Refrigeration
Cycle Explained
The refrigeration cycle is a process that
uses a cycle of compression and
expansion to route heat away from a
desired area.
The purpose of a refrigeration cycle is to
absorb and reject heat. The four basic
components of a basic cycle are the
compressor, condenser, expansion device,
and evaporator. Let us explore them
individually.
Compressor
The first stage in the refrigeration cycle is compression.
A compressor is the component of the system that
boosts the pressure of the refrigerant fluid.
The refrigeration fluid enters the compressor as a low-
pressure, low-temperature gas and exits as a high-
pressure, high-temperature gas.
Compression can be accomplished through a variety of
mechanical processes, and as a result, several
compressed air designs are used in HVAC and cooling
systems today.
Here are a few popular ones: Reciprocate compressors,
Scroll compressors, Rotary compressors, and so on.
Condenser
In a basic refrigeration loop, the condenser is also
known as the condenser coil.
It consists of a series of tubes of external fins situated
at the back of the refrigerator.
This component aids in the conversion of the gaseous
refrigerant to liquid form.
This component receives high-temperature, high-
pressure vaporised refrigerant from the compressor.
The condenser extracts heat from hot refrigerant
vapour gas vapour until it cools into a concentrated
liquid state, also known as condensation.
The coolant is a high-pressure, low-temperature fluid
after condensing, and it is routed to the loop’s
expansion device.
Expansion device
The expansion valve regulates the flow of coolant into
the evaporator, also known as the cooling coil.
Flow control valves are another name for expansion
valves.
It is a delicate simple tool that aids in sensing
refrigerant temperature changes. However, regardless
of setup, the purpose of a system’s expansion device is
the same: to create a pressure drop after the
refrigerant exits the condenser.
Because of the pressure drop, some of the refrigerants
will quickly boil, resulting in a two-phase mixture.
Evaporator
The evaporator is another heat exchanger in a typical
refrigeration circuit, and it, like the condenser, is
named after its primary function.
Because it accomplishes what we predict air
conditioning to do is absorb heat.
It serves as the end of a refrigeration cycle.
It is the main component of the cooler that assists in
keeping the device and its contents cool at all times.