Table of Contents

Abstract;
The purpose of conducting this experiment is to compare the Pressure-Enthalpy Diagram from the actual value and the experimental value. In this experiment, a refrigerator laboratory unit had been used. This experiment shows how the refrigerantis used to cooling the refrigerator and how the heat can be transferred from low temperature region to high temperature region. Total of 6 temperature readings, evaporator and condenser need to be recorded in a table. The experiment is then repeated by using different value of power and the readings will be recorded and tabulated in the table. Results of this experiment will be compared with the value of the actual experiment.

Introduction:
According to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, it stated that it is impossible to transfer the heat from a low temperature region to a high temperature region unless external work is applied. In this experiment, the device that had been used is Refrigerator Laboratory Unit (serial No: R713/23524). This device is divided to few parts which are compresser, condenser, thermal expansion valve which is also known as throttle valve and evaporator.in the compressor, the circulating refrigerant enter compressor in the state of saturated vapor. The vapor then is then compressed to high pressure . Thus, it is also in high temperature. The hot and compressed vapor is also known as superheated vapor. Superheated vapor routed through a condenser where it will be cooled and condensed into liquid by flowing through a tube. Cool water must be flowing across the tubes and the refrigerant reject the heat from the system and rejected heat will be carried away. Next, it will be flowing through an expansion valve where it will undergoes sudden reduction in pressure. This will caused the temperature of the liquid to reduce as well. It is called auto-refrigeration effect. The cold mixture flowed through the tubes in evaporator. In the device, a fan circulates warm air in the enclosed space across the tubes carrying cold refrigerant liquid vapor mixture. A part of the cold refrigerant mixture

evaporated by the warm air. At the same time, circulating air is cooled down to desired temperature. Lastly in the evaporator, the circulating refrigerant absorbs and removes heat which is later rejected in the condenser and transferred by air that used in condenser. In the complete cycle, refrigerant vapor from the evaporator is now again a saturated vapor and it flows back into compressor.

Materials:
1. Refrigeration Laboratory Unit (Serial No: R713/23524) 2. Stop watch

Methods:
For this experiment, refrigeration laboratory unit was used. First, the voltmeter and ammeter were set to desired readings. After setting the voltmeter and ammeter readings, dynamometer has to be fixed at balance position. Start the stop watch for 5 minutes to let the device settle down. Lastly, stop the stop watch after 5 minutes and all the readings of temperature have to be recorded and tabulated in a table for further discussion.

Procedure:
1. The unit started and allowed to stabilize with a refrigeration load of 260W. 2. Readings of the compressor, evaporator, condenser and expansion valve were recorded. 3. Start the stop watch for 5 minutes and readings were taken after 5 minutes. 4. Experiment was repeated by setting 600W of refrigeration load. 5. All the readings were tabulated in a table for further discussion.

Results and Discussions:

VE (V)

A E (I)

PE (W)

Vm (V)

A m (I)

Pm (W)

t1 t2 t3 (C) (C) (C)

t4 t5 (C) (C)

t6 (C)

Evapor ator Pressur e (kN/m)

Condens er Pressure (kN/m)

Cooling Water Flow Control (g/s)

Refrigerant Flow Control (g/s)

100 2.6 260

240

3.6

864

6.6 4.3

59. 8 65. 1

29 32. 5

21. 7 7.7

28.9

31. 3 34. 7

30

775

30

150 4

600

240

3.6

864

28.3

120

925

30

From result above, temperature of T2 is always higher than temperature of T1. This is because T1 is the temperature that before entering the compressor and T2 is the temperature that after entering compressor. In the compressor, liquid will be compressed to high pressure liquid which will caused it become a high temperature liquid as well. Besides this, temperature of T6 is always higher than temperature of t6 as well. This is because that T5 is measured temperature of the water from water inlet whereas T6 is measured temperature for the temperature of the water at the outlet. This happened in when refrigerant was cooled down in condenser. This is because the water from inlet absorbed heat from refrigerant in the system. Thus, it is at higher temperature at outlet since refrigerant transferred heat to the water in the condenser. For the Pressure-enthalpy diagram, line that joining T1 and T2 in experiment no.2 is longer than line joining T1 and T2 in experiment no.1. It shows that there is higher difference between T1 and T2 in experiment no.2. Temperature of superheated vapor in

experiment no.2 is also higher than the first experiment. There is a similarity of this two experiments which is value of T2 both experiments are outside of the curve. The reason of this happen is because the condensation of the vapor happened even before the superheated vapor enter the condenser. In this stage, work will be applied to condense superheated vapor to saturated liquid. When it reaches the condenser, superheated liquid will transfer the heat to the cooling water in the condenser. Thus, it caused the temperature of the cooling water in outlet is higher than temperature of cooling water in inlet. When both diagrams compare with the actual pressure-enthalpy diagram, both experimental diagrams are different with the actual line of joining T1 and T2. The actual diagram has the line joining T1 and T2 inside the curve whereas both of the experimental line of joining T1 and T2 are outside of the curve. These show that the vapor in the device cooled down even before it enters the condenser. Besides that, line of intersection of Pc and T3 of both experiments are fall at outside of the curve as well. Compare to the actual diagram, the line of intersection should be fall on line of the curve. But the line of intersection of the experimental diagram are not fall on the line of the curve because it condense back to compressed liquid after undergoes condensation. There is a major error in these experiments. The error is heat loss during the experiment. Some heat are loss in these experiments. Heat loss are happened during the condensation process that happens in the condenser. It caused the refrigerant back to compressed liquid because it losses excess heat to the cooling water. It happens in both experiment and that is the reason why the line of intersection of Pc and T3 of both experiments are fall outside of the curve. To avoid heat loss happen, cooling water has to be set at higher temperature to prevent it absorbed excessive heat from the refrigerant. Besides that, repeating the experiment for at least 2 times also can minimise the error of these experiments.

Conclusion:
In the conclusion, this experiment is not ideal and the experimental pressure-enthalpy diagrams are different with the actual diagram. It is because there are some heat loss in the experiments. That is impossible to have a zero heat loss in the experiments and it can only be reduced by improving the methods of conducting the experiments. Thus, repeating the experiments are one of the way to minimise the error of the experiment.

References:
na, Chapter 11: Refrigeration Cycles, Scribd, viewed 10th September 2011 <http://www.scribd.com/doc/38658581/Chapter-11-Refrigeration-Cycles>

na, Description of The Vapor-Compression Refrigeration System, Scribd, viewed 11th September 2011 <http://www.scribd.com/doc/48631143/Vapor-compression-cycle> Paknedhad, Maria, Engineering Thermodynamics: Lab Report, viewed 11th September 2011 <http://mariapolis.com/files/Heat_pump_and_Refrigertor.pdf>