REFRIGERATION

REFRIGERATION

• Refrigerants – are fluid absorbing heat during

evaporation. They provide a cooling effect during
phase change from liquid to vapor.

• Refrigerants can be classified into 5 main groups:

• Halocarbons
• Hydrocarbons
• Inorganic Compounds
• Azeotropic Mixtures
• Nonazeotropic Mixtures
 HALOCARBONS

• Contains 1 or more of the three halogens chlorine,

fluorine or bromine and are widely used in
refrigeration and air conditioning systems as
refrigerants.

• More commonly known by their trade names such

as Freon, Arcton, Genetron, Isotron and Uron.

• Known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), it has been

commonly used as refrigerants (CFC 11, CFC 113,
CFC115 etc.)
 HALOCARBONS

• CFCs are also used in other industries as aerosols,

foams and solvents

• CFC has negative environmental impact. (ozone

layer depletion, increase in green house gases)

• CFCs are odorless and nontoxic and heavier than

air, as well as dangerous if not handled properly.

• Inhalation is non detectable by human senses.

 HALOCARBONS

• HALONS – compounds consisting of bromine,

fluorine and carbon. Used as fire extinguisher
agents.

• Production was banned in many countries because

of its contribution to ozone depletion

• CARBON TETRACHLORIDE (CCl4) – is a compound

consisting of 1 carbon atom and 4 chlorine atoms
 HALOCARBONS

• CCl4 is widely used as a raw material in industrial

uses (as solvent). Also used as catalyst to deliver
chlorine ions to certain processes

• Its use was ended when it was discovered to be

carcinogenic.

• PERFLUOROCARBONS (PFC) – a compound

consisting of carbon and chlorine. They do not
deplete the ozone but contributes greatly to global
warming.
 HYDROCARBONS

• Hydrocarbons (HC) are compounds that consist

mainly of carbon and hydrogen

• It includes methane, ethane, propane,

cyclopropane, butane and cyclopentane

• They are highly flammable but has some

advantages as refrigerants because they are
inexpensive, have zero ozone depletion potential,
low global warming potential and low toxicity
 HYDROCARBONS

• TYPES OF HC FAMILIES

• HYDROBROMOFLUOROCARBONS (HBFC) – are

compounds that consist of hydrogen, bromine,
fluorine and carbon

• HYDROCHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (HCFC) – consist

of hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine and carbon. They
are tasked to replace CFCs because they have
lesser ozone depleting potential (ODP)
 HYDROCARBONS

• HYDROFLUOROCARBONS (HFC) – consist of

hydrogen, fluorine and carbon. Does not contain
chlorine and bromine and therefore has 0 ODP but
some have high GWP.

• METHYL BROMIDE (CH3Br) – consisting of carbon,

hydrogen and bromine. It is an effective pesticide
and used to fumigate soil and many agricultural
products. Because of bromine, it has an ODP of .6
 HYDROCARBONS

• Methyl Chloroform (CH3CCl3) – compound

consisting of carbon, hydrogen and chlorine. Used
as industrial solvent. OZP is .11.
 INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

• Examples are ammonia, water, air, carbon dioxide

and sulfur dioxide. Ammonia received the greatest
attention and is still being used nowadays

• Ammonia (R-717) / NH3 - colorless gas with strong

pungent odor which may be detected at low
levels. It boils at – 33 degrees Celsius in atmospheric
pressure. It causes different health problems
 INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

• Carbon Dioxide – oldest inorganic refrigerants. It is a

colorless, odorless, non toxic, non flammable and
non explosive refrigerant and can be used in
cascade refrigeration systems and in dry ice
productions as well as food freezing applications

• Air (R – 729) – generally used in aircraft air

conditioning and refrigeration systems. It has a low
COP. In some refrigeration plants it may be used in
the quick freezing of some food products.
 PSYCHROMETRICS

• Is the science of air and water vapor and deals with

properties of moist air.

• It plays a key role in heating and cooling processes,

building insulation, roofing properties and the
stability, deformation and fire resistance of building
materials

• Also plays a crucial role in food preservation

 PSYCHROMETRICS

• Dry air – atmospheric air contains a number of

constituents as well as water vapor along with
miscellaneous components (smoke, pollen, gaseous
pollutants, etc.). Dry air no longer contains these
components

• Moist air – is the basic medium and is defined as a

binary mixture of dry air and water vapor. The
amount of water vapor in moist air varies from
nearly zero (dry air) to a maximum of .02 kg water
vapor per kg dry air under atmospheric conditions
depending on the temperature and pressure.
 PSYCHROMETRICS

• Saturated air – is known as the saturated mixture (air

and water vapor mixture) where the vapor is given
at the saturation temperature and pressure

• Dew point temperature – is the temperature to

which air must be cooled to become saturated with
water vapor.

• Relative humidity – ratio of the mole fraction of

water vapor in the mixture to the mole fraction of
water vapor in a saturated mixture at the same
temperature and pressure.
 PSYCHROMETRICS

• Since water vapor is considered to be an ideal gas

Where: Pv – partial pressure of water vapor

Ps – saturation pressure of vapor at the same
temperature

• Total pressure (P = Pa + Pv)

 PSYCHROMETRICS

• Φ = P1 / P3
 PSYCHROMETRICS

• Humidity Ratio – ratio of the mass of water vapor to

the mass of dry air contained in the mixture at the
same temperature and pressure

• Degree of saturation – ratio of actual humidity ratio

to the humidity ratio of a saturated mixture at the
same temperature and pressure
 PSYCHROMETRICS

• Dry Bulb Temperature – temperature measured by a

dry bulb thermometer directly

• Wet bulb temperature – the bulb is covered by a

wick which is saturated with water. When the wick is
subjected to air flow, some of the water evaporates
lowering the temperature. This temperature is
dependent on the moisture content of the air.
PSYCHROMETRICS
 PSYCHROMETRICS

• Adiabatic Saturation Process – this is the adiabatic

process in which an air and water vapor mixture
with a relative humidity less than 100 % is subjected
to liquid water addition. Some of the water
evaporates into the mixture and makes it saturated,
referring to the 100% relative humidity

• Adiabatic saturation temperature – is the

temperature of a mixture exiting a system that
underwent adiabatic saturation process.
PSYCHROMETRICS
 PSYCHROMETRICS

• Mass balance equation

• Energy balance equation

PSYCHROMETRICS
PSYCHROMETRICS
 PSYCHROMETRIC CHART

• The chart was developed by Richard Mollier in

1900s

• It represents properties of moist air in terms of dry

bulb temperature, wet bulb temperature, relative
humidity, humidity ratio and enthalpy.

• Three of the properties are enough to identify the

state of moist air

• Only valid under atmospheric pressure

PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
 PSYCHROMETRIC CHART

• (a) This process exhibits cooling / heating. Only a

change in sensible heat is encountered
• (b) dehumidification process
 PSYCHROMETRIC CHART

• (c) cooling and dehumidification

• (d) adiabatic humidification at constant wet bulb
temperature
 PSYCHROMETRIC CHART

• (e) chemical dehumidification at constant enthalpy

• (f) mixing process of 2 streams of air
 EXERGY

• Defined as the maximum amount of work which

can be produced by a stream of matter, heat or
work as it comes to equilibrium with a reference
environment (consumed or destroyed due to
irreversibilities)

• It is a measure of the potential of a stream to cause

change, as a consequence of not being stable
relative to the reference environment (state of the
environment must be specified; temperature,
pressure, chemical composition)
 EXERGY

• Exergy analysis is a method that uses the

conservation mass and energy principles together
with SLT

• If a fossil fuel energy source is used for low

temperature thermal applications, there would be
great difference between energy and exergy
efficiencies

• Exergy efficiency permits better matching of energy

source and uses
EXERGY
VAPOR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION
VAPOR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION

• Evaporation – occurs at almost any temperature

and pressure combination. It is the gaseous escape
of molecules from the surface of the liquid and is
accomplished by the absorption of a considerable
quantity of heat without any change in
temperature

• In a refrigeration system, low pressure cool

refrigerant is brought into contact with the matter to
be cooled, absorbs heat, and boils producing low
pressure saturated vapor
VAPOR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION

• Compression – using shaft work, compressor raises

the pressure of the refrigerant vapor obtained from
the evaporator. Raising the pressure adds heat to
the refrigerant increasing the boiling and
condensing temperatures. When it is sufficiently
compressed, its boiling point temperature is higher
than the heat sink’s temperature
VAPOR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION

• Condensation – is the process of changing vapor

into liquid by extracting heat from the high pressure
gaseous refrigerant which carries the heat
absorbed from the evaporator. The condensing
temperature of the refrigerant is higher than that of
the heat sink therefore condensing the high
pressure refrigerant vapor to high pressure
saturated liquid
VAPOR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION

• Expansion – the condensed refrigerant liquid is

returned to the beginning of the next cycle. A
throttling device such as a valve, orifice or capillary
tube for expansion process is used to reduce the
pressure of the refrigerant liquid to the low pressure
level and the boiling temperature of the refrigerant
to below the temperature of the heat source..
Energy losses through this pressure reduction must
be offset by energy input at the compression stage
VAPOR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION
VAPOR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION
 ENERGY ANALYSIS VAPOR
COMPRESSION CYCLE

• COMPRESSOR

• CONDENSER

• EXPANSION

• EVAPORATOR
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
EXERGY ANALYSIS