saturation temperature. ¢. Chemical reactions in the refrigerant. d. The work done on the gas by the compressor. 14. T or F? The compressor plus the liquid metering device allow the system to force heat to flow “uphill.” 15, What is the purpose of the compressor? 16. What is the purpose of the liquid metering device? 17. Describe the conditions of the retrigerant as it enters and leaves the compressor. a. Entering b. Leaving: temperature temperature pressure pressure tts ors 18, Describe the conditions of the refrigerant as it enters and leaves the liquid metering device: a. Entering: b. Leaving temperature temperature pressure pressure liquid liquid/vapor mixturea aS TT HOW TO READ P-H DIAGRAMS Why Bother? Naess © ou might ask, Why should | bother learning about how to read pressure-enthalpy diagrams?” Since your time is both limited and very valuable, that's a good question. The use of P-H diagrams is an important skill for which we laid the foundation inGTAC I, Module 1, Introduction To Refrigeration and Module 2, Temperature and Pressure. There we graphed heat using temperature-enthalpy (T- H) diagrams. We also used T-H diagrams to show heat transfer for the evaporator and condenser in this module. Now we will transfer this understand- ing ofthe T-H diagram tothe P-H diagram for the following reasons: 1) Help you troubleshoot a mechanical refrig- eration system, 2) Help you see the functions of each of part of the mechanical refrigeration systemandhow they work together to change pressure and move heat, 3) Help you predict the pressures and tempera- tures you should expect to find at various places within a system, 4) Give you an important tool for learning other principles about the refrigeration system that will be presented in later modules. 24 You can function without understanding the P-H diagram, but you can make your job easier, more successful, and more profitable if you master this technique and use it. T-H Diagram Ana Cay eee norco) @® ers look ata familiar example of temperature versus enthalpy and work from there to under- stand the pressure-enthalpy relationship shown ona P-H diagram. Here is a T-H diagram for R-22 at 69 PSIG, which is about normal for the evaporator of a comfort air conditioning system. The saturation temperature, or boiling point, is 40°F at 69 PSIG.Pru) Ifthe pressure is changed, the T-H plot will look different because the boiling point of any fluid is determined by pressure. For example, here is a T-H diagram that is really three T-H diagrams in one. We have plotted only the saturation portion of the graph here. It shows the T-H relationship for saturated R-22 refrigerant at 102 PSIG, 69 PSIG, and 43 PSIG. The higher the pressure, the higher the boiling (saturation) temperature; the lower the pressure, the lower the saturation tem- perature. At 102PSIG, the saturation temperature is 60°F; at 69 PSIG, itis 40°F, and at 43 PSIG, itis, 20°F. We could continue to add lines for R-22 at several more pressures, as we have done here. In fact, if we really wanted to, we could draw a separate saturation line for every pound of pres- sure. This makes it quick and easy to match up pressure with saturation temperature. In this diagram, we have shown pressures in PSIA instead of PSIG. PSIA is always used on P-H diagrams, as we learned in Module 2. When all the saturated liquid points are con- nected, they form a saturated liquid line. The ‘same is true for the points of saturated vapor. The space between these lines is a mixture of liquid and vapor. When making this diagram, we plotted many T-H diagrams on one diagram, just as we did for the three pressures in the previous diagram. This is awkward, and is not the use for which the T-H diagram is intended. 22P-H Diagrams Perr n a) Instead of making our T-H diagram more and more complicated, we can easily plot absolute pressure (PSIA) in the place of temperature to make a single P-H diagram. The pressure is plotted on the vertical scale of the graph and the saturation temperatures are written on the plotted lines. These are the same saturation lines and points on the T-H diagram just shown. Barn ee) The area between the saturated liquid and ‘saturated vapor lines shows mixtures of saturated liquid and vapor. In this mixture area, the closer the refrigerant condition is to the saturated liquid line, the more liquid is present. Conversely, the closer the refrigerantis to the saturated vapor line, the more vapor is present, To the left of the saturated liquid line, you see the subcooled liquid line. On the right of the saturated vapor line, | superheated gas conditions are represented. Becker) In this P-H diagram, the temperature lines at saturation have been plotted in five-degree incre- ments. The 40°F temperature line has been extended beyond the saturation points to show the normal shape of all temperature lines. ‘As we see in this diagram, the 40°F refrigerant can exist at almost any condition. It can be a sub- cooled liquid when in the suboooled area of the P-H diagram. Point Ais one such example. Itcan also be pure, saturated liquid (point B), pure satu- rated vapor (point D) or a mixture of the two (point ). Itcan also be superheated gas, as illustrated at point E. Knowing only the temperature of the refrigerantis not enough to determine its condition Seeing the Invisible P-H DIAGRAM ALLOWS YOU TO “SEE THE INVISIBLE” ‘The P-H diagram allows you to “see the invis- ible.” Most service work on the refrigerant side of a system requires you to know the refrigerant conditions at various points in the system. You must know its temperature, pressure, and state. 23With an electrictemperature probe, you can find the refrigerant temperature at many places in the system. With temperature alone, however, you won't know whether the refrigerant is high or low pressure, or whether it is subcooled, saturated, or superheated. If itis saturated, you won't know if it is a saturated liquid, a saturated vapor, or a mi ture of the two. Since we can'treally see the inside ofthe system, the P-H diagram gives us the “eyes” we need to "see” refrigerant conditions other than temperature. Serre) ag A temperature reading of 40°F for the refrig- erant will not tell us, by itself, the other refriger- ant conditions. However, if we also know that its pressure is 55.3 PSIG, which is 70 PSIA (65.3 PSIG + 14.7 PSI = 70 PSIA), and we are using the accompanying P-H diagram, then we know that the refrigerant is at point “E”, which is a superheated gas. We can also see from this P-H 24 diagram that the refrigerant contains about 10°F superheat because the saturation temperature at 70 PSIAis about 30°F. Our sample is 40°F which is 10°F higher than this (10°F superheated) ce RL Cee g Rete emeaaer ti) ee ROG Ce cs er ars ee cum m eeu Me oe Sree ik uae Pro Rena ra ec) of a System So far we have seen that the P-H diagram can be used to quickly find the pressure that matches any saturation temperature for a refrigerant. It also allows you to find all refrigerant conditions when temperature and pressure are known. A third purpose of the P-H diagram is to plot on one diagram, the performance of all the com- ponents of the refrigeration system. A system plot allows us to visualize what each part of the system is doing with respect to the pressure, heat content, and temperature of the refrigerant as it flows along. It also helps us gain a true pic- ture of how each component works with, and affects, the other components of the system.The Simple Cycle Coa) pete Een) ec Here is a view of how the refrigerant will plot on ‘a P-H diagram for the entire system. This diagram shows the system plot in its simplest fashion with one side of the system plot matching each of the four basic refrigeration cycle components, The step-by-step discussion that follows shows the same principle in more detail. The refrigerant conditions entering and leaving each component are emphasized. Both this plot and the more detailed one that follows are alittle simpler than reality because they ignore the refrigerant pressure losses in the refrig- erant piping as well as in the evaporator and condenser. They also ignore heat gain and loss through the refrigerant piping. Even without these adjustments, our plots are reasonably accurate, 0 This shows how the four essential components of the refrigeration cycle match up with the cycle 25 plot just shown on the P-H diagram. The same numbers will be used in the detailed P-H plot which follows. Use these numbers along with this simple picture as we follow the refrigerant around the system on the P-H diagram. Starting at the entrance to the evaporator (point 1), the refrigerant is at the saturation temper- ature. This matches a gauge pressure of about 69 PSIG, which is the same as 83.7 PSIA (69 PSIG + 14.7 PSI). On the P-H diagram, you can see that the refrigerant entering the evaporator in this ex- ample is about 80% saturated liquid and 20%. saturated vapor; this is typical for a comfort air conditioning system. Evaporator Parka Pa tay As the refrigerant moves through the evapora- tor, it absorbs heat, increasing its enthalpy (heat content). We see this on the P-H diagram by the(SUDA HOW TO READ P-H DIAGRAMS line drawn to the right of point 1. The refrigerant leaves the evaporator at point 2. Its enthalpy changes from 42 Btu/lb to 110 Btu/lb, a total of 68 Biu/b. In other words, about 68 Btu's will be absorbed by the evaporator into the refrigerant for ‘each pound of refrigerant circulated through the system. This is what allows the system to do its cooling job. The amount of heat absorbed by the evaporator per pound of refrigerant circulated is called the refrigeration effect of the system, As the refrigerant leaves the evaporator, it has already begun to superheat. It is a low tempera- ture, low pressure, superheated gas at an actual temperature of about 50°F. Compressor Bena ers @ the gas leaving the evaporator at point 2 now enters the compressor and is changed into a high temperature, high pressure, superheated gas. It leaves the compressor at point 3. The compres- sor has changed the pressure of the refrigerant from 83.4 PSIA (69 PSIG + 14.7 PSI) to 277.7, PSIA (263 PSIG + 14.7 PSI). Along with this change in pressure goes a change in the satura- tion temperature from 40°F to 120°F. The gas is now superheated to about 165°F. Thusit contains about 45°F of superheat (165°F - 120°F = 45°F). The enthalpy of the refrigerant has increased from about 110 Btu‘lb at the compressor inlet (point 2) to about 125 Btu/lb at the compressor outlet (point 3). Heat has been added to it be- cause the compressor worked on the gas to increase its pressure. This additional heat is 26 called the heat of compression. In this example it amounts to about 15 Btu/lb (125 Btuilb - 110 Btu/lb), or about 22% additional heat over that absorbed in the evaporator. Condenser Parca Peak @ the high temperature, high pressure, super- heated gas, leaving the compressor discharge at point 3, enters the condenser in basically the same condition. Its saturation temperature is 120°F. This matches a gauge pressure of about 263 PSIG which is the same as 277.7 PSIA as shown on our diagram. As the condenser removes heat from the retriger- ant, its enthalpy decreases. Moving to the left from point 3 on our P-H diagram, the refrigerant first loses its superheat to become a saturated vapor. As it continues to lose heat, its condition moves to the left of the saturated vapor line to become a mixture of saturated vapor and saturated liquid. The vapor refrigerant is changing state; ie., it is condensing from a vapor into a liquid, When the saturated liquid line is reached, all the vapor has become saturated liquid. As still more heat is rejected, the refrigerant becomes subcooled. It leaves the condenser (point 4) as ahigh tempera- ture (105°F), high pressure, subcooled liquid The total change in the heat content of the re- frigerant caused by the condenser is about 83 Biu/lb. It enters at 125 Btu/lb and leaves at about 42 Btullb (125 - 42 = 83). The condenser rejects from the refrigerant the heat absorbed by the evaporator (the “Refrigerant Effect’) plus the heat added by the compressor (the "Heat of Compres- sion’). it must deal with compressor heat, whilethe evaporator does not need to. As a result, condensers usually exchange about 20 to 30% more heat than evaporators. Metering Device @ the tiquid leaving the condenser enters the liquid metering device in basically the same condi- tion (point 4). Ht now passes through a restricted opening which causes the pressure to drop down to the level of the evaporator. The pressure drops from about 277.7 PSIA at the inlet of the metering device to about 83.4 PSIA at the inlet of the evaporator (point 1). With this change in pressure comes a change in saturation temperature from 120°F to. 40°F. The refrigerant has now become a low pressure, low temperature mixture of satu- rated liquid and vapor. There is no enthalpy change in the refrigerant as itpasses through the metering device. Thecistance ittravels is short, and the flow takes place rapidly. Coming up Next REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS. Types of Vee eS Cu Refrigeration Systems LeeLee ce Maes lt @ inthe next module, entitled, Refrigeration Sys- tems, we will familiarize you with the types of systems that use the mechanical refrigeration cycle. These systems come in many shapes, sizes and packaging arrangements. Category schemes will be introduced to help you group the various kinds that share the same arrange- ment. That way you will be able to quickly recog- nize what you are dealing with when you ap- proach a system in the service business.|___ 5 :T Taking Stock @ow is a good time to take stock of what you have gained during your study of this module. Review the skills shown on the STUDENT SKILLS, INVENTORY SHEET at the end of this module. It should encourage you to see that you have many more of these skills now than when you first began this module. There are probably some areas that need additional review. Repetition is a normal part of the learning process. Why not circle those skills, that need additional work? Go back and review those sections once again, then answer the SKILLS CHECK questions that apply. In this module, we have introduced you to many new concepts about the refrigeration cycle. Keep it in a handy place so that you can use it as a reference whenever you need it. 28SKILLS CHECK 3 HOW TO READ P-H DIAGRAMS 1. Saturation temperature is: a. another word for boiling point. b. the temperature of a substance where any extra heat which is added causes a change of state. ¢. the point where a fluid is Y liquid and Ye vapor. d. the temperature where a refrigerant can absorb the most oil. 2. What does pressure have to do with saturation temperature? a. It really has nothing to do with it at all b. Temperature determines pressure. c. Pressure determines saturation temperature. 4d. As pressure goes up, saturation temperature goes down. e. As pressure goes down, saturation temperature goes down. 3. The difference between subcooled and saturated liquid refrigerant is that: a. the saturated liquid is higher in temperature. b. the subcooled liquid temperature is above the saturated temperature. . when heated, the suboooled liquid will change state but the saturated liquid will not. d. when heated the saturated liquid will change state but the subcooled liquid will not. 4. Refrigerant in a mixture condition is made up of saturated and saturated 5. Your electronic temperature probe shows that the temperature of the refrigerant in an evaporator is 40°F. Its condition is: saturated liquid. superheated liquid. saturated liquid/vapor mixture. need pressure to be sure. aoc 6. 70 PSI PSIA. 7. Where in an operating R-22 system would you expect to find a pressure reading of 70 PSIG? 8. Draw a P-H diagram showing a simple refrigeration cycle on it. Label the line which represents each of the 4 basic components. | Oo 9. Using the P-H diagram in figure #55 of this module, find the condition of refrigerant when your pressure gauge reads 70 PSIG and the refrigerant temperature is about 60°F. 29a QUIZ KEY SKILLS CHECK 1 REFRIGERATION CYCLE 1. F. The easiest way is to lear the basic concepts, (Paragraph 3) ‘of mechanical refrigeration which are the same for each system. 2. Refrigeration cycle. (Paragraph 2) 3. Refrigeration is cooling by the removal of heat. (Paragraph 5) More specifically, itis the transfer of heat from a place where itis not wanted to a place where it is not objectionable. 4ad (Paragraph 6) CLOSED CYCLE REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS 1d (Paragraph 8) 2. open (Paragraph 9) 3.7 (Paragraph 11) 4a (Paragraph 10) 5. Compressor, condenser, metering device, (Paragraph 18) evaporator (any order). 6. a. Compressor (Paragraph 15) b. Metering device 7. a, Condenser (Paragraph 16, 17) b. Evaporator 8. a. Hot Gas Line/Liquid Line (Paragraph 16,17) . Suction Line 9. — (Paragraph 19) t as 30‘SKILLS CHECK 2 10. "1 12. 13. 14, 15. 16. 17. 18, MECHANICAL REFRIGERATION COMPONENTS The purpose of the evaporator is to absorb heat (Paragraph 21) into the refrigeration system air; refrigerant (Paragraph 23) c (Paragraph 21,22) a. low; low; saturated (Paragraph 28) b. low; low; superheated . 69; 40; 50 (Paragraph 39) act (Paragraph 21,29) air cooled; water cooled (Paragraph 30) . air (Paragraph 30) c (Paragraph 34) refrigerant; air (Paragraph 29) a. high; high; superheated (Paragraph 40,41) b. not-so-high; high; subcooled 263; 170; 105 (Paragraph 32,33) bd (Paragraph 37) T (Paragraph 35,38) The purpose of a compressor is to boost the (Paragraph 35) refrigerant pressure from the low to the high side of the system. The purpose of the liquid metering device is to (Paragraph 38) regulate the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator. a. low; low; superheated (Paragraph 39,40) 'b. high; high; superheated a. high; high; subcooled (Paragraph 41,42) b, low; low; saturated 31QUIZ KEY SKILLS CHECK 3 jab (Paragraph 46) 2ce (Paragraph 46) aad (Paragraph 52) 4. liquid; vapor (Paragraph 49) 5.d (Paragraph 54) 6. 84.7 PSIA (70 + 14.7) (Paragraph 55,59) 7. evaporator (Paragraph 59) 8 (Paragraph 57) > (COMPRESSOR EVAPORATOR 7 9. superheated gas (Paragraph 55) 32STUDENT SKILLS INVENTORY — oO REFRIGERATION CYCLE At the conclusion of your study of the material in this module, you should be able to: Define refrigeration in the simplest terms. Identify the characteristics that distinguish refrigerant from any other fluid 3. Explain how latent heat transfer accomplishes most of the work done in the evaporator and condenser. 4, Give an example of an open refrigeration cycle. 5. Give an example of a closed refrigeration cyole. 6. Give two reasons why closed refrigeration cycles must also be mechanical in order to work properly 7. Draw, from memory, a refrigeration cycle diagram; label its components and refrigerant lines; show refrigerant flow direction with arrows. 8. On the cycle diagram, label those items on the high side and low side of the system. 9. List, from memory, the four basic components of a mechanical refrigeration system and state the function of each, 10. Explain how heat is transferred “downhill” to the evaporator. © 11. Tell the difference between a D-X coil and a cooler. 12. Express, in degrees F (°F), the amount of superheat provided by most evaporators. 13. List the typical entering and leaving air temperatures from the evaporator at peak capacity, 14. Explain how heat is transferred “downhill” out of the condenser. 15. Describe the difference between air-cooled and water-cooled condensers. 16. Express, in degrees F, the amount of subcooling provided by most condensers. 17. List the two things that cause a refrigerant temperature to increase in the compressor. 18. Tell how the compressor plus metering device allow a mechanical refrigeration system to move heat “uphill.” 19. Define saturation. 20. Relate pressure to saturation temperature. 21. Tell the difference between a subcooled liquid and a saturated liquid. 22. Tell the difference between a superheated gas and saturated vapor. 23. Draw a simple P-H diagram showing a simple refrigeration cycle. Label its subcooled, saturated, and superheated regions, 24. On the P-H diagram label the lines that represent each component. e 25. Determine the refrigerant condition by using the P-H diagram. 33“~ Carrier Q Sierra CTT 22-005 Carr Corporation + Syracuse, NY Printed nS. castieasre