VAPOR-COMPRESSION-SYSTEM

ANALYSIS
ME115
REFRIGERATION
ENGINEERING

WEEK 7
2023-2024/2T

Prepared by:
Engr. Manuel B. Rustria
February 2, 2024
2/3/2024
 VAPOR-COMPRESSION-SYSTEM ANALYSIS
 Explain the concept of balance point and system simulations.
 Plot the performance characteristics of individual components such as
compressors, condensers and evaporators and enumerate the influence of
operating parameters.
 Explain the effect of expansion device on system performance
 Explain the meaning of sensitivity analysis and its importance in system
design and optimization.

2/3/2024
 Balance Points and System Simulation
2/3/2024
 Balance Points and System Simulation
 Engineers has been using the traditional method of system analysis which is
the determination of balance points.
 In this technique, the performance characteristics of two interrelated
components are represented in terms of the same variables and plotted on
a graph.
 The intersection of corresponding curves define the conditions at which the
performance characteristics of both components are satisfied, and it is at
this point that the system will likely operate.

2/3/2024
 Balance Points and System Simulation
 System simulation is another approach to system analysis which is
performed by mathematical rather than graphical procedures.
 The intersection of two curves, which defines a balance point, proposes the
mathematical counterpart of the simultaneous solution of two equations.
 Thus, system simulation is the simultaneous solution of the equations that
represent the performance characteristics of all components in the system
as well as appropriate equations for energy and mass balance and equations
of state.

2/3/2024
 Balance Points and System Simulation
 To simulate steady-state performance, all the equations are algebraic;
however, the simulation of dynamic performance of systems involve
differential equations.
 Systems with a small number of components like the vapor-compression
system can be simulated either graphically or mathematically.
 For the mathematical simulation, the technique that will be used is the
method of successive substitution, a straightforward technique of solving
the performance equations simultaneously.
 Performance data are available in this chapter for a reciprocating
compressor and an air-cooed condenser both in graphic and mathematical
form.
2/3/2024
 COMPRESSOR PERFORMANCE
2/3/2024
 COMPRESSOR PERFORMANCE
Reciprocating compressor
 The expected trends of refrigeration capacity and power requirements as
functions of the evaporating and the condensing temperatures were
previously treated on compressor discussion.
 Fig. 14-1 shows a plot of catalog data for a given actual compressor.
 The upper set of curves shows that the compressor controls the flow rate of
refrigerant that provides the given refrigerating capacity at the evaporator.
 An increase in evaporating temperature or a decrease in condensing
temperature results in increased refrigerating capacity as the Carnot COP
defines.

2/3/2024
 COMPRESSOR PERFORMANCE
Reciprocating compressor
150

140
130

Refrigerating capacity and power, kW

120

110
100

90

80

70
60

50
Condensing temp
Figure 14-1 40
Power 55°C
30 45°C
Refrigerating capacity and power 20
35°C
25°C
requirement of a York (Division of Borg- 10

Warner) hermetic reciprocating H62SP-22E, 0

-10 -5 0 5 10
Evaporating temperature, °C
refrigerant 22, 1750 rpm in compressor.
2/3/2024
 COMPRESSOR PERFORMANCE

14-1

14-2

2/3/2024
 COMPRESSOR PERFORMANCE

2/3/2024
 COMPRESSOR PERFORMANCE
Reciprocating compressor
Table 14-1 Constants in Eqs. (14-1) and (14-2)

2/3/2024
 COMPRESSOR PERFORMANCE

14-3

2/3/2024
 COMPRESSOR PERFORMANCE
Reciprocating compressor
200
190

180

170

160

Heat-rejection rate, kW
150

140
130

120

110
100
Figure 14-2 90

Heat-rejection rate of a York 80

(Division of Borg-Warner) 70
60
hermetic reciprocating H62SP- 50
25 30 35 40 45 50 55
22E, refrigerant 22, 1750 rpm. Condensing temperature, °C

2/3/2024
 COMPRESSOR PERFORMANCE
Reciprocating compressor
 Fig. 14-2 shows a graph of the heat-rejection rate for the compressor of Fig.
14-1. The abscissa has been chosen as the condensing temperature for
future convenience, and each curve in the family applies to a different
evaporating temperature.

2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE
2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE

14-4

2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE
175

150

125

Heat-rejection rate, kW
100

75

50

Figure 14-3 25

Performance of Bohn Heat Transfer

0
Division air-cooled condenser, 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
Condensing temperature, °C
refrigerant 22, model no. 36
2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE
Condensing unit subsystem; graphic analysis

Compressor

Liquid

Figure 14-4 Condensing unit.

2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE
Condensing unit subsystem; graphic analysis
 The first system—or more precisely, subsystem—that shall be analyzed is
that of a condensing unit.
 A condensing unit consists of compressor and condenser (Fig. 14-4) that
performs the function of drawing low-pressure vapor from the evaporator,
compresses and condenses the refrigerant, and supplies high-pressure liquid
to the expansion device.
 Condensing units are available as a package and may be installed outdoors
to serve an air or liquid-chilling evaporator located inside a building.

2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE

2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE 180

170
Condensing unit subsystem; graphic 160

analysis 150

140
130

120

110

Heat-rejection rate, kW
100

90

80

70
60

50
Figure 14-5 40
30

20
Balancing points of compressor and
10
condenser that indicate 0
25 30 35 40 45 50 55
performance of condensing unit. Condensing temperature, °C

2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE

2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE
Condensing unit subsystem; graphic analysis

120

Refrigerating capacity, kW
110
100
90
Figure 14-6
80
Performance of
70
condensing unit consisting
of the compressor 60of Fig.
50
14-1 and the condenser of
40
Fig. 14-3. The temperature
-10 -5 0 5 10
of ambient air for the Evaporating temperature, °C

condenser is 35°C.
2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE

2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE
Condensing unit subsystem; mathematical analysis
 Another procedure for simulating the performance of the condensing unit is
the simultaneous solution of Eqs. (14-1) to (14-4). The method of successive
substitution, is one technique of the simultaneous solution of these
equations, several of which are nonlinear, in which the calculation sequence
is set up and trial values are introduced for certain variables in order to get
started. The values of the variables are updated each time the calculation
proceeds through the loop.

2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE
Condensing unit subsystem; mathematical analysis

Eq. (14-3)

2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE

2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE

2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE
Condensing unit subsystem; mathematical analysis
Table 14-2 Calculations through information-flow diagram of Fig. 14-7
Cycle
1 116.71 32.06 148.77 50.84
2 115.32 32.46 147.77 50.74
3 115.49 32.41 147.90 50.75
4 115.47 32.41 147.88 50.75

2/3/2024
 CONDENSER PERFORMANCE
Condensing unit subsystem; mathematical analysis
 All calculation sequences, using successive substitution method of system
simulation, will not guarantee convergence.
 However, other information-flow diagrams than the one used in Fig. 14-7
can be devised to relate the four equations and four variables.
 Some calculation sequences will converge, as Table 14-2 illustrates, and
some will diverge.
 If the sequence diverges, a different arrangement should be tried.

2/3/2024
 EVAPORATOR PERFORMANCE
2/3/2024
 EVAPORATOR PERFORMANCE
 In the discussion on condensers and evaporators, the influence of individual
heat-transfer coefficients, particularly the building coefficient, on the
performance of a refrigerant evaporator was presented.
 For system simulation, the overall performance of evaporator is the primary
concern. Fig. 14-8 shows the behavior for a specific evaporator.
 The general trends evident from Fig. 14-8 are
1) that the capacity increase with a reduction in evaporating temperature
and/or an increase in the temperature of entering water, and
2) that the capacity is reduced when the rate of water flow is decreased
at a given inlet temperature.

2/3/2024
 EVAPORATOR PERFORMANCE

130

120 2.0 kg/s

110
1.6 kg/s
100

Refrigerating capacity, kW
90

Figure 14-8 80

Refrigerating capacity of a 70
60
Dunham-Bush, refrigerant 50
22, direct-expansion, inner- 40

fin liquid chiller CH660B. The 30

20
solid lines show 10
performance with 2 kg/s 0
-5 0 5 10 15 20 25
water flow and the dashed Evaporating temperature, °C
2/3/2024 line with 1.6 kg/s
 EVAPORATOR PERFORMANCE

2/3/2024
 EVAPORATOR PERFORMANCE

Table 14-3 Performance of condensing unit

with an ambient temperature of 35°C

10 111.5 32.4 147.9 50.8

5 97.9 30.1 128.0 48.6
0 81.9 27.8 109.7 46.7
-5 67.5 25.4 92.9 44.9
-10 55.0 22.6 77.6 43.3

2/3/2024
 EVAPORATOR PERFORMANCE

2/3/2024
 EVAPORATOR PERFORMANCE

14-5

14-6

2/3/2024
 PERFORMANCE OF COMPLETE SYSTEM
2/3/2024
 PERFORMANCE OF COMPLETE SYSTEM
Graphic analysis
 The vapor compression refrigeration system consists of compressor,
condenser, and evaporator and the performance of the combination of two
of these components (the compressor and condenser) has already been
predicted in the balance-point determination that resulted in Fig. 14-6.
 By the superposition of Figs. 14-6 for the condensing unit and Fig. 14-8 for
the evaporator the performance of the complete system can be predicted.
 Figure 14-9 shows this combination and the balance points of the system
that occur at various temperatures of the return chilled water.

2/3/2024
 PERFORMANCE OF COMPLETE SYSTEM
Graphic analysis

130

Figure 14-9 120

Refrigerating capacity, kW
Performance of 110
complete system
100
found by determining
the balance points of 90
a condensing unit and 80
an evaporator at
70 Condensing unit,
various temperatures ambient temperature = 35°C
of entering water to 60
-5 0 5 10 15
be chilled and 35°C Evaporating temperature, °C
ambient temperature.
2/3/2024
 PERFORMANCE OF COMPLETE SYSTEM
Graphic analysis
 In summary, a graphic simulation of the vapor-compression refrigeration
system can be performed by first establishing the balance points for the
condensing unit, and next combining the evaporator performance with the
condensing unit performance to find the balance points of the entire
system.

2/3/2024
 PERFORMANCE OF COMPLETE SYSTEM
Mathematical analysis

Eq. (14-3)

2/3/2024
 PERFORMANCE OF COMPLETE SYSTEM
Table 14-4 Simulation using information-flow diagram of Fig. 14-10 for
ambient temperature of 35°C and entering water temperature of 20°C

15.0 40.0 158.0 26.6 184.2

4.6 54.6 87.6 31.8 119.4
10.0 47.7 120.4 31.0 151.4
7.3 51.1 103.5 31.8 135.3
8.7 49.4 111.8 31.5 143.3
8.0 50.3 107.7 31.6 140.3
8.3 49.8 109.7 31.6 140.8
2/3/2024
 PERFORMANCE OF COMPLETE SYSTEM
Table 14-4 Simulation using information-flow diagram of Fig. 14-10 for
ambient temperature of 35°C and entering water temperature of 20°C

8.2 50.0 108.7 31.6 140.3

8.2 49.9 109.2 31.6 140.8
8.2 50.0 109.0 31.6 140.6
8.2 50.0 109.1 31.6 140.7
8.2 50.0 109.0 31.6 140.6
Trial

2/3/2024
 PERFORMANCE OF COMPLETE SYSTEM

2/3/2024
 PERFORMANCE OF COMPLETE SYSTEM

2/3/2024
 PERFORMANCE OF COMPLETE SYSTEM
Some performance trends
Table 14-5 Operating variables at various temperatures
of entering-water to be chilled
Ambient temperature = 35°C

25 12.1 51.7 123.3 33.4 156.7

20 8.2 50.0 109.0 31.6 140.6
15 4.3 48.4 95.6 29.8 125.4
10 0.4 46.8 83.1 28.0 111.1

2/3/2024
 PERFORMANCE OF COMPLETE SYSTEM

2/3/2024
 PERFORMANCE OF COMPLETE SYSTEM
Some performance trends
 The compression power is maximum at the highest temperature of entering-
water.
 The operating range in which to be most concerned about overloading the
motor driving the compressor is at high temperatures of entering chilled
water.
 When the entering water temperature is 10°C, the corresponding
evaporating temperature is 0.4°C, which is drawing close to the freezing
temperature of water.
 At lower temperatures than these, catalog data would probably not be
shown for a chiller, or if the data are available, there would be a notification
to the user to add an anti-freeze in water to protect from freezing.
2/3/2024
 EXPANSION DEVICE PERFORMANCE
2/3/2024
 EXPANSION DEVICE PERFORMANCE
 Recall, the complete vapor-compression refrigeration system has been
described as comprising of three major components, namely, compressor,
condenser, and evaporator, while no mention has been made about the
expansion device.
 In system performance determination, so far it has been assumed implicitly
that the expansion device operates to regulate the flow of refrigerant into
the evaporator in order that the heat-transfer surfaces on the refrigerant
side of the evaporator are wetted with liquid refrigerant.

2/3/2024
de
 EXPANSION DEVICE PERFORMANCE
 The capillary tube achieves this goal in only certain combinations of
condensing and evaporating pressures.
 The superheat-controlled expansion valve operates on the principle of
maintaining a small amount of superheat in the evaporator but does provide
most of the evaporator surfaces with liquid throughout a wide rage of
condensing and evaporating pressures.

2/3/2024
de
 EXPANSION DEVICE PERFORMANCE

Refrigerating capacity, kW
Figure 14-11
Reduction in capacity
and evaporating
temperature due to Evaporating temperature, °C
feeding insufficient
refrigerant to the
evaporator.
2/3/2024
 EXPANSION DEVICE PERFORMANCE
 The consequences for system performance of the expansion devices starving
the evaporator is illustrated in Fig. 14-11, showing the balance points
between the condensing unit and the evaporator.
 When the evaporator is starved, the overall heat-transfer coefficient of the
evaporator drops and the balance point shifts to a lower evaporating
temperature and refrigerating capacity.

2/3/2024
 EXPANSION DEVICE PERFORMANCE
 Starved evaporator occurs still even when using the controlling type of
expansion device, such as the superheat controlled valve, during the
following conditions:
1) the expansion valve is too small,
2) some vapor is present in the liquid entering the expansion valve, or
3) The pressure difference across the valve is too small.
 Condition 2 occurs likely when the refrigerant charge in the system is to
small, the pressure drop in the liquid line is high due to friction, or the valve
and evaporator are located at a higher elevation than the condenser.
 Condition 3 occurs oftentimes in systems with air-cooled condensers when
the ambient temperature is low.
2/3/2024
 EXPANSION DEVICE PERFORMANCE
 In such cases, the condensing temperature drops so low that there is
insufficient pressure difference across the valve.
 The extreme consequence of this condition occurs when the evaporating
temperature and pressure drop so low that the refrigerant flow rate
diminishes significantly.
 With hermetic compressor, the motor is cooled by the flow of refrigerant
across it, and if the refrigerant flow rate becomes too low, the motor may
burn out.

2/3/2024
 EXPANSION DEVICE PERFORMANCE
Table 14-6 Sensitivity study of vapor-compression system
Ratio of component capacity to base capacity Refrigerating Percent
Compressor Condenser Evaporator capacity, kW increase
1.0 1.0 1.0 95.6
1.1 10. 1.0 101.6 6.3
1.0 1.1 1.0 96.8 1.3
1.0 1.0 1.1 97.6 2.1
1.1 1.1 1.1 105.2 10.0
The study analyzes the effect on the refrigerating capacity of the system caused
by 10 percent increases in component capacities. The ambient temperature is 35°C,
and the temperature of entering-water to be chilled is 15°C.
2/3/2024
 EXPANSION DEVICE PERFORMANCE
Sensitivity analysis
 In engineering terminology, sensitivity analysis means the process of
examining how one variable in a system is influenced by a change in another
system’s variable or parameter.
 In the vapor-compression system, sensitivity analysis explores the influence
on refrigerating capacity of changes in capacity of each of the components—
the compressor, condenser, and evaporator.
 A simple extension of the computer runs of the sequence of Fig. 14-10
allows such an analysis.
 Table 14-6 summarizes the effects of increasing the capacity of each
component, one at a time, by 10 percent.
2/3/2024
 EXPANSION DEVICE PERFORMANCE

2/3/2024
 EXPANSION DEVICE PERFORMANCE
Sensitivity analysis
 The relative influence shown in Table 14-6 will not apply exactly to all vapor-
compression system because the influences are also affected by the
selection of the base condition. For instance, if the base condition has a
extremely large condenser, a 10 percent increase in this large condenser will
not show as much increase in refrigerating capacity as the 1.3 percent
indicated by Table 14-6.

2/3/2024
 EXPANSION DEVICE PERFORMANCE
Sensitivity analysis
 A designer gains from the information as that shown in Table 14-6 during
optimization process, by combining the data from Table 14-6 with
knowledge on the costs of increasing (or the savings of decreasing)
component capacity, the designer can decide how to reduce the system’s
first cost that produces a given refrigerating capacity.

2/3/2024
 PROBLEMS
2/3/2024
 PROBLEMS
14-1

Either graphically or by using the computer, for an ambient temperature

of 30°C develop the performance characteristics of a condensing unit (of
the form of Fig. 14-6 or Table 14-3) if the compressor has performance
shown by Fig. 14-1 [or Eqs. (14-1) and (14-2)] and the condenser has
characteristics shown by Fig. 14-3 [or Eq. (14-4)].

122.8 104.4 87.6 72.5 59.3

10 5.0 0 -5.0 -10.0

2/3/2024
 PROBLEMS
14-2

2/3/2024
 PROBLEMS
14-3

Section 14-11 (Sensitivity analysis) suggests that the influences of the

several components shown in Table 14-6 are dependent upon relative
sizes of the components at the base condition. If the base system is the
same as that tabulated in Table 14-6 except that the condenser is twice
as large [F = 18.78 kW/K in Eq. (14-4)], what is the increase in system
capacity of a 10 percent increase in condenser capacity above this new
base condition? The ambient temperature is 35°C, and the entering
temperature of water to be chilled is 15°C. Ans. 0.62%

2/3/2024
 PROBLEMS
14-4

For the components of the complete system descried in Secs. 14-7, 14-8,
and 14-11 the following cost (or savings) are applicable to a 1 percent
change in component capacity. An optimization is now to proceed by
increasing or decreasing sizes of components in order to reduce the first
cost of the system. What relative changes in components sizes should
be made in order to reduce the first cost of the system but maintain a
fixed refrigerating capacity? Ans. Decrease evaporator capacity 3 times
the increase in compressor capacity

2/3/2024
 PROBLEMS
14-4

Component Increase (saving) in first cost

for 1% increase (decrease) in
component capacity
Compressor $2.80
Condenser 0.67
Evaporator 1.40

2/3/2024
 REFERENCE
2/3/2024
 REFERENCE
• Stoecker, W. F., Jones, J. W. (1982). Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, 2nd
ed., McGraw-Hill, Inc.

2/3/2024
 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.
(Prov. 14:34, NKJV)

END.
2/3/2024