REFRIGERATION 1

1 General introduction
Refrigeration and refrigerating effect
• The cyclic process by which natural heat transfer
down a temperature gradient is returned up
temperature gradient by means of supply of
external energy is process of refrigeration.

• In refrigerator there will be an amount of energy

removed from cold body by refrigeration process
that is referred to as refrigerating effect.
COP

is called Coefficient Of Performance (CO.P). It will be

noted that this definition is similar to that used for
efficiency.

Efficiency is not used here because very often C.O.P >

1, hence term coefficient is used rather than efficiency.
Refriqerant
• working substance which flows through a
refrigerator is called refriqerant.

• heat transfer into refrigerant at low temperature

evaporates refrigerant.

• Heat transfer from refrigerant at high temperature

condenses refrigerant.
Refriqerant cont..
• Refrigerants remain as liquids and can be
evaporated at suitable pressures and sub-zero low
temperatures ( < 0 0C) which make them suitable for
use as refrigerants.

• Commonly used refrigerants are

Ammonia (NH3)’
Methyl Chloride (CH3Cl),
Freon-12 (Dichlorodifluoromethane,
CCl2F2 and
Cryogenics
• When working at very low temperatures, term
cryogenics is used rather than refrigeration.
Heat Pump
• note that refrigeration cycle is reverse of heat engine cycle.

• In heat engine cycle energy is received at high

temperature, rejected at low temperature and work is
obtained from cycle.

• In refrigeration cycle energy is received at low temperature,

rejected at high temperature and work (or heat) is required
to perform cycle.

• Due to transfer of energy from low to high temperature

refrigerator is sometimes referred to as a heat pump,
• REFRIGERATION is a process of removing
heat from a low-temperature reservoir to a
high-temperature reservoir.

• Work of heat transfer is traditionally driven by

mechanical means,

• BUT can also be driven by heat, magnetism,

electricity, laser, or other means.
3 THE VAPOUR COMPRESSION
REFRIGERATOR
 Simple VCR
• Referring to Fig. a wet low-pressure, low-
temperature refrigerant enters evaporator at 4 is
evaporated to nearly dry state at 1.

• This evaporation process produces refrigerating

effect.

• Refrigerant then enters compressor at 1, is

compressed, theoretically isentropically to 2.
 Simple VCR

• At 2 refrigerant is dry saturated at higher pressure and

temperature.

• Refrigerant then passes through a condenser at constant

pressure and temperature and is condensed to liquid at 3.

• Refrigerant then passes through an expander, is expanded

theoreticaly isentropically, back to its original low-
pressure, low temperature, wet state at 4
T-s and P-h diagrams
• Temperature---entropy (T-s) and pressure---enthalpy
(P-h) diagrams of cycle are also illustrated in Fig. .
Throttle Valve
• Common use is made of throttle valve or regulator
in place of expander.

• This is illustrated in Fig. and most vapour

compression refrigerators have this basic
arrangement.

• Throttling process 3-4 moves cycle away from

Carnot cycle
Modifications
• Fig. show T-s and P-h diagrams of type of cycle
more commonly used in vapour compression
refrigerator.

• Modifications made to cycle already illustrated

earlier produce a more effective operation of plant.

• Note that at entry to compressor at 1, refrigerant is

dry saturated.
Superheating
• Sometimes there is slight degree of superheat which
increase refrigerating effect and produce dry
compression in refrigerator, 1-2.

• Means no loss of mass flow due to evaporation of liquid

refrigerant in compressor during induction stroke.

• Also liquid refrigerant can wash Iubricant from cylinder

walls and also carryover some lubricant into other
sections of plant resulting in reduction of heat transfer.
Undercooling
• Further improvement is obtained by
undercooling (subcooling) refrigerant after
condensation, 4-5.

• Refrigerant is cooled toward ambient

temperature producing wetter vapour, at 6.

• After throttling process and an improved

refrigerating effect follows.
Duty of Refrigerator Undercooling

• Note that refrigerating effect per unit time is called

the duty of the refrigerator.