REFRIGERATION AND AIRCONDITIONING

MODULE 5: REFRIGERATION AND AIRCONDITIONING

Refrigeration: It is defined as a method of reducing temperature of a system below that of the

surroundings and maintaining it at the lower temperature by continuously abstracting the heat
from it.

Refrigerant: The medium or working substance that continuously extracts heat from the space
within the refrigerator which is to be kept cool at temperature less than atmospheric by rejecting
heat to atmosphere is called refrigerant.
Refrigeration concepts:
1. Heat flows from a system at higher temperature to a system at lower temperature.
2. Fluids absorb heat, change from liquid phase to vapor phase and condenses back to liquid
while by giving off heat.
3. The boiling and freezing temperatures of fluid depends on its pressure.
4. Heat can flow from a system at lower temperature to a system at higher temperature only
with the aid of external work.
Refrigerating effect: The rate at which the heat is absorbed in a cycle from the interior space to
be cooled is called refrigerating effect.

Unit of refrigeration: The capacity of refrigeration system is expressed in tons of

refrigeration.

A ton of refrigeration is defined as the quantity of heat absorbed in order to form one ton of ice
in 24hours from water at 00C.

In S.I System

1 ton of refrigeration = 210 kJ/min

= 3.5 Kw

Coefficient of performance: The coefficient of performance (COP) of a refrigeration system is

defined as the ratio of the refrigerating effect (heat absorbed or removed) to the work supplied.

If Q = Heat absorbed or Removed, kW

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W = Work supplied, kW

Q
Then, COP = ⁄W

Ice making capacity

The capacity of a Refrigerating system to make ice beginning from water (at water temperature)
to solid ice. It is usually specified by kg/hr.

Relative COP

It is defined as the ratio of Actual COP to the Theoretical COP of a refrigerator.

Relative COP = Actual COP/Theoretical COP

Refrigerants commonly used:

1. Ammonia – in vapor absorption refrigerator.

2. Carbon dioxide – in marine refrigerators.

3. Sulphur dioxide – in household refrigerators.

4. Methyl chloride – in small scale & domestic refrigerators.

5. Freon – 12 (Dichlorodifluoromethane) – in domestic vapor compression

refrigerators.

6. Freon – 22 (difluoromonochloromethane) – in air conditioners.

Properties of a good refrigerant:

• Must have low boiling point.

• Must have low freezing point.

• Evaporator & condenser pressure should be slightly above the atmospheric pressure.

• Latent heat of evaporation must be very high.

• Specific volume must be very low.

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• Toxicity - should be non-toxic.

• Flammability - should not be flammable.

• Corrosiveness - should be non-corrosive.

• COP must be high.

• Odour - must be odourless.

• Leakage should be easily detectable.

VAPOUR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATOR

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• It mainly consists of a compressor, a throttle valve, a condenser and an evaporator made

of coiled tubes installed in the freezing compartment of the refrigerator.
• The refrigerant at low pressure and temperature passing in the evaporator coiled tubes
absorbs heat from the contents in the freezing compartment and evaporates.
• This lowers the temperature of freezing compartment.
• The vapour refrigerant at low pressure from evaporator is drawn by the compressor
which compresses it to high pressure.
• This increase in pressure increases the saturation temperature of the refrigerant higher
than the temperature of the cooling medium (atmospheric air) in the condenser so that
vapour can reject heat in the condenser.
• In the condenser it gives off its latent heat to the atmosphere air and condenses to liquid.
• The high pressure liquid refrigerant now flows to the throttle valve in which it expands
to a low pressure.
• Temperature reduces to -10°C and vapour will be wet.
• This wet vapour now passes to the evaporator coils where it absorbs heat from the
surrounding and the cycle repeats.
• Thus heat is continuously removed from the contents of the refrigerator in the evaporator
and rejected in the condenser to the atmospheric air.
• This will keep the contents of the refrigerator at lower temperature.
• The most commonly used refrigerant in vapour compression refrigerator is
dichlorodifluoromethane popularly known as Freon 12.

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VAPOR ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

• This refrigerator mainly consists of an absorber, a circulating pump, heat exchanger,

generator, condenser, expansion valve and evaporating coiled tubes.

• Low pressure ammonia vapor is dissolved in the cold water contained in the absorber,
which will produce a strong ammonia solution.

• The strong ammonia solution from absorber is pumped to heat exchanger where it is
warmed by the warm weak ammonia solution flowing back from the heat separator.

• The warm high pressure ammonia solution now passes to the heat separator where it is
heated by heating coils.

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• The heating will drive out the ammonia vapor from it. Now the solution in heat separator
becomes weak and flows back to the heat exchanger where it warms up the strong
ammonia solution passing through it.

• The high pressure ammonia vapor from heat separator now passes to a condenser, where
it rejects heat and is condensed. (liquid)

• The high pressure ammonia liquid is now expanded to low pressure and low
temperature in the throttle valve.

• The low pressure condensed ammonia liquid at low temperature is passed onto the
evaporator coils provided in the freezing compartment, where it absorbs the heat and
evaporates.

• The low pressure ammonia vapor from freezing compartment is passed again to the
absorber and the cycle repeats.

Comparison Between Vapor Compression and Vapor Absorption Systems:

Principle Vapor compression Vapor absorption

Working method Refrigerant vapor is compressed Refrigerant vapor is absorbed and heated

Type of energy Mechanical Heat

supplied

Work or energy To compress refrigerant To run the pump

supplied

COP Higher Relatively low & remains same

Capacity Up to 1000 tons Above 1000 tons

Noise More Almost quiet

Refrigerant Freon-12 Ammonia

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Leakage problem Chances are more No leakage

Maintenance High Less

Operating cost High Less

AIR CONDITIONING:

Providing a cool congenial indoor atmosphere by cooling, humidifying, or

dehumidifying, cleaning and recirculating the surrounding air is called air conditioning. The
artificial cooling of air and conditioning it to provide maximum comfort to human beings is
called comfort air conditioning.

The artificial cooling of air and conditioning it to provide a controlled atmosphere

required in some engineering, manufacturing and processing is called industrial air conditioning.

ROOM AIR CONDITIONER AND PRINCIPLES OF AIR CONDITIONING:

An air conditioner continuously draws air from an indoor space to be cooled, cools it by
the refrigeration principles and discharges back into the same indoor space that needs to be
cooled.

It mainly consists of an evaporator, condenser, compressor, two fans one each for
evaporator and condenser units usually driven by the single motor, capillary, etc. It is generally
mounted on a window sill such that the evaporator unit is inside the room and the condenser part
projecting outside the building.

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• The high pressure, high temperature liquid refrigerant from the condenser is passed to the
evaporator coils through the capillary tube where it undergoes expansion.

• The refrigerant in evaporator coils absorbs heat from the air passing over it from the
interior and evaporates.

• The high temperature evaporated refrigerant is compressed to high pressure by a

compressor and delivered to the condenser, where it is cooled or condensed to liquid by
giving off the heat to the atmospheric air passing over it.

• The cooled high pressure refrigerant now passes through the capillary tube where it
undergoes expansion and again re-circulated to repeat the cycle continuously.

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ABSOLUTE HUMIDITY: It is defined as ratio of water vapour contained in a given

volume of air.

SPECIFIC HUMIDITY: It is defined as the ratio of weight of water vapour to the total
weight of air.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY: It is defined as the ratio of the actual vapour content of the air to
the vapour content of the air at the same temperature when saturated with water vapour.