Basic Principals of Refrigeration

Definition
Refrigeration is the transfer of heat from one place to another by a change in state of a liquid.

Alcohol on ones hand evaporates and cools

Sensible Heat

Heat which causes a change in temperature of a substance

Sensible Heat
Heat which causes a change in temperature of a substance is called sensible heat. If a substance is heated and the temperature rises as the heat is added, the increase in heat is called sensible heat. Likewise, heat may be removed from a substance. If the temperature falls, the heat removed is, again, sensible heat. Sensible heat can be measured in degree of temperature.

Heat energy absorbed in the process of changing form of a substance without a change in temperature or pressure. Heat energy that cannot be measured with a thermometer.

Latent Heat

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Latent Heat
Heat which brings a change in state with no change in temperature. When we think about change of state conditions we are considering Solids to Liquids and Liquids to Vapours.

Latent or Sensible?
What changed from previous slide What type of heat was involved

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Latent Heat

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What is Refrigeration?
The process of reducing heat energy. One example is by the removal of sensible heat, chilled water from 54 F to 44 F.

Another example is removing latent heat from water at 32 F to change it to ice at 32 F. A change of state without a change of temperature

What is Refrigeration?
What is required to make a refrigeration unit?

1) Compressor 2) Condenser 3) Expansion device 4) Evaporator 5) Refrigerant

What is Refrigeration?
What does the compressor do? The compressor has two main functions. 1) To circulate the refrigerant around the system. 2) To increase the pressure of the refrigerant vapour to a pressure at which it can be condensed back into a liquid.

What is Refrigeration?
What happens in the condenser? The condenser provides the surface area and storage space to:1) Remove sensible and latent heat from the high pressure refrigerant vapour to change it to a liquid. 2) To store sufficient liquid to create a vapour seal between the condenser and expansion device.

What is Refrigeration?
What does the expansion device do? The expansion device is a throttling device or orifice. It causes the high pressure liquid from the condenser to convert to a mixture of low pressure vapour and liquid.

What is Refrigeration?
What happens in the evaporator? The evaporator provides the surface area to change the low pressure liquid refrigerant into vapour. To change the liquid to vapour, latent heat is required. This heat is taken from the medium being refrigerated.

What is Refrigeration?
What are Refrigerants? A substance that can change state from a liquid to a vapour at temperatures to suit the required application, normally between 70 to 150 F and evaporate from liquid to vapour at temperatures from-40 to 80 F. These processes should take place at reasonable pressures. Different refrigerants will be selected for different applications depending on operating temperatures.

Saturated Vapor
Vapor and liquid are in contact with one another.

Subcooling
Cooling the refrigerant below its condensing temperature. A refrigerant must be in a complete liquid state before it can be subcooled.

Superheat
To raise the temperature of a vapor beyond its boiling point. No liquid can remain when a refrigerant is superheated.

Pressure / Temp. Charts

Boiling points at atmospheric pressure (14.7PSIA)
R-11 R-123 R-12 R-134a R-22 = + 75o = + 82o = - 21o = - 15o = - 41o

Vapor Pressure 80F (Saturated state)

1.5 PSIG 86.4 PSIG
143.6 PSIG

R-11

R-134a

R-22

Terminology
Saturation Point: - The boiling temperature of a substance at a given pressure. Saturation: - A mixture of liquid and vapour at its saturation temperature and pressure. Superheat: - Vapour at a temperature above its saturation temperature, measured in degrees of superheat. Subcooled: - Liquid below its saturation temperature, measured in degrees of subcooling.

What is Refrigeration?
How does the system work?

Follow the diagram of a basic system starting at the compressor discharge.

Vapor Compression
Cooling Tower

Condenser Motor Compressor Evaporator Expansion Valve

What is Refrigeration?
Refrigerant in vapour state, at high pressure and high temperature, passes into the condenser. When the high temperature vapour contacts the cool tubes, it firstly gives up sensible heat (superheat) and becomes (saturated vapour). Latent heat is then transferred to the cooling water in the tubes and the vapour changes state to liquid. The pressure of the refrigerant remains the same.

Vapor Compression
Cooling Tower

Condenser Motor Compressor Evaporator Expansion Valve

What is Refrigeration?
The high pressure, medium temperature liquid now passes through the expansion device (orifice). As the liquid passes through the expansion device some of the liquid will flash off creating a low temperature liquid/vapour mixture, normally about 10 F colder than the medium being cooled. The sensible heat removed from the medium being cooled is transferred to the refrigerant liquid where latent heat is absorbed which changes the state of the liquid to a vapour.

Vapor Compression
Cooling Tower

Condenser Motor Compressor Evaporator Expansion Valve

What is Refrigeration?
The low pressure, low temperature vapour is then sucked into the compressor where it is compressed into high pressure, high temperature vapour.

Vapor Compression
Cooling Tower

Condenser Motor Compressor Evaporator Expansion Valve

More Terminology
Evaporator split: - The temperature difference between the evaporator saturation temperature and the leaving process temperature. Evaporator range: - The temperature difference between the entering and leaving process temperature. Condenser split: - The temperature difference between the condenser saturation temperature and the leaving condenser water temperature. Condenser range: - The temperature difference between the entering and leaving condenser temperature.

System analysis
Look at the following exercises and see if you can analyze the system operation

R22 System operating logs analysis

Look at the following operating logs of a R22 water chiller and evaluate the system operation based on the actual readings compared to design conditions.

Questions

Pressure Enthalpy Charts

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Heat Content (BTU / lb.) Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Liquid - Vapor Mix

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

100% Liquid

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

100% Vapor

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

20% Liquid

80% Vapor

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Evaporator

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Evaporator

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Evaporator
Refrigerant absorbs heat from load

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Evaporator
Refrigerant absorbs heat from load

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Evaporator
Refrigeration Effect

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Evaporator

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Compressor

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Compressor

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Compressor
Head Pressure

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Condenser

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Refrigerant rejects heat to atmosphere

Condenser

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Refrigerant rejects heat to atmosphere

Condenser

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Metering Device

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Metering Device
- Thermal expansion valve - Orifice

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure
Condenser Metering Device Evaporator

Compressor

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure
Condenser Metering Device Evaporator

Refrigerant rejects heat to atmosphere

Compressor

Refrigerant absorbs heat from load

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure
85 95

54 44

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure
85 95

54 44

54 44

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure
85 95

54 44

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure
85 95

54 44

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure
85 95

Cooling Tower

54 44

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure
85 95

Cooling Tower

54 44

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

What is this called?

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Refrigeration Effect

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Adding a subcooler

Refrigeration Effect

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Adding a subcooler

Refrigeration Effect

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Adding a subcooler Increases refrigeration effect

Refrigeration Effect

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Adding a subcooler Increases refrigeration effect Increases energy efficiency

Refrigeration Effect

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Subcooled
Refrigeration Effect

Enthalpy

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

Pressure

Subcooled
Refrigeration Effect

Superheat

Enthalpy

System Calculations

PRESSURE ENTHALPY CHARTS SIMPLE CYCLES

Lets now plot some simple cycles on a PH chart. For this exercise we will use a basic water chiller operating on R22

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

SIMPLE CYCLES Example 1
Suction Pressure Suction Temperature Liquid Line Temperature Discharge Pressure 75psia 50 F 112 F 250 psia

Plot the above points on the PH chart and calculate the following. 1) Heat of Rejection 2) Refrigeration Affect 3) C.O.P

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

SIMPLE CYCLES Example 2
Suction Pressure Suction Temperature Liquid Line Temperature Discharge Pressure 75psia 50 F 90 F 250psia

Plot these new points and answer the following questions. 1) What is the total Subcooling? 2) What difference does this have on the system? 3) If the discharge pressure increases to 350psia and there is no subcooling, what affect does this have on the system?

Pressure - Enthalpy Chart

SIMPLE CYCLES Example 3
Suction Pressure Suction Temperature Liquid Line Temperature Discharge Pressure 40psia 15 F 90 F 250psia

Plot these new points and answer the following questions. 1) What happens to the R.E when the suction pressure is reduced? 2) What happens to the H.O.C when the suction pressure is reduced?

SYSTEM CAPACITY We can now calculate the system capacity if we know the following information. Enthalpy btus/lbs Mass flow lbs/min We can calculate the mass flow if we know the following. Actual pumped volume of the compressor cu.ft/min Specific volume of the refrigerant at the suction of the compressor cu.ft/lb The actual pumped volume of the compressor can be obtained from the manufacturer. The rest of the information we can read off our PH chart.

Example 4 If we use the system parameters plotted in the previous example 3 and we have a compressor that pumps 500cu.ft/min. What would our system capacity be? Enthalpy=67btu/lb Specific volume=1.3cu.ft/lb Actual volume=500cu.ft/lb Mass flow lbs/min= actual volume/specific volume Capacity btu/min=lbs/min x btu/lbs Btus/min / 200 = Tons refrigeration 500/1.3 = 384.6lb/min 384.6 x 67 = 25,769 btu/min 25,769/200 = 128.8 tons

Example 5 Plot the following parameters on a PH chart and calculate the system capacity if the compressor has a actual volume of 8000cu.ft/min.
Suction Pressure Suction Temperature Liquid Line Temperature Discharge Pressure 20psia 0F 80 F 200psia

Questions