LECTURE 4:

REFRIGERATION BASICS
RMMR1010 Refrigeration and HVAC
EXAMPLE

 An ammonia refrigeration plant operates with a 30˚C condenser

temperature and an evaporator temperature of -30˚C. Determine
using ammonia refrigeration temperatures:
a) Specific enthalphy of refrigerant entering evaporator.
b) Specific enthalphy of refrigerant leaving evaporator.
c) NRE
REFRIGERANT IDENTIFICATION AND
CLASSIFICATION
 Only some of the available refrigerants are commonly used commercially.
 Ways of classificiation:
 Flammability and toxicity (determines safety group)
 Impact on environment, operating temperature stability
 Identified in four ways:
 ASHRAE designation Chemical Name
 Chemical formula Trade Name
SAFETY GROUP

 Classified according to the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) B52

Mechanical Refrigeration Code
 6 groups according to toxicity and flammability
 Based on the ASHRAE Standard 34
 Groups A2 and B2 and A2L and B2L are considered lower flammability hazards,
but groups A2L and B2L are considered somewhat safer.
 Group A1 has low toxicity and low flammability.
 Group B3 is highly toxic and highly flammable.
SAFETY GROUP
 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
 Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP): refrigerants can deplete the ozone layer if they
contain chlorine.
 Freon 11 (R-11) and Freon 12 (R-12) are no longer used because of their chlorine
content.
 Some refrigerants (R-22) are still produced but will be phased out because they
have a moderate impact on the ozone layer.
 Global Warming Potential (GWP): the potential of some refrigerants to generate
greenhouse gasses.
 CO2 is considered to have a GWP score of 0, since it does not produce CO 2 but
uses already available quantities.
 Natural Refrigerants: occur naturally, R-717 (Ammonia), R-744 (CO 2), and R-718
(Water)
 Many refrigerants are derived from hydrocarbons
 They are often highly flammable.
 Methane, ethane, propane, and butane are then modified to
obtain desired physical properties.
 Halogens: compounds containing chloride and fluoride.
 Halocarbons: hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs, being phased
out), fluorocarbons (CFCs, banned), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs,
may have high GWP)
 Operating Temperatures: not all refrigerants are capable of
operating at very low temperatures, even at deep vacuums.

CHEMICAL ORIGINS AND

OPERATING TEMPERATURE
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
 Ideal Refrigerant:
 Low boiling point at atmospheric pressure
 High latent heat capacity
 Fairly low condensing pressure
 Inoffensive odour, yet easy to detect
 Noncorrosive action on metals
 Non-flammable and non-explosive when mixed with air
 Low vapour specific volume
 Low liquid density
 We also want it to be inexpensive.
 No refrigerant is able to meet all requirements, so compromises must be made.
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
 Properties of refrigerants define the performance of each substance.
 Pressure-temperature relationship
 Differences are significant: R-123 boils at high temperature and needs a low
pressure at -15˚C.
 This is suitable for air conditioners but not deep-freezers.
 Low pressure may lead to air leakage into the low-pressure side.
 R-134a and R-717 require high condensing pressure, requiring operation by a
Power Engineer.
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES

 Specific Volume
 Determines the displacement of the compressor and the distribution lines.
 Density
 Indicates the weight of the lines and define the size of control lines and piping.
 Refrigerant effect
 Gives and idea of how much refrigerant is needed for a particular application.
 Enthalpy
 Used to determine the net refrigeration effect.
 Can be used to calculate the word done on the refrigerant by the compressor.
 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

 Miscibility:
 When two or more liquids are soluble in all proportions
 Oil miscible refrigerants will dilute lubricating oil.
 Will consume pump crankcase oil (this needs to be taken into account)
 Will remove oil buildup in condensers and evaporators.
 Indicates the need for oil separators and oil return lines.
 Affects the size of piping: refrigerant velocity is kept high to prevent buildup of oil deposits.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

 Odour
 May be helpful in detecting leaks.
 Some odours may be so pungent that they may induce undue concern.
 Flammability
 Flammable refrigerants (R-290 – Propane) are limited by CSA B52 Code
 Usually to industrial applications where tighter control is present.
 Toxicity
 Some refrigerants are toxic
 Non-toxic refrigerants can still be toxic I decomposed: can occur if exposed to flame.
 Non-toxic refrigerants can displace air and be hazardous.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
 Leakage tendency:
 Depends on operating pressure, viscosity, density, and chemical composition.
 Moisture reaction
 Most refrigerants accept some form of moisture.
 Water in the lines should be avoided.
 Can form ice in the low-pressure side affecting metering.
 May form acids, increasing corrosion
 Ammonia may form ammonium hydroxide in the presence of water,
which is highly corrosive to copper.
 Never use copper components with ammonia.