E233 – Thermofluids

P08

Refrigeration & Heat Pump Cycles

E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering

 Motivation …..
Clausius statement of the Second Law of Thermodynamics
states that:

“Heat does not move spontaneously from cold to

hot bodies”.
But there are devices, such as refrigerators and air-conditioners,
that do move heat from cold to hot spaces. For example, a
refrigerator absorbs heat from its interior compartment (to cool
the food) and rejects this heat to the surroundings (the kitchen).
An air-conditioner removes heat from a living room and rejects it
outdoors. Neither the refrigerator nor the air-conditioner operates
spontaneously. Work, in the form of electricity, have to be added
to power the devices.

E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering

 Refrigerator ‐ Revisited
A refrigerator (R) removes heat QL (the
desired output) from a space, at
temperature TL, to be refrigerated and
rejects heat QH ( a necessary part of the
operation) to a warm environment at TH.
This transfer of heat is made possible by
doing work Wnet,in on the refrigerator. The
performance criterion of refrigerator is
coefficient of performance (COP)
expressed as,
Desired output QL
COPR = =
Required input Wnet,in
E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering
 Heat Pump ‐ Revisited
If the refrigerator is used to provide QH
(the desired output) to maintain a warm
heated space at TH, it is called the heat
pump. The performance criterion of heat
pump is coefficient of performance
(COP) expressed as,
Desired output QH
COPH = =
Required input Wnet,in
Refrigerator and heat pump is the same
device; they differ in their desired output, QL and
QH, respectively. COPH and COPR are related by
the equation: COPH = COPR + 1
E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering
 Ideal Vapour‐Compression Refrigeration Cycle
The Ideal Vapour-Compression Refrigeration Cycle is the widely
used cycle for refrigerators, air-conditioning systems & heat pumps.
The cycle consists of four main processes:
1-2 Isentropic compression
2-3 Constant-pressure heat rejection
3-4 Throttling in an expansion device
4-1 Constant-pressure heat absorption
Its operations are commonly represented
on a p-h or T-s diagram.

E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering

 Refrigeration Cycle Processes, T‐s & p‐h Diagrams
Process Activity
1-2 Dry saturated refrigerant at state 1 enters the
compressor and is compressed isentropically
to the condenser pressure at state 2. The
compressor work input to the cycle is Win.
2-3 Superheated refrigerant at state 2 enters the
condenser and is condensed at constant
pressure to saturated liquid at state 3. Heat
QH is rejected from the cycle by the
condenser to a WARM environment.
3-4 Saturated refrigerant at state 3 is throttled in
an expansion device (throttling valve) at
constant enthalpy, h3=h4, to the evaporator
pressure at state 4.
4-1 Wet refrigerant at state 4 enters the
evaporator where the heat QL needed to
evaporate the refrigerant is absorbed from a
COLD space.

E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering

 A Note on Throttling
A flow of fluid is said to be throttled when there is some
restriction to the flow, when the velocities before and after
the restriction are either equal or negligibly small, and
when there is a negligible heat loss to the surroundings.
The restriction to flow can be a partly open valve, an orifice
or any other sudden reduction in the cross-section of the
flow.
An example of throttling is
illustrated in the figure on
the left. The fluid, flowing
steadily and adiabatically
in a pipe, passes through
an orifice at section X-X.
E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering
 A Note on Throttling (cont’d)
The steady flow energy equation can be applied between
sections 1-1 and 2-2.
2 2
C C2
q + h1 + = w + h2 +
1

2 2
Since q = 0, w = 0 and ∆C = 0, therefore,
h1 =h2
Therefore, for a throttling process, the enthalpy initially is
equal to the enthalpy finally.
For a perfect gas, h=cpT, therefore, cpT1= cpT2 or T1=T2. For
throttling of a perfect gas, therefore, the temperature
initially equals the temperature finally.
Throttling is an inexpensive process but it is highly irreversible
E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering
 Cycle Analysis
The four components associated with the vapour-
compression refrigeration cycle are steady-flow
devices, and thus all four processes that make up
the cycle can be analysed as steady-flow
processes. Changes in KE and PE are usually
small relative to Win, QH or QL, and therefore they
can be neglected.
w in = h2 - h1; qH = h2 - h3 ; qL = h1 - h4
where h1 = hg@p1 and h3 = hf@p3
qL h1 -h4
COPR = =
w in h2 -h1
qH h2 -h3
COPHP = =
w in h2 -h1
E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering
 Worked Example on Ideal Refrigerator
A refrigerator operates on the ideal vapour-
compression refrigeration cycle with R-134a as
the working fluid between the pressure limit of 120
and 800 kPa. If the rate of heat removal from the
refrigerated space is 32 kJ/s, find the mass flow
rate of the refrigerant.
h1 = hg@120kPa = 236.97 kJ/kg
h3 = hf@800kPa = 95.47 kJ/kg
& ( h1 - h4 ) = m
QL = m & ( h1 - h3 )
800 kPa
32 kJs
& =
m
120 kPa ( 236.97 - 95.47 ) kgkJ
= 0.226 kg/s
E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering
 Worked Example on Ideal Heat Pump
A heat pump operates on the ideal
vapour-compression refrigeration cycle
with R-134a as the working fluid between
the pressure limits of 0.32 and 1.2 MPa.
If the mass flow rate of the refrigerant is
0.193 kg/s, find the heat supply by the
heat pump.

p1 = 320 kPa, s1 = sg@320kPa = 0.93006 kJ/kg

{1.2 MPa & s2 = s1 = 0.93006 kJ/kg}
⇒ h2 = 278.38 kJ/kg
1.2 MPa
h3 = [email protected] = 117.77 kJ/kg
0.32 MPa & ( h2 - h3 ) = 0.193 ( 278.38 -117.77 )
QH = m
= 31 kW
E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering
 Applications ‐ A Household Refrigerator
A household refrigerator operates on the ideal
vapour-compression refrigeration cycle.

T
2

3 QH
Win

4s 4 QL 1
s

E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering

 Applications ‐ A  Car Air‐Conditioning System

A car air-conditioning system

operates on the ideal vapour-
compression refrigeration cycle.
T
2

3 QH
Win

4s 4 QL 1
s

E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering

 More Applications – A Residential Air‐Conditioning System

1 Compressor
2 Condenser coils
3 Fan
4 Filter/drier
5 Throttling valve
6 Evaporator
7 Blower

E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering

 Refrigerator – Cooling of a House
T
2

QH
3
Win

4s 4 QL 1
s

E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering

 Heat Pump – Warming of a House
T
2

QH
3
Win

4s 4 QL 1
s

E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering

 Combined Refrigeration & Heat Pump Cycle
Heat for hot water system,
food processing, textile &
Food for thought ……. T
pharmaceutical industries.
2
and what is your choice? 2
QH
3
Win
qL
As a Refrigerator, COPR =
w in 1
4s 4 QL
qH s
As an Heat Pump, COPHP =
w in Heat removed from spaces
to be cooled or refrigerated

qL + qH (h1 - h4 ) + (h2 - h3 )
As a Combined Cycle, COPR+HP = =
w in h2 - h1
E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering
 A Note on Working Fluids for Refrigeration Systems

Classes of chlorine-containing CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons),

such as Refrigerant 12 (CCL2F2), commonly known as
Freon, were used as working fluids for refrigeration systems
up to early 1990s. However, owing to concern about the
effects of such chlorine-containing refrigerants on the
earth’s protective ozone layer, international agreements now
have been implemented that have phased out the use of
CFCs. One class of refrigerants in which hydrogen atoms
replace the chlorine atoms, called HFCs, contains no
chlorine and is considered to be an environmentally
acceptable substitude for CFCs. The HFC Refrigerant 134a
(CF3CH2F) has replaced Refrigerant 12 in many
refrigeration and heat pump applications.

E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering

 What have you learned?
1. Ideal vapour-compression refrigeration
cycle:
• Processes
• T-s and p-h diagrams
2. Cycle analysis of refrigeration and heat
pump systems:
• COPR and COPHP
3. Applications of ideal vapour-compression
refrigeration cycle
4. Use of Property Tables.

E233 Thermofluid, School of Engineering