CLOs of RAC Course

At the end of the course students should know the following CLOs

CLO-1: Applies basic principles of thermodynamics on processes and systems of air-

conditioning. (C3)

CLO-2: Identify the parameters involved in human comfort and health. (C4)

1 CLO-3: Applies the skills gained to estimate the space heating and cooling loads. (C3)
2 Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
Teachers name Asif Khan
Course Code ME-322
Mid term exam 20%
End Term exam 40%
Assignments 6%
Quizes 6%
Attendence 2%
Class Participation +Behaviour 4%
Project (Presentations) 2%
This percentage can be changed after judging the class
 Refrigeration Basics

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4 What is Refrigeration
Refrigeration is the science of producing and maintaining temperature below than
that of surroundings atmosphere in a confined space.
OR
Refrigeration may be defined as the process of achieving and maintaining a
temperature below that of the surroundings, the aim being to cool some product
or space to the required temperature .
Air Conditioning refers to the treatment of air so as to simultaneously control its
temperature, moisture content, cleanliness, odour and circulation, as required by
occupants, a process, or products in the space.
OR
Air Conditioning is the simultaneous control of temperature , humidity, motion and
purity of the atmosphere in confined space.
5 Basics
Refrigeration is the removal of heat from a material or space, so that
its temperature is lower than that of its surroundings.

When refrigerant absorbs the unwanted heat, this raises the

refrigerants temperature (Saturation Temperature) so that it
changes from a liquid to a gas it evaporates. The system then uses
condensation to release the heat and change the refrigerant back
into a liquid. This is called Latent Heat.

This cycle is based on the physical principle, that a liquid extracts

heat from the surrounding area as it expands (boils) into a gas.

To accomplish this, the refrigerant is pumped through a closed

looped pipe system.

The closed looped pipe system stops the refrigerant from becoming
contaminated and controls its stream. The refrigerant will be both a
vapor and a liquid in the loop.
Saturation Temperature can be defined as the temperature of
a liquid, vapor, or a solid, where if any heat is added or removed,
a change of state takes place.
A change of state transfers a large amount
of energy.

At saturation temperature, materials are

sensitive to additions or removal of heat.

Water is an example of how saturation

property of a material, can transfer a large
amount of heat.

Refrigerants use the same principles as ice.

For any given pressure, refrigerants have a
saturation temperature.

If the pressure is low, the saturation

temperature is low. If pressure is high,
saturation temperature is high.
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Sensible heat is related to changes in temperature of a gas or object with no change in phase.

Latent Heat- The heat required to change a liquid to a gas (or the heat that must be
removed from a gas to condense it to a liquid), without any change in temperature.

Heat is a form of energy that is transferred

from one object to another object.

Heat Is a form of energy transferred by a

difference in temperature.

Heat transfer can occur, when there is a

temperature difference between two or
more objects. Heat will only flow from a
warm object to a colder object.

The heat transfer is greatest, when there is

a large temperature difference between
two objects.
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8 Carnot Cycle
 Reversible isothermal expansion of the gas at the "hot temperature, T1 (isothermal
9 heat addition or absorption)

sentropic (reversible adiabatic) expansion of the gas (isentropic work output

Reversible isothermal compression of the gas at the "cold" temperature, T2.

(isothermal heat rejection)

Isentropic compression of the gas (isentropic work input)

10 Reverse Carnot Cycle OR Vapor
Compression Cycle
11
12
The Refrigeration Cycle
There are four main
components in a refrigeration
system:

The Compressor
The Condensing Coil
The Metering Device
The Evaporator

Two different pressures exist in

the refrigeration cycle. The
evaporator or low pressure, in
the "low side" and the
condenser, or high pressure,
in the "high side". These
pressure areas are divided by
the other two components.
On one end, is the metering
device which controls the
refrigerant flow, and on the
other end, is the compressor.

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The Compressor

The compressor is the heart of the

system. The compressor does just
what its name is. It compresses the
low pressure refrigerant vapor from
the evaporator and compresses it
into a high pressure vapor.

The inlet to the compressor is called

the Suction Line. It brings the low
pressure vapor into the compressor.

After the compressor compresses the

refrigerant into a high pressure Vapor,
it removes it to the outlet called the
Discharge Line.

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The Condenser

The Discharge Line leaves the compressor

and runs to the inlet of the condenser.
Because the refrigerant was compressed, it is
a hot high pressure vapor (as pressure goes up
temperature goes up).
The hot vapor enters the condenser and starts
to flow through the tubes.
Cool air is blown across the out side of the
finned tubes of the condenser (usually by a
fan or water with a pump).
Since the air is cooler than the refrigerant,
heat jumps from the tubing to the cooler air
(energy goes from hot to cold latent
heat).
As the heat is removed from the refrigerant, it
reaches its saturated temperature and
starts to flash (change states), into a high
pressure liquid.
The high pressure liquid leaves the condenser
through the liquid line and travels to the
metering device. Sometimes running
through a filter dryer first, to remove any dirt or
foreign particles.
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Metering Devices

Metering devices regulate how

much liquid refrigerant enters
the evaporator .

Common used metering

devices are, small thin copper
tubes referred to as cap
tubes, thermally controller
diaphragm valves called
TXVs (thermal expansion
valves) and single opening
orifices.

Now we have a low pressure,

cooler liquid refrigerant
entering the evaporative coil
(pressure went down so
temperature goes down).

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 Thermal expansion Valves

A very common type of metering device is called a TX

Valve (Thermostatic Expansion Valve). This valve has the
capability of controlling the refrigerant flow. If the load
on the evaporator changes, the valve can respond to
the change and increase or decrease the flow
accordingly.

The TXV has a sensing bulb attached to the outlet of the

evaporator. This bulb senses the suction line temperature
and sends a signal to the TXV allowing it to adjust the flow
rate. This is important because, if not all, the refrigerant in
the evaporator changes state into a gas, there could be
liquid refrigerant content returning to the compressor. This
can be fatal to the compressor. Liquid can not be
compressed and when a compressor tries to compress a
liquid, mechanical failing can happen. The compressor
can suffer mechanical damage in the valves and
bearings. This is called liquid slugging.

Normally TXV's are set to maintain 10 degrees of

superheat. That means that the gas returning to the
compressor is at least 10 degrees away from the risk of
having any liquid.

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 The Evaporator

The evaporator is where the heat is removed from your house ,

business or refrigeration box.
Low pressure liquid leaves the metering device and enters the
evaporator.
Usually, a fan will move warm air from the conditioned space
across the evaporator finned coils.
The cooler refrigerant in the evaporator tubes, absorb the
warm room air. The change of temperature causes the
refrigerant to flash or boil, and changes from a low
pressure liquid to a low pressure cold vapor.
The low pressure vapor is pulled into the compressor and the
cycle starts over.
The amount of heat added to the liquid to make it saturated
and change states is called Super Heat.
One way to charge a system with refrigerant is by super heat.

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 Basic Refrigeration Cycle

Starting at the compressor;

Low pressure vapor refrigerant is compressed and discharged
out of the compressor.
The refrigerant at this point is a high temperature, high pressure,
superheated vapor.
The high pressure refrigerant flows to the condenser by way of
the "Discharge Line".
The condenser changes the high pressure refrigerant from a
high temperature vapor to a low temperature, high pressure
liquid and leaves through the "Liquid Line".
The high pressure refrigerant then flows through a filter dryer to
the Thermal Expansion valve or TXV.
The TXV meters the correct amount of liquid refrigerant into the
evaporator.
As the TXV meters the refrigerant, the high pressure liquid
changes to a low pressure, low temperature, saturated
liquid/vapor.
This saturated liquid/vapor enters the evaporator and is
changed to a low pressure, dry vapor.
The low pressure, dry vapor is then returned to the compressor
in the "Suction line".
The cycle then starts over.

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20
 Terms and Info

21
BTUs - An air conditioner's capacity is measured in British
Thermal Units, or BTUs.
A BTU is the amount of heat required to raise, by one degree,
the temperature of a pound of water.
So if you buy an air conditioner rated at 10,000 BTUs, it has the
ability to cool 10,000 pounds -- about 1,200 gallons -- of water,
one degree in an hour.
Refrigeration is normally measured in Tons. 12,000 BTUs
equal 1 ton.
Latent Heat - Latent Heat is the heat given up or absorbed by
a substance as it changes state.
It is called latent because it is not associated with a change in
temperature.
Each substance has a characteristic latent heat of fusion,
latent heat of vaporization, latent heat of condensation and
latent heat of sublimation.
 Terms and Info

22
Superheated Vapor - Refrigerant vapor is heated above its
saturation temperature.
If a refrigerant is superheated, there is no liquid present.
Superheat is an indication of how full the evaporator is of liquid refrigerant.
High superheat means the evaporator is empty.
Low superheat means the evaporator is full.
Saturation Temperature - Also referred to as the boiling point or
the condensing temperature.
This is the temperature at which a refrigerant will change state from a liquid
to a vapor or vice versa.

Sensible Heat - Heat, that when added or removed, causes a

change in temperature but not in state.
 Terms and Info

23 Sub-Cooling - Sub-cooling is a temperature below saturated pressure-

temperature.
Sub-cooling is a measurement of how much liquid is in the condenser.
In air conditioning, it is important to measure sub-cooling because the
longer the liquid stays in the condenser, the greater the sensible (visible)
heat loss.
Low sub-cooling means that a condenser is empty. High sub-cooling
means that a condenser is full.
Over filling a system, increases pressure due to the liquid filling of a
condenser that shows up as high sub-cooling.
To move the refrigerant from condenser to the liquid line, it must be
pushed down the liquid line to a metering device.
If a pressure drop occurs in the liquid line and the refrigerant has no sub-
cooling, the refrigerant will start to re-vaporize (change state from a liquid
to a vapor) before reaching the metering devise.
24 COP
Ratio of the heat absorbed by the refrigerant while passing through the
evaporator to the work input required to compress the refrigerant in the
compressor.
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