GROUP 5
REFRIGERATION PLANT CYCLE
Refrigeration
Is the process of cooling a space, substance, or system to lower and/or maintain its
temperature below the ambient one (while the removed heat is rejected at a higher
temperature). In other words, refrigeration means artificial (human-made) cooling. Heat is
removed from a low-temperature reservoir and transferred to a high-temperature reservoir. The
work of heat transfer is traditionally driven by mechanical means, but can also be driven by
heat, magnetism, electricity, laser, or other means. Refrigeration has many applications,
including, but not limited to: household refrigerators, industrial freezers, cryogenics, and air
conditioning.
REFRIGERATION SYSTEM
Is an assembly of four major components, namely the compressor condenser,
expansion valve, the evaporator through which a very low boiling point substance flow in the
cycle and absorbs heat from the immediate surroundings, thereby producing the cooling effect.
Refrigeration cycle
Is a sequence of thermodynamic processes whereby heat is withdrawn from a cold body
and expelled to a hot body.
REFRIGERATION SYSTEM COMPONENTS
There are five basic components of a refrigeration system, these are:
Evaporator
Compressor
Condenser
Expansion Valve
- Refrigerant
; to conduct the heat from the product In order for the refrigeration cycle to operate
successfully each component must be present within the refrigeration system.
The Compressor
The purpose of the compressor is to draw the low-temperature, low-pressure vapour
from the evaporator via the suction line. Once drawn, the vapour is compressed. When vapour
is compressed it rises in temperature. Therefore, the compressor transforms the vapour from a
low-temperature vapour to a high-temperature vapour, in turn increasing the pressure. The
vapour is then released from the compressor in to the discharge line.
The Condenser
The purpose of the condenser is to extract heat from the refrigerant to the outside air.
The condenser is usually installed on the reinforced roof of the building, which enables the
transfer of heat. Fans mounted above the condenser unit are used to draw air through the
condenser coils.
The temperature of the high-pressure vapour determines the temperature at which the
condensation begins. As heat has to flow from the condenser to the air, the condensation
temperature must be higher than that of the air; usually between - 12°C and -1°C. The high-
pressure vapour within the condenser is then cooled to the point where it becomes a liquid
refrigerant once more, whilst retaining some heat. The liquid refrigerant then flows from the
condenser in to the liquid line.
The Expansion Valve
Within the refrigeration system, the expansion valve is located at the end of the liquid
line, before the evaporator. The high-pressure liquid reaches the expansion valve, having come
from the condenser. The valve then reduces the pressure of the refrigerant as it passes through
the orifice, which is located inside the valve. On reducing the pressure, the temperature of the
refrigerant also decreases to a level below the surrounding air. This low-pressure, low-
temperature liquid is then pumped in to the evaporator.
The Evaporator
The purpose of the evaporator is to remove unwanted heat from the product, via the
liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant contained within the evaporator is boiling at a
low-pressure. The level of this pressure is determined by two factors:
The rate at which the heat is absorbed from the product to the liquid refrigerant in the
evaporator
The rate at which the low-pressure vapour is removed from the evaporator by the
compressor
To enable the transfer of heat, the temperature of the liquid refrigerant must be lower
than the temperature of the product being cooled. Once transferred, the liquid
refrigerant is drawn from the evaporator by the compressor via the suction line. When
leaving the evaporator coil the liquid refrigerant is in vapour form.
The Refrigerant
A refrigerant is a substance or mixture, usually a fluid, used in a heat pump and
refrigeration cycle. In most cycles it undergoes phase transitions from a liquid to a gas
and back again. Many working fluids have been used for such purposes.
Fluorocarbons, especially chlorofluorocarbons, became commonplace in the 20th
century, but they are being phased out because of their ozone depletion effects. Other
common refrigerants used in various applications are ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and non-
halogenated hydrocarbons such as propane.
The desired thermodynamic properties are a boiling point somewhat below the target
temperature, a high heat of vaporization, a moderate density in liquid form, a relatively
high density in gaseous form, and a high critical temperature. Since boiling point and
gas density are affected by pressure, refrigerants may be made more suitable for a
particular application by choice of operating pressures.
Performance Terms and Definitions
Tons of refrigeration (TR): One ton of refrigeration is the amount of cooling obtained by
one ton of ice melting in one day: 3024 kCal/h, 12,000 Btu/h or 3.516 thermal kW.
Net Refrigerating Capacity. A quantity defined as the mass flow rate of the evaporator
water multiplied by the difference in enthalpy of water entering and leaving the cooler,
expressed in kCal/h, tons of Refrigeration.
kW/ton rating: Commonly referred to as efficiency, but actually power input to
compressor motor divided by tons of cooling produced, or kilowatts per ton (kW/ton).
Lower kW/ton indicates higher efficiency.
Coefficient of Performance (COP): Chiller efficiency measured in Btu output (cooling)
divided by Btu input (electric power).
Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER): Performance of smaller chillers and rooftop units is
frequently measured in EER rather than kW/ton. EER is calculated by dividing a chiller's
cooling capacity (in Btu/h) by its power input (in watts) at full-load conditions. The higher
the EER, the more efficient the unit.
To determine the net refrigeration capacity
The test shall include a measurement of the net heat removed from the water as it
passes through the evaporator by determination of the following:
a. Water flow rate b. Temperature difference between entering and leaving water
The heat removed from the chilled water is equal to the product of the chilled water flow
rate, the water temperature difference, and the specific heat of the water is defined as
follows The net refrigeration capacity in tons shall be obtained by the following equation:
Performance calculations
The energy efficiency of a chiller is commonly expressed in one of the three following
ratios: