Thermal Engineering II Tutorial I
1. A refrigeration system using air as the working fluid, consists of an ideal Brayton cycle
run in reverse with a temperature and pressure at the inlet of the compressor of 37C and
100 kPa. The compressor has a compression ratio of 15:1 and air must be supplied to the
conditioned space at 17C. The heat load on the system is 10 kW.
a) Calculate the required mass flow rate of air.
b) Calculate the required net-work input.
c) Calculate the COP for this refrigeration system.
d) Calculate the cooling capacity of the system if the turbine were removed and
replaced with an adiabatic expansion valve (assume states 1, 2, 3 and the mass flow
rate of air remain unchanged)
2. A steady-flow Carnot refrigeration cycle uses refrigerant-134a as the working fluid.
The refrigerant changes from saturated vapor to saturated liquid at 30°C in the condenser as
it rejects heat. The evaporator pressure is 160 kPa. Show the cycle on a T-s diagram relative
to saturation lines, and determine (a) the coefficient of performance, (b) the amount of heat
absorbed from the refrigerated space, and (c) the net work input.
3. Refrigerant-134a enters the condenser of a steady flow Carnot refrigerator as a
saturated vapor at 90 psia, and it leaves with a quality of 0.05. The heat absorption from the
refrigerated space takes place at a pressure of 30 psia. Show the cycle on a T-s diagram
relative to saturation lines, and determine (a) the coefficient of performance, (b) the quality
at the beginning of the heat-absorption process, and (c) the net work input.
4. A commercial refrigerator with refrigerant-134a as the working fluid is used to keep
the refrigerated space at -30°C by rejecting its waste heat to cooling water that enters the
condenser at 18°C at a rate of 0.25 kg/s and leaves at 26°C. The refrigerant enters the
condenser at 1.2 MPa and 65°C and leaves at 42°C. The inlet state of the compressor is 60
kPa and -34°C and the compressor is estimated to gain a net heat of 450 W from the
surroundings. Determine (a) the quality of the refrigerant at the evaporator inlet, (b) the
refrigeration load, (c) the COP of the refrigerator, and (d) the theoretical maximum
refrigeration load for the same power input to the compressor.
5. An ideal vapor-compression refrigeration cycle that uses refrigerant-134a as its
working fluid maintains a condenser at 1000 kPa and the evaporator at 48C. Determine this
system’s COP and the amount of power required to service a 400 kW cooling load.
6. A 10-kW cooling load is to be served by operating an ideal vapor-compression
refrigeration cycle with its evaporator at 400 kPa and its condenser at 800 kPa. Calculate the
refrigerant mass flow rate and the compressor power requirement when refrigerant-134a is
used.
7. Refrigerant-134a enters the compressor of a refrigerator as superheated vapor at
0.14 MPa and -10°C at a rate of 0.12kg/s, and it leaves at 0.7 MPa and 50°C. The refrigerant
is cooled in the condenser to 24°C and 0.65 MPa, and it is throttled to 0.15 MPa.
Disregarding any heat transfer and pressure drops in the connecting lines between the
components, show the cycle on a T-s diagram with respect to saturation lines, and
determine (a) the rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space and the power input to
the compressor, (b) the isentropic efficiency of the compressor, and (c) the COP of the
refrigerator.
8. Refrigerant-134a enters the compressor of a refrigerator at 140 kPa and -10°C at a
rate of 0.3 m3/min and leaves at 1MPa. The isentropic efficiency of the compressor is 78
percent. The refrigerant enters the throttling valve at 0.95 MPa and 30°C and leaves the
evaporator as saturated vapor at -18.5°C. Show the cycle on a T-s diagram with respect to
saturation lines, and determine (a) the power input to the compressor, (b) the rate of heat
removal from the refrigerated space, and (c) the pressure drop and rate of heat gain in the
line between the evaporator and the compressor.
9. A refrigerator uses refrigerant-134a as the working fluid and operates on the ideal
vapor-compression refrigeration cycle. The refrigerant enters the evaporator at 120 kPa with
a quality of 30 percent and leaves the compressor at 60°C. If the compressor consumes 450
W of power, determine (a) the mass flow rate of the refrigerant, (b) the condenser pressure,
and (c) the COP of the refrigerator.
10. A heat pump using refrigerant-134a as a refrigerant operates its condenser at 800
kPa and its evaporator at -1.258C. It operates on the ideal vapor-compression refrigeration
cycle, except for the compressor, which has an isentropic efficiency of 85 percent. How much
do the compressor irreversibilities reduce this heat pump’s COP as compared to an ideal
vapor-compression refrigeration cycle?