Experiment No.

TITLE: Calculations of Refrigerating Capacity, Compressor Power, Amount of Heat

Rejected and COP of the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Training Unit

OBJECTIVES:

1. To be able to compute the refrigerant flow rate in kg/s.

2. To calculate the refrigerating capacity, compressor power and amount of heat
removed in the condenser.
3. To learn how to get and COP of the trainer.

APPARATUS: Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Trainer, Leak Tester, Thermometer,

Pressure Gauge and Flow Meter. (Provide detailed pictures of the above equipment).

Figure 1: REF AND AIR CON TRAINER

 Figure 2: FLOW METER

Figure 3: PRESSURE GAUGES (LOW SIDE AND HIGH SIDE)

 Figure 4: CONDENSER (LEFT) & EVAPORATOR (RIGHT)

Figure 5: COMPRESSOR (LEFT) & EXPANSION DEVICE (RIGHT)

Figure 6: LEAK TESTER

 Figure 7: THERMOMETER

THEORY:

Refrigeration is technology which makes a major contribution to humanity in

many ways including food preservation, control of indoor air quality, gas liquefaction,
industrial process control, production of food and drink and computer cooling. Without
refrigeration, modern life would be impossible. About 15% of the world’s electricity is
used to drive refrigerating and air-conditioning systems. Inefficient use of energy is a
waste of valuable resource and contributes to global warming.

Refrigeration is the process of extracting heat from a space or a material and

rejecting that heat -typically-to the surroundings. The devices that produce refrigeration
are refrigerators and heat pumps. The most common refrigeration cycle is the vapor
compression refrigeration cycle in which the refrigerant is vaporized, condensed and
compressed.

It is well known that heat flows from the direction of decreasing temperatures.
This heat transfer process occurs in nature without the need of any device. The reverse
process, however, cannot take place without energy input. The transfer of heat from a
low temperature space to a higher temperature one requires the use of refrigeration
devices.

The coefficient of performance (COP) is a measure of the efficiency of

refrigerators and heat pumps. The definition of the coefficient of performance is the
desired output over the required input. It is defined as:
For a refrigerator
 COPrefrigerator = QL / Wnet,in

For a heat pump :

COPheat pump = QH / Wnet,in
where QL is the cooling effect or the desired output for the refrigerator ,Q H is the heating
effect or the desired output for the heat pump, and W net,in is the work input or the
required input.

PROCEDURE:

Before each training unit test, the following must be observed strictly:

1. Close all valves before installing the connectors.

2. Firmly attach the connectors in their respective points as shown in the manual.

3. Place the electrical wirings (color coded) in their proper locations.

4. Check again all connections. Be sure all connectors are firmly attached.

5. Open all the valves.

6. Check if there is a leak using the refrigerant leak test.

7. Start the trainer by pushing the power start button.

8. Read the temperature at all points of the trainer. Consider point 1 as the intake
point of the compressor.

9. Determine also the intake and discharge pressure of the compressor.

10. Get the reading of the flow meter.

REPORT:

1. Using the PH diagram of R134A, plot all the readings obtained and
determine the following: (a) mass flow rate of refrigerant in kg/s; (b)
enthalpy at all points; (c) refrigerating capacity, Watts; (d) and amount of
heat rejected in the condenser, Watts.

PH Diagram

P 3
2

x 1
4

a. MR

Ṽ3 = 5x10-7 m3/s

Ṽ3 = M R Ṿ3

Ṿ3 = Ṿf@23.5 = 0.0008 m3/kg

5x10-7 m3/s = MR (0.0008 m3/kg)

MR = 6.25x10-4 kg/s

b. h1, h2, h3, ha, hx, and h4

h1 ≈hg@31.6C= 415.9 kJ/kg

h3 = h4 = hf@23.5C 232.5 kJ/kg

h2 ≈ 441 kJ/kg

ha = hg@26.7C = 413.45 kJ/kg

hx ≈ 385 kJ/kg
 c. QA

QA= MR (hx-h4)

QA = (6.25x10-4 kg/s) (385-232.5) kJ/kg

QA = 0.0953125 kW

QA = 95.3125 Watts

d. QR

QR= MR (h2-h3)

QR = (6.25x10-4 kg/s) (441-232.5) kJ/kg

QR = 0.1303125 kW

QR = 130.3125 Watts

2. Compute the COP of the trainer.

Ref Cap
COP=
Compressor Cap

Ref Cap=h x −h4

hx −h4
COP=
h2−h1

385−232.5
COP=
441−415.9

COP=6.07
3. How do you improve the COP? Explain each method briefly.
a. Superheating the vapor refrigerant leaving the evaporator, or sub-
cooling the liquid refrigerant leaving the condenser, or doing both.

-When sub-cooled liquid refrigerant at high pressure expands through

the expansion valve, the pressure and thus the saturation temperature
decrease. The amount of flash gas formed after the expansion valve
decreases with the level of sub-cooling and the evaporator inlet
pressure. The mixture of liquid and gas from the expansion valve
enters the evaporator and starts to boil, because heat is transferred
from the warmer secondary fluid. The evaporating refrigerant absorbs
energy from the secondary fluid, whose temperature is reduced. After
full evaporation, when 100% of the refrigerant has become saturated
vapor, then the vapor will become superheated. The refrigerant flow
leaving the evaporator will be 100% superheated vapor.

b. Liquid to suction heat exchanger (LSHX)

-LSHX improve the COP by subcooling liquid refrigerant leaving the

condenser by the refrigerant leaving the evaporator to prevent flash
gas formation at inlets to expansion devices.
-By fully evaporating any residual liquid that may remain in the liquid-
suction prior to reaching the compressor(s).

c. Two stage compression w/ liquid intercooling

- Intercooling using liquid refrigerant from condenser in the flash tank
may or may not reduce the power input to the system, as it
depends upon the nature of the refrigerant. This is due to the fact
that the heat rejected by the refrigerant during intercooling
generates additional vapour in the flash tank, which has to be
compressed by the high stage compressor.
o -Improve the COP by decreasing the power required to
power the refrigeration system by taking some heat by liquid
intercooling between two compressors.

d. Two stage compression w/ flash tank intercooling

-this is like a combination of Two stage compression w/ liquid

intercooling and LSHX by sub-cooling the refrigerant before expanding
in evaporator and taking some heat after the first compressor.
4. Compute the power requirement of the compressor using the refrigerant
flow rate and enthalpy readings. Compare the result to the kW reading
from the data. Explain why there is a difference.

TP= Mr(h2-h1)
TP= 6.25x10-4 (441-415.9)
TP= 0.0156875 kW
TP
Ŋ=
BP
0.0156875
Ŋ=
0.08
Ŋ= 0.19609375 or 19.61%

- The difference of reading from data and computed due to the

mechanical friction and compression lost,

5. A refrigerant 22 vapor compression system includes a liquid-to-suction

heat exchanger in the system. The heat exchanger warms saturated
vapour coming from the evaporator from -10 to 5 deg C with liquid which
comes from the condenser at 30 deg C. Calculate:
a. COP of the system if operating at simple saturation cycle,
b. COP of the system with the LSHX,
c. If the compressor is capable of pumping 12 liters/sec measured at the
compressor suction, what is the refrigerating capacity in kW without the
LSHX?
d. With the same compressor capacity as in (c), what is the refrigeration
capacity of the system with the LSHX?

a. COP of the system if operating at simple saturation cycle.

h3 = h4 = hf@30C = 236.664 kJ/kg

h1 = hg@-10C = 401.555 kJ/kg

 h2 ≈ 433 kJ/kg

h 1−h 4
COP =
h 2−h 1

( 401.555−236.664 ) kJ /kg
COP =
( 433−401.555 ) kJ /kg

COP = 5.24

b. COP of the system with the LSHX.

h3 = hf@30C = 236.664 kJ/kg

h1 = hg@-10C = 401.555 kJ/kg

ha ≈ 412 kJ/kg

h2 ≈ 444 kJ/kg

h4 = hb

Qa = Qb

MR(ha-h1) = MR(h3-hb)

(ha-h1) = (h3-hb)

(412-401.555) kJ/kg = (236.664-hb) kJ/kg

hb = h4 = 226.219 kJ/kg

h 1−h 4
COP =
h 2−h a

( 401.555−226.219 ) kJ /kg
COP =
( 444−412 ) kJ /kg

COP = 5.479

c. If the compressor is capable of pumping 12 liters/sec measured at the

compressor suction, what is the refrigerating capacity in kW without the
LSHX?

Ṽ1 = 12 L/s

Ṽ1 = M R Ṿ1
 Ṿ1 = Ṿg@-10C = 65.3399 L/kg

12 L/s = MR (65.3399 L/kg)

MR = 0.1837 kg/s

TP= MR (h2-h1)

TP= (0.1837 kg/s) (433-401.555) kJ/kg

TP 5.776 Kw

d. With the same compressor capacity as in (c), what is the refrigeration capacity
of the system with the LSHX?

Ṽ1 = 12 L/s

Ṽa = M R Ṿ

Ṿa = Ṿg@5C ≈ 0.071 m3/kg (1000L/m3) = 71 L/s

12 L/s = MR (71 L/kg)

MR = 0.169 kg/s

TP= MR (h2-ha)

TP= (0.169 kg/s) (444-412) kJ/kg

TP 5.408 Kw
 DISCUSSION

The first thing to do in the experiment is to determine the temperature at all

points in the system by using a digital thermometer. the temperature can be read by
inserting the probe of the thermometer at the component discharge. It can be easily be
determined because the spots that is needed to get the temperature was already
labeled. Also, to compute the flow rate in the system, it is based in the flow rate reading,
getting the entropy of each point in the system, and the heat rejected and absorb by the
system and its COP.

Pressure readings can be clearly seen in the pressure gauge, the intake
pressure and the discharge pressure of the refrigeration system. Once determined it will
be converted to absolute pressure. The gathered values will serve as the basis to
determine the saturated temperature at the high-pressure point and low-pressure point
using the R134a chart that our professor gave to us and by interpolating the given
values to get the accurate value. The Last thing to do is to read the flow meter in the
training unit, then to plot all the values of the system in the PH-diagram.

4. To be able to compute the refrigerant flow rate in kg/s.

5. To calculate the refrigerating capacity, compressor power and amount of heat removed in the condenser.
6. To learn how to get and COP of the trainer.

CONCLUSION

By doing this experiment, the experience and familiarization on how to operate

the unit with the help of useful apparatus is significant. Improving the energy efficiency
of refrigeration systems is not difficult and should be encouraged because of the
environmental benefits it produces. It often involves a trade-off between initial costs and
on-going operating costs.

The refrigerant flow rate in kg/s was computed and the refrigerating capacity,
compressor power and amount of heat removed in the condenser as well. The most
important thing to calculate for is the COP of the trainer, because this could not done
without data gathered.

Also, the computed power requirement of the compressor verses the data got
from the training have a low efficiency, due to the friction on the compressor and maybe
making more less efficient due to age of trainer.

REFERENCES

- www.colorado.edu/ASEN/asen3113/exp1_theory_fa2005_p1.doc
- http://www.sfu.ca/~mbahrami/ENSC%20388/Lab/Experimrnt%202/
Vapor%20Compression%20Refrigeration%20Cycle.pdf
- Notes from Refrigeration System, 2nd semester of school year 2016-
2017.

- https://www.swep.net/refrigerant-handbook/6.-evaporators/asas10/
- http://cold.org.gr/library/downloads/Docs/Refrigeration%20System
%20Performance%20using%20Liquid-Suction%20Heat
%20Exchangers.pdf
- http://cold.org.gr/library/downloads/Docs/Refrigeration%20System
%20Performance%20using%20Liquid-Suction%20Heat
%20Exchangers.pdf