WHAT TO STUDY FOR THE MECHANICAL PE EXAM

REFRIGERATION TOPICS
Passing the Mechanical PE Exam is a key step in furthering an engineers
career.
One of the most important steps in a mechanical engineer's career is obtaining the
professional engineering (P.E) license. It allows the individual engineer to legally practice
engineering in the state of licensure. This credential can also help to obtain higher
compensation and develop a credible reputation. In order to obtain the P.E. license, the
engineer must first meet the qualifications as required by the state of licensure, including a
certain amount of years of engineering experience, an approved engineering degree or
equivalent and the passing of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
(NCEES) exam.

The Mechanical PE Exam consists of topics from the following three

categories, (1) Thermal & Fluids, (2) Mechanical Systems & Materials and
(3) HVAC & Refrigeration

The Mechanical PE Exam consists of a broad 4-hour morning session that covers all
three categories. The 4-hour afternoon session consists of a depth session on the engineers
pre-selected category. A list of topics for each section is provided by NCEES, shown on the
links below.

Thermal & Fluids Topics

Mechanical Systems & Materials Topics
HVAC & Refrigeration Topics

It is important to review the exam topics presented above. The outlines are separated
into a common morning session and a different detailed afternoon session, depending on the
depth session selected by the engineer. Once you select your afternoon session, print out the
outline and use it as a guide to direct your studying.

Mechanical Engineering PE Exam Technical Study Guides

Gather your references.

Now that you have your outline with the topics that are covered on the exam, the next
step is to gather your references. The following references are those recommended for the
HVAC & Refrigeration outline.

Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual

ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook
ASHRAE Systems and Equipment Handbook
ASHRAE Refrigeration Handbook
ASHRAE Applications Handbook
ASHRAE Codes (not recommended to bring into the exam, just be familiar with it)
NFPA Codes (not recommended to bring into the exam, just be familiar with it)
NCEES Sample Exam

Identify Key Skills and Concepts

Finally, review your references and identify the key skills and concepts necessary for the
P.E. exam. How do you do this? In the P.E. exam guides, the key skills and concepts from each
of the NCEES topics are extracted and placed in an easy to use guide. The key skills and
concepts are identified based on the following criteria

Must be part of an NCEES Exam Topic, not outside of the realm of the Depth
Sessions
Must be testable within 6 minutes, not deeply involved
Must be commonly used in the field of practice, not rare and obscure
Must be the application of a theory, not the theory itself.

Refrigeration Key Skills and Concepts

The criteria presented above were used to extract the recommended items to study for
the Mechanical PE Exam, specifically for the refrigeration topics. These items include general
knowledge of refrigerants, including the relationship between the boiling temperature and
pressure of refrigerants. An important skill is also identified, which is being able to navigate a
pressure enthalpy diagram, specifically with regards to the vapor compression cycle. Also
presented are common calculations like calculating Coefficient of Performance, Net Condenser
Effect, Compressor Work and Net Refrigeration Effect.

Mechanical Engineering PE Exam Technical Study Guides

RECOMMENDED REFRIGERATION TOPICS TO

STUDY FOR THE MECHANICAL PE EXAM
1.0

Refrigerants

1.1

Hydrocarbons ................................................................................................................

1.2

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) ..........................................................................................

1.3

Hydroclulorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) ..............................................................................

1.4

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) ...........................................................................................

1.5

Refrigerant Summary .....................................................................................................

2.0

Boiling Pressure/Temperature ...........................................................................................

3.0

Vapor Compression Cycle .................................................................................................

3.1

Evaporator .....................................................................................................................

3.2

Compressor ...................................................................................................................

3.3

Condenser .....................................................................................................................

3.4

Expansion Device ..........................................................................................................

4.0

Pressure-Enthalpy Diagram...............................................................................................

4.1

Refrigeration Cycle ........................................................................................................

4.1.1 Step 1 Evaporator ........................................................................................................

4.1.2 Step 2 Compressor ......................................................................................................
4.1.3 Step 3 Condenser ........................................................................................................
4.1.4 Step 4 Expansion Device .............................................................................................
4.1.5 Net Refrigeration/Condenser, Work and COP ..............................................................
5.0

Codes & References .........................................................................................................

5.1

ASHRAE 15, Safety Standard for Refrigeration Systems ...............................................

5.2

Montreal Protocol ...........................................................................................................

6.0

Refrigeration Practice Problems ........................................................................................

Mechanical Engineering PE Exam Technical Study Guides

Be able to navigate the Pressure-Enthalpy

diagram and plot the vapor compression
cycle.

Mechanical Engineering PE Exam Technical Study Guides