Chapter 10

AIR CONDITIONONG AND REFRIGERATION

Introduction

1. The term refrigeration has been derived from the word "Freeze" which involves the
conversion of a liquid into solid by extraction of heat.

2. Freezing involves the extraction of sensible heat for lowering the temperature of the
liquid followed by removal of latent heat of freezing for conversion of the liquid to solid at a
constant temperature known as freezing point.

3. A heat pump, or a refrigerating machine, can be utilised for the removal of heat from
a given body or space.

Laws of Refrigeration

4. The Basic laws of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration are as follows.

a. All liquids while evaporating take heat from their surroundings.

b. Any vapour can be condensed back to liquid if it is suitably compressed and

cooled. (Gases give off heat when changed from gas to liquid)

c. The temperature at which any liquid will evaporate or boil directly depends
upon the pressure to which it is subjected.

Principles of Refrigeration

5. For refrigeration or an air conditioning system to operate with economy, the

refrigerant must be used repeatedly.

6. For this reason, all air conditioners use the same cycle of compression, condensation,
expansion, and evaporation in a closed circuit.

7. The same refrigerant is used to move the heat from one area, to cool this area, and to
expel this heat in another area

Types of AC& Ref Systems

8. The types of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration systems are as follows.

a. Vapour Compression refrigeration system.

b. Vapour absorption refrigeration system.

c. Steam jet refrigeration (Vacuum refrigeration plant)

 d. Thermo electric refrigeration system.

e. Air refrigeration system

9. Vapour compression refrigeration system is most common system using in SLN.

Main components of vapour compression system

10. Main components of vapour compression system are as follows.

a. Compressor

b. Condenser

c. Expansion Valve/Regulating Valve

f. Evaporator

Compressor

11. The refrigerant is removed as a gas from the evaporator during the suction stroke of the
compressor.

12. The compression stroke compresses the gas and the temperature and pressure of gas is
increased.

13. The superheated gas is delivered to the condenser in the cycle.

Condenser

14. The purpose of condenser is to extract the heat from superheated refrigerant and liquefy it.

15. The high pressure refrigerant vapour enters the condenser and heat flows from
refrigerant to cooling medium thus allowing refrigerant to change the state from gas to liquid.

Expansion Valve

16. The refrigerant after changing its state is made to pass through the expansion valve.

17. Here the pressure falls this causes the state of refrigerant liquid to change to gaseous
form.

18. This change of state causes the cooling to the temperature required in the evaporator.

19. The refrigerant evaporated in the expansion valve is known as flash gas.
Evaporator

20. The refrigerant must be completely changed to gas in the evaporator to avoid liquid being
returned to the compressor.

22. Thus the refrigerating effect is achieved.

Basic Refrigeration Cycle

23. The refrigerant comes into the compressor as a low-pressure gas, it is compressed and
then moves out of the compressor as a high-pressure gas.

24. The gas then flows to the condenser. Here the gas condenses to a liquid, and gives off
its heat to the outside air.

25. The liquid then moves to the expansion valve under high pressure. This valve restricts
the flow of the fluid, and lowers its pressure as it leaves the expansion valve.

26. The low-pressure liquid then moves to the evaporator, where heat from the inside air
is absorbed and changes it from a liquid to a gas.

27. As a hot low-pressure gas, the refrigerant moves to the compressor where the entire
cycle is repeated

Pic 10.1 Vapour Absorption Cycle

Direct Refrigeration and A/C Plant

28. The refrigerant is circulated through the evaporator coils directly for cooling the space or
taking the heat from the products. There is no secondary refrigerant such as brine or fresh water
used in this system.

Pic 10.2 Direction Refrigeration Cycle

Indirect Refrigeration and A/C Plant

29. In this type a secondary refrigerant is cooled by the primary refrigerant.

30. Secondary refrigerant is circulated through the coils of the air treatment unit in which
heat transfer takes place.

31. This makes the system bulky as more amount of brine is equipped to be circulated for
the same refrigerating effect compared to a direct refrigerating system.
 Pic 10.3 Indirect A/C System

Application of A/C Plants and Ref Plants

31. The air conditioning and refrigeration applications grouped in six general categories.

a. Domestic Refrigeration.

b. Commercial Refrigeration.

c. Industrial Refrigeration.

d. Marine and Transportation Refrigeration.

e. Comfort Air Conditioning.

f. Industrial Air Conditioning.

Usages of A/C Plant on Board Ships

a. Air Conditioning of mess decks.

c. Sick Bay air conditioning.

d. Air conditioning of Machinery control room and operations rooms etc. for
better operation of equipment.

e. Air conditioning of Missile Hangers.

Usages of Refrigeration Plants

a. Preservation of meat, fish, vegetable and milk products.

b. Preservation of medicines.

e. Cooling of drinking water.

f. To make ice for domestic and medical purposes