A REPORT ON

ASSIGNMENT-4
In
Basic Mechanical Engineering (MIE 1071)
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2024
On the Topic
“A schematic representation explaining the functioning of the important
parts and working of a vapor compression refrigeration system.
What are the emission standards in India? Enumerating their importance
and role in mitigating the adverse effects of the air pollution.”
Submitted by
GROUP NO.: 1
Group Member Details:
Sl. Name of the Student Reg. No. Roll Brief description of
No. No. student’s contribution
1 Diya Goel 240903058 9 History (1.1),
Introduction (1.2),
Definition (1.3),
Principle (1.4),
Refrigeration Concept
(1.5) & Drawing (Fig.1)
2 Raghavendra H.S. 240902002 1 Working of Evaporator
(1.7), Editing

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3 Justin Raju 240909015 10 Introduction (1.8),
Importance (1.9),
Role(1.10), Editing
4 Bhavya Laddha 240902084 5 Importance (1.8),
Role (1.10), Editing
5 Chaitanya Bhide 240903138 11 Editing
6 Tanisha Bansal 240903144 12 Editing
7 Ethan Robin 240903034 8 Importance (1.9)
8 Rakshitha K. 240902138 7 Role (1.10)
9 Sparsh Prabhat 240902036 4 Compressor (1.6.1)
10 Arkadipta Kar 240902008 2 Refrigeration Concept
(1.5)

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1.1 HISTORY

Have you ever wondered how people in the olden days used to eat their favourite food just like us,
but couldn’t store it for long since they had no refrigeration units? Can you imagine a time where
people didn’t consume ice creams? What a shame. But giving credits to our ancestors I believe they
had a system of storing food items for a longer period, it’s just that we must have a thirst to find out.

Stored ice was the principal means of refrigeration until the beginning of the 20th century, and it is
still used in some areas. In colder regions, Greeks and Romans cooled their food with ice which was
transported from mountains.

In India and Egypt, they used the concept of evaporation. if water is placed in shallow trays during
the cool tropical nights, its rapid evaporation can cause ice to form in the trays, even if the air does
not fall below freezing temperatures. By controlling the conditions of evaporation, it is possible to
form even large blocks of ice in this manner.

Be it ice cooling or evaporation, the millennials and Gen-Z is relieved after the invention of
Refrigerators. We can’t let go of our ice-creams after all!!!

1.2 INTRODUCTION

In this report, we will be discussing a little about refrigeration and explaining the concept of vapour
compression refrigeration using the basics and principle of refrigeration.

The art of refrigeration is known as artificial cooling. The two methods employed for artificial
cooling are- refrigeration and air-conditioning.

Air conditioning is used in indoor air cooling .

1.3 DEFINITION

It is defined as method of reducing the temperature of a system below that of the surrounding and
maintains it at the lower temperature by continuously abstracting heat from it.

1.4 PRINCIPLE OF WORKING

To keep items cool in a refrigerator, heat must be removed from within. As per the second law of
thermodynamics, additional energy is required to transfer heat from a cold area to a warmer one,
such as the room. To keep the temperature inside the refrigerator below room temperature,
electricity is used to transfer heat from the refrigerator's inside to the exterior.

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1.5 REFRIGERATION CONCEPTS

1.5.1 - Heat flows from a system of higher temperature to lower temperature .

1.5.2- Fluids by absorbing the heat, change from liquid to vapour phase and subsequently condense
and giving off the heat.

1.5.3- The boiling ad freezing temperatures of a fluid depends on its pressure. When a certain fluid
at a very low pressure and temperature is compressed, even though its pressure increases it may still
be in the condensed state itself if its temperature is not increases to the saturation temperature
corresponding to the increased pressure.

1.5.4- Heat can flow from a system at low temperature to a system at higher temperature by the aid
of external work as per the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

1.6 VAPOUR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATOR:

1.6.1 Compressor
The compressor is where the refrigeration cycle begins. The main aim of this device is to receive
low pressure, low temperature refrigerant gases that are coming after the evaporator and compress
it. When we say compression, it means increasing pressure and temperature of the refrigerant,
turning it into high pressure high temperature gas, before going into the condenser. compressor

action is necessary so that refrigerant fluid keeps on flowing in the system.

1.6.2 Condenser

Condensers are one of the main parts of vapor compression refrigeration systems, which release
heat into the environment. To put it simply, here is how it operates:

Hot Refrigerant Enters: The cooling fluid, or refrigerant, gets hot and transforms into a high-
pressure gas after absorbing heat from the interior of a refrigerator, room, or other place.

Heat is Released: The condenser, which is often outside the area you're cooling, receives this hot
gas. To cool it down, fans frequently blow air across the coils (metal tubing) where it runs. The heat
from the refrigerant is transferred to the ambient air by the condenser.

Cooling and Condensation: The refrigerant cools and condenses as it loses heat, turning from a gas
to a liquid.

The expansion valve is the next step in the system where the high-pressure liquid refrigerant

continues the cooling cycle.

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1.6.3 Receiver

The receiver is a storage tank placed between the condenser and the expansion valve. It is designed
to hold liquid refrigerant upon its pumping out of the condenser to provide expansion valve with a
constant amount of liquid refrigerant. In its place, the receiver is designed in such a way that there is
no return of liquid refrigerant to the compressor which might cause damages.

1.6.4 Expansion Valve (or Throttle Valve)

The evaporator has an expansion valve that controls the flow and pressure of liquid refrigerant into
it. The refrigerant contained in the valve inlet pipe begins to flow through the valve mouth and in an
instant all the pressure is released resulting in the rapid cooling and the boiling of the liquid. The
small-bore evaporator then attracts the cooled low-pressure refrigerant in the form of a liquid vapor
mixture for effective heat absorption.

1.6.5 Evaporator

The of the evaporator in a vapour compression refrigerator is to maintain a cool interior in a vapor
compression refrigerator. Here's how:

First, the evaporator functions by absorbing heat from within the fridge. In so doing, the refrigerant
inside begins to evaporate, which lowers the temperature.

In coming into the evaporator, refrigerant enters as low-pressure liquid. Once it gains some heat, it
changes to gas form and becomes fundamental in cooling.

The surface area of the evaporator can be increased by the presence of coils or fins. The warm air
from inside the fridge will pass across these coils when the refrigerator absorbs heat inside.

Once the refrigerant gets converted into the gas form, then it is transferred to compressor for
compression after which it flows through condenser. From here, it exhibits an incessant cycle that
assists its function and maintenance, thereby making it well operational.

From the statement above, we can understand that an evaporator plays the major role of taking
coolness from the fridge for heating. In other words, the role of such a part in cooling cannot be
jeopardized or minimized.

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1.7 WORKING OF VAPOUR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATOR

A vapor compression refrigerator functions by circulating refrigerant vapor through the system. The
refrigerant undergoes a phase change—first, it evaporates to absorb heat from the refrigerated space
and then condenses to release heat. It consists of a compressor, condenser, throttle valve, and
evaporator coils. The compressor draws in low-pressure vapor from the evaporator and compresses
it, thereby raising its temperature and pressure. Then it is cooled by the condenser and condenses
out as liquid to the vapor surrounding the environment, removing latent heat to the latter. This cold
liquid continues through a throttle valve by which it enters the expansion valve where pressure and
temperatures are lowered further, this causes partial evaporation or vaporization and absorbs heat
from its surroundings which brings the mixture back once again into an evaporating state.
Compressor controlled is the thermostat controlling the current of compressor A common
Refrigerant is the Freon-12 known as the R12. It boils at -6.7°C in the evaporator at a pressure of
246.2 kPa and condenses at 37.8°C in the condenser at 909.2 kPa (Compression Refrigerator).

Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of a vapour compression refrigerator

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1.8 Introduction
The first emission norms were introduced in 1991 for petroleum and 1992 for diesel vehicles. On 29
April 1999, the Supreme Court of India ruled that all vehicles in India must meet Euro I or India
2000 norms by 1 June 1999. Later, BS II, BS III, BS IV were introduced. In the year 2016 the
Government of India announced that the country would skip Bharat stage V norms altogether and
would implement the BS-VI by 2020. Currently BS VI is in implementation.

Table 1. Modification within the permissible emission levels of BS6 vs BS4

Fuel Type Pollutant Gases BS VI BS IV

Petroleum Distillate Vehicle Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) Limit 60 mg 80 mg

Particulate Matter (PM) Limit 4.5 mg/Km -

Diesel Fuel Vehicle Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) Limit 80 mg 250 mg

Particulate Matter (PM) Limit 4.5 mg/Km 25 mg

HC + NOx 170 mg/Km 300mg

Table 2. Limits on some exhaust gases produced by vehicles, as mentioned in various Indian
emission standards implemented over the years.

Year Stage CO limits Hydrocarbons Respirable Sulphur

g/Km + NOx limits Particulate Content
(grams) Matter ppm

2000 Euro 1/BS I 2.72 0.979 0.14 500

2001 Euro 2/BS II 2.2 0.5 0.08 500

2005 Euro 3/BS III 2.2 0.35 0.05 350

2010 Euro 4/BS IV 1.0 0.18 0.025 50

2018 Euro 6/BS VI 1.0 0.16 0.025 10

2020 India Bans BS IV

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As we can notice from the above table that the major difference between BS IV and BS VI is the
reduction in sulphur content from 50 ppm to 10 ppm.

1.9 Importance

Motor vehicles are a significant source of urban pollution and man-made carbon dioxide and other
nursery gases. These internal combustion engines produce toxic gases like particulate matter (by-
product of diesel as well as direct-injection petrol engines), CO, NOx, CO2, and hydrocarbons.
Some of the major health issues caused include nausea, dyspnea and skin diseases,
immunosuppression and cancer. Combatting air pollution is one of the major concerns faced today.
The emission standards protect public health and the environment by setting limits on pollutants
released by vehicles. It discusses about the pollution possessing a real natural threat to human well-
being and discusses about the possible solutions and the evolution of the control measures.

1.10 Role

1.10.1 Indian Point of View

The BS VI ensures that the amount of pollution caused by the exhaust of the cars are minimised.
The drawback is that the performance of the vehicles might be reduced. But keeping these
challenges in mind some of the automobile manufacturers have ensured to maintain the
performance and efficiency of the vehicle without compromising the BS VI norms. For e.g., Tata
Motors for example has worked on the torque and power features of the car to ensure the car's
performance is up to the mark. Mahindra automobile manufacturers have tweaked the powertrains
of their cars to retain the driveability of the car. The powertrain of the car is that component that
converts the power generated by the engine into movement of the car this mainly includes the
engine, the transmission, the driveshaft, axles or basically anything from the engine to the rotating
wheels. Mahindra also claims to have achieved a decrease in the friction of the engine to around 30
per cent thus improving the fuel efficiency and the tweaking the performance of the car in the
process. Switching to cleaner fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG) and hydrogen reduces
emissions in both transport and industrial sectors. In cities like Delhi, CNG-powered buses have
significantly cut down on particulate and NOx emissions, further improving air quality. BS-VI
norms have pushed for such an upgradation of technology, especially in diesel engines, that over
time, in recent times, vehicles with the upgraded availability of Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) and
Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) are designed for the roads. Such technological upgradation has
significantly reduced both PM and NOx emissions from vehicles.

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1.10.2 Global Point of View

Mitigating air pollution requires a comprehensive approach combining technology, policy, and
urban planning. Emission standards are a crucial tool for reducing air pollution on both a national
and global level. Countries can cooperate to set and enforce various emission standards to help
create a consistent approach to reducing air pollution for maximum benefit, taking inspiration from
each other’s successful models of emission-reducing policies. International treaties like the Paris
Agreement and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals should be strengthened as well.

The electrification of transportation is a key strategy, with electric vehicles (EVs) offering zero-
emission driving, reducing pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM).
Governments and automakers such as Tesla are investing in EV infrastructure and incentives.
Improving public transportation is another crucial measure; cities like London and New York are
introducing electric buses and expanding metro systems, which reduce private vehicle use and
lower emissions.

Air quality monitoring using IoT sensors and satellites provides real-time data, enabling quick
responses to pollution spikes, such as issuing health alerts or restricting traffic.

1.11 References:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharat_stage_emission_standards
2. https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-solutions/reduce-greenhouse-gases
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1nn9P2A_7A
4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369481484_THE_ENVIRONMENTAL_IMPACT
S_OF_VEHICLE_POLLUTION
5. Pothumsetty, R., & Thomas, M. R. (2020). Bharat Stage IV to VI - Challenges and
Strategies. International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering, 8(5)
6. Gopalakrishna K.R., Textbook of elements of Mechanical Engineering, Subhash
Publications, Bangalore, 2005.