Unit – 1

Refrigeration

Air Fractionation & Purification of Gases

 Refrigeration
In a refrigeration process, the heat absorbed at low
temperature is continuously rejected to the surroundings at a
higher temperature.

Heat transfer from a low temperature level to a higher one

will require an external source of energy, as per second law
of thermodynamics.

The cooling capacity of a refrigeration system is the rate of

heat removal from the refrigerated space and is expressed in
terms of tons of refrigeration.
The capacity of a refrigeration system that can freeze 1 ton of liquid water
at 0°C into ice at 0°C in 24 h is said to be 1 ton.
Unit 1: Cryogenic Properties of Air
 The Carnot Refrigerator
The ideal refrigerator operates on a Carnot cycle, consisting of two isothermal
steps in which heat 𝑄𝐶 is absorbed at a lower temperature TC and heat 𝑄𝐻
is rejected at the higher temperature TH and two adiabatic steps.

Unit 1: Cryogenic Properties of Air

 The Carnot Refrigerator
The cycle requires the addition of net work W to the system.

Since U of working fluid is zero for the cycle, according to

the first law of thermodynamics:
W = 𝑄𝐻 − 𝑄𝐶

The measure of the effectiveness of a refrigerator is its

coefficient of performance, 𝜔, defined as

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑄𝐶

𝜔= =
𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑊

Unit 1: Cryogenic Properties of Air

 The Carnot Refrigerator
𝑊 𝑄𝐻 𝑇𝐻
= −1= −1
𝑄𝐶 𝑄𝐶 𝑇𝐶
𝑄𝐶 𝑇𝐶
𝜔= =
𝑊 𝑇𝐻 − 𝑇𝐶
This equation applies only to a refrigerator operating on a Carnot cycle, and
it gives the maximum possible value of 𝜔 for any refrigerator operating
between the given values of TH and TC.

The refrigeration effect per unit of work decreases as the temperature of heat
absorption TC decreases and as the temperature of the heat rejection TH
increases.

Unit 1: Cryogenic Properties of Air

 The Vapor Compression Cycle
The impracticalities associated with the Carnot refrigerator can be eliminated by
- vaporizing the refrigerant completely before it is compressed
- replacing the turbine with a throttling device, such as an expansion valve or
capillary

Unit 1: Cryogenic Properties of Air

 The Vapor Compression Cycle
The vapor compression refrigeration cycle consists of four steps:
Line 1 2, Constant-pressure heat absorption in an evaporator
Line 2  3’, isentropic compression
Line 3’  4, Constant-pressure heat rejection in a condenser
Line 4  1, Throttling in an expansion device
Line 2  3, representing the actual compression, slopes in the direction of
increasing entropy, reflecting inherent irreversibility

Unit 1: Cryogenic Properties of Air

 The Vapor Compression Cycle
On the basis of unit mass of fluid, the equations for the heat absorbed in the
evaporator and heat rejected in the condenser are:
𝑄𝐶 = 𝐻2 − 𝐻1
𝑄𝐻 = 𝐻3 − 𝐻4
When small changes in the potential and kinetic energy
are neglected. The work of compression is
𝑊 = 𝐻3 − 𝐻2
The coefficient of performance is
𝐻2 − 𝐻1
𝜔=
𝐻3 − 𝐻2
To design the evaporator, compressor, condenser and auxiliary equipment, one must
know the rate of circulation of refrigerant, 𝑚.ሶ This is determined from the rate of
heat absorption by
𝑄ሶ 𝐶
𝑚ሶ =
𝐻2 − 𝐻1
Unit 1: Cryogenic Properties of Air
 Problem
A refrigerated space is maintained at 261.15 K and cooling water is
available at 294.15 K. refrigeration capacity is 35.2 kW. The evaporator
and condenser are of sufficient size that a 5.6 K minimum temperature
difference for heat transfer can be realized in each. The refrigerant is
tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a). The isentropic efficiency of the
compressor is 80%.

(a) What is the value of ω for a Carnot refrigerator?

(b) Calculate ω and 𝑚ሶ for the vapor compression cycle.

Unit 1: Cryogenic Properties of Air

 The Vapor Compression Cycle

Unit 1: Cryogenic Properties of Air

 The coefficient of performance is
𝐻2 − 𝐻1
𝜔=
𝐻3 − 𝐻2

Rate of circulation of refrigerant, 𝑚ሶ

𝑄ሶ 𝐶
𝑚ሶ =
𝐻2 − 𝐻1

Unit 1: Cryogenic Properties of Air

 Thermodynamic properties of
Saturated tetrafluoroethane

Unit 1: Cryogenic Properties of Air

PH diagram of Tetrafluoroethane

Unit 1: Cryogenic Properties of Air