OBJECTIVE

To investigate the Coefficient of Performance (COPR) of a vapour compression

refrigeration system at different cooling load.

THEORY
A refrigeration cycle works to lower and maintain the temperature of a controlled space by
heat transfer from a low to a high temperature region.
Refrigeration duty is another term for the cooling effect of the refrigeration system, which is
the rate of heat being removed from the low temperature region with specified evaporation
and condensation temperatures. The unit for “duty “measurements is in watts (for 1 ton of
refrigeration=3517W)

The Vapor Compression Cycle

Ideal refrigeration system follows the theoretical reversed Carnot Cycle process .In practical
refrigerators, compression and expansion of a gas and vapor mixture presents practical
problems in the compressor and expander. Therefore, in practical refrigeration, compression
usually takes place in the superheated field and a throttling process is substituted for the
isentropic expansion.

The cycle:

1-2 Isentropic compression of vapor, from the evaporating to the condensing pressures.
2-3 Condensation of the high pressure vapor during heat is transferred to the high temperature
region.
3-4 Adiabatic throttling of the condensed vapor from the condensing to the evaporating
pressure
4-1 Evaporating of the low pressure liquid during which heat is absorbed from the low
temperature
source.

Energy Transfers Analysis

1 Compressor
q 1-2 = h2 - h1+w
if compression is adiabatic, q 1-2 = 0, and w =h1-h2
Power requirement, P =m(h1-h2), where m is flow rate of working fluid per unit time.

2 Condenser
q 2-3 =h3-h2+w
w=0, therefore q 2-3 =h3-h2 and rate of heat rejectionQ 2-3 =m(h3-h2)

3 Expansion Valve
q 3-4 =h4-h3+w
w=0, therefore q3-4 =h4-h3 and process is adiabatic,

therefore h4=h3
4.2.4 Evaporator
q 4-1 =h1-h4+w
w=0, therefore q 4-1 =h1-h4 and rate of heat absorbed Q 4-1 =m(h1-h4)

Coefficient of Performance (COP)

COPref = q 4-1 =h1-h4
w h2-h1
 6.0 Result and Data

Table 6.1 Data Summary Table

ST-2 ST-3 ST-4 SP-1 SP-2 SC-1 SW-1

Experiment
Working Fluid
Condenser Cooling Load

Evaporator Heat Load

Time (s)
(oC) (oC) (oC) (bar) (bar) (L/h) (W)

180 41.101 16.365 22.255 9.544 2.288 28.057 481.212

Condenser-water
SC-2 = 5 L/m
evaporator = 50%
Fan

360 42.236 16.264 22.193 9.870 2.282 27.846 479.486

power

540 42.456 16.140 22.079 9.921 2.265 27.283 478.480

720 42.121 16.113 21.937 9.957 2.249 27.175 482.342
900 44.743 16.252 22.151 9.995 2.269 27.345 478.028
at Fan

a 180 43.109 18.579 24.743 10.251 2.521 29.659 490.247

evaporator = 100%

360 43.488 18.877 24.880 10.373 2.566 30.179 492.315

Evaporator-air

power

540 43.570 18.890 24.889 10.411 2.571 29.985 492.708

720 43.645 18.945 24.955 10.439 2.571 30.216 492.484
900 43.770 19.164 25.178 10.474 2.571 30.428 487.687
at

180 45.545 18.308 23.860 10.725 2.434 28.362 486.82

Condenser-air
Fan power at condenser = 100%
evaporator = 50%
Fan

360 45.752 18.338 23.680 10.783 2.423 28.435 490.947

power

540 45.959 18.241 23.536 10.851 2.408 28.574 492.068

720 46.134 18.321 23.567 10.900 2.437 28.067 489.402
900 46.013 18.280 23.578 10.871 2.417 28.568 488.416
at Fan

b 180 47.404 20.411 25.790 11.344 2.687 31.237 487.982

evaporator = 100%

360 47.631 20.615 25.947 11.378 2.700 31.183 497.687

Evaporator-air

power

540 47.864 20.615 26.110 11.429 2.705 31.646 498.745

720 48.080 20.906 26.219 11.490 2.709 31.963 503.916
900 48.281 21.016 26.319 11.528 2.723 31.741 500.908
at
 Table 6.2 Results Summary Table

vref v2 mref h3 h4 (kJ/kg) Qevap COP =

Experiment

Time (s)

(m3/s) (table) (kg/s) = (kJ/kg) (kW) = Qevap /

(x10-6) (m3/kg) vref/v2 mref (h4- [SW-
(x10-3) (x10-3) h3 ) (1/1000)]

180 7.794 1.0084 7.7291 68.6967 2541.5041 19.1113 39.7150

360 7.735 1.0090 7.6660 68.2739 2541.3913 18.9589 39.5401
540 7.578 1.0090 7.5104 67.7547 2541.1838 18.5764 38.8239
720 7.549 1.0090 7.4817 67.6291 2540.9253 18.5044 38.3637
900 7.596 1.0091 7.5275 68.2278 2541.3141 18.6162 38.9438
Average COP 39.0773
a 180 8.239 1.0092 8.1639 77.965 2546.0340 20.1491 41.0998
360 8.383 1.0094 8.3049 79.213 2546.2820 20.4888 41.6172
540 8.329 1.0094 8.2514 79.268 2546.2980 20.3565 41.3155
720 8.393 1.0095 8.3140 79.498 2546.4181 20.5100 41.6459
900 8.452 1.0095 8.3725 80.415 2546.8231 20.6500 42.3426
Average COP 41.6042
180 7.878 0.8908 8.8437 76.951 263.5979 1.6506 3.3906
360 7.899 0.8915 8.8603 76.993 263.5052 1.6526 3.3662
540 7.937 0.8923 8.8950 76.857 263.4259 1.6600 3.3735
720 7.796 0.8929 8.7311 76.969 263.4470 1.6282 3.3269
900 7.936 0.8924 8.7360 76.912 263.4527 1.6296 3.3365
Average COP 3.3587
b 180 8.677 0.8975 9.6680 79.900 264.5740 1.7854 3.5853
360 8.662 0.8983 9.6427 80.187 264.6532 1.7788 3.5741
540 8.791 0.8991 9.7776 80.404 264.7350 1.8023 3.6137
720 8.879 0.9000 9.8656 80.597 264.7900 1.8172 3.6062
900 8.817 0.9007 9.7891 80.753 264.8400 1.8020 3.5974
Average COP 3.5954
Sample of Calculation

This experiment conducted consist of four situations and was run for 900s. Calculation shown
is a sample for Experiment A at t=180s, for fan power at evaporator = 50%.

In order to get the value of volume flow rate, we need to convert the SC-1 value from (L/h) to
(m3/s).

When SC-1 = 28.0.566 L/h;

𝐿 1 𝑚3 1ℎ
28.0566 × × = 7.7935 × 10−6
ℎ 1000 𝐿 3600 𝑠

−6
𝑚3
∴ 𝑣𝑟𝑒𝑓 = 7.7935 × 10
𝑠

Specific volume at the state, 𝑣2 (m3/kg) is referred to the Table A-4 from the Property Table
for Saturated Water. Temperature referred is from ST-2 = 43.238 oC. Thus, we need to
interpolate the value in the table to get the value for 𝑣2 at temperature 43.238 oC.

Temperature (oC) 𝒗𝟐 (m3/kg)

40 0.001008
41.101 𝑣2
45 0.001010
(45 − 41.101) (0.001010 − 𝑣2 )
=
(45 − 40) (0.001010 − 0.001008)

∴ 𝑣2 = 0.0010084

For the refrigerant flow rate, ṁref (kg/s), the value is calculated with formula;

𝑣𝑟𝑒𝑓
ṁ𝑟𝑒𝑓 =
𝑣2

7.7935 × 10−6
ṁ𝑟𝑒𝑓 =
0.0010084

∴ ṁ𝑟𝑒𝑓 = 7.7286 × 10−3 𝑘𝑔/𝑠

In order to calculate the value of Evaporator cooling load, Qevap, the value of enthalpy (h) at
state 3 (evaporation) and 4 (compression) are needed. The values were obtained from the
Property Table A-4 for Saturated Water. The value of h3 is obtained at saturated liquid, hf while
h4 is obtained at saturated vapor, hg. Interpolation is used to find both values.

At ST-3 = 16.365 oC

Temperature (oC) h3
15 62.982
16.365 h3
20 83.915
(20 − 16.365) (83.915 − ℎ3 )
=
(20 − 15) (83.915 − 62.982)

∴ ℎ3 = 68.697 𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔

At ST-4 = 23.0765 oC

Temperature (oC) h4
20 2537.4
22.255 h4
25 2546.5
(25 − 22.255) (2546.5 − ℎ4 )
=
(25 − 20) (2546.5 − 2537.4)

∴ ℎ4 = 2541.504𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔

Calculating evaporator cooling load, Qevap;

𝑄𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑝 = 𝑚𝑟𝑒𝑓 (ℎ4 − ℎ3 )

𝑄𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑝 = 7.7286 × 10−3 (2541.504 − 68.697)

𝑄𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑝 = 19.1113 𝑘𝑊

To calculate the Coefficient of Performance, COP, the formula given is;

𝑄𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑝
𝐶𝑂𝑃 =
1
𝑆𝑊 − 1000

19.1113𝑘
𝐶𝑂𝑃 =
1
481.212 − 1000

∴ 𝐶𝑂𝑃 = 39.7150
Calculating the average of COP;

39.7150 + 39.5401 + 38.8239 + 38.3637 + 38.9438

= 39.0773
5

The calculation for Experiment B is as the same as Experiment A but the value is referred at
Property Table A-11 for Saturated refrigerant-134a.