Refrigeration and Heat Pump

Systems
 Vapor-Compression
Refrigeration Cycle
►Most common refrigeration cycle in use today
►There are four principal
control volumes involving
these components:
►Evaporator
►Compressor
►Condenser
►Expansion valve Two-phase
liquid-vapor mixture

All energy transfers by work and heat are taken as positive in

the directions of the arrows on the schematic and energy
balances are written accordingly.
 The Vapor-Compression
Refrigeration Cycle
►The processes of this cycle are
Process 4-1: two-phase liquid-vapor
mixture of refrigerant is evaporated
through heat transfer from the
refrigerated space.
Process 1-2: vapor refrigerant is
compressed to a relatively high
temperature and pressure requiring
work input. Two-phase
liquid-vapor mixture
Process 2-3: vapor refrigerant
condenses to liquid through heat
transfer to the cooler surroundings.
Process 3-4: liquid refrigerant
expands to the evaporator pressure.
 The Vapor-Compression
Refrigeration Cycle
►Engineering model:
►Each component is analyzed as a control
volume at steady state.
►Dry compression is presumed: the
refrigerant is a vapor.
►The compressor operates adiabatically.
►The refrigerant expanding through the
valve undergoes a throttling process.
►Kinetic and potential energy changes are
ignored.
 The Vapor-Compression
Refrigeration Cycle
►Applying mass and energy rate balances
Evaporator Q in
 h1  h4 (Eq. 10.3)
m
►The term Q in is referred to as the
refrigeration capacity, expressed in kW
in the SI unit system or Btu/h in the
English unit system.
►A common alternate unit is the ton of
refrigeration which equals 200 Btu/min
or about 211 kJ/min.
 The Vapor-Compression
Refrigeration Cycle
►Applying mass and energy rate balances
Compressor Wc
 h2  h1 (Eq. 10.4)
Assuming adiabatic m
compression
Condenser Q out
 h2  h3 (Eq. 10.5)
m
Expansion valve
Assuming a throttling h4  h3 (Eq. 10.6)
process
 The Vapor-Compression
Refrigeration Cycle
►Performance parameters
Coefficient of Performance (COP)

Carnot Coefficient of Performance

This equation represents the maximum theoretical

coefficient of performance of any refrigeration cycle
operating between cold and hot regions at TC and TH,
respectively.
Example 11-1

Refrigerant-134a is the working fluid in an ideal compression refrigeration cycle. The

refrigerant leaves the evaporator at -20oC and has a condenser pressure of 0.9 MPa.
The mass flow rate is 3 kg/min. Find COPR and COPR, Carnot for the same Tmax and
Tmin , and the tons of refrigeration.

Using the Refrigerant-134a Tables, we have

State 2 
State1  kJ 
 h  238.41 Compressor exit kJ
Compressor inlet   1
kg  h2 s  278.23
  P2 s  P2  900 kPa  kg
T1  20o C   s  0.9456 kJ kJ  T2 s  43.79 C
o

x1  1.0   1 kg  K s2 s  s1  0.9456 
kg  K 

State 3  kJ State 4 
   x4  0.358
Condenser exit   3
h 101.61
kg Throttle exit 
  kJ
P3  900 kPa   kJ T4  T1  20o C   s4  0.4053
s3  0.3738  kg  K
x3  0.0   kg  K h4  h3 


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 QL m(h1  h4 ) h1  h4
COPR   
Wnet , in m(h2  h1 ) h2  h1
kJ
(238.41  101.61)
kg

kJ
(278.23  238.41)
kg
 3.44
The tons of refrigeration, often called the cooling load or refrigeration effect, are
QL  m(h1  h4 )
kg kJ 1Ton
3 (238.41  101.61)
min kg 211 kJ
min
 1.94 Ton
TL
COPR , Carnot 
TH  TL
(20  273) K

(43.79  (20)) K
 3.97 9
Another measure of the effectiveness of the refrigeration cycle is how much input
power to the compressor, in horsepower, is required for each ton of cooling.

The unit conversion is 4.715 hp per ton of cooling.

Wnet , in 4.715

QL COPR
4.715 hp

3.44 Ton
hp
 1.37
Ton

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 Features of
Actual Vapor-Compression Cycle
►Heat transfers between refrigerant and cold and
warm regions are not reversible.
►Refrigerant temperature
in evaporator is less than
TC.
►Refrigerant temperature
in condenser is greater
than TH.
►Irreversible heat
transfers have negative
effect on performance.
 Features of
Actual Vapor-Compression Cycle
►The COP decreases – primarily due to increasing
compressor work input – as the
►temperature of the
refrigerant passing Trefrigerant ↑
through the evaporator is
reduced relative to the
temperature of the cold
region, TC.
►temperature of the
refrigerant passing Trefrigerant ↓

through the condenser is increased relative to the

temperature of the warm region, TH.
 Features of
Actual Vapor-Compression Cycle
►Irreversibilities during the compression process are
suggested by dashed line from state 1 to state 2.
►An increase in specific
entropy accompanies an
adiabatic irreversible
compression process. The
work input for compression
process 1-2 is greater than
for the counterpart isentropic
compression process 1-2s.
►Since process 4-1, and thus the refrigeration capacity,
is the same for cycles 1-2-3-4-1 and 1-2s-3-4-1, cycle
1-2-3-4-1 has the lower COP.
 Isentropic Compressor Efficiency
►The isentropic compressor efficiency is the ratio of
the minimum theoretical work input to the actual
work input, each per unit of mass flowing:
work required in an isentropic
compression from compressor inlet
state to the exit pressure

(Eq. 6.48)

work required in an actual

compression from compressor
inlet state to exit pressure
 Actual Vapor-Compression Cycle
Example: The table provides steady-state operating
data for a vapor-compression refrigeration cycle
using R-134a as the working fluid. For a refrigerant
mass flow rate of 0.08 kg/s, determine the
(a) compressor power, in kW,
(b) refrigeration capacity, in tons,
(c) coefficient of performance,
(d) isentropic compressor efficiency.
State 1 2s 2 3 4
h (kJ/kg) 241.35 272.39 280.15 91.49 91.49
 Actual Vapor-Compression Cycle
State 1 2s 2 3 4
h (kJ/kg) 241.35 272.39 280.15 91.49 91.49

(a) The compressor power is

Wc  m
 (h2  h1)

 kg  kJ 1 kW
W c   0.08 (280 .15  241 .35 )  3.1 kW
 s  kg 1 kJ/s
(b) The refrigeration capacity is

Q in  m
 (h1  h4 )

  kg  kJ 1 ton 60 s
Qin   0.08 (241 .35  91 .49 )  3.41 tons
 s  kg 211 kJ/min min
 Actual Vapor-Compression Cycle
State 1 2s 2 3 4
h (kJ/kg) 241.35 272.39 280.15 91.49 91.49

(c) The coefficient of performance is

(h1  h4 )
C.O.P 
(h2  h1 )
(241.35  91.49)kJ/kg
C.O.P  
3.86
(280.15  241.35)kJ/kg
 Actual Vapor-Compression Cycle
State 1 2s 2 3 4
h (kJ/kg) 241.35 272.39 280.15 91.49 91.49

(d) The isentropic compressor

efficiency is

c 
  s (h2s  h1 )
Wc / m

Wc / m (h2  h1 )

(272 .39  241 .35)kJ/kg

c   0.8 = 80%
(280 .15  241 .35)kJ/kg
 p-h Diagram
►The pressure-enthalpy (p-h) diagram is a
thermodynamic property diagram commonly used
in the refrigeration field.
Other Refrigeration Cycles

Cascade refrigeration systems

Very low temperatures can be achieved by operating two or more vapor-compression

systems in series, called cascading. The COP of a refrigeration system also
increases as a result of cascading.

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Multistage compression refrigeration systems

21
Multipurpose refrigeration systems

A refrigerator with a single compressor can provide refrigeration at several

temperatures by throttling the refrigerant in stages.

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Liquefaction of gases

Another way of improving the performance of a vapor-compression refrigeration

system is by using multistage compression with regenerative cooling. The vapor-
compression refrigeration cycle can also be used to liquefy gases after some
modifications.

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 Selecting Refrigerants
►Refrigerant selection is based on several
factors:
►Performance: provides adequate cooling
capacity cost-effectively.
►Safety: avoids hazards (i.e., toxicity).
►Environmental impact: minimizes harm to
stratospheric ozone layer and reduces
negative impact to global climate change.
 Refrigerant Types and Characteristics

Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a simplified index that estimates the potential
future influence on global warming associated with different gases when released
to the atmosphere.
 Refrigerant Types and Characteristics
►Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons
(HCFCs) are early synthetic refrigerants each containing chlorine.
Because of the adverse effect of chlorine on Earth’s stratospheric
ozone layer, use of these refrigerants is regulated by international
agreement.
►Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and HFC blends are chlorine-free
refrigerants. Blends combine two or more HFCs. While these
chlorine-free refrigerants do not contribute to ozone depletion, with
the exception of R-1234yf, they have high GWP levels.
►Natural refrigerants are nonsynthetic, naturally occurring
substances which serve as refrigerants. These include carbon
dioxide, ammonia, and hydrocarbons. These refrigerants feature
low GWP values; still, concerns have been raised over the toxicity
of NH3 and the safety of the hydrocarbons.