FACULTY OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

LAB SHEET

APPLIED THERMODYNAMICS
EME2146
TRIMESTER 2 (2014/2015)

Experiment 1:
Experiment 2:

Refrigeration
Cooling Tower

Note: Students are advised to read through this lab sheet before the experiment.

PROGRAMME OUTCOMES
PO

PO statement

PO1

Acquire and apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering

fundamentals
Acquire technical competence in specialised areas of engineering
discipline to solve complex engineering problems
Identify and analyse complex engineering problems, and formulate
solutions based on fundamental principles of science and engineering
Design solutions for complex engineering problems that meet specified
needs with relevant considerations of their impacts in society
Conduct investigation and research on complex engineering problems in
the chosen field of study
Create, select and apply appropriate techniques, resources, and modern
engineering and IT tools to complex engineering activities
Demonstrate awareness of societal, safety and health, legal, and cultural
issues relevant to professional engineering practice
Understand the importance of sustainability and cost-effectiveness in
design and development of professional engineering solutions, and their
impacts in societal and environmental contexts
Apply and commit to professional ethics and responsibilities of
engineering practice
Communicate effectively in both oral and written contexts

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Function effectively as an individual, and as a member or leader in a

team
Recognise the need for, and acquire the ability to engage in selfimprovement through continuous professional development and lifelong learning
Demonstrate management, leadership and entrepreneurial skills, and
apply these to one's own work, as a member and leader in a team, to
manage projects in multidisciplinary environments

LEARNING OUTCOMES
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LO statement

LO1

Calculate the change in the internal energy, enthalpy, entropy, etc. of a

substance undergoing a change of state by using the appropriate
thermodynamic relations (Cognitive, Level 3- Applying).
Perform availability analysis on thermodynamic systems (Cognitive, Level 4Analyzing).
Apply the basic concepts of non-reacting mixtures in general and air-vapor
mixtures in particular, and apply the principles of psychrometry to the
thermodynamic analyses of cooling towers and air-conditioning systems
(Cognitive, Level 3- Applying).
Understand the basic concepts of combustion, and apply the first and second
laws of thermodynamics to chemically reacting systems (Cognitive, Level 3Applying).
Analyze vapor and gas power cycles, and apply the basic concepts of internal
combustion engines and gas turbines and refrigeration cycles (Cognitive, Level
4- Analyzing).

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LO5

MAPPING OF ASSESSMENTS TO LEARNING OUTCOMES & PROGRAMME OUTCOMES

Experiment 1
Experiment 2

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Experiment 1
Experiment 2

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LO1

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PO9 PO10 PO11

EME2146 Applied Thermodynamics

Trimester 2, 2014/2015
Experiment 1: Refrigeration

Introduction
Domestic refrigerators are commonly used in keeping food fresh, making ice, and etc. The
objective of this experiment is to familiarize us with the operation of a domestic refrigerator.
The basic operation of the unit is as follows. Pumped from a compressor, refrigerant flows
from the compressor through condensers, by which heat has dissipated due to the lower
temperature at the ambient. The refrigerant is cooled, and encounters changing of phase. The
refrigerant then flows through an expansion valve, by which the high pressure has relieved.
Due to the expansion, the temperature of the refrigerant is reduced. The cooled refrigerant
then flows through an evaporator due to the suction from the compressor, by which heat has
absorbed due to the higher temperature inside the freezer compartment. The refrigerant then
flows into the compressor.
A reversed Carnot cycle is used as a refrigeration cycle and its coefficient of performance
(COP) is used as a reference for actual refrigeration system. A reversed Carnot cycle has
isentropic compression and expansion processes and isothermal heat rejection and heat
extraction processes. The impracticalities associated with the reversed Carnot cycle can be
eliminated by vaporizing the refrigerant completely before it is compressed. It is also
practical to replace the turbine with throttling device since there will be very little work
output from the expansion process. The resulting cycle becomes the ideal model for vaporcompression refrigeration system. Refrigerant as saturated vapor at low pressure enters the
compressor and undergoes a reversible adiabatic compression process. Heat is rejected at
constant pressure process at the condenser. The refrigerant exits the condenser as saturated
liquid. An adiabatic expansion process follows, and the refrigerant is then evaporated at
constant pressure to complete the cycle.
The actual refrigeration cycle deviates from the ideal cycle primarily because of pressure
drops associated with fluid flow and heat transfer to or from the surrounding. There is some
drop in pressure as the refrigerant flows through the condenser and the evaporator. During the
compression process, there are irreversibilities due to heat transfer to or from surrounding.
The refrigerant entering the compressor will probably be superheated and the temperature of
the refrigerant leaving the condenser is lower than the saturated temperature. Refrigerating
efficiency is defined as the ratio of the COP of actual refrigeration cycle to the coefficient of
performance of the reversed Carnot cycle.

Running and Stopping the Unit

To run the unit, take the following steps:
1. Turn on the power,
2. Set the freezer compartment temperature,
3. Open all piping valves,
4. Start the compressor.

To stop the unit, take the following steps:

1. Turn off the compressor,
2. Turn off the power.
Note that you should follow the sequences of steps given above.

Data Recording
In this experiment, you are to collect data, in conjunction with the following combination
settings:
- freezer-compartment temperature setting at 0C
- freezer-compartment temperature setting at 5C
Apart from these, you may also require other data, in order to carry out the analyses in the
next section. You may assume the ambient temperature is constant during the experiment.
For each combination setting, record the Amp and Volt readings of the compressor, the
compressor suction and discharge pressure, and the following temperatures:
T1 , the refrigerant temperature at the compressor inlet
T2 , the refrigerant temperature at the compressor outlet
T3 , the refrigerant temperature at the condenser outlet

T4 , the refrigerant temperature at the evaporator inlet

TL , the freezer compartment temperature
TH , the ambient temperature

Results and Discussion

In the laboratory report, you must address the following items:
1. Determine the coefficient of performance of the refrigeration cycle for freezercompartment temperature setting at 5C. In particular, your analyses must include the
comparison with ideal refrigeration cycle and the reversed Carnot cycle.
2. Sketch the T s and p h diagrams of the refrigeration cycle for freezer-compartment
temperature setting at 5C. In particular, your sketches must include the comparison with
ideal refrigeration cycle and the reversed Carnot cycle.
3. Plot the freezer-compartment temperature as a function of time, the freezer-compartment
temperature settings as the parameter. In particular, the freezer compartment temperature
must initialize at 10C.

EME2146 Applied Thermodynamics

Trimester 2, 2014/2015
Experiment 2: Cooling Tower

Introduction
Cooling towers are commonly encountered in power plants, large air-conditioning systems,
etc. The objective of this experiment is to familiarize us with the operation of a cooling
tower. For this purpose, a Prodit water cooling tower unit consisting of a multi-packed
column will be made use of. The basic operation of the unit is as follows. Pumped from a
tank, water flows through a heater, which simulates a heat exchanger in applications, and
reaches the top of the column, by which point its temperature has increased substantially due
to the heat transfer from the heater. The water is atomized, and the resulting droplets fall to
the bottom of the column, at which point the water temperature has dropped as a result of
heat transfer from the droplets to the air inside the column. From the bottom of the column,
the water then returns to the reservoir tank.
The heat transfer between the droplets and air inside the column is both conductive and
convective in nature. Additional cooling of the droplets is contributed by their evaporation.
As the cooling tower is a forced-draft type, there is fan installed at the top of the column a
suction fan, which provides an upward air flow inside the column and, therefore, further
cooling of the droplets. Finally, the column contains a vertical formation of inclined plates.
By slowing down the droplets, this formation increases their retention time inside the column
and, thus, effectively enhances their cooling.
Due to the evaporation of water inside the column, the water level in the tank will drop as the
operation of the cooling tower continues. To prevent this from happening, the water in the
tank will be replenished automatically once it reaches a preset level.

Running and Stopping the Unit

To run the unit, take the following steps:
1. Turn on the power,
2. Start the pump,
3. Start the fan,
4. Start the heater.
To stop the unit, take the following steps:
1. Turn off the heater,
2. Turn off the fan,
3. Turn off the pump,
4. Turn off the power.
Note that you should follow the sequences of steps given above, to avoid overheating.

Data Recording
In this experiment, you are to collect data, in conjunction with the following combination
settings:
- heater setting H1, water-flow-rate setting W1
- heater setting H2, water-flow-rate setting W1
- heater setting H3, water-flow-rate setting W1
- heater setting H1, water-flow-rate setting W2
Apart from these, you also require other combination of settings, in order to carry out the
analyses in the next section.
For each combination setting, record the Amp and Volt readings of the heater, the water flow
rate, the average air velocity at the fan outlet and the following temperatures:
T1 , the water temperature at the tower outlet
T3 , the water temperature at the heater outlet
T5 , the water temperature at the tower inlet
T7 , the water temperature at the tank

T2 , the wet-bulb temperature of air at the column top

T4 , the dry-bulb temperature of air at the column top
T6 , the wet-bulb temperature of air at the column bottom
T8 , the dry-bulb temperature of air at the column bottom

Results and Discussion

In the laboratory report, you must perform the following items:
1. Analyses the mass-conservation on the multi-packed column. In particular, your analyses
must include the rate of droplet evaporation.
2. Analyses the energy-conservation on the multi-packed column and the heater. In particular,
your analyses must address the heat transfer between the droplets and the air.
3. Plot the heat transfer between the droplets and the air as the function of the heater transfer
from the heater, the water-flow-rate as the parameter.