Howdoesbasicrefrigerationcyclework?

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Thebasicrefrigerationcycleforbeginners

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Ifweareinterestedinlearninghowarefrigerationsystemworks,itis
helpfultounderstandfromthePh(PressureEnthalpy)chartperspective.
Itmakesourlifeeasier.
Thisishowtherefrigerationcyclediagramlooks:

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Yeah,itseemscomplicatedatfirst,butitwillbeeasiertounderstand
onceIexplaintherefrigerationcyclediagramsectionbysection.Itis
importanttounderstandthebasicrefrigerationcycle,ithelpusto
comprehendwhatisgoingonwithintheairconditionerunits.
Therefrigerationcycletellsusifthereisairintheairconditionerunits,
whattorepairaftertroubleshootingtherefrigerationsystem,ifthereis
enoughairconditionerFreon,orifthefilterisdirty.
Wecouldknowtheentirethingbyknowingthepressureandtemperature
oftheevaporator,condenser,andcompressor.
Oncewehavefoundthepressureandtemperature,weplotinthePh
chartstodeterminewhatandwheresubcooledandsuperheattakeplace
inthePhcharts.
HereishowaPhchartslooks:

ThePhchartgraphicallyshowswherethephysicalstatesofthesefour
mechanicalcomponentsisandwhatishappeningtotherefrigerantwithin
thesecomponents.
However,firstletsunderstandairconditioningtheory,thebasicprinciple,
typesofheat,howheattransfersandwelldiscusshowthebasic
refrigerationcyclediagramworks.
Airconditioningtheory
Therearetwolawsthataresignificanttounderstandthebasic
refrigerationcycleandairconditioning.
Thermodynamicsfirstlawexplainsthatenergycannotbeneithercreated
nordestroyed,butcanbechangedfromoneformtoanother.
Thermodynamicssecondlawcanhelpusbetterunderstandhowthebasic
refrigerationcycleworks.Onceoftheselawsstatethatheatalwaysflows
fromamaterialatahightemperaturetoamaterialatalow
temperature.
Thisisjustthebasicbtw.Ifwereinteresting,weshouldtake
thermodynamicclass.Welllearnalltheequationandcalculationbehind
it.
AsIhavementionedintheresidentialairconditioningsection,air
conditioning(therefrigerationcycle)isaprocessthatsimplyremoves
heatfromanareathatisnotwantedandtransfersthatheattoanarea
thatmakesnodifference.Theairconditioneritselfdoesnotcreateheat,
itjusttransfersheat.
Forheattotransfer,therehastobeatemperatureandpressure
difference.Intherefrigerationprocesstherearetwosectionswhich
produceapressuredifference:ahighpressure,hightemperaturesection
(condenser)andalowpressure,lowtemperaturesection(evaporator).

Therefrigerationsystemremovesheatfromanareathatislowpressure,
lowtemperature(evaporator)intoanareaofhighpressure,high
temperature(condenser).
Forexample,ifcoldrefrigerant(40F)flowsthroughtheevaporatorand
theairsurroundingevaporatoris75F,thecold40Fwillabsorbtheheat
fromthe75Fspace.Byabsorbingtheheatfromthewarmspace,italso
coolsthespace.
Itthentransfersthatheatstocondenser(highside)throughcompressor.
Ahotrefrigerantfromthecompressorflowstoacoolerlocationthe
condensermedium(airsurroundcondenser)forexample,therefrigerant
willgiveupthehotvaporheatitabsorbsfromtheindoorevaporatorand
becomescoolagainandturnsbacktoliquid.Thisiswhatthesecond
thermodynamicslawstated.
Airconditioningisawaytokeepourhomecomfortablebycontrollingthe
temperature,airmovement,cleanliness,humidity,ordehumidifyforour
comfort.
TomoveheatfromtheevaporatortothecondenserweneedAcFreon,
andothermechanicalcomponents,thereforeweneedtounderstandhow
heattransfers.
Sohowdoesheattransferoccurinthebasicrefrigerationcycle?
Maybewearewonderinghowhot75Fairtransfersitheattocool40F
refrigerant.Well,therearethreemethodsofheattransfer.Theyare
conduction,convection,andradiationoranycombinationofthethree
methods.
Heattransferisthemovementofheatfromsolid,liquidorgasmaterials
toothersolid,liquidandgasmaterials.
Accordingtothesecondlawofthermodynamics,heatalwaysflowsfrom
amaterialatahightemperaturetoamaterialatalowtemperature.For
heattotransfer,therehastobeatemperaturedifferencebetweenthe
twomaterials.

Heattransferbyconductioniswhenweheatacopperpipeto100Fand
grabthathotcopperwithourbarehand(Idontrecommendthatanyone
shoulddothat,itsjustfortheexample).Thatismoleculetomolecule
heattransfer.
Radiationisthetransferofheatinaninvisibleray,forexample,sunray.
Wecannotseeit,butwecanfeelthesunrayhitsourskin.
Convectionisthetransferofheatfromoneplacetoadifferentlocation
bycirculatingitwithafan(forcemovement)ornaturalmovement.
Airconditionerrefrigerantisachemicalsubstancethatairconditioner
unitsusetheserefrigerantsabsorbheatfromlowpressure,low
temperatureevaporatorandcondensingatahigherpressure,high
temperaturecondenser.
TheserefrigerantscouldbeR22,R410a,orR134a.Itdependsonwhat
kindofrefrigeranttheairconditionerunitsaredesignedfor.Refrigerant
canchangestatefromvapor(byabsorbingheat)toliquid(bycondensing
thatheat).
Inresidential,theFreonisR22andR410a.

Basicrefrigerationcycleprinciples:
1. Asrefrigerantinthelatentstateorasvaporrefrigerantinthe
processofchangedstatetoliquid,thisisthephasewhereit
absorbsorrejectslargequantitiesofheat.Thequantitiesofheat
absorbedorrejectedcanbemanagedbycontrollingthepressure
andtemperatureoftherefrigerant.
2. Theboilingpointofclosedsystemliquidcanbecontrolledby
changingthevaporpressureaboveit.
3. Gaugepressureisusedtodeterminethepressureinsidethe

closedrefrigerationcyclesystem.Itsexpressedinpoundsper
squareinchgauge(psig).
4. Heatflowsfromamaterialatahighertemperaturetoamaterial
atlowtemperature.
5. Heatenergyisnotcreatedbutconvertedandtransferred.
HereisPrinciplesofrefrigerationvideo
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Whataretwoformsofheatandwheredoesittakeplaceinbasic
refrigerationcycle?
SensibleHeatwhenchangeintemperaturecanbemeasuredbya
thermometerorwhenweputourhandonanobjectwellfeelheat.That
issensibleheat.
LatentHeatabsorbedorrejectedwhenarefrigerantischangingstate
fromliquidtogas,orviceversahowever,thetemperatureremainsthe
same.Heatisknowntoaddtorefrigerantbutdoesnotregisterina
thermometer,itjustchangedtherefrigerantstate(gastoliquid,orvice
versa).Thisisalsoknownashiddenheat.
Firstlessononhowthebasicrefrigerationcycleworks
TherefrigerationcycleexplainstouswhatishappeningtotheacFreonin
eachofthefourcomponentswithinthecentralairconditioner.Ittellsus
howmuchrefrigeranttheevaporatorabsorbs,therefrigerantproperties
inthecompressor,andhowmuchrefrigerantthecondenserrejects.
Understandingthebasicrefrigerationcyclediagramalsohelpsustofind
subcooled,superheatandtotroubleshootrefrigerationprocessesmuch
easier.
AswecanseeinthePhdiagrambelow.Saturationcurvethiscurve
representswhatstate(vapororliquid)andregion(subcooled,latent
heat,andsuperheat)therefrigerantisin.Italsosplitsintotwosectionsa

saturationliquidlineandasaturationvaporline.

Whatdothesaturatedliquidlineandthesaturatedvaporlineshow
usinthebasicrefrigerationcycle?
Theselinesshowustherefrigeranthasreachedthe100percentpoint.
Forexample,saturatedliquidmeanstherefrigeranthasreached100
percentliquid(point4)andthereisnovapor.Saturatedvapormean
refrigerantis100percentinvaporstate(point3and8).
Theareaontheleftsideofthecurverepresentsthesubcooledliquid
refrigerantregion.Thesubcooledregionisheatremoved(sensibleheat)
aftertherefrigeranthasreachedthe100%saturatedliquidstate.The
saturatedliquidstateinpoint4(Theinterceptbetweenhighpressureline
andsaturationcurve).
Theareaunderthecurverepresentslatentheatoramixtureofvapor
andliquidregion(pointAtoB).Heatthatcausestherefrigerantto
changestate,vaportoliquidorliquidtovapor.
Totheleftofthecenterlinewithinthesaturationcurve,the
refrigerantisinmoreofaliquidstate.
Totherightofthecenterwithinthesaturationcurve,the
refrigerantisinmoreofavaporstate.
Theareatotherightofthecurverepresentsrefrigerantinasuperheated
vaporregion.Superheatisheataddedtotherefrigerantafterithas
reached100%saturatedvaporstate.Pointthreeandeightaresaturation
superheatvapor.
Secondlesson
onhowthebasicrefrigerationcyclework
Inanycentralairconditioningunitwewillhavefivebasicmechanical
components:acompressor,acondenser,anexpansiondevice(metering
device),anevaporatorandarefrigerationcoppertubethatconnects
them.

Inthetypicalsplitairconditioningsystem,thefourbasiccomponentsare
separatedintotwosectionsindoorandoutdoor.

IndoorUnits

OurdoorUnits

airconditionerexpansion
valve

airconditionercondenser

airconditionerevaporator

airconditioningcompressor

Iwillstartthebasicrefrigerationcyclediagramdiscussiononevaporator
sectionfirst.Asweremember,evaporatorandcondenseractasaheat
exchangesintheairconditioningsystem.
Therearetwopressurelinesandtwoheatexchangers.Thelowpressure
lineisanevaporator(itabsorbsheat)andthehighpressurelineisthe
condenser(itrejectsheat).
Thefirstheatexchangethatoccursinthisbasicrefrigerationcycleisthe
evaporator.Theairconditionerevaporatorislocatebetweenpointssix
andoneinthebasicrefrigerationcyclediagram.Theevaporatorisaheat
exchangethatisresponsibleforabsorbingheatfromwhateverplace
(medium)thatneedstobecooledforourdiscussionitsindoor.
Dowerememberthermodynamicssecondlaw?Thislawstatesthatheat
alwaysflowsfromamaterialatahightemperaturetoamaterialatalow
temperature.
Sincetheevaporatorisatalowtemperaturethantheairsurroundingit,
itwillabsorbthesurroundingheatuntiltherefrigerantliquidinsidethe
evaporatorcoilsstartsboilingasresultofabsorbthatheat.
Astheevaporatorrefrigeranthasboiledcompletelytovaporitsnow
saturatedvaporatpoint7.Somecompressorscannotpumpliquidifit
doespumpliquid,itwilldamageit.Thisiswhyweneedtheentireliquid

refrigeranttoboilatpoint7.
After,theentireliquidrefrigerantturnstovaporandpassespoint7.
Superheatoccurs.Superheatisbetweenpoint7and1.
Superheatislifeinsuranceforthecompressor.Itmakessurethe
compressordoesnotpullinliquidrefrigerantfromtheevaporator.
Theairconditionercompressorslocatedbetweenpoints1and2hastwo
importantlines:asuctionline(lowsidepressureandbackpressure)and
dischargepressure(highsidepressure,headpressure).

Thesuctionlineisthelinethatpullsthelowpressureandtemperature
fromtheevaporatorandthedischargelineisthelinethatcompresses
andpushesthatsuperheatvaportothecondenser.
Itscreatesapressuredifferenceintheairconditioningsystembypulling
inlowpressure,lowtemperaturevaporfromtheevaporatorsuctionline
andincreasingittohighpressure,hightemperaturesuperheat.
Thispressuredifferencewhatmakestherefrigerateflowina
refrigerationcycle.Thecompressorisalsoknownastheheartofthe
refrigerationsystem.Thecompressorisknownasthevaporpump.Top
ofForm
Theairconditionercondenserlocatebetweenpoints2and5isaheat
exchangeitrejectsbothsensible(measurable)andlatent(hidden)heat
absorbedbytheindoorevaporatorplusheatofcompressionfromthe
compressor.

Therearethreeimportantstatesthattakeplaceinthecondenserheat
rejection.Thefirststatepoints2and3itdesuperheatorsimplyrejects
hotsuperheatvapor(itremovessensibleheat).
Atpoints3and4thisthestatewhereitrejectssomanysaturatedvapors
heat,itstartschangingphasefromvaportoliquidastherefrigerant
reachespoint4itis100percentsaturatedliquidrefrigerant.
Frompoints4and5itremovessensibleheatfromthesaturatedliquid
refrigerant.Thisiswherewecoulduseathermometerandtellhowmuch
heatithasremovedasmoreheatisremoveditsnowinthesubcooled
region.
Theexpansiondevice(meteringDevice)isnormallyinstalledintheliquid
linebetweencondenserandevaporator(points5and7).Wecannotsee
it,sincethedeviceiswithinacompartment.
Inaregularsplitcentralairconditionerssystemitslocatedindoorswith
orneartheevaporatorcoils.

Thegeneralprinciplebehindanymeteringdeviceisitactsasa
restriction.Wecanseeitinthediagramabove.Itreduceshighpressure,
hightemperaturerefrigerantfromthecondenserliquidlinetolow
pressure,lowtemperaturerefrigerantfortheevaporator.
Whatcausesthetemperaturereducingisduetotherestriction(orifice).
Themeteringdeviceisresponsibleforprovidingthecorrectamountof
refrigerationtotheevaporator.
Theoperationtoameteringismorecomplicatedhowever,the
restrictionistheprinciplebehindeverymeteringdevice.
Checkoutrefrigerationcycleforbeginners.Iexplainedfromasplit
centralairconditioningunitsstandpoint.
Byunderstandinghowthebasicrefrigerationcycleworkwealsoknow
howairconditioningworks.Thebasicprinciplesbehindtherefrigeration
cycleandairconditioningarethesame.
Returntocentralairconditionerandrefrigeration

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