MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, DESIGN, ART AND TECHNOLOGY

(CEDAT)
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

MEC 4205: AIR CONDITIONING AND REFRIGERATION

COURSE FACILITATOR
Mr. Aggrey Mwesigye
Assistant Lecturer
[email protected]
Room 223 (Old building)
 AIR CONDITIONING AND REFRIGERATION (MEC 4205)
MULTI-STAGE REFRIGERATION
SYSTEMS
Lecture notes compiled from the following textbooks

1.Andrew, D.A., Carl, H.T., Alfred, F.B. (2000). Modern Refrigeration and Air
Conditioning. The Goodheart-Willcox Company Inc.
2.Jones, W.P. (2005). Air Conditioning Engineering (5th Ed.). Butterworth Heinemann
3.Dossat, R.J. (1991). Principles of Refrigeration (3rd Ed.). Prentice Hall, Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey
4.Wilbert, F. S., Jerold W.J. (1982). Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (2 nd Ed.).
McGraw-Hill International Editions
5.Whitman, Johnson, Tomczyk. Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology (5 th
Ed.).
6.Yunus, A.C., Michael A. B. (1998). Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach, (3 rd
Ed.). McGraw-Hill Inc.
 AIR CONDITIONING AND REFRIGERATION (MEC 4205)
REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS
Basic Vapour Compression Refrigeration Systems
- A liquid boils and condenses: – the change between the liquid and
gaseous states – at a temperature which depends on its pressure,
within the limits of its freezing point and critical temperature.
-In boiling it must obtain the latent heat of evaporation and in
condensing the latent heat must be given up again.
- In a vapor compression cycle as the name implies, liquid refrigerants
are used which are alternately evaporated and condensed.
- The cycle makes use of boiling and condensing of a working fluid at
different temperatures and pressures
- Heat is put into the fluid at a lower temperature and pressure and
provides latent heat to make it boil and change to a vapor.
Note: Boiling temperature of a liquid increases with pressure
 Refrigeration Systems
Vapour Compression Refrigeration System
-The vapour is then mechanically compressed to a higher pressure and a
corresponding saturation temperature at which its latent heat can be
rejected so that it changes back to a liquid
-The total cooling effect will be the heat transferred to the working fluid
in the boiling or evaporating vessel.

Figure: Basic VPC Refrigeration System

 Refrigeration Systems
Vapour Compression Cycle (VPC)
- Other components of the vapour compression cycle are added for
efficiency, cost reduction, safety and convenience. They Include:
(a)Auxiliary Components:
- Filter/drier
- Receiver ( Stores excess refrigerant)
- Oil separation ( Separates oil from refrigerant)
- Accumulator (Removes excess liquid from the vapour)
- Moisture indicator
- Guages
(b) Controls
- Thermostat
(c) Electricals
- Motors.
 Refrigeration Systems
Vapour compression refrigeration system

Additional Components
Receiver Condenser
Gauge
Oil Separator
Filter/Dry

Moisture indicator Motor

Expander Compressor

Gauge Gauge
Evaporator
Accumulator

Figure: Additional Components of the Vapor Compression Cycle

 Refrigeration Systems
Vapour compression refrigeration system

Figure: Refrigeration systems

 Refrigeration System
Analysis of the single –stage vapour compression system
(a)The Ideal Cycle (Carnot Refrigeration Cycle or Reversed Carnot Cycle)

3
Condenser 2
PH PH
Expander Compressor T
PL TH 3 2
PL Evaporator

4 1 TL 4 1

S
PH Condensing Pressure
Figure : Pressure
PL Evaporating Basic components T-S Diagram
 Refrigeration Systems
Vapour Compression Cycle Analysis (Reversed Carnot Cycle)
Stage 1-2
-Vapour is compressed isentropically from a low pressure temperature
to a higher pressure
Stage 2-3
-Vapour is passed through a condenser in which it condenses at a
constant pressure. During which the refrigerant rejects heat to another
medium
Stage 3-4
In the expander, the refrigerant expands theoretically isentropically
back to the original low pressure, low temperature
Stage 4-1
At the lower temperature side, a low pressure is maintained allowing
the refrigerant to be vaporized
 Refrigeration Systems
Performance Criteria
- Refrigeration effect
Q4-1 = h1 – h4
This is the heat to be extracted in kJ/kg (should as large as possible)
Refrigeration Capacity is the product of the refrigeration flow rate and
the refrigeration effect in kW
-Compression specific input
W1-2 = h2 – h1
This is the work input per unit flow (Should as low as possible)
Power input into the compressor is the product of the refrigerant mass
flow rate and the work input.
-Heat rejected by the refrigerant
Q2-3 = h2 – h1
 Refrigeration Systems
Performance Criteria
- Net expenditure of work
Wnet = W1-2 – W3-4
Since the expander does not do or take in any work usually Wnet = W1-2
- Coefficient of Performance
This is the measure of how efficient the refrigeration system is
It is given by
Q41 h1  h4 TL
C.O.PR =  
W h2  h1 TH  TL

For a heat pump the coefficient of performance is given as

Q23 h2  h3 TH
 
C.O.PH = W h2  h1 TH  TL ; C.O.PH = C.O.PR + 1
 Refrigeration Systems
Performance Criteria
- Units of Refrigeration
Used to specify the capacity of a refrigerator and is given as TR (Tons of
refrigeration) defined as the amount of refrigeration effect obtained
from 1 ton of ice at 0 0C melting in 24 hours
1T.R = 3.5kW
Example
A Carnot refrigeration cycle using Freon 12 operates between upper
and lower temperatures of 400 C and -100 C, respectively. If the cycle
handles a load 10kW determine;
-The coefficient of performance
- The mass flow rate of the refrigerant
- The power required to drive the compressor
- The work done by the expander
 Refrigeration Systems
Limitations of the Carnot Refrigeration Cycle
From the T-S diagrams compression is done in vapour liquid mixture
which has got several limitations.
-Over working the compressor
-Difficulty in compressing fluids
-The lubricating fluid might mix with the refrigerant which will be
discharged to the evaporator thus reducing the cooling effect at the
evaporator.
 Refrigeration Systems
Modifications of Carnot Refrigeration Cycle
Since the refrigerant entering the compressor is pure saturated vapour
or superheated and the one going back to the evaporator from the
condenser should be totally liquid or sub-cooled liquid this gives many
modifications of the Carnot refrigeration cycle and the expander
replaced by a throttle valve.
PH 2
T P
TH 3 PH 3 2

TL 4 1 PL 4 1

S h
Figure: Typical T-S and P-h diagrams for standard vapour compression cycle
 Refrigeration Systems
Modifications of Carnot Refrigeration Cycle
The modifications ensure
1.Dry compression or super heating
2.Use of throttle valve to ensure constant enthalpy of the refrigerant
entering the evaporator
3.And or Sub-cooling so that as much heat as possible is picked from the
refrigerated space
Analysis of the standard vapour compression cycle
-Refrigeration effect
Q4-1 = h1 - h4
-Compression specific input
W1-2 = h2 - h1
-Heat rejected by the refrigerant
 Refrigeration Systems
Modifications of Carnot Refrigeration Cycle
-Coefficient of performance

Q41 h1  h4
C.O.PR = 
W1 2 h2  h1
. Load Load
-Mass flow ratem  
Re frigeration effect Q41

-Volume of refrigerant
.
. drawn into the compressor is given by
.
V  m v1
-v1 is the suction volume = specific volume of the refrigerant at state 1.
 Refrigeration Systems
Example
- A standard vapour compression cycle developing 50kW of refrigeration using
refrigerant 22 operates with a condensing temperature of 35 0C and an
evaporating temperature of -100 C. Calculate
i.The refrigerating effect in kJ/kg
ii.Mass flow rate of the refrigerant
iii.Power required by the compressor in kW
iv.Coefficient of performance
v.Volume flow rate measured at the compressor suction
 Refrigeration Systems
Actual vapour compression cycle
-The actual vapor compression cycle suffers from inefficiencies
compared with the standard cycle. The essential differences between
the actual and the standard cycle appear in the pressure drops in the
condenser and evaporator, in the sub-cooling of the liquid leaving the
condenser, and in the superheating of the vapor leaving the evaporator.

- The sub-cooling of the liquid in the condenser is a normal

occurrence and serves the desired function of ensuring that 100%
liquid will enter the expansion device.
- Superheating of the vapour usually occurs in the evaporator and is
recommended as a precaution against droplets of liquid being
carried over into the compressor.
- The final difference is that the compression is no longer isentropic
because of the inefficiencies due to friction and other losses
 Refrigeration Systems
Vapour compression cycle with sub-cooling
-The performance of the cycle can be improved by liquid sub-cooling
after condensation, through heat rejection at the high pressure side
before expansion; this decreases the quality of the mixture at inlet to
the evaporator thus increasing the refrigerating effect by the amount of
heat rejected in the sub-cooling process.

Sub-cooler T 2 P
Condenser
4 3 2 2s
3
4 3 2s 2
4
5 1
Evaporator 5 1 5 1

Figure: Sub-cooled vapour compression system with irreversibilities

 Refrigeration Systems
- Isentropic efficiency
h2 s  h1 Isentropic Work
is  
h2  h1 Actual Work

- The common causes of irreversibilities that occur in the compressor

are:
- Fluid friction which causes pressure drops
- Heat transfer to or from the surroundings.
-Isentropic work done on the compressor remains unchanged with sub-
cooling
- Refrigeration effect increases to h1 – h5 , the increase in the
refrigeration effect being h3 – h5
- The heat rejected by the condenser also increases to h2 – h4 by h4 – h3
- h4  h5 and is equal to hf at the sub-cooling temperature or from
 Refrigeration Systems
- Effect of superheating suction vapour
In the basic cycle the vapor is assumed to leave the evaporator and
reach the compressor as a saturated vapor. In an actual cycle however,
the vapor usually becomes superheated before compression.
Super heating also increases the refrigeration effect of the system.

The enthalpy of
T P superheated vapor
is determined by
interpolation

4 1 4 1

S h
Figure: Actual vapor compression cycle with suction vapor super heating
 Refrigeration Systems
Example
- A plant using R717 Ammonia operates between an upper and lower
temperatures of 300 C and -150 C respectively. The refrigerant enters the
compressor as a saturated vapour and is sub-cooled to 18 0 C before entering
the throttle valve. Find
i.The refrigeration effect
ii.Coefficient of performance
iii.What would the result be if Freon 12 were the refrigerant instead of
ammonia? What is your comment.
 Refrigeration Systems
Effect of operating conditions on the practical single vapor compression
systems
- Evaporator pressure (PL)
A decrease in the evaporator pressure leads to:
- Reduction in the refrigeration effect
- Increase of compressor work
- x4 (throttling loss) increases. But the interest would be to have a small
x4 as possible. (x4 is the useless vapor created due to throttling
measured by the quality at 4.
- TH (Discharge temperature) increases. This increased temperature
leads to power loss, safety of compression is compromised and the
compression life is shortened due to wear.
- Condensing pressure (PH )
An increase in condensing pressure leads to:
-Reduction of the refrigeration effect, an increase of compressor work
input, reduced coefficient of performance, an increase in x4 and an
 Refrigeration Systems
Effect of operating conditions on the practical single vapor compression
systems
- Vapour superheating
Leads to:
- an increase in the refrigeration effect, and an increase in the
discharge temperature. Work input to the compressor may or may not
change.
- Liquid sub-cooling
Leads to
- An increase in the refrigeration effect, a reduction in x 4, TH remains
constant so is the compressor work input.
- In order to improve on the performance of the single stage and or multistage
compression systems , there must be a balance between the savings made and
the capital costs to make the investments