TRAINING ON BASICS OF REFRIGERATION & AIR CONDITIONING
TERMINOLOGY
AIR CONDITIONING: It is the process of Controlling or conditioning the temperature and
humidity of the conditioning space.
AIR CONDITIONING UNIT: An assembly of components for air treatment also called air
handling unit (AHU) for larger systems or fan-coil unit (FCU) for smaller systems.
REFRIGERATION: Refrigeration is the transfer of heat from one place where it is not
wanted to another place where it is unobjectionable. This transfer of heat is through a change
in state of fluids.
REFRIGERANTS: Refrigerant is a fluid which is used in refrigeration system to absorb heat
from the medium to which it is used to cool.
COMFORT ZONE: The range of efficient temperature and humidity at which human beings
feel comfortable. Generally, between 72 – 75 °F and to 55 - 60% relative humidity.
SENSIBLE HEAT: Amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance without
changing its phase/shape.
LATENT HEAT: Amount of heat required to change the phase/shape of a substance
without changing its temperature.
DRY BULB TEMPERATURE: The temperature measured with ordinary thermometer.
WET BULB TEMPERATURE: The temperature measured with thermometer duly covered
it’s bulb with wet cloth & it is rotated in the current of moving air.
DEW POINT TEMPERATURE: The temperature at which water start condensing is
known as dew point temperature.
TR (TONNAGE OF REFRIGERATION): The amount of heat required to melt 1 ton of
ice in 24 hours. i.e. 1 TR = 2000 (lb) x 144 (Btu/lb) = 12,000 Btu/hr.
24hrs.
BTU (BRITISH THERMAL UNIT): Amount of heat required to raise the temperature of
one pound of water through one degree Fahrenheit at atmospheric temperature.
COIL BYPASS FACTOR: Coil Bypass factor indicate the amount of air which does not
come in contact with the cooling coil . It is the ratio of the leaving air dry-bulb temperature
minus the coil temperature.
Highly efficient coils are those which are having more fins per inch and/or more rows deep
have a lower coil bypass factor.
CONDENSATION: Condensation is the cooling of a refrigerant vapor to convert it to liquid.
DAMPER: A device used to regulate airflow.
ENTHALPY: Enthalpy of substance is a measure of heat content of that substance expressed
in Btu per pound of dry air, it is the total heat content of a body.
EVAPORATION: Evaporation is the heating of liquid refrigerant to convert it to a vapor.
Vapor is another term for gas.
HEAT EXCHANGER: A heat exchanger is a device such as a water or refrigerant coil that
is designed to allow for the transfer of heat between two physically separated fluids.
RELATIVE HUMIDITY: The ratio of the moisture of given air sample to the total amount
of moisture that air can hold at a given temperature. Relative humidity is expressed in
percentage.
SENSIBLE HEAT FACTOR: Sensible heat factor is the ratio of total room sensible heat to
total room heat.
COUNTER FLOW: It is the heat exchange between two fluids flowing in opposite direction
when the coldest portion of one meets the coldest portion of the other.
PSYCHROMETRIC CHART: It is used to study the properties of air.
AIR CONDITIONING APPLICATIONS.
TYPE OF AIRCONDITIONERS.
VAPOUR COMPRESSION CYCLE
The vapour-compression refrigeration system uses a circulating liquid refrigerant as the medium
which absorbs and removes heat from the space to be cooled and subsequently rejects that heat
elsewhere.
Figure depicts a typical, single-stage vapor-compression system. All such systems have four
components: a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve (also called a throttle valve), and an
evaporator.
Circulating refrigerant enters the compressor in the thermodynamic state known as a saturated vapor
and is compressed to a higher pressure, resulting in a higher temperature as well.
The hot, compressed vapor is then in the thermodynamic state known as a superheated vapor and it
is at a temperature and pressure at which it can be condensed with typically available cooling water
or cooling air.
That hot vapour is routed through a condenser where it is cooled and condensed into a liquid by
flowing through a coil or tubes with cool water or cool air flowing across the coil or tubes.
This is where the circulating refrigerant rejects heat from the system and the rejected heat is carried
away by either the water or the air (whichever may be the case).
The condensed liquid refrigerant, in the thermodynamic state known as a saturated liquid, is next
routed through an expansion valve where it undergoes an abrupt reduction in pressure.
That pressure reduction results in the adiabatic flash evaporation of a part of the liquid refrigerant.
The auto-refrigeration effect of the adiabatic flash evaporation lowers the temperature of the liquid
and vapor refrigerant mixture to where it is colder than the temperature of the enclosed space to be
refrigerated.
The cold mixture is then routed through the coil or tubes in the evaporator.
A fan circulates the warm air in the enclosed space across the coil or tubes carrying the cold
refrigerant liquid and vapor mixture.
That warm air evaporates the liquid part of the cold refrigerant mixture.
At the same time, the circulating air is cooled and thus lowers the temperature of the enclosed space
to the desired temperature.
The evaporator is where the circulating refrigerant absorbs and removes heat which is subsequently
rejected in the condenser and transferred elsewhere by the water or air used in the condenser.
To complete the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant vapor from the evaporator is again a saturated
vapor and is routed back into the compressor.
PH (PRESSURE ENTHALPY CHART).
EXPANSION VALVE: It is pressure reducing device.
COMPRESSORS: The function of compressor is to compress the low pressure refrigerant
vapor to high pressure.
TYPE OF COMPRESSORS.
1) Scroll Compressors: Scroll compressors are also positive displacement compressors. The
refrigerant is compressed when one spiral orbits around a second stationary spiral, creating
smaller and smaller pockets and higher pressures. By the time the refrigerant is discharged, it
is fully pressurized.
2) Reciprocating Compressors: Reciprocating compressors are piston-style, positive
displacement compressors.
3) Centrifugal Compressors: Centrifugal compressors are dynamic compressors. These
compressors raise the pressure of the refrigerant by imparting velocity or dynamic energy,
using a rotating impeller, and converting it to pressure energy.
4) Rotary Screw Compressors: Rotary screw compressors are also positive displacement
compressors. Two meshing screw-rotors rotate in opposite directions, trapping refrigerant
vapor, and reducing the volume of the refrigerant along the rotors to the discharge point.
COOLING TOWER: Cooling towers are heat removal devices used to transfer process
waste heat to atmosphere.
TYPES OF COOLING TOWER:
1) Natural Draft: Warm, moist air naturally rises due to the density differential to the dry, cooler
outside air. Warm moist air is less dense than drier air at the same pressure. This moist air
buoyancy produces a current of air through the tower.
2) Mechanical Draft: It uses power driven fan motors to force or draw air through the tower.
a) Induced draft: A mechanical draft tower with a fan at the discharge which pulls air
through tower. The fan induces hot moist air out the discharge. This produces low
entering and high exiting air velocities, reducing the possibility of recirculation in
which discharged air flows back into the air intake. This fan/fin arrangement is also
known as draw-through.
b) Forced draft: A mechanical draft tower with a blower type fan at the intake. The fan
forces air into the tower, creating high entering and low exiting air velocities.
c) The low exiting velocity is much more susceptible to recirculation.
LOSSES IN COOLING TOWER
1) Evaporation losses
2) Drift losses
3) Bleed off
Make up water tank capacity = TR x 4 x 3.78 x 60 x 8 hrs x 1/100 ((1% above losses consider)
VAPOUR ABSORPTION CYCLE
Some liquids like water have great affinity for absorbing large quantities of certain vapors (NH3)
and reduce the total volume greatly. The observation refrigeration system differs fundamentally from
vapor compression system only in the method of compressing the refrigerant. An absorber, generator
and pump in the absorption refrigerating system replace the compressor of vapor compression
system.
Figure shows the schematic of a vapor absorption system. Ammonia vapor is produced in the
generator at high pressure from the strong solution of (NH3) by an external heating source. The
water vapor ammonia is removed in the rectifier and only the dehydrated ammonia gas enters into
the condenser. High pressure (NH3) vapor is condensed in the condenser. The cooled (NH3) solution
is passed through a throttle valve and the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant are reduced
below the temperature to be maintained in the evaporator. The low temperature refrigerant enters the
evaporator and absorbs the required heat from the evaporator and leaves the evaporator as saturated
vapor. Slightly superheated, low pressure (NH3) vapor is absorbed by the weak solution of (NH3)
which is sprayed in the absorber as shown in Figure.
Weak (NH3) solution (aqua-ammonia) entering the absorber becomes strong solution after absorbing
(NH3) vapor and then it is pumped to the generator through the heat exchanger. The pump increases
the pressure of the strong solution to generator pressure. The strong (NH3) solution coming from the
absorber absorbs heat from high temperature weak (NH3) solution in the heat exchanger. The
solution in the generator becomes weak as (NH3) vapor comes out of it. The weak high temperature
ammonia solution from the generator is passed to the exchanger through the throttle valve. The
pressure of the liquid is reduced to the absorber pressure by the throttle valve.
COMPARISON BETWEEN VAPOR COMPRESSION AND VAPOUR ABSORPTION SYSTEM:
Absorption system Compression system
a) Uses low grade energy like heat. Therefore, a) Using high-grade energy like mechanical
may be worked on exhaust system from I.C work.
engines, etc.
b) Moving parts are only in the pump which is a b) Moving parts are in the
small element of the system. Hence operation compressor. Therefore, more wear, tear and
is smooth noise.
c) The system can work on lower evaporator c) The COP decreases considerably with
pressure also without affecting the COP. decrease in evaporator pressure.
d) No effect of reducing the load o performance. d) Performance is adversely affected at partial
loads.
e) Liquid traces of refrigerant present in piping at e) Liquid traces in suction line may damage the
the exit of evaporator constitute no danger compressor.
f) Automatic operation for controlling the f) It is difficult.
capacity is easy.
CLEAN ROOM: It may be defined as the room which is specially constructed to minimize
the introduction, generation & retention of airborne particles, which is environmentally
controlled for temperature, relative humidity, pressure differential, airflow pattern & in which
sound & vibration are controlled up to the acceptable limit.
BIO CLEAN ROOM: The floor planning in Bio clean room is generally segregated in small
zone/areas. Examples are surgical theatres, pharmaceuticals, animal houses, research labs.
INDUSTRIAL CLEAN ROOM: the floor planning of industrial clean room is much bigger
than the clean rooms. Examples are Radio isotopes, semiconductors
AS BUILT CLEAN ROOM: A clean room that is complete & ready for the operation all
services connected but without production equipment & without present.
AT REST CLEAN ROOM: A clean room that is complete & ready for the operation all
services connected but with production equipment & without personal present.
AT OPERATION CLEAN ROOM: A clean room that is complete & ready for the
operation all services connected with production equipment & personal present.
cGMP (Current good manufacturing practice): It is current scientifically sound methods
or principals those are implemented & documented during a product development or
production to ensure consistent manufacturing of pure, safe & potent product.
AIR CHANGES: The purpose of air changes is to ensure the optimum of airborne particles
from the operator & product, also to give the ventilation in the working area up to the
acceptable limit.
PURPOSE OF OUTSIDE FRESH AIR: The amount of outside fresh air is function of.
Equipment exhaust, exhaust through toilets, kitchens, battery rooms & pantry. Leakages
through pass through, conveyor opening, door under cots, strip curtains. Leakages through
ducts, wall & ceiling. Amount of positive pressure to be maintained.
CLASS OF CLEALINESS: An area in which 0.5microns or larger size of particle per cubic
feet of air should not exceed than the acceptable limit
PARTICLES PARTICLES
S.N. ISO NO US FDA ACPH
(0.5 Micron) /Cuft (5 Micron) /Cuft
1 1
2 2
3 3 1
4 4 10
5 5 100 380-450 Below 100 0
6 6 1,000 80-90 Below 1,000 Below 7
7 7 10,000 40-60 Below 10,000 Below 70
8 8 1,00,000 25-30 Below 1,00,000 Below 700 Air
borne particles / Cuft of air = (0.5 / D) ²·² x Class of cleanliness to be maintained
D = Diameter of air borne particle