Week 6 Topics

01 Refrigerants
A medium of heat transfer through PHASE CHANGE during the
process of refrigeration with some exceptions where sensible
heat energy transfer takes place (Kumar, 2020).

02 Compressor
A component used to compress the refrigerant vapor that
causes the refrigerant to flow in the system.

03 Ideal Vapor Compression

System
Vapour compression refrigeration systems are the most
commonly used among all refrigeration systems. As the name
implies, these systems belong to the general class of vapour
cycles, wherein the working fluid (refrigerant) undergoes phase
change at least during one process.
 Refrigerant

Primary Refrigerants • Secondary refrigerant are cooled by primary refrigerant and

then they are circulated, eg Chilled water, Chilled brine.(
Primary refrigerants are those fluids, which are used Methanol, Glycol, Cacl2 etc), In most cases secondary
directly as working fluids, for example in vapour refrigerant usage sensible heat transfer.
compression and vapour absorption refrigeration • Avoidance of secondary refrigerant will improve energy
systems. When used in compression or absorption efficiency in the system, while use of secondary refrigerant
systems, these fluids provide refrigeration by system provides freedom from design complication and can
undergoing a phase change process in the be managed easily.
evaporator.

Primary refrigerant directly take part in refrigeration,

Eg Freon ( R11, R22, R32, R407C, R134a etc), Secondary Refrigerants
Ammonia, water. Theses refrigerants directly absorb
heat from a system and take part of refrigerant cycle. Unlike primary refrigerants, the secondary refrigerants do
In case of Primary refrigerant latent heat transfer not undergo phase change as they transport energy from
takes place. one location to other. An important property of a
secondary refrigerant is its freezing point. Generally, the
Primary and secondary refrigerants terms are most freezing point of a brine will be lower than the freezing
popular in industrial application, as in household point of its constituents.
application we generally not use secondary
refrigerants.

Source: https://www.energypurse.com/primary-and-secondary-refrigerants/
Requirement for the Selection of Refrigerant

A. THERMODYNAMIC REQUIREMENTS
▪ NORMAL BOILING POINT
o is the boiling point at 1 atmospheric pressure
o these boiling points decides what should be the pressure inside the system
o if the normal boiling point is low, the system will work on high pressure and vice versa\
▪ PRESSURE DURING PHASE CHANGE
o The phase change of refrigerant takes place in the evaporator and condenser.
o If the evaporator pressure is too low, it will result in large volume of suction vapor. If the
suction pressure is too high, the overall pressure will be higher, including the pressure inside
the condenser.
o The normal boiling point of the refrigerant should, preferably, be lower than the refrigeration
temperature.

▪ CRITICAL TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE

- The critical temperature of the refrigerant should be higher than the
temperature occurring within the condenser for easy condensation of the refrigerant
vapor.
▪ FREEZING POINT
- The refrigerant must operate in the cycle above its freezing point.

▪ VOLUME OF SUCTION VAPOR

- The volume of the refrigerant required for per ton of refrigeration
decides the size of the compressor.
Reciprocating compressors- are recommended for high pressure and small volume
of suction vapor.
Centrifugal Compressors- used to handle large volume at lower pressure.

• COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE
Requirement for the Selection of Refrigerant

B. CHEMICAL REQUIREMENTS
▪ TOXICITY
- Toxic nature of the refrigerant may be fatal for the human being or it may cause some injury. It increases the
suffocation and poisons the air.
- Major consideration when choosing refrigerant for hospitals
Two Classes
CLASS A- signifies refrigerant for which toxicity has not been identified at concentrations less than or equal to
400ppm.
CLASS B- signifies refrigerants for which there is evidence of toxicity at concentrations below 400ppm
▪ FLAMMABILITY - the refrigerant must be inflammable
CLASSES
CLASS 1- indicates refrigerant that do not show flame propagation when tested in air at 21 deg. C and 101 kPa.
CLASS 2- indicates refrigerant having a lower flammability limit or more than 0.10 k/m3 at 21 deg. C and 101
kPa, and a heat of combustion of less than 19kJ/kg.
CLASS 3- indicates refrigerant that are highly flammable as defined by a lower flammability limits of less than or
equal to 0.1 kg/m3 at 21 deg.C and 101 kPa or a heat of combustion greater than or equal to 19 kJ/kg.

▪ CHEMICAL STABILITY
- Some refrigerant disintegrate forming non-condensable gases resulting in the increase of condensing
pressure, and sometimes cause vapor lock.

▪ ACTION WITH WATER

▪ - the presence of moisture is very critical in refrigeration system as most of the systems’ temperature goes below
0 deg.C

▪ ACTION WITH OIL

- HCs R-290, R-600a are completely miscible with the mineral oil

▪ ACTION WITH MATERIAL

- The choice of a refrigerant has bearing on the material of construction.
Requirement for the Selection of Refrigerant
C. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
▪ Thermal conductivity
▪ Viscosity
▪ Dielectric strength
▪ Heat capacity
▪ Leakage tendency and odor
Requirement for the Selection of Refrigerant
Chlorofluorocarbon refrigerant gases (CFC) were
developed in 1928 by Thomas Midgley due to the need for safe
substances that were neither toxic nor flammable, for use in the
refrigeration industry and for other applications, such as
propellants for aerosol cans, solvents and foaming agents.

Prior to this, in the years between 1800 and 1929, the

refrigeration industry used toxic gases such as ammonia (NH3),
methyl chloride (CH3CI) and sulphur dioxide (SO2), leading to a
number of fatal accidents in the 1920s due to methyl chloride
leaks. It was for this reason that a new search began for
solutions that were not harmful to humans.

CFCs, such as R-11, R-12 and R-502, were considered the

1st generation of fluorinated refrigerant gases (GF).
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) are a highly stable organic compound
containing chlorine, fluoride and carbon, produced as a volatile
derivative of methane and ethane.

During the 1970s, studies by Fatbian, Borders and

Penkett discovered that CFCs represented a serious threat to the
environment, due to the fact that, once they were released into
the atmosphere, they would accumulate in the stratosphere and
lead to the destruction of the ozone layer.
 Regulatory History of CFCs and Other Stratospheric Ozone-
Depleting Chemicals

September 1897
The U.S. and 22 other countries sign the
Terms and Definition
Montreal Protocol on Substances that
Deplete the Ozone Layer, committing to ❑ CFC is the Montreal Protocol designation for
reducing production and importing of Chlorofluorocarbons that cause ozone layer depletion.
certain CFCs to 50 percent of 1986 levels ❑ HCFC (Hydrochlorofluorocarbon) or HFC
November 1990
(Hydrofluorocarbon) is the designation for other
by 1998 and freezing of halon production
Clean Air Act Amendments of at 1986 levels in 1992.
refrigerants that are Chlorofluorocarbons but cause little
1990 signed, and include or no ozone destruction.
phaseout controls similar to ❑ ODP – Ozone Depletion Potential – is the ozone –
destroying power of a substance measured relative to
London Amendments, although
refrigerant 11 (R-11 or CFC -11)
interim phaseout timetable more
❑ GWP – Global Warming Potential – is a relative
stringent. CFCs, halons and measure of the ability of a substance to cause an
carbon tetrachloride must be increase in the temperature of the atmosphere by
phased out by 2000; methyl absorbing solar and earth radiation that is relative to the
chloroform by 2002; and effect of refrigerant 11
hydrochlorofluorocarbons
(HCFCs) by 2030. Statute also
requires rules restricting use of April 1993
ozone-depleting substances in
▪ EPA proposes rule requiring federal agencies to change contracting
society, through such means as
practices to minimize purchases of goods containing ozone depleters and
recycling and reducing emissions
to maximize use of safe alternatives.
to the atmosphere.
▪ EPA proposes safe substitutes rule listing acceptable and unacceptable
alternatives to ozone depleters, and lays out procedure for future listings.
▪ EPA issues final rule prohibiting venting of ozone depleters into
atmosphere during servicing and disposal of residential and commercial air
conditioners and refrigerators.
Source: https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/regulatory-history-cfcs-and-other-
stratospheric-ozone-depleting-chemicals-1993.html
 Nomenclature of Refrigerant
▪ Prefix (R, HCFC, HFC, HC)
▪ Suffix (Numbers)
▪ Isomers (are substances which have seen
chemical formula but arrangement of
molecules are different)
▪ Saturated Hydrocarbons

Refrigerants where usually expressed by a

combination of Letter (Prefix) and Number
(Suffix). Examples are R-134a, R-22 and R-
407c, these numbers used alpha numeric
expressions in order to write the refrigerants.
In fact, they are chemicals which are driven
from hydrocarbons (Kumar, 2020).
 Example 1: Convert 𝐶𝐻𝐶𝑙𝐹2 to R-series
CONVERTION OF
m=1
RERFRIGERANT NAMES FROM n=1
CHEMICAL FORMULA TO R- p=0
SERIES AND VICE VERSA q=2
(Kumar, 2020) Then, 𝑅 =𝑅 = 𝑅 − 022 = 𝑹 − 𝟐𝟐
𝑚−1 𝑛+1 𝑞 1−1 1+1 2

▪ Most refrigerants are derivatives of Example 2: Convert 𝐶2 𝐻2 𝐹4 to R-series

saturated hydrocarbons or alkanes m=2
(𝐶𝑛 𝐻2𝑛+2 ), it is saturated because bonds n=2
are saturated by hydrogen. p=0
General Formula for Any Refrigerant q=4

𝑪𝒎 𝑯𝒏 𝑪𝒍𝒑 𝑭𝒒
Then,𝑅 𝑚−1 𝑛+1 𝑞 =𝑅 2−1 2+1 4 = 𝑅 − 134 = 𝑹 − 𝟏𝟑𝟒𝒂
𝑹 𝒎−𝟏 𝒏+𝟏 𝒒
Where:
➢ Methane Series
- one atom Carbon 𝑎 = 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑜𝑟𝑜𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑒.
- Total Number of Atom : 5
➢ Ethane Series Isomers- are substances which have seen chemical formula but arrangement of
- two atom Carbon molecules are different. These are compound of chemical substances.
- Total Number of Atom : 8
List of Some Selected Refrigerants Based on
Series or Groups
List of Some Selected Refrigerants Based on
Series or Groups
Performance Task
A. Convert the following chemical formulas of
refrigerants into R-Series. Any form of erasure or
alteration is considered wrong. Box only your
final answer.

𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝐻𝐹2
𝐶𝐻𝐶𝑙𝐹2
𝑁𝐻3
𝐻2 𝑂
𝐶𝐻𝐹𝐶𝑙2

B. Research on what are the existing refrigerants

today, discuss their characteristics and their
common applications. Handwritten. Use
engineering lettering ALL CAPS, use A-4 size
bond paper. Strictly no erasure.

Submission on Week 7
Compressor
Compressor is one of the four essentials
components of the compression refrigeration
system; other components include the condenser,
evaporator, and expansion device. The compressor
circulates refrigerants through the system in a
continuous manner.
Types of Reciprocating Compressor
Refrigeration It is a compressor that consist of one or more piston and cylinder
combination. The piston moves in a reciprocating motion to draw the
suction gas into cylinder on one stroke and to compress and discharge it to
Compressors the condenser on the return stroke.

✓ Reciprocating Compressor

❑ Centrifugal Compressor

❑ Rotary Sliding-Vane Compressor

❑ Rotary Screw Compressor

Types of Centrifugal Compressor
Refrigeration It is a compressor that has a single or multi stage high-speed impeller to
set up enough centrifugal force within a circular casing to raise the pressure
of the refrigerant gas to condensing level
Compressors

✓ Reciprocating Compressor

✓ Centrifugal Compressor

❑ Rotary Sliding-Vane Compressor

❑ Rotary Screw Compressor

Types of Rotary Sliding-Vane Compressor
Refrigeration It is a positive displacement compressor that traps a given volume of gas,
compresses it and ejects from the machine. It usually has a rotor revolving
off center in a cylinder with sliding vanes forces against the cylinder wall.
Compressors

✓ Reciprocating Compressor

✓ Centrifugal Compressor

✓ Rotary Sliding-Vane Compressor

❑ Rotary Screw Compressor

Types of Rotary Screw Compressor
Refrigeration The compressor basically consist of two mating helically grooved rotors, a
male (lobes) and female (grooves), in a stationary housing with suction and
discharge ports
Compressors

✓ Reciprocating Compressor

✓ Centrifugal Compressor

✓ Rotary Sliding-Vane Compressor

✓ Rotary Screw Compressor

Questions?
Concerns?