Refrigeration Cycles

Introduction

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 Introduction
➢ Continuous consumption of the refrigerating substances means
replenishment is needed from another sources of supply
➢ The temperature obtained by these methods are limited.
➢ Although inefficient for continuous refrigeration, they are
sometimes convenient forms of cooling In the Lab and workshop
and our ‘Owambe’
➢ The nature of the problem suggests a means of refrigeration
which consists of a cycle of processes with the same quantity of
working fluid, called the refrigerant, in continuous circulation.
➢ If the refrigerant receives energy in the cold chamber at a
temperature below that of the surroundings, then this energy
must be rejected before the refrigerant can return to the cold
chamber in its initial state.
10-1
 Introduction
➢ This energy rejection must be carried out at a temperature above
that of the surroundings. The energy at rejection is of a higher
quality, because of its higher temperature, than that received in
the cold chamber.
➢ This energy can be used for heating purposes and refrigerating
plants designed entirely for this purpose are called heat pumps.
➢ The term 'heat pump' is appropriate to the action of the plant
since energy is transferred against the natural temperature
gradient from a low-temperature to a higher one.
➢ It is analogous to the pumping of water from a low level to a
higher one against the natural gradient of gravitational force.
➢ Both actions require an input of energy for their
accomplishment.

10-1
 Introduction
➢ There is no difference in operation between a refrigerator and a
heat pump.
➢ With the refrigerator the important quantity is the energy
removed from the cold chamber called the refrigerating effect,
and with the heat pump it is the energy to be rejected by the
refrigerant for heating purposes.
➢ The machine can be used for both purposes and one particular
domestic unit provides for the cooling of a larder and the heating
of water.
➢ The refrigerating plant chosen depends on the particular
purpose since each application has to meet specific
requirements.

10-1
 Introduction
➢ A number of substances are utilized as refrigerants and most
methods use the refrigerants in the liquid-vapour states.
➢ The choice of a suitable refrigerant depends not only on the
thermodynamic, heat transfer, and chemical properties, but also
on whether the refrigerant is flammable and/or toxic.
➢ Leaks can occur during service and personnel who are involved in
the manufacture of the refrigerant or in the commissioning or
decommissioning of the plant must not be subjected to
poisonous or dangerously inflammable gases.
➢ Unfortunately, it has been discovered that one group of
refrigerants (called CFCs), although non-flammable and non-
toxic, are partly responsible for a thinning of the ozone layer in
the earth's stratosphere leading to an increase in the ultraviolet
radiation reaching the earth's surface from the sun
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 Refrigerator and Heat Pump

10-1
Reversed Heat Engine Cycle

➢ The First Law of Thermodynamics was stated as follows:

➢ When a system undergoes a thermodynamic cycle then the net
heat supplied to the system from its surroundings plus the net
work input to the system from its surroundings is equal to zero.

➢ The figure on the LHS is a Reversed

Heat Engine Cycle, and its effect is to
transfer a quantity of heat Q1, from a
cold temp source T1
➢ The RHEC fulfils the requirement of
the First law of thermodynamics and
when applied to the system
Reversed Heat Engine Cycle
Reversed Heat Engine of a Carnot Cycle

Fig. 2 Reverted heat engine operating on a Carnot cycle

Reversed Heat Engine of a Carnot Cycle
Reversed Heat Engine of a Carnot Cycle
Example 1
Types of Refrigeration cycles
i. Vapour-Compression Cycles

ii. Vapour Absorption cycles

iii. Gas Cycles

Vapour Compression Refrigeration cycles
➢ The most widely used refrigerators and heat pumps are those which use a liquefiable
vapour as the refrigerant.

➢ The evaporation and condensation processes take place when the fluid is receiving and
rejecting the specific enthalpy of vaporization, and these are constant-temperature and
constant-pressure processes.

➢ The resistance to heat transfer during the change of state from liquid to vapour, or from
vapour to liquid, is less than that for the refrigerant in the liquid or gaseous states.

➢ The properties of the various refrigerants must be considered when a selection is to be

made for a particular purpose.

➢ A high specific enthalpy of vaporization at the evaporator temperature means a low

mass flow rate for a given refrigerating effect.
 Modification of the reversed Carnot cycle
➢ Practical considerations have led to several modifications to the ideal cycle , using a
vapour as the working fluid. These will be considered in turn

1. Replacement of the expansion engine by a throttle valve

1. Replacement of the expansion engine by a throttle valve

Fig. 3 Reversed Cycle using a Throttle valve.

 2. Conditions at the compressor inlet
➢ In order to make complete use of the specific enthalpy of vaporization of the refrigerant
in the evaporator it is desirable to continue the process until the vapour is dry saturated.
➢ In a practical unit this process is extended to give the vapour a definite amount of
superheat as it leaves the evaporator.
➢ This is really undesirable, since the work to be done by the compressor is increased, as
will be shown later.

➢ It is a practical necessity to allow the refrigerant to become superheated in this way in

order to prevent the carry-over of liquid refrigerant into the compressor, where it
interferes with the lubrication.

➢ The amount of superheat should be kept to a minimum.

➢ The compression process under these conditions is shown in Fig. 4 and it is seen that the
isentropic compression takes the refrigerant well into the superheat region.

➢ Heat rejection cannot be at constant temperature, and this represents another

departure from the ideal reversed Carnot cycle.
2. Conditions at the compressor inlet

Fig. 4 Condition of the refrigerant at the compressor inlet

 3. Undercooling of the condensed vapour
➢ The condensed vapour can be cooled at constant pressure to a temperature below that
of the saturation temperature corresponding to the condenser pressure.

➢ This effect is shown in Fig. 5, in which the constant-pressure line is shown further from
the liquid line than it would actually appear, in order to illustrate the point. The efect of
undercooling si to move the line 3-4, representing the throttling process, to the left on
the diagram.

➢ The result of this is that the refrigerating effect in process 4-1 is increased.

➢ The amount of undercooling is limited by the temperature of the cooling water and the
essential temperature difference required for the transfer of heat.
3. Undercooling of the condensed vapour

Fig. 5 T-s diagram of reversed cycle with undercooling in the condenser

Example 2
Example 2
Example 2
Example 2
Refrigerating Load
➢ It was established that the most important quantity in refrigerator
application is the amount of heat which must be transferred per unit time
from the cold chamber.
➢ This is known as the refrigeration capacity.
➢ The rating of a refrigeration machine is obtained by refrigerating effect or
amount of heat extracted in a given time from a body. The rating of the
refrigeration machine is given by a unit of refrigeration known as
‘‘standard commercial tonne of refrigeration’’ which is defined as the
refrigerating effect produced by the melting of 1 tonne of ice from and at
0°C in 24 hours.
➢ Since the LHF of ice is 336 kJ/kg, the refrigerating effect of 336 × 1000
kJ in 24 hrs is rated as one tonne, i.e.,
336 |∗1000
➢ 1 tonne of refrigeration (TR) = = 14000 kJhr −1
24
➢ The refrigeration capacity decides the mass flow rate ofa given refrigerant
when working under specified conditions, i.e.
ሶ capacity
refrigeration
Mass flow rate of refrigerant, =
refrigeration effect per unit mass
Compressor Type
➢ Both Centrifugal and positive displacement compressors are used in
refrigeration plant.
➢ The volume flow rate of the refrigerant drawn into the compressor is
given by:
𝑽ሶ = 𝒎𝒗
ሶ
Where v = specific volume of the refrigerant at entry to the compressor
➢ If the compressor is of the reciprocating type with a volumetric efficiency
𝜂𝑣 , the volumetric efficincy is given by:

𝑽ሶ ሶ
𝒎𝒗
𝑽𝒔 = = , for a single acting pump
𝒏𝑵𝜼𝒗 𝒏𝑵𝜼𝒗

Vs =swept volume, n = number of cylinders, N = rotational speed

𝑽ሶ ሶ
𝒎𝒗
𝑽𝒔 = = , for a double − acting pump
𝟐𝒏𝑵𝜼𝒗 𝟐𝒏𝑵𝜼𝒗
Exercise
➢ An ammonia vapour-compression refrigerator operates between an
evaporator pressure of 2.077 bar and a condenser pressure of 12.37
bar. The following cycles are to be compared; in each case there is no
undercooling in the condenser, and isentropic compression may be
assumed:
i. the vapour has a dryness fraction of 0.9 at entry to the compressor;
ii. the vapour is dry saturated at entry to the compressor;
iii. the vapour has 5 K of superheat at entry to the compressor.In each
case calculate the 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐟 and the refrigerating effect per unit mass.
What would be the 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐟 of a reversed Carnot cycle operating
between the same saturation temperatures?
The use of Flash Chamber
Assignment
1. A heat pump using ammonia as the refrigerant operates
between saturation temperatures of 6 and 38 °C. The refrigerant
is compressed isentropically from dry saturation and there is 6 K
of undercooling in the condenser. Calculate:
i. the 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝒉𝒑 .
ii. The mass flow of refrigerant per unit mass
iii. The heat available per kilowatt power input

14.4, 14.5, 14.7, 14.10 and 14.11