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Whats Up!!! With The Refrigerator and Compressors - 5: Anand Plappally IIT Jodhpur

This document discusses the principles and development of mechanical refrigeration. It explains that refrigeration works by using a refrigerant that boils inside evaporator coils, absorbing heat from the surrounding air. The boiling point depends on the pressure. Modern refrigerators use a vapor compression cycle where a compressor raises the refrigerant vapor pressure so it can be condensed using available cooler air or water. This allows the refrigerant to re-enter the evaporator coils in liquid form and continue the cooling cycle. The development of the vapor compression system allowed for effective and efficient mechanical refrigeration.

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Ayush Bhadauria
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
57 views

Whats Up!!! With The Refrigerator and Compressors - 5: Anand Plappally IIT Jodhpur

This document discusses the principles and development of mechanical refrigeration. It explains that refrigeration works by using a refrigerant that boils inside evaporator coils, absorbing heat from the surrounding air. The boiling point depends on the pressure. Modern refrigerators use a vapor compression cycle where a compressor raises the refrigerant vapor pressure so it can be condensed using available cooler air or water. This allows the refrigerant to re-enter the evaporator coils in liquid form and continue the cooling cycle. The development of the vapor compression system allowed for effective and efficient mechanical refrigeration.

Uploaded by

Ayush Bhadauria
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 9

Whats Up!!!

with the Refrigerator and


Compressors -5
Anand Plappally IIT Jodhpur
Department of Mechanical Engineering

1/8/2015

Pressure and Boiling

Boiling of a liquid depends on the


pressure acting on its surface
Boiling point increases as pressure
increases
Boiling point decreases as
pressure decreases
(At sea level water boils at 212F
but at places above sea level
(where pressure is low) water
boils at lower temperature
- May be you have to design a new
heater or refrigerator for high
altitudes

1/8/2015

In refrigerator boiling takes place inside the


evaporator coils----and --- boiling depends on
the pressure inside these coils
Point of Information
In air conditioners, the boiling point is 44F
In refrigerators, the boiling point is 5 F

Mechanical Refrigeration
All present day refrigerators are mechanical, that is
a. Motor supplies mechanical energy . It converts electrical to
mechanical energy
b. We require to operate the pump using this mechanical
energy

1/8/2015

First, Why we go about refrigerating in the way we are doing today.


Refrigeration can be produced by
allowing a liquid refrigerant
Say
R-12 from a cylinder has to pass and boil
inside a coil or evaporator

To atm.
cooling
coil

The latent heat needed for boiling is


taken from the surrounding space
(vegetables, fruits and air inside) in the
refrigerator control volume thus cooling
the volume.

R-12 boils at 29.4C and will


boil at a
pressure of 1
atm

If The refrigerant vapor thus can be made to


escape to the atmosphere, then the pressure
inside the cooling coil or evaporator will be equal
to ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
1/8/2015

SECONDLet consider a refrigeration job


Room Temperature is around 32 C and we need temperature
around 4.5oC for food preservation
How to go about it

Then Oh!
You need to boil R 12 at 4.5 oC.

Valve

cooling

What do you see???


Large difference between boiling
temperature of R12 (-29.4 oC ) and room
temperature 32.2oC.

To Atm.

coil

How to make
this happen

OK, we can provide a hand valve at the exit, such that all the
vapor goes out in a controlled way (controlled with Valve
opening /closing). This will help maintain specific pressure inside
the cooling coil or evaporator.
Finally, the refrigerant after performing its task
1/8/2015
leaves to the atmosphere OH Great Loss

Third, the thought in line to more development.


Thoughts are
1. Reclaim
2. Reuse

To conserve the refrigerant material R


12, high cost, ozone depletion (Montreal
Protocol)

To do this..
The refrigerant must be delivered as a
liquid because it can absorb maximum
heat only by vaporization ------Simplest way to do make this
happen, CONDENSE the
vaporized refrigerant that leaves the
evaporator..
Then IF this water or air
at this specification is
available Then there is
no need for mechanical
exertion or refrigeration
1/8/2015

To condense the refrigerant vapor it

LATENT HEAT has to be removed


by some other medium. FOR
THIS Purpose AIR OR WATER is
used.

This would mean that, water or air must


be at a temperature lower than the condensing
temperature of refrigerant. OR ..at
any given PRESSURE the condensing
temperature of the refrigerant and Boiling
Temperature of water or Air must be
SAME

FORTH, HOW TO REFRIGERATE


The air or water at 4.4 oC is not available all the time
The temperature of available air or water is always much higher than
The temperature of the refrigerant vapor coming out of evaporator..
That is
The refrigerant vapor cannot be condensed unless the condensing temperature is raised
by some means..
CLUE:::::: Condensing point (temperature) of refrigerant vapor is raised by raising the
pressure of vapor
EXAMPLE ::::::: In the above example the vapor pressure is tried to be increased to be
2.6kg/cm2G.
** If the pressure of vapor is raised to 11.25kg/cm2G------- corresponding to condensation
temperature of refrigerant 49.44 oC (121oF)*****
1/8/2015

That is, This high vapor can them be condensed into liquid by cooling
it with atmospheric Air Available.. Say about 32.3oC or 90F.
THEREFORE, we use a COMPRESSOR in Mechanical Vapor compression
For the purpose
Of raising the low-pressure refrigerant vapor,
OH WHAO. Ok
coming from the evaporator
this is the thoughts
To a high pressure (As discussed)
behind the
and
development of the
then sending it to condenser
vapor compression
Compressor
system

cooling
Condensor
coil

receiver
Throttling
device

1/8/2015

Condenser-----Air cooled or water cooled condenser


Air or water is used for cooling the high vapor pressure in the condenser

The refrigerant vapor gives out SENSIBLE HEAT (Why fridge is hot at the
back side near the coils)
And
LATENT HEAT
And thus condenses into a liquid..
Now the liquid in the condenser at high pressure is at high pressure -----Therefore it can be fed to the refrigerator if its pressures are lowered or throttle (to 2.6
kg/cm2 G or 37 psig) so that boiling can take place in the evaporate at 4.4oC.
1/8/2015

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