Module 1 in IA 109 – DOMESTIC REFRIGERATION AND AIR CONDITIONING

INTRODUCTION TO REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Discuss refrigeration development and its principles;
2. Appreciate the importance of refrigeration; and
3. Perform mensuration and calculation
Refrigeration

Refrigeration is the process of transferring heat from one area to another. If we remove
heat from one substance, it becomes cold, and cold is merely the absence of heat. The removal
of heat can be accomplished by using ice or any mechanical and non-mechanical means.
Mechanical refrigeration system uses compressor to move the refrigerant into the system
and keep the cycle. Those non-mechanical systems are the absorption system, the Steam-Jet
system, the thermoelectric system, and the magnetic system.

Development of Refrigeration

Modern refrigeration has many applications. The first, and probably still the most
important, is the preservation of food. Most foods kept at room temperature spoil rapidly. This is
due to the rapid growth of bacteria. At common refrigeration temperatures of about 40 oF (40C),
bacteria grow quite slowly. Foods at this temperature will keep much longer. Refrigeration
preserve food by keeping it cold.
Other important uses of refrigeration include air conditioning, beverage cooling, and
humidity control. Many manufacturing processes also use refrigeration.
The refrigeration industry became important commercially during the 18 th century. Early
refrigeration was obtained by the use of ice. Ice from lakes and ponds was cut and stored in the
winter in insulated storerooms for summer use.
The use of natural ice required building insulated containers of iceboxes for stores,
restaurants, and homes. These units appeared on a large scale during, the 19th century.
Ice was first made artificially about 1820 as an experiment. Not until 1834 did artificial
ice manufacturing becomes practical. Jacob Perkins, an American engineer, invented the
machine which led to our modern compression systems. Michael Faraday discovered the
principles for the absorption type of refrigeration as early as 1824. It was not actually built until
1855 by a German engineer.
Little artificial ice was produced until shortly after1890. During 1890, a warm winter
resulted in a shortage of natural ice. This help starts the mechanical ice making industry.
Mechanical domestic refrigeration first appeared about 1910. J.M. Larsen produced a
manually operated household machine in 1913. BY 1819 Kelvinator produced the first
automatic refrigerator for the American market. They sold 67 machines that year. Now millions
of units are sold each year.
 The first of the sealed or “hermetic” automatic refrigeration unit was introduced by
General Electric in 1928. It was named the Monitor Top.
Beginning with 1920, domestic refrigeration became an important industry. The
Electrolux, which was an automatic domestic absorption unit, appeared in 1927.
Fast freezing to preserve food for extended periods was developed about 1923. This
marked the beginning of modern frozen foods industry. Automatic refrigeration units, for the
comfort cooling part of air conditioning, appeared in 1927.
Mechanical refrigeration systems were first connected to heating plants to provide
summer cooling in the late 1920s. By 1940, practically all domestic units were of the hermetic
type. Commercial units had also been successfully made and used. These units were capable of
refrigerating large commercial foods storage systems. They could provide comfort cooling large
auditoriums. They could also produce low temperatures used in many commercial operations.
In 1935, Frederick McKinley Jones produced an automatic refrigeration system for long-
haul trucks. From a small, slow start in the late 1930s, air conditioning of automobiles has also
grown rapidly.
Starting in the 1960s, the home air conditioning market experience tremendous growth.
Energy was inexpensive, and therefore, simple air conditioning became common in many
homes. Solar energy and other alternative energy source became additional source for powering
heating and cooling systems.
Due to a tremendous growth in technology, by 1990 all areas of refrigeration and air
conditioning were using microprocessor control systems. The purpose of the heating cooling
units. of this system is to increase reliability and efficiency of the heating and cooling units. By
1990, the automobile air conditioner became as standard as the automatic transmission.

Principles of Refrigeration

The mechanical refrigeration system or the vapor-compression system has four stages
taking place in the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, and the evaporator. It is
divided into two pressure sides: the low-pressure side and the high-pressure side.

Compressor
It is referred to as the “heart” of the system. The compressor compresses the low-
pressure gas refrigerant into high-pressure refrigerant, thus increasing the temperature, and
keeps the refrigerant moving in the system.

Condenser
It is also a coil of tubes where heat being absorbed in the evaporator discharges into the
atmosphere. It can be found in the high-pressure side of the system.

Expansion Valve
 It is the metering device that controls the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator. It reduces
the high-pressure liquid refrigerant in the correct quantities to operate the system at maximum
efficiency and without overloading the compressor.

Evaporator
It is a coil of tubes where heat is being absorbed in order that it may be moved and
transferred to the condenser. It is known as freezer, cooling coil, or chilling unit. It can be found
on the low-pressure side of the system.

Refrigerant

If the compressor is the “heart” of the system, the refrigerant is the blood of the system.
A refrigerant is a fluid that easily boils at a lower temperature. It absorbs heat in the evaporator
and discharges it into the condenser.

Refrigeration cycle

 At point 1, as the low-pressure liquid refrigerant moves through the cooling coil or
evaporator, it picks up heat from the foods placed inside the refrigeration cabinet. As
the refrigerant absorb heat, it changes to vapor. It is then drawn into the compressor.
 At point 2, the low-pressure where it is subjected to a higher pressure due to the
compression process done by the piston/cylinder unit of the compressor. As a result
of being compressed, the low-pressure gas refrigerant increases its pressure and its
temperature.
  At point 3, the high-pressure refrigerant passes to the condenser where heat is
discharged and the vapor changes back to liquid; however, this liquid is still high-
pressured.
 At point 4, the high-pressure liquid refrigerant passes through the expansion valve,
thus reducing the pressure immediately. The pressure decrease lowers the
temperature of the liquid refrigerant even more and it is now ready to pick up more
heat.
 The entire cycle is repeated.

Basic Refrigeration Material and Tools

Copper Tube

The tubing that carries the refrigerant to various components is considered to be a vital
part of the refrigeration system. Copper tubing is the most common material in a refrigerant
piping circuit. It is used to connect the major parts of the refrigeration system such as the
evaporator coil, the compressor, the condenser coil, and the expansion valve. Most copper
tubing is available from ⅛ inch through ¾ inch of diameter.
A specially annealed copper tubing is used in most refrigeration work with the exception
of the absorption systems. The term annealed, described the degree of hardness. Soft copper
may be bent used with elbows, tees, and other fittings. It is usually purchased, by 25ft. or 50ft.
rolls, and is specifies by its outside diameter.
Hard-drawn copper tubing is used in a number of commercial and air conditioning
installation where rigidity is needed. It is not intended to be bent; it is to be used only with
fittings to obtain the necessary configurations. It is available in straight length and larger
diameter. The ends are capped or plugged to keep the inside of the tubing clean and dry.

Tube Cutter

To ensure an accurate “square” cut, a tube cutter is the most frequently used tool. On
some type of tubing, it is advisable to use hacksaw and vice clamp, such as in stainless steel,
heavy wall or thickness tube, and larger diameter tube.
The parts of a tube cutter are the cutting wheel, groove, roller, tightening knob, the body,
and the blade reamer.

Steps in Using the Tube Cutter

1. Mark the desired length of a tube.

2. Loosen the tube cutter by turning the knob counter-clockwise to move back the cutting
wheel.
3. Insert the tube, and align the marked tube to the groove roller, and the cutting wheel.
 4. Turn the tightening knob clockwise to move the cutting wheel forward to the marked
tube, until a moderate pressure is applied to the tubing.
5. Revolve the cutting wheel around the tubing by gradually turning the tightening knob,
keeping moderate pressure applied to the tubing.
6. Continue the process until the tubing is cut.

Warning!!! Do not apply excessive pressure because it may break the cutting wheel.
It will cause also to restrict the inside diameter of the tubing.

Flaring Tools

When connecting tubing to fittings, it is common practice to flare the end of tube and use
fittings designed to grip the flare for vapor tight seal.
A set of Flaring Tools is the device used to flare the tube. It has the flaring block that
holds the tube, flaring yoke with spinner and feed screw, and wing nut to tighten the flaring
block.

Steps in using the Flaring Tools

1. Cut the tube according to the required length.

2. Ream tube end to remove burrs, and file to square end of tube. Metal chips resulting
from reaming should not enter the tubing.
3. Slip the flare nut or wing of the flaring block and insert the tube to its corresponding
hole; tighten the wing nut to grip the tube. Ensure that the height of the tube from the
flaring block should be ⅓ of the tube’s inside diameter.
4. Place the yoke on the block with the spinner over the end of the tube.
 5. Turn the screw back and forth gradually until it is completed. This is to prevent flare
end to split or free from crack.
6. Remove the tubing from the block and inspect for defects before assembling the joint.

Swaging tools

Swaging is the joining of two pieces of copper tubing of the same diameter by expanding
or stretching the end of one piece to fit over the other so the joint may soldered or brazed. As a
general rule, the length of the joint that fits over the other is equal to the approximate outside
diameter of the tubing.
Steps in Using the Swaging Tools

1. Cut the tube according to the required length.

3. Place the tube in the flaring block according to the corresponding diameter. The height
of the tube from the flaring block should be equal to the outside diameter of the tube
itself plus ⅛ inch.
4. Before fitting the correct size of the swaging punch to the tube, lubricate it with an oil.
Strike it with a hammer until the proper shape and length of joint has been obtained.
5. Remove the tubing from the block and inspect for defects before brazing the joint.

Soldering and Brazing Process

Soldering is the process used to join piping and tubing to fittings. It is often called soft
soldering, done at a temperature under 8000F, usually in the 3500F to 5000F range.
Brazing, requiring higher temperature, is often called silver brazing, and is similar to
soldering. In brazing process, a temperature over 8000F is used.

Heat Sources for Soldering and Brazing

Gasoline blow-torch, the butane torch and the oxy-acetylene are the most commonly
used sources of heat when soldering or brazing.

Steps in Using Gasoline Blow Torch

1. Inverts the torch up-side down, remove the wing nut, and fill the tank with gasoline
¾ full. The other ¼ is for air pressure.
2. Screw-in the wing nut tight enough to avoid leak, wipe any gasoline on the torch.
3. Invert back to its original position; pump 15 strokes to pressurize the tank. Make sure
the adjusting knob valve is closed. Observe any leak, repair the leak.
4. Open valve and let gasoline out of the burner, hold the burner by your palm to flow
down the gasoline the priming cap ¾ full.
5. Place the torch on level surface, Work on cemented floor, not wood. Enflame the
priming cap, to heat the burner.
6. When gasoline on the priming cap is nearly burned-out, open the valve slightly and
the burner will produce flame.
7. To increase pressure, pump 15 times more and regulate the control valve to increase
flame volume. Observe the bluish flame.
8. To stop torch, turn the knob clockwise gently, and remove the air pressure by
loosening the wing nut.
Steps in Operating an Oxy-acetylene Torch

1. Connect the Oxygen regulator in the oxygen tank. Connect the acetylene regulator
in the acetylene tank too, and tighten their nut using adjustable wrench.
2. Connect red hose to acetylene regulator, and the other end to the welding torch.
3. Connect green hose to oxygen regulator, and the other end to welding torch.
4. Close acetylene and oxygen valves in the welding torch.
 5. Open the oxygen tank, and set the pressure to 40psig. Open also the acetylene tank,
and set pressure to 6psig. Warning!!! Always Check the Apparatus for Leak
6. Wear protective googles to shield eyes from bright lights.7. Slightly open the
acetylene valve in the welding torch, and spark light on the welding tip. As the
acetylene is burning adjust the acetylene valve until the flame stops the smoke.
8. Open the oxygen valve on the welding torch until a bright neutral flame is reached.
Warning!!! Point away the flame from persons, the cylinder or any flammable
materials
Reference: Refrigeration and Air Conditioning: repair and Troubleshooting Guide, reprinted
2010, by Joy Job A. Cabangon, pp.1-11