DIGITAL ASSIGNMENT -1 (CHEMISTRY)

(by- Anirudh Aravinthkumar , 24BCE1922)

THERMODYNAMICS – WORKING OF HEAT ENGINE

AND REFRIGERATOR.

INTRODUCTION – This Digital Assignment deals with the

concept of Heat engine and refrigerators functioning and the
principles behind it , namely the laws of thermodynamics. This DA
also aims to look into the importance of the principles and a brief
glimpse into the other uses of this function. These heat engines and
refrigerators play an important role in our day to day life , in simple
words they utilize the conversion of mechanical energy to transfer
heat energy from one region to another region of the engine or
machine component. This assignment explores the working
mechanisms, thermodynamic principles, and practical applications of
heat engines and refrigerators.

1
The Working and Principle behind heat engine and
refrigerator.
Heat Engine :-
A body whose temperature remains constant even when heat is gained
or lost by it is called a heat reservoir - A heat engine is a mechanical
device that converts heat(thermal energy) into work(mechanical
energy). The heat engine utilizes a heat reservoir as a thermal sink.

Fig1. An illustration of a heat engine.

Thermal energy produced by a heat source raises the temperature of

the working substance. The working substance transfers heat to the
colder sink until it reaches a lower temperature state while producing
work in the engine’s working body. The working material can be any
system with a heat capacity greater than zero, but it is typically a gas
or liquid. A reservoir that stores energy as heat is referred to as a
source, and one that absorbs energy as heat is referred to as a sink. For
instance, atmospheric air serves as both a source and a sink for heat
pumps and air conditioners.
When heat is applied to the working material from a high-temperature
source, some of that heat is converted into work while the remainder
is retained in the heat sink at a low temperature. The heat engine
operates on a similar principle.
The heat sink temperature should not be higher than the source
temperature from which the engine receives its heat. This means that
the engine receives heat from a source with a higher temperature,
converts some of it into work, rejects the remainder to a heat sink
with a lower temperature, and then returns to its initial state. This
cycle change will allow the engine to produce work continuously.
During the course of their operation, heat engines take in heat from a
high-temperature source, convert some of this heat into work, and
then reject the remaining waste heat to a low-temperature sink.
A furnace serves as the energy source and transfers heat (Qin) to the
steam in the boiler.
Steam flowing through the turbine causes it to produce work (Wout)
The waste heat (Qout) from steam is transferred by a condenser to an
energy sink, such as the atmosphere.
Water is returned to the boiler from the condenser using a pump.
Compressing water to boiler pressure requires work (Win).
The difference between the work output and the work input is the
power plant’s net work output.
(i)Wnet (output) = Wout – Win
(ii)Wnet (output)= Qin – Qout [1]
The Uses of heat engine with examples
(i)Used in large power plants and in generators to generate electricity
(steam turbines and gas turbines , powered by burning coal and other
fuels).
(ii)Used in large ships to power diesel engines for propelling.
(iii)Used in aviation – (Jet engines and turbojet engines are heat
engines that use gas turbines to fly).

Refrigerator :-

A refrigerator is a cyclic device, which absorbs heat from a heat sink

and rejects heat to a heat source by consuming work. The working
fluid (Generally consists of CFCs and HFCs) is called refrigerant,
which usually undergoes phase changes in the cycle. The refrigerator
works on the same principle on the lines of an air conditioner/heat
pump. A heat pump uses technology similar to that found in a
refrigerator or an air conditioner. It extracts heat from a source, such
as the surrounding air, geothermal energy stored in the ground, or
nearby sources of water or waste heat from a factory. It then amplifies
and transfers the heat to where it is needed.

Fig 2. A schematic representation of a refrigerator’s function.

A typical vapour-compression refrigeration system (VCRS –
standardly used in refrigerators and cold storages) consists of mainly
four pieces of equipment
(i)A compressor, which is used to increase the pressure and
temperature of the refrigerant vapour by consuming work.(The
refrigerant gas is compressed – from whence it transitions from high
energy to low energy state).
(ii)A condenser, through which heat is rejected to a heat source (e.g.
kitchen or outdoor air). At the exit of the condenser, the refrigerant is
typically a two-phase mixture or a liquid. (The high-pressure gas
enters the condenser coils located at the back or bottom of the
refrigerator. The condenser facilitates heat exchange between the
refrigerant and the surrounding air. The processes involved are release
of heat and transition from gas phase to liquid phase).[3]
(iii)An expansion valve, which is used to reduce the pressure and
temperature of the refrigerant in order to achieve a liquid-vapour
mixture of desirable quality at the exit of the expansion valve.[2][3]
(iv)An evaporator, through which the low-pressure, low-temperature
refrigerant absorbs heat from a heat sink (e.g., a freezer compartment
or a space to be refrigerated) and changes from a two-phase mixture
to a saturated or superheated vapour.( The cold, low-pressure
refrigerant enters the evaporator coils located inside the fridge and
freezer compartments. The evaporation phase is where the main
cooling action occurs:
(i)Heat Absorption: The low-pressure liquid refrigerant absorbs heat
from the food and air inside the refrigerator. This heat absorption
causes the refrigerant to evaporate, converting it back into a gas.
(ii)Phase Change: Again, we witness a phase change, this time from
liquid back to gas, and this process requires energy from the
surroundings, therefore cooling the interior of the fridge.)[2][3]

As heat cannot be transferred from a low-temperature body to a high-

temperature body spontaneously in nature, refrigerators must
consume work in order to operate between a heat sink and a heat
source, even under ideal conditions.

Fig 3. An illustration of the working of a refrigerator.

Coefficient of Performance in refrigeration cycles.

The performance of a refrigerator is expressed by the ratio of amount
of heat taken from the cold body (Q1) to the amount of work required
to be done on the system (WR). This ratio is called coefficient of
performance. Mathematically, coefficient of performance of a
refrigerator, is represented by this formula.
Coefficient of Performance (C.O.P) = Q2/Wp = Q2/(Q2-Q1) =
Q1/(Q2-Q1) + 1 = (C.O.P)R + 1
Where :-
  Q1 = Heat extracted from a cold body
 Q2 = Heat delivered to a hot body
 Wp = Amount of work to be done on the system

CONCLUSION
We have so far seen the working of two important devices of the
modern world , namely the heat engine and the refrigerator. Both the
devices adhere to the first and second law of thermodynamics
respectively. But a heat engine works mainly by transferring heat
from a region of high temperature to that of low temperature thereby
expending mechanical energy in the process , while a refrigerator
transfers heat from a low temperature region to a high temperature
sink. By understanding their functioning we can design better and
more efficient energy systems that release less waste and prevent
unwanted energy expenditure in future.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
(1)[Link]
efficiency/
(2) [Link]
(3) [Link]
(4)[Link]
Introduction_to_Engineering_Thermodynamics_(Yan)/
06%3A_Entropy_and_the_Second_Law_of_Thermodynamics/
6.03%3A_Refrigerator_and_heat_pump
(5) [Link]
Engg._Refrigeration-[Link] , pg. no. 3.
(6)[Link]
works