ME 312C

REFRIGRATION
Definition of Terms
1. Refrigeration – is the process of maintaining the space cooler than the
surrounding.
2. Air bound – air trapped in piping , equipment, etc, such as a steam radiator
which prevent maximum heat transferred.
3. Chilled water – a cooling medium that removes the heat from the area to be
cooled and give up heat in the chiller.
4. Chiller – a heat exchanger in which low pressure refrigerant boils or vaporized
thus absorbing the heat that was removed from the refrigerated cooling
medium.
5. Chiller load – an indication of the number of tons of refrigerant being produced.
6. Coefficient of Performance – is the ratio of refrigerating effect to work of
compression.

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7. Cooling medium – a fluid used for picking up heat which is circulated to heat
exchanger, where heat is removed.
8. Enthalpy – the total heat content of a substance, expressed in Btu/lb or kJ/kg.
9. Flooded Refrigeration System – a type of system where only part of the
circulated refrigerant is evaporated, with the remained being separated from
the vapor and then circulated.
10. Freeze up – ice formation on a refrigeration system at the expansion devices
making the device inoperative.
11. Head pressure – pressure at the discharge of a compressor or in the condenser.
It is also known as ‘high side’ pressure.
12. Liquid Receiver – a vessel permanently connected to a system by inlet and outlet
pipes for storage of a liquid refrigerant.

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13. Horsepower Per Ton – mechanical input in horsepower divided by tons of
refrigerating effect produced.
14. Latent heat of Fusion – the heat added or extracted when substance change from
solid to liquid state or from liquid to solid state.
15. Liquid Line – refrigerant piping through which liquid refrigerant flows from the
condenser to the expansion valve.
16. Expansion coil – an evaporator constructed of pipe of tubing.
17. Low side – the portion of a refrigeration system in which the refrigerant is at low
pressure.
18. Pump down – the operation by which the refrigerant in a charged systems is
pumped in liquid form into the condenser/receiver.
19. Refrigerating effect – the amount of heat absorbed in the evaporator, which is
the same as the amount of heat removed from the space to be cooled.

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20. Standard conditions – an evaporating temperature of 5F, a condensing
temperature of 86F produce a standard ton conditions.
21. Absorption Refrigeration – is a system which uses heat energy to make a change
in the condition required in the refrigeration cycle. A generator absorber pump
circuit replaces the complex mechanical compressor.
22. Purging – is the removal of air in refrigeration system.
23. Intercooler – is a loosed vessel containing pipe oil through the water is
circulated.
24. Brine Agitator – it consist principality of a horizontal or vertically mounted shaft
having a propeller of suitable size.
25. Pressure gauge – is an instrument reading gauge pressure from zero to 300 psi
and is use for measuring pressure.
26. Volumetric Efficiency – is the ratio of the weight of the air which is trapped in the
cylinder at the beginning of compression stroke to the weight of air that could be
contained the cylinder under condition of atmospheric pressure.
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27. Disadvantage of Absorption refrigeration system is a much lower coefficient of
performance.
28. Purpose of dehydration in Freon-12 units – is to remove the moisture from the
refrigeration in the system.
29. Accumulator – is a safety device. It prevents liquid refrigerant from flowing into
suction line and into the compressor.
30. Liquid Receiver – is a storage tank for liquid refrigerant.
31. Refrigerant is pumped out location of liquid receiver is at the bottom of condenser.
32. Copper tubing – is commonly used to carry the liquid refrigerant from condenser to
the evaporator.
33. Liquid line filter- drier – keeps moisture, dirt, metal and chips from entering the
refrigerant flow control.
34. Low side float is used on flooded systems where the evaporator is flooded with
regfrigerant and the refrigerant level is controlled by a float valve.
35. High side float – located in the liquid receiver tank or in a chamber in the
high pressure side. When enough refrigerants collected, the float will rise
enough to open the needle valve.
36. Automatic expansion valve is a refrigerant control operated low side
pressure.
37. Use oils that have a low pour point. (temperature at which oil begins to
flow)
38. Purging – the process of removing unwanted air-vapors , dirt, or moisture
from the system.
39. Valve stems – are of steel or brass.
 “
Methods of Refrigeration
1. Mechanical Refrigeration
2. Absorption Refrigeration
3. Ice Refrigeration
4. Steam Jet Refrigeration
5. Air Cycle Refrigeration
 “
Mechanical Refrigeration
Basic Components :
1. Compressor
2. Condenser
3. Evaporator
4. Expansion Valve
5. Receiver

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 “
Condensers

Functions:
Acts as heat exchanger Removes the heat of
between hot gas compression and
refrigeration and the also the latent heat
cooling medium of condensation.
Types of Condenser
1. Air – Cooled Condensers

Air Cooled condensers are

quite common in small
commercial systems. Use air
as the condensing medium.
Types of Air-Cooled Condenser
a. Natural Draft – ambient air is the condensing medium.
b. Forced draft – a fan pushes air through the condenser coil .
c. Induced air draft – a fan draws or pulls the air over the
condenser coil.

Disadvantages of Air-Cooled condenser

1. Dirt or dust will insulate the tubes, preventing the rejection of heat
from the system.
2. Condensing temperatures must be higher than with water-cooled
condensers.
3. The condenser must be larger than a water-cooled condenser of the
same capacity.
2. Water-Cooled Condensers
Water-cooled condensers may be too expensive of corrosive. Uses
water as cooling medium.

Types of Water-Cooled Condenser

a. Double pipe – also known as the tube –in – tube condenser. Uses continuous
tubing. Refrigerant flows through inner tube and water flows through an outer
tube in counter flow applications.
b. Shell-and- coil – made of steel with copper tubes inside. Refrigerant vapor from
the compressor enters the shell-and-coil condenser from the top. Water enters
and exits the coil from bottom.
c. Vertical Shell and tube Condenser – water from the supply line enters the water
box at the top.
d. Horizontal shell and tube condenser – refrigerant in this condenser is in the shell
and water is in the tube.
3. Evaporative Condensers
Evaporative Condensers – heat is absorbed from the coil by the evaporation of
water. The condenser is in an enclosure much like cooling tower. In this
system, as “evaporative “ indicates , water is sprayed or dips over the
condenser and cools it. The water cycle in in the cabinet only.

Accessories to Condensers
1. Spray Pond – is a water recirculating device which may be used in place of
a water tower. The warm water is sprayed through a nozzle into the air.
2. Cooling towers – removes heat from water-cooled condense for reuse.
 “
Evaporators

Functions:
Acts as heat conductor between the product and Bank or coil of tubings located
the refrigerant. along bulkhead of the
refrigerated space.
It absorbs the heat from the load in refrigerated
space.
Two Types of Evaporator
1. Direct or Dry Expansion Evaporator
The direct expansion evaporator has a coil tubing between the metering device
and the compressor.

Types of Dry Expansion Evaporator

a. Bear Type – the simplest type of evaporator. Is also know as prime surface
evaporator.
b. Plate type – an evaporator that has sheets of metal welded to the tubing.
c. Fin-tube type – an evaporator in direct contact with the substance to be
cooled.
d. Shell – and-coil - this evaporator is normally called chiller. Uses either a
thermostatic or automatic valve . Secondary refrigerant is water and
brine.
2. Flooded Evaporators
a. A flooded evaporator is completely filled with liquid refrigerant.
b. The secondary refrigerant is brine.
c. Flooded evaporators are more efficient than direct expansion
evaporators.
d. The flooded type evaporator is also known as indirect system.
e. Disadvantage of flooded system is that it is expensive to operate, due
to large amount of refrigerants.

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Evaporator Capacity
a. If load in the evaporator increases, the compressor power increases and
suction pressure increases.
b. If load in the evaporator decreases, the compressor power decreases and
suction pressure decreases.

Direct and Indirect System

a. A direct system – is one in which the evaporator or condenser of the
refrigeration system is in direct contact with the air or other substances to be
cooled or heated.
b. An direct system – is one which a secondary coolant cooled or heated by the
refrigerating system is circulated to the air or other substance to be cooled or
heated.
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 “
Compressor

Functions:
It maintain low pressure
It circulates the refrigerant It compresses the low
at the evaporating unit
within the system. pressure gas to high
during the operation.
pressure gas hereby raising
the boiling point.
Types of Compressor
a. Centrifugal compressor – also referred to as a turbo or radial compressor,
centrifugal refrigeration compressors compress refrigerants to high pressure and
high temperature systems.
b. Rotary Compressors - compress the vapour refrigerant coming from
evaporator with help of rotating screws, vanes or scrolls. Rotary compressors are
commonly used on window units, refrigerated appliances, packaged terminal air
conditioners, and ductless split systems.
c. Reciprocating Compressor - or piston compressors, divided into hermetic,
semi-hermetic and open, are used above all for applications with very high
cooling capacity requirements.

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 “
Expansion valve

Functions:

Expands the high

It controls the amount of
pressure liquid to a
refrigerant in the evaporator.
mixture of low pressure
liquid gas particles.
 “
Receiver

Functions:
Serve as storage space
for liquid refrigerant.
 Types of Refrigeration

1. Vapor Compression Cycle

a. Using low side float as refrigerant
b. Using high side the evaporator or closed chamber.
c. Using Automatic Expansion Valve(AEV) refrigerant control.
d. Using Thermostatic Expansion Valve(TEV) refrigerant control.
e. Using Capillary Tube refrigerant control.
2. Multiple Evaporator System Refrigeration
3. Compound Refrigeration System Refrigeration
4. Cascade Refrigeration Cycle

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Refrigeration - is the process of maintaining the space cooler
than the surrounding.
QR
3
P
Condenser

2
P=C 3 2
S=C P=C

h=C Comp h=C

m 4
P=C 1
P=C WC
1
Evaporator h
4
P-h Diagram
QA=RE
Schematic Diagram
The Vapor Compression Cycle
The Vapor Compression Cycle
1. Compressor Power (Wc) - is the power needed to compress the
refrigerant. h2
Wc = h2 - h1 , KJ/kg
2

Wc = m(h2 - h1), KW h1 1 C Wc
where:
m = mass of refrigerant circulated
2. Heat Rejected (QR) - is the amount of heat rejected to the cooling
medium. t2
QR = h2 - h3 , KJ/kg
= m(h2 - h3), KW h3
3 QR
For cooling water:
QR = mw cP (t2 – t1), KW 2
h2 t
mW1
3. Expansion Valve Process (h3 = h4)
h3 = h4 = hf4 + xhfg4
hfg4 = hg4 - hf4

where:
x = quality after expansion or weight of flash gas per unit
weight of refrigerant circulated
4. Refrigerating Effect (RE) - is the amount of heat gained from the
load.
RE = h1 - h4, KJ/kg = m(h1 - h4), KW

For chilling water:

RE = mw cP (t1 – t2), KW
5. Tons of refrigeration (TR)
TR =
TR =
where:
1 ton of refrigeration = 3.516 KW = 200 Btu/min
= 12,000 Btu/hr
Performance of Refrigeration System
1. Coefficient of Performance (COP) - is the ratio of
refrigerating effect and compression work.
COP =

COP =
2. Power Per Ton :

3. Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) – the ratio of energy removed at

the evaporator (refrigerating effects) to the electrical energy
consumed. This shall conform with the standards set by the
Department of energy.
EER =
4. Volume Flow at Suction (V1)
V1 = mv1 , m3/sec
 5. Volume Flow Per Ton :

6. Standard Refrigeration Cycle:

Evaporation Temperature = 5F(-15C)
Condenser Temperature = 86F(30C)
Chilling and Cooling Load
A. Chilled liquid in the evaporator:
1. Refrigerating effect = m(h1 - h4)
Heat loss from water = mL cp (t1 – t2)
Note:
Refrigerating Effect = Heat loss from water

2. Mass of liquid circulated (mL):

mL =
where:
m = mass flow of refrigerant
mL = mass of liquid circulated
CP = specific heat of liquid
= 4.187 KJ/kg-K for water
t1 = initial temperature of liquid
t2 = final temperature of liquid
B. Cooling water in the condenser:
1. Heat Rejected in the condenser (QR)
QR = m(h2 - h3)
QR = mw cP (t2 - t1)
2. Mass of cooling water required (mw):
mw =
3. Volume flow of cooling water required, Q:
VW =
where:
wH20 = density of water
(1 gallon = 3.785 li)
 Motor and Compressor Performance
a. Efficiency of motor =

b. Efficiency of coupling =

c. Efficiency of compressor =

d. Over-all efficiency =

where: Pim = power input of motor

Pom = power output of motor
Pic = power input of compressor
Poc = power output of compressor