Refrigerator

• A refrigerator works by using a coolant to remove heat

from the food items inside and transfer it to the
surroundings.
• The coolant is first compressed by the compressor, which
heats it up. The hot coolant is then passed through the
condenser coils at the back of the fridge, where the heat is
dissipated.
• The coolant then passes through the expansion valve,
where it expands and becomes a cold gas. This cold gas is
passed through the expansion coils inside the fridge, where
it absorbs heat from the food items and keeps them cold.
To put it simply there are 3 steps by which a
refrigerator or a fridge works:
• Cool refrigerant is passed around food items
kept inside the fridge.
• Refrigerant absorbs heat from the food items.
• Refrigerant transfers the absorbed heat to the
relatively cooler surroundings outside.
• The principle of refrigeration and cooling is very simple: it
involves removing heat from one region and depositing it in
another. When a low-temperature liquid is passed close to
objects that needs to be cool, heat from those objects is
transferred to the liquid, which evaporates and takes away
the heat in the process.
• The gases heat up when compressed and cool down when
they are allowed to expand. That’s why a bicycle pump
feels warm when you use it to pump air into a tire, while
sprayed perfume feels cold.
• The tendency of gases to get hot when they are
compressed and cold when they expand, along with the
help of some refined devices, helps a refrigerator cool the
stuff stored in it.
 Parts of a fridge
• Expansion valve
Also referred to as the flow control device, an
expansion valve controls the flow of the liquid
refrigerant (also known as ‘coolant’) into the
evaporator. It’s actually a very small device that
is sensitive to temperature changes of the
refrigerant.
• Compressor
The compressor consists of a motor that ‘sucks
in’ the refrigerant from the evaporator and
compresses it in a cylinder to make a hot, high-
pressure gas.
• Evaporator
This part cools the material stored in a
refrigerator. It consists of finned tubes (made of
metals with high thermal conductivity to
maximize heat transfer) that absorb heat blown
through a coil by a fan. The evaporator absorbs
heat from the stuff kept inside, and as a result of
this heat, the liquid refrigerant turns into vapor.
• Condenser
The condenser consists of a coiled set of tubes
with external fins and is located at the rear of the
refrigerator. It helps in the liquefaction of the
gaseous refrigerant by absorbing its heat and
subsequently expelling it to the surroundings.
As the heat of the refrigerant is removed, its
temperature drops to condensation temperature,
and it changes its state from vapor to liquid.
• Refrigerants
Also referred to as coolant, it is the liquid that keeps
the refrigeration cycle going. In fact, it is a specially
developed chemical that is capable of alternating
between being a hot gas and a cool liquid.
In the 20th century, fluorocarbons, especially CFCs,
were a common choice as refrigerants. However, they
are being replaced by more environment-friendly
refrigerants such as ammonia, R-290, R-600A, etc.
 Refrigerator function
• The compressor compresses the refrigerant gas. The compressed
gas heats up as it is pressurized.
• The coils on the back of the refrigerator let the hot refrigerant gas
dissipate its heat. The refrigerant gas condenses into liquid at high
pressure.
• The high-pressure liquid flows through the expansion valve.
• The liquid immediately boils and vaporizes, its temperature
dropping to about -25°F, as the cold gas flows through the
expansion coils (inside the refrigerator) it makes the inside cold by
absorbing heat.
• The low pressure refrigerant gas is sucked up by the compressor,
and the cycle repeats.
• The compressor, which is a critical component
of the refrigerator, compresses the refrigerant
gas. As it undergoes high pressure, the gas
heats up. Now, this gas transports to the
condenser coils (thin radiator pipes) located at
the back of the fridge, where the coils help
dissipate its heat so that it becomes cool
enough to condense and convert back into its
liquid phase. Because the heat collected from
the food items is given off to the surroundings
via the condenser, it feels hot to the touch.
• The high pressure liquid now flows through the expansion
valve. Think of the expansion valve as a small hole.
• On one side of the hole is high-pressure refrigerant liquid.
On the other side of the hole is a low-pressure area
(because the compressor is sucking gas out of that side).
After passing through the expansion valve, the liquid
experiences a drop in the pressure. As a result, it becomes
a cool (to the tune of -25°F) gas. When this cool gas flows
through the expansion coils (installed inside the fridge), it
absorbs heat and therefore make the insides of the fridge
cold. This low pressure refrigerant gas is once again
sucked by the compressor, and the whole cycle repeats,
keeping the contents of a refrigerator perpetually cold.
 Vapour Compression System

Its function is to meter the proper amount of the refrigerant to the evaporator and to
reduced the pressure of liquid entering the evaporator Function
so that the liquid
is to will vaporize
remove the vapour in
the evaporator at the desired low temperature and takefrom out sufficient amountand
the evaporator of heat.
to raise
It provides a heat its temperature and through
transfer surface pressure to
which heat can apass pointfrom
such the
that refrigerated
the vapour can
be condensed
space into the vaporizing refrigerant.with available
condensing media.
A hot gas or discharge line
delivers the high pressure high
It conveys low pressure
temperature vapour vapour
fromfrom
the
the discharge
evaporatoroftothe thecompressor
suction inlet to
of the
thecompressor.
condenser.
Function is to provide a heat
transfer surface through which
heat passes from the hot
refrigerant vapour to the
condensing medium.
It is used to provide storage for a
condensed liquid so that a
It carries the liquid refrigerant from the constant supply of liquid is
receiver tank to the refrigerant flow control. available to the evaporator as
required.
Domestic Refrigerator
The low pressure and low temperature
refrigerant vapour is drawn through the suction
line to the compressor.
The accumulator provided between the suction
line and the evaporator collects liquid
refrigerant coming out of the evaporator due to
incomplete evaporation, if any, prevents it from
entering the compressor.
The compressor then compresses the
refrigerant vapour to a high pressure and high
temperature.
The compressed vapour flows through the
discharge line into condenser.
In the condenser, the vapour refrigerant at high
pressure and at high temperature is condensed
to the liquid refrigerant at high pressure and
low temperature.
The high pressure liquid refrigerant then flows
through filter and then enters the capillary
tube.
Domestic Refrigerator
The capillary tube is attached to the suction
line.
The warm refrigerant passing through the
capillary tube gives some of its heat to cold
suction line vapour.
This increases the heat absorbing quality of the
liquid refrigerant slightly and increases the
superheat of vapour entering the compressor
The capillary tube expands the liquid refrigerant
at high pressure to the liquid refrigerant at low
pressure so that a measured quantity of liquid
refrigerant is passed into the evaporator.
In the evaporator, the liquid refrigerant gets
evaporated by absorbing heat from the
container / articles placed in the evaporative
chamber and is sucked back into the
compressor and the cycle is repeated.
Electric Circuit of a Refrigerator

Lamp is OFF when the

door is closed and ON
whenever the door is
opened, to trace the
commodities inside.

Maintains a requisite
temperature
Freezer – 70C to 50C
approx.
Remaining Parts – 70C
to 150C.
Electric Circuit of a Refrigerator

It starts the motor by

putting starting
winding / auxillary
winding of split phase
induction motor across
the supply
It is a protective device
for compressor motor
unit. It operates when
the temperature rises
beyond a certain value
or excessive current
flows in the motor;
under such conditions
the bimetallic strips
disconnects the supply
to motor.
Working of a Refrigerator
When the motor is at rest, it
draws a very heavy current.
When this heavy current flows
through the coil of starting
relay, the coil gets energized
and it pulls up the plunger,
short circuiting the contacts
and connecting the auxiliary
winding to the circuit.
When the motor gains normal
speed, the current through the
relay releases the plunger,
thereby opening the contacts,
and thus the auxiliary winding
gets disconnected from the
circuit.
 Air Conditioning
Air Conditioning: It is the process of controlling and
maintaining the properties of air like temperature,
humidity, purity, direction of flow in a closed space.
Factors
• Temperature Control
• Humidity Control
• Air Movement and Circulation
• Air Filtration, Cleaning and Purification
 Working of an Air Conditioning System
It removes dirt, dust and other impurities
Air is cooled below it’s dew point and the water vapour is removed from the air in the form
of water droplets.

During wet weather the

During dry weather, the spray
relative humidity of air is
type of humidifier is used to
high, and is controlled by
increase the temperature
the heating coil.
The quantity of the air depends upon the load and the dampers control it
The surface temperature of the cooling air is to be maintained below dew point temperature
to accomplish dehumidification.
Window Air Conditioner
• The refrigerant air leaving the compressor is at
high pressure and temperature. It is then
passed through the condenser.
• Outside air is drawn in by the fan and it cools
the refrigerant in the condenser, the
refrigerant becomes liquid.
• The high pressure low temperature liquid of
the refrigerant enters the expansion valve.
• The pressure and temperature of the
refrigerant falls when it leaves the valve.
• The cold refrigerant from the valve passes
through the evaporator facing the room to be
cooled.
• The warm air from the room is drawn in by the
blower.
• The evaporator cools this air, and the liquid
inside the evaporator tube gets vaporized by
absorbing the heat from warm air.
• The cool air is again sent to the room through
the opening at the top of air conditioning unit.
• The liquid and the vapour refrigerant from the
evaporator passes to the compressor and is
compressed to high pressure, high
temperature liquid.
• The cycle is repeated.
Summer Air Conditioning
The outside air flows through the damper, and mixes up with re-circulated air.
The mixed air passes through a filter for removing dirt, dust and other
impurities.
The air now passes through a cooling coil, which has a temperature much
below the required dry bulb temperature of air in the conditioned space.
The cooled air passes through a perforated membrane and loses its moisture in
the condensed form which is collected in a sump. After that, air is made to
pass through a heating coil to heat up the air slightly. This is accomplished for
bringing the air to the designed dry bulb temperature and relative humidity.
Now the conditioned air is supplied to the conditioned space by a fan. From
the conditioned space, a part of the used air is exhausted to atmosphere by the
exhaust fans or ventilators.
The remaining part of the used air, known as re-circulated air, is again
conditioned.
The outside air is sucked and made to mix with the re-circulated air in order to
make up for the loss of conditioned (or used) air through exhaust fans or
ventilators from the conditioned space.
Winter Air Conditioning System
In winter air conditioning, the air is heated which is generally followed by
humidification.
The outside air flows through a damper and mixes up with the re-circulated air
(which is obtained from the conditioned space).
The mixed air passes through a filter to remove dirt, dust, and other impurities.
The air now passes through a preheat coil in order to prevent the possible
freezing of water and to control the evaporation of water in the humidifier.
After that, the air is made to pass through a reheat coil to bring the air to the
designed dry bulb temperature.
Now, the conditioned air is supplied to the conditioned space by a fan. From the
conditioned space, a part of the used air is exhausted to the atmosphere by the
exhaust fans or ventilators.
The remaining part of the used air (known as re-circulated air) is again
conditioned.
The outside air is sucked and made to mix with re-circulated air, in order to make
up for the loss of conditioned (or used) air through exhaust fans or ventilation
from the conditioned space.
Year-Round Air Conditioning System
The year round air conditioning system has equipment for both the summer and
winter air conditioning.
The outside air flows through the damper and mixes up with the re-circulated air
coming from the conditioned space. The mixed air is passed through a filter so as to
remove dirt and dust and other impurities.
In summer, the cooling coil is operated to cool the air to the desired value. The
dehumidification is obtained by operating the cooling coil at a temperature below
than the drew point temperature.
In winter, the cooling coil is made inoperative and the heating coil is operated to heat
the air. The spray type humidifier is also used in the dry season to humidify the air.