WERABE UNIVERSTY

Institute of Technology
Mechanical Engineering Department

11 November 2024 Nur. Jems

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11 November 2024 Nur. Jems

 Chapter two

Vapor compression refrigeration system

Introduction
• A major application area of thermodynamics is refrigeration, which is the
transfer of heat from a lower temperature region to a higher temperature
one. Devices that produce refrigeration are called refrigerators, and the
cycles on which they operate are called refrigeration cycles.
• The most frequently used refrigeration cycle is the vapor-compression
refrigeration cycle in which the refrigerant is vaporized and condensed
alternately and is compressed in the vapor phase.
• Another well-known refrigeration cycle is the gas refrigeration cycle in
which the refrigerant remains in the gaseous phase throughout.
REFRIGERATORS
• We all know from experience that heat flows in the direction of decreasing
temperature, that is, from high-temperature regions to low-temperature ones. This
heat-transfer process occurs in nature without requiring any devices.

• The reverse process, however, cannot occur by itself. The transfer of heat from a
low-temperature region to a high-temperature one requires special devices called
refrigerators. Refrigerators are cyclic devices, and the working fluids used in the
refrigeration cycles are called refrigerants.
Refrigeration effect:
• Refrigeration effect: it the amount of heat absorbed by refrigeration system from space to
be cooled in a given time and its unit is kj/min.

• The cooling capacity of a refrigeration system—that is, the rate of heat removal from the
refrigerated space—is often expressed in terms of tons of refrigeration.

• The capacity of a refrigeration system that can freeze 1 ton (900kg) of liquid water at 0°C
(32°F) into ice at 0°C in 24 h is said to be 1 ton.

𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑐𝑒 × 1𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑛

1𝑇𝑅 =
24 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
335𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔 × 900𝑘𝑔
1𝑇𝑅 = = 12562.5𝑘𝑗/ℎ𝑟 = 211𝑘𝐽/𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 3.5𝑘𝐽/𝑠 = 3.5𝑘𝑊
24 ℎ𝑟
Coefficient Of Performance(cop),
• The performance of refrigerators and heat pumps is expressed in terms of the
coefficient of performance(COP), defined as ‘the ratio of refrigerating effect to
work required to compress the refrigerant’

• Notice that both COPR and COP HP can be greater than 1

THE REVERSED CARNOT CYCLE
• Carnot cycle is a totally reversible cycle that consists of two reversible isothermal and two
isentropic processes. It has the maximum thermal efficiency for given temperature limits,
and it serves as a standard against which actual power cycles can be compared.

• Since it is a reversible cycle, all four processes that comprise the Carnot cycle can be
reversed. Reversing the cycle does also reverse the directions of any heat and work
interactions. The result is a cycle that operates in the counterclockwise direction on a T-s
diagram, which is called the reversed Carnot cycle.

• A refrigerator or heat pump that operates on the reversed Carnot cycle is called a Carnot
refrigerator or a Carnot heat pump.
Working principles of reversed Carnot cycle
• The refrigerant absorbs heat isothermally from a low-temperature source at TL in

the amount of QL (process 1-2), is compressed isentropically to state 3

(temperature rises to TH ), rejects heat isothermally to a high-temperature sink at

TH in the amount of QH (process 3-4), and expands isentropically to state 1

(temperature drops to TL ).

• The refrigerant changes from a saturated vapor state to a saturated liquid state in

the condenser during process 3-4.

 Cont…
• Schematic diagram and Ts
Limitation
• process 2-3 involves the compression of a liquid–vapor mixture, which requires a
compressor that will handle two phases, and process 4-1 involves the expansion of high-
moisture-content refrigerant in a turbine.

• It seems as if these problems could be eliminated by executing the reversed Carnot cycle
outside the saturation region. But in this case we have difficulty in maintaining isothermal
conditions during the heat-absorption and heat-rejection processes.

• Therefore, we conclude that the reversed Carnot cycle cannot be approximated in actual
devices and is not a realistic model for refrigeration cycles. However, the reversed Carnot
cycle can serve as a standard against which actual refrigeration cycles are compared.
Simple Vapour Compression Cycle
• In a simple vapour compression system fundamental processes are
completed in one cycle

• These are:
➢ Compression
➢ Condensation

➢ Expansion

➢ Vapourisation.
The Ideal Vapor-compression Refrigeration Cycle
• Many of the impracticalities associated with the reversed Carnot cycle can be eliminated
by vaporizing the refrigerant completely before it is compressed and by replacing the
turbine with a throttling device, such as an expansion valve or capillary tube. The cycle
that results is called the ideal vapor-compression refrigeration cycle. The vapor-
compression refrigeration cycle is the most widely used cycle for refrigerators, air-
conditioning systems, and heat pumps. It consists of four processes:
• 1-2 Isentropic compression in a compressor

• 2-3 Constant-pressure heat rejection in a condenser

• 3-4 Throttling in an expansion device (isenthalpic process)

• 4-1 Constant-pressure heat absorption in an evaporator

Working principles of ideal VCRC
• In an ideal vapor-compression refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant enters the
compressor at state 1 as saturated vapor and is compressed isentropically to the
condenser pressure. The temperature of the refrigerant increases during this
isentropic compression process to well above the temperature of the surrounding
medium.

• The refrigerant then enters the condenser as superheated vapor at state 2 and
leaves as saturated liquid at state 3 as a result of heat rejection to the
surroundings. The temperature of the refrigerant at this state is still above the
temperature of the surroundings.
• The saturated liquid refrigerant at state 3 is throttled to the evaporator pressure by
passing it through an expansion valve or capillary tube. The temperature of the
refrigerant drops below the temperature of the refrigerated space during this
process.

• The refrigerant enters the evaporator at state 4 as a low-quality saturated mixture,

and it completely evaporates by absorbing heat from the refrigerated space. The
refrigerant leaves the evaporator as saturated vapor and reenters the compressor,
completing the cycle.
•g
• In process 1 to 2

• low P and T vapour isentropically compressed and convert to high P and T vapour and enters to condensor

Process 2 to 3 (condensation in condenser)

refrigerant passes to condenser and reject hest to stmoshere

High P and T vapour convert to high P and T liquid

Process 3 to 4 ( expansion process)

High P and T liquid convert (expand ) to low P and T mixture ( vapour and liquid)

Procee 4 to 1 (evaporation process)

Heat is transferred from refrigerant to evaporator coil

Low P and T mixture is (absorb) heat and converted to low P and T saturated vapour
Energy analysis of VCRS
• All four components associated with the vapor-compression refrigeration cycle are
steady-flow devices, and thus all four processes that make up the cycle can be
analyzed as steady-flow processes.

• The condenser and the evaporator do not involve any work, and the compressor
can be approximated as adiabatic. Then the COPs of refrigerators and heat pumps
operating on the vapor-compression refrigeration cycle can be expressed as
Energy analysis of VCRS

Evaporator ( w=0, qout= 0) only qin

Compressor ( only win is there)

Condensor ( only q out)

Expansion Valve (
Advantages and Disadvantages of VCRS over ARS
Advantage

1. It has smaller size for the given capacity of refrigeration.

2. It has less running cost.

3. It can be employed over a large range of temperatures.

4. The coefficient of performance is quite high.

Disadvantage
1. The initial cost is high

2. The prevention of leakage of the refrigerant is the major problem in vapour

compression system
Actual Vapor-compression Refrigeration Cycle

• An actual vapor-compression refrigeration cycle differs from the ideal one in

several ways, owing mostly to the irreversibilities that occur in various
components. Two common sources of irreversibilities are
➢ fluid friction (causes pressure drops)
➢ heat transfer to or from the surroundings.

• In the ideal cycle, the refrigerant leaves the evaporator and enters the
compressor as saturated vapor. In practice, however, it may not be
possible to control the state of the refrigerant so precisely.

• The COP decreases as a result of irreversibilities.

 Cont…
• The compression process in the ideal cycle is internally reversible

and adiabatic, and thus isentropic. The actual compression

process, however, involves frictional effects, which increase the

entropy, and heat transfer, which may increase or decrease the

entropy, depending on the direction.

• Therefore, the entropy of the refrigerant may increase (process 1-

2) or decrease (process 1-2”) during an actual compression

process, depending on which effects dominate. The compression

process 1-2 may be even more desirable than the isentropic

compression process since the specific volume of the refrigerant

and thus the work input requirement are smaller in this case.
Cont….
• Therefore, the refrigerant should be cooled during the compression process whenever it is
practical and economical to do so.

• In the ideal case, the refrigerant is assumed to leave the condenser as saturated liquid at
the compressor exit pressure. In reality, however, it is unavoidable to have some pressure
drop in the condenser as well as in the lines connecting the condenser to the compressor
and to the throttling valve.

• Also, it is not easy to execute the condensation process with such precision that the
refrigerant is a saturated liquid at the end, and it is undesirable to route the refrigerant to
the throttling valve before the refrigerant is completely condensed. Therefore, the
refrigerant is subcooled somewhat before it enters the throttling valve.
• Schematic and T-s diagram
Tea Brake!
 Refrigerant
• Refrigerant is heat carring mediym which absorb heat from space ( apparatus ) by

evaporating at low T and reject heat to atmhosphere by condensing at a high T.

• Common refrigenat Hence refrigerants such as

➢ Ammonia co2, air R-11, R-12, R-22, R-134a, and R-502 account for over 90 percent of the

market in the United States.

Properties of good refrigerant
• Thermodynamic properties • Chemacial properties
• It should have low boiling point and low
• Non toxic ( not harmfull for human)
freezing point
• Nonflammable ( not explosive)
• It should have high latent heat of vaporization

• Phiscal properties • Non corrosive

• It should have low specific volume

• It must have high thermal conductivity

• It should have low viscocity

 Selecting the Right Refrigerant
• When designing a refrigeration system, there are several refrigerants from which to choose, such as
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), ammonia, hydrocarbons (propane, ethane, ethylene, etc.), carbon dioxide,
air (in the air-conditioning of aircraft), and even water (in applications above the freezing point).

• Ethyl ether was the first commercially used refrigerant in vapor-compression systems in 1850, followed
by 𝑁𝐻3 , 𝐶𝑂2 , 𝑆𝑂2 , 𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑙 , 𝐶𝐻4 , 𝐶4 𝐻10 , 𝐶3 𝐻8 , isobutane, gasoline, and chlorofluorocarbons, among
others.

• The industrial and heavy-commercial sectors were very satisfied with ammonia, and still are, although
ammonia is toxic. The advantages of ammonia over other refrigerants are its low cost, higher COPs (and
thus lower energy cost), more favorable thermodynamic and transport properties and thus higher heat
transfer coefficients (requires smaller and lower-cost heat exchangers), greater detectability in the event
of a leak, and no effect on the ozone layer.
Criteria for Selection Of Right Refrigerant
• Temperatures of the two media (the refrigerated space and the environment) with
which the refrigerant exchanges heat.

• Refrigerant should be being nontoxic, noncorrosive, nonflammable, and

chemically stable; having a high enthalpy of vaporization (minimizes the mass
flow rate); and, of course, being available at low cost.
Innovative Vapor-compression Refrigeration Systems

• The simple vapor-compression refrigeration cycle discussed above is the most

widely used refrigeration cycle, and it is adequate for most refrigeration
applications. The ordinary vapor-compression refrigeration systems are simple,
inexpensive, reliable, and practically maintenance-free
Cont…
• The simple vapor-compression refrigeration cycle is the most widely used refrigeration cycle, and
it is adequate for most refrigeration applications.

• The ordinary vapor-compression refrigeration systems are simple, inexpensive, reliable, and
practically maintenance-free. However, for large industrial applications efficiency, not simplicity,
is the major concern.

• Also, for some applications the simple vapor-compression refrigeration cycle is inadequate and
needs to be modified.

• For moderately and very low temperature applications some innovative refrigeration systems are
used. The following cycles will be discussed:
➢ Cascade refrigeration systems
➢ Multistage compression refrigeration systems
➢ Multipurpose refrigeration systems with a single compressor
➢ Liquefaction of gases
Cascade Refrigeration Systems
• Some industrial applications require moderately low temperatures, and the temperature
range they involve may be too large for a single vapor compression refrigeration cycle to
be practical. A large temperature range also means a large pressure range in the cycle and
a poor performance for a reciprocating compressor. One way of dealing with such
situations is to perform the refrigeration process in stages, that is, to have two or more
refrigeration cycles that operate in series. Such refrigeration cycles are called cascade
refrigeration cycles.

• For two-stage cascade refrigeration cycle the two cycles are connected through the heat
exchanger in the middle, which serves as the evaporator for the topping cycle (cycle A)
and the condenser for the bottoming cycle (cycle B).
Two stage Refrigeration Systems
• For two-stage cascade refrigeration cycle the two cycles are connected through the
heat exchanger in the middle, which serves as the evaporator for the topping cycle
(cycle A) and the condenser for the bottoming cycle (cycle B).

• The compressor work decreases and the amount of heat absorbed from the
refrigerated space increases as a result of cascading. Therefore, cascading
improves the COP of a refrigeration system. Some refrigeration systems use three
or four stages of cascading.
• Schematic diagram and T-s for cascade
Energy analysis of two stage refrigeration system
• Assuming the heat exchanger is well insulated and the kinetic and
potential energies are negligible, the heat transfer from the fluid in the
bottoming cycle should be equal to the heat transfer to the fluid in the
topping cycle. Thus, the ratio of mass flow rates through each cycle
should be
Multistage Compression Refrigeration Systems
• When the fluid used throughout the cascade refrigeration system is the
same, the heat exchanger between the stages can be replaced by a
mixing chamber (called a flash chamber) since it has better heat
transfer characteristics. Such systems are called multistage
compression refrigeration systems.

• In this system, the liquid refrigerant expands in the first expansion

valve to the flash chamber pressure, which is the same as the
compressor interstage pressure.
• A two-stage compression refrigeration system with a flash chamber.
Cont…
• In this system, the liquid refrigerant expands in the first expansion valve to the flash
chamber pressure, which is the same as the compressor interstage pressure. Part of the
liquid vaporizes during this process. This saturated vapor (state 3) is mixed with the
superheated vapor from the low-pressure compressor (state 2), and the mixture enters the
high-pressure compressor at state 9. This is, in essence, a regeneration process. The
saturated liquid (state 7) expands through the second expansion valve into the evaporator,
where it picks up heat from the refrigerated space.

• The compression process in this system resembles a two-stage compression with

intercooling, and the compressor work decreases. Care should be exercised in the
interpretations of the areas on the T-s diagram in this case since the mass flow rates are
different in different parts of the cycle.
Worked Example on ideal VCRS
1. A refrigerator uses refrigerant-134a as the working fluid and operates on an ideal vapor-
compression refrigeration cycle between 0.14 and 0.8 MPa. If the mass flow rate of the
refrigerant is 0.05 kg/s, determine
(a) the rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space 7.18kw

(b) the power input to the compressor, 1.81kw

(c) the rate of heat rejection to the environment, 9 kw

(d) the COP of the refrigerator. 3.97

Implication of answer: this refrigerator removes about 4 units of thermal energy

from the refrigerated space for each unit of electric energy it consumes.
Worked example on actual VCRS
1. Refrigerant-134a enters the compressor of a refrigerator as superheated vapor at
0.14 MPa and 10°C at a rate of 0.05 kg/s and leaves at 0.8 MPa and 50°C. The
refrigerant is cooled in the condenser to 26°C and 0.72 MPa and is throttled to
0.15 MPa. Disregarding any heat transfer and pressure drops in the connecting
lines between the components, determine

(a) the rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space and the

(b) power input to the compressor,

(c) the isentropic efficiency of the compressor

(d) the coefficient of performance of the refrigerator

• Implication

• refrigerant is slightly superheated at the compressor inlet and

subcooled at the condenser exit. Also, the compressor is not isentropic.
As a result, the heat removal rate from the refrigerated space increases
(by 10.4 percent), but the power input to the compressor increases
even more (by 11.6 percent). Consequently, the COP of the
refrigerator decreases from 3.97 to 3.93.
Worked example
• Consider the ideal vapour compression cycle using R-134a as the refrigerant, and
operating with a condenser temperature of 40 °C of and an evaporator temperature
of –20 °C, Calculate the

a. amount of cooling

b. the work (W) input required

c. COP= 2.9
Worked example on Two-Stage Cascade Refrigeration Cycle
• Consider a two-stage cascade refrigeration system operating between the pressure
limits of 0.8 and 0.14 MPa. Each stage operates on an ideal vapor compression
refrigeration cycle with refrigerant-134a as the working fluid. Heat rejection from
the lower cycle to the upper cycle takes place in an adiabatic counterflow heat
exchanger where both streams enter at about 0.32 MPa. If the mass flow rate of
the refrigerant through the upper cycle is 0.05 kg/s, determine (a) the mass flow
rate of the refrigerant through the lower cycle, (b) the rate of heat removal from
the refrigerated space and the power input to the compressor, and (c) the
coefficient of performance of this cascade refrigerator.
11 November 2024 Nure J.
11 November 2024 Nure J.