REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

COMPONENTS
 COMPRESSORS
• Heart of a refrigeration system
• Maintains high pressure in condenser and low pressure in
evaporator
• Classification

• Working principle: Positive displacement & Roto-dynamic

• Positive displacement: Reciprocating & Rotary
• Roto-dynamic: Radial flow & Axial flow

• Compressor-motor arrangement:
• Open
• Hermetic
• semi-hermetic
 COMPRESSOR
CLASSIFICATION
• Open Type
• Compressor shaft extends out of crankcase seal to
external drive
• Belt/ Gear driven
• Large/ medium capacity systems
• High efficiency, high compressor cooling, serviceability
• Leakage problem
• Hermetic
• Motor and compressor sealed in same casing by welding
• No leakage
• Inefficient cooling, low serviceability
• Narrow range of design
• Semi hermetic
 RECIPROCATING
COMPRESSORS
• Most widely used compressor type
• Range of power varies from a few to hundreds Watts
 ROTARY COMPRESSORS
• Used in small (<2kW) systems
• Positive displacement type
• High volumetric efficiency
 CENTRIFUGAL
COMPRESSORS
• Pressure rise due to conversion of angular
momentum to static pressure
• High volume, steady flow applications (50-50000 TR)
• Advantages: High life, no vibration
• Disadvantages: surging
 CONDENSERS
• Heat Exchangers
• Sensible cooling and condensation takes place in
condenser
• Classification
• Air Cooled
• Natural Convection Type
• Forced Convection Type
• Water Cooled
• Tube in tube
• Shell and tube
• Shell and coil
• Evaporative
 AIR COOLED
CONDENSERS
• Natural Convection Type
 Cooling at air side due to natural convection
 Low heat transfer efficiency
 For small capacity, domestic refrigerators
• Forced Convection Type
 Fans or blowers used in air side
 Used in air conditioners
 WATER COOLED TYPE

Tube in tube (up to 10 TR)

Shell and Coil (up to 50 TR)
Shell and Tube ( 2TR to 1000 TR)
 EVAPORATIVE TYPE
• Water n’ air used for
cooling refrigerant
vapour
• Used in medium/ large
capacity systems
• Cheaper than water
cooled condensers for
large capacity systems
 EVAPORATORS
• Heat exchanger in which boiling of refrigerant
happens
• Classifications based on
• Mode of heat transfer: Natural & Forced convection
• Construction:
 Bare tube coil
 Finned tube
 Plate type
 Shell and tube
 Shell and coil
 Tube in tube
• Refrigerant Feed: Flooded & Dry Expansion Type
 Finned Tube Type Plate Type

Tube in tube type Shell and tube type Shell and coil type
 FLOODED
EVAPORATORS
DRY EXPANSION
EVAPORATORS
 EXPANSION DEVICES
• Reduces pressure of refrigerant from condenser
pressure to evaporator pressure
• Regulates flow according to evaporation rate
• Classification
 Capillary Tube
 Hand Operated Valve
 Automatic (constant pressure) Expansion Valve
 Thermostatic Expansion Valve
 Low Side Float Valve
 High Side Float Valve
 CAPILLARY TUBE
• Used in small capacity hermetically sealed units
• Copper tube, inner ϕ = 0.5- 2.25mm, l = 0.5- 5m
• Pressure drop due to frictional resistance
• Advantages
• Cheap
• Low starting torque for compressor
• No need of reciever
HAND OPERATED VALVE
AUTOMATIC EXPANSION
VALVE
 THERMOSTATIC
EXPANSION VALVE
LOW SIDE FLOAT VALVE
HIGH SIDE FLOAT VALVE