Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems

REFRIGERATION AND AIR CONDITIONING
SYSTEMS
What is Refrigeration?
➢Refrigeration may be defined as the process of removing heat from a

substance under controlled conditions and reducing and maintaining
the temperature of a body below the temperature of its surroundings
by the aid of external work.
➢Therefore in a refrigerator, power is to be supplied to remove the heat

continuously from the refrigerator cabinet to keep it cool at a
temperature less than the atmospheric temperature.
Refrigerators, Heat Pumps and Heat Engines
➢Refrigerators and heat pumps are essentially the same device.

However their objectives differ. The working of heat engines is
different though.
Vapor Compression Refrigeration Cycle
➢Most common refrigeration cycle in use today

There are four principal components involved in the process:
• Compressor
• Condenser
• Expansion valve
• Evaporator
Two-phase
liquid-vapor mixture
Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle
➢The processes involved in this cycle are

Process 1-2: Vapor refrigerant is compressed to a relatively high
temperature and pressure requiring work input.
Process 2-3: Vapor refrigerant condenses to liquid through heat transfer to
the cooler surroundings.
Process 3-4: Liquid refrigerant expands to the evaporator pressure.
Process 4-1: Two-phase liquid-vapor mixture of refrigerant is evaporated

through heat transfer from the refrigerated space.
Components of a Refrigeration System
Unit of Refrigeration
In a refrigeration system, the rate at which the heat is absorbed in a
cycle from the interior space to be cooled is called Refrigerating Effect.
The capacity of a refrigeration system is expressed in Tons of

Refrigeration which is the unit of refrigeration.
A ton of refrigeration is defined as the quantity of heat absorbed to

convert one ton of water at 00C to one ton of ice at the same
temperature in 24 hours.
Unit of Refrigeration – contd.
Here it should be noted that one American ton (2000 pounds) is taken as
the standard in the refrigeration practice.
In S.I. System,
1 Ton of Refrigeration = 210 kJ/min = 3.5 kW

Performance Assessment Parameter
The performance of a refrigeration system is expressed by a factor known

as Coefficient of Performance (COP).
The COP of a refrigeration system is defined as the ratio of amount of heat
absorbed or extracted in a system to the amount of work supplied.
Amount of heat absorbed

COP = ---------------------------------
Amount of work supplied
How can COP decrease or increase?
Refrigerants
The refrigerant is a heat carrying medium (fluid) which during its cycle
in the refrigeration system absorbs heat from a lower temperature
region and rejects the heat absorbed to a higher temperature region.
Classification: Refrigerants are usually Primary Refrigerants and
Secondary Refrigerants.
Primary refrigerants which directly take part in the refrigeration
system. e.g. Ammonia, Carbon dioxide, Sulphur dioxide, Methyl
chloride, Ethyl chloride etc.,
Secondary refrigerants are first cooled by primary refrigerants and
then used for cooling purposes. e.g. Brine solution, Sodium chloride
etc.,
Common Refrigerants
The most commonly used refrigerants are:
a) Ammonia - in vapor absorption refrigerator.

b) Carbon dioxide - in marine refrigerators.
c) Sulphur dioxide - in household refrigerators.
d) Methyl chloride - in small scale refrigeration and
domestic refrigerators.
e) Freon 12 - in domestic vapour compression
refrigerators.
f) Freon 22 - in Air Conditioners.
Activity
➢Identify the refrigerant used in your household refrigerator and air

conditioning units.
Desirable Properties of Refrigerant
In order to produce a good refrigeration effect, the refrigerant must

possess certain desirable properties which may be categorized as
below:
(A) Thermodynamic Properties
(B) Physical Properties
(C) Safe Working Properties
(D) Other Properties

Flow of Refrigerant in the cycle
Vapor Compression Refrigeration Cycle
Dept. of Mech. Engg.

16
Working of Components and T-s diagram
Air Conditioning Systems
➢An air conditioning system is an electrical device that is purposely

installed for the removal of heat and moisture from the interior of an
occupied space. It is a process that is commonly used to achieve a
more comfortable environment.
➢Working of Air Conditioning Systems is based on VCR cycle as

discussed earlier.
➢It involves the components Compressor, Condenser, Expansion device

and Evaporator.
Air Conditioning Systems
Can You Answer?
➢Why is COP considered as performance assessment parameter for
refrigeration units and not efficiency?
➢What if we do not use an expansion device in the cooling units?
➢Can you plot P-h diagram for VCR Cycle?

Web links
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfuSzBja8QA
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NwxMyqUyJw

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REFRIGERATION AND AIR CONDITIONING

➢Refrigeration may be defined as the process of removing heat from a

➢Therefore in a refrigerator, power is to be supplied to remove the heat

➢Refrigerators and heat pumps are essentially the same device.

➢Most common refrigeration cycle in use today

➢The processes involved in this cycle are

Process 4-1: Two-phase liquid-vapor mixture of refrigerant is evaporated

The capacity of a refrigeration system is expressed in Tons of

A ton of refrigeration is defined as the quantity of heat absorbed to

1 Ton of Refrigeration = 210 kJ/min = 3.5 kW

The performance of a refrigeration system is expressed by a factor known

Amount of heat absorbed

The most commonly used refrigerants are:

a) Ammonia - in vapor absorption refrigerator.

➢Identify the refrigerant used in your household refrigerator and air

In order to produce a good refrigeration effect, the refrigerant must

(A) Thermodynamic Properties

(B) Physical Properties

(C) Safe Working Properties

(D) Other Properties

Dept. of Mech. Engg.

➢An air conditioning system is an electrical device that is purposely

➢Working of Air Conditioning Systems is based on VCR cycle as

➢It involves the components Compressor, Condenser, Expansion device

➢What if we do not use an expansion device in the cooling units?

➢Can you plot P-h diagram for VCR Cycle?

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