Experiment no: 6

Title: Demonstration and working of Refrigeration Cycle

Objective:
1. To understand the working of Refrigeration cycle.
2. To study the working of refrigeration system/heat pump in winter and summer condition.

Apparatus:
 Commercial refrigration trainer

Figure No.6.1 Heat Pump and refrigeration Cycle

Theory:
Refrigeration Cycle:

Refrigeration is a process of removing heat from a low-temperature reservoir and transferring it

to a high temperature reservoir. The work of heat transfer is traditionally driven by mechanical
means, but can also be driven by heat, magnetism, electricity, laser, or other means.
Refrigeration has many applications, including, but not limited to: household refrigerators,
industrial freezers, cryogenics, and air conditioning. Heat pumps may use the heat output of the
refrigeration process, and also may be designed to be reversible, but are otherwise similar to air
conditioning units. Refrigeration has had a large impact on industry, lifestyle, agriculture, and
settlement patterns.

Working:
Refrigerant flows through the compressor, which raises the pressure of the refrigerant. Next the
refrigerant flows through the condenser, where it condenses from vapor form to liquid form,
giving off heat in the process. The heat given off is what makes the condenser "hot to the touch."
After the condenser, the refrigerant goes through the expansion valve, where it experiences a
pressure drop. Finally, the refrigerant goes to the evaporator. The refrigerant draws heat from the
evaporator which causes the refrigerant to vaporize. The evaporator draws heat from the region
that is to be cooled. The vaporized refrigerant goes back to the compressor to restart the cycle.

Heat pump:

A heat pump is a device that transfers heat energy from a source of heat to what is called a heat
sink. Heat pumps move thermal energy in the opposite direction of spontaneous heat transfer, by
absorbing heat from a cold space and releasing it to a warmer one. A heat pump uses external
power to accomplish the work of transferring energy from the heat source to the heat sink. The
most common design of a heat pump involves four main components – a condenser,
an expansion valve, an evaporator and a compressor. The heat transfer medium circulated
through these components is called refrigerant.
Heat Pump Working in Summer And Winter:

Figure No.6.2 heat pump working

There are two modes to discuss the heat pump:
1. Cooling mode
2. Heating mode
 Figure 6.3 heat pump/Refrigeration cycle
Main parts of refrigeration cycle:
There are four main parts of refrigeration cycle:
1. Compressor
2. Condenser
3. Expansion valve
4. Evaporator
Heating mode
In heating mode condenser is indoor unit and evaporator is outdoor unit. It is the reverse
cycle of refrigeration mode. Condensor produces the heating effect in room. There is a fan or
blower behind the condenser coil that absorbs the room air and blows it over the hot
condenser coil. As the air passing over the condenser absorbs the heat from the refrigerant
and becomes hot. So the temperature of the room is increased. Refrigerant changes into
liquid phase. .When the high pressure, and medium temperature refrigerant enters the
expansion valve its pressure reduces suddenly and along with it its temperature also becomes
very low suddenly. Then refrigerant enters into evaporator. Evaporator takes heat from
atmosphere and change refrigerant from liquid phase to vapor phase. The same process is
again repeated.

Cooling mode:
In cooling mode evaporator is indoor unit and condenser is outdoor unit. Evaporator takes
heat from room and convert liquid refrigerant into vapor refrigerant. These vapors enter into
compressor at lower pressure and temperature. Compressor compresses the refrigerant and
refrigerant leaves compressor at high temperature and pressure. Condenser produces the
heating effect. There is a fan or blower behind the condenser coil that absorbs the
atmospheric air or room air and blows it over the hot condenser coil. As the air passing over
the condenser absorbs the heat from the condenser and refrigerant change into liquid
phase. .When the high pressure, and medium temperature refrigerant enters the expansion
valve its pressure reduces suddenly and along with it its temperature also becomes very low
suddenly.

Figure 6.4 working cycle of heat pump

P-V Diagram:

Figure 6.5 PV diagram for refrigeration cycle

Procedure:
1. Turn on the heat pump.
2. Set it for the summer condition.
3. Then wait for some time and then start calculating the temperature of condenser
compressor and evaporator.
4. Write all these values in the table given below.
5. Then set it for the winter condition
6. Then calculate the inlet and outlet temperature of compressor.
7. Then repeat the same procedure for evaporator and condenser.
8. Then write all the calculated values in the given table.
9. You will see a clear difference between temperature in both summer and winter
conditions
10. Then find the temperature of expansion valve and it will be very low because sudden
expansion causes cooling.
Observations:
Cooling Mode:

Outlet temperature of compressor 60 Co

Inlet temperature of condenser 42 Co

Outlet temperature of condenser 36.8 Co

Inlet temperature of expansion valve 35 Co

Inlet temperature of evaporator -1.3 Co

Outlet temperature of evaporator 29 Co

Inlet temperature of compressor 38.7 Co

Heating Mode:

Outlet temperature of compressor 51.3 Co

Inlet temperature of condenser 39.4 Co

Outlet temperature of condenser 36.2 Co

Inlet temperature of expansion valve 32 Co

Inlet temperature of evaporator -2.9 Co

Outlet temperature of evaporator 28.9 Co

Inlet temperature of compressor 32.3 Co

Learning outcomes:
I learnt the basic principle of refrigeration cycle and heat pump and the working of heat pump in
both summer and winter condition.