Experiment 6 :Demonstration of Thermodynamics Cycle Objective: 1. To demonstrate an actual thermodynamics cycle of refrigerator based on any equipment available in UCSI.

2. To study the basic principle and every part of the refrigerator. 3. To compare demonstrated thermodynamics cycle with theoretical cycle. 4. To present a thermodynamics analysis of refrigeration. Introduction: With the existence of thermodynamics, it gives a better and clearer picture of how a general thermodynamics cycle works, because it denotes power developed from heat, with obvious applications to heat engines. Thermodynamics cycle consists of heat engine, heat pump, and refrigerator. In this experiment we choose to focus on the thermodynamics cycle of a refrigerator. Refrigeration is best known for its use in the air conditioning in buildings and in the treatment, transportation and preservation of food and beverages. The word refrigeration implies the maintenance of a temperature below that of the surroundings. This requires continuous absorption of heat at a low temperature level, usually accomplished by evaporation of a liquid in a steady- state flow process. A thermodynamic cycle consists of a linked sequence of thermodynamic processes that involve the transference of heat and work into and out of the system, while varying pressure, temperature, and other state variables within the system, and that eventually returns the system to its initial state. In the process of passing through a cycle, the working fluid may convert heat from a warm source heat into useful work and dispose of the remaining heat to a cold sink, thereby acting as a heat engine. Conversely, the cycle may be reversed and use work to move heat from a cold source and transfer it to a warm sink thereby acting as a heat pump. During a closed cycle, the system returns to its original thermodynamic state of temperature and pressure. Process quantities, such as heat and work are process dependent. For a cycle for which the system returns to its initial state the first law of thermodynamics applies:

The above states that there is no change of the energy of the system over the cycle. E in might be the work and heat input during the cycle and Eout would be the work and heat output during the cycle. The first law of thermodynamics also dictates that the net heat input is equal to the net work output over a cycle (we account for heat, Qin, as positive and Qout as negative). The repeating nature of the process path allows for continuous operation, making the cycle an important concept in thermodynamics. Thermodynamic cycles are often represented mathematically as quasistatic processes in the modeling of the workings of an actual device.

Two primary classes of thermodynamic cycles are power cycles and heat pump cycles. Power cycles are cycles which convert some heat input into a mechanical work output, while heat pump cycles transfer heat from low to high temperatures by using mechanical work as the input. Cycles composed entirely of quasistatic processes can operate as power or heat pump cycles by controlling the process direction. On a pressure-volume (PV) diagram or temperature-entropy diagram, the clockwise and counterclockwise directions indicate power and heat pump cycles, respectively. Because the net variation in state properties during a thermodynamic cycle is zero, it forms a closed loop on a PV diagram. A PV diagram's Y axis shows pressure (P) and X axis shows volume (V). The area enclosed by the loop is the work (W) done by the process:

This work is equal to the balance of heat (Q) transferred into the system:

Equation (2) makes a cyclic process similar to an isothermal process: even though the internal energy changes during the course of the cyclic process, when the cyclic process finishes the system's energy is the same as the energy it had when the process began. If the cyclic process moves clockwise around the loop, then W will be positive, and it represents a heat engine. If it moves counterclockwise, then W will be negative, and it represents a heat pump.

Process Cycle: 12: Isentropic Expansion: Constant entropy (s), in volume (v), Decrease in temperature (T) Decrease in pressure (P), Increase

23: Isochoric Cooling: Constant volume(v), Decrease in pressure (P), Decrease in entropy (S), Decrease in temperature (T) 34: Isentropic Compression: Constant entropy (s), Increase in pressure (P), Decrease in volume (v), Increase in temperature (T) 41: Isochoric Heating: Constant volume (v), Increase in pressure (P), Increase in entropy (S), Increase in temperature (T) A List of Thermodynamic Processes: Adiabatic : No energy transfer as heat (Q) during that part of the cycle would amount to Q=0. This does not exclude energy transfer as work. Isothermal : The process is at a constant temperature during that part of the cycle (T=constant, T=0). This does not exclude energy transfer as heat or work. Isobaric : Pressure in that part of the cycle will remain constant. (P=constant, P=0). This does not exclude energy transfer as heat or work. Isochoric : The process is constant volume (V=constant, V=0). This does not exclude energy transfer as heat or work. Isentropic : The process is one of constant entropy (S=constant, S=0). This excludes the transfer of heat but not work.

Materials and Apparatus: Refrigerator with functional parts of heat engine which include an evaporator unit, compressor, condenser and an expansion valve.

Procedure: 1. The group choose a refrigerator to be studied on with respect to the thermodynamics cycle of a heat engine.

2. The engine compartment was obtained from the bottom section of the refrigerator. 3. Each components of the engine was observed and studied.

This is the engine compartment consisting of evaporator unit, compressor, condenser and an expansion valve.

This is the compressor unit. It compresses and pressurizes the evaporated gases (from evaporation unit) and delivers the high pressure gas to the condenser.
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This is the condenser coil. It receives high pressure gas from the compressor and condenses it to high pressure liquid before delivering it to the expansion valve.

This is the expansion unit. The high pressure liquid from the condenser coil enters the valve and is expanded or depressurized. The outcome would be a low pressure liquid.

This is the fin evaporator which evaporates the low pressure liquid from the expansion valve into low pressure gas and the cycle therefore repeats, starting from the compressor again.

4. The blueprints of the functional parts of a refrigerator.

5. The thermodynamics cycle of a refrigerator process is shown below.

Discussion: In the refrigeration cycle, there are five basic components: fluid refrigerant; a compressor, which controls the flow of refrigerant; the condenser coils (on the outside of the fridge); the evaporator coils (on the inside of the fridge); and something called an expansion unit. Heres how they interact to cool your food. The compressor constricts the refrigerant vapor, raising its pressure, and pushes it into the coils on the outside of the refrigerator. When the hot gas in the coils meets the cooler air temperature of the kitchen, it becomes a liquid. Now in liquid form at high pressure, the refrigerant cools down as it flows into the coils inside the freezer and the fridge. The refrigerant absorbs the heat inside the fridge, cooling down the air. Last, the refrigerant evaporates to a gas, then flows back to the compressor, where the cycle starts all over. The second law of thermodynamics states that heat will always be transferred from a place of higher temperature (hotter) to a place of lower temperature (cooler). A refrigerator does the total opposite of what is stated above. A refrigerator transfers heat from a place of lower (cooler). temperature to a place of higher temperature (hotter). Most commonly the refrigeration cycle complies of a few main components. The components are a compressor, condenser, expansion valve and an evaporator.

Four Main components There are 4 main components in a mechanical refrigeration system. Any components beyond these basic 4 are called accessories. The compressor is a vapor compression pump which uses pistons or some other method to compress the refrigerant gas and send it on it's way to the condenser. The condenser is a heat exchanger which removes heat from the hot compressed gas and allows it to condense into a liquid. The liquid refrigerant is then routed to the metering device. This device restricts the flow by forcing the refrigerant to go through a small hole which causes a pressure drop. The component where the evaporation takes place is called the evaporator. The refrigerant is then routed back to the compressor to complete the cycle. The refrigerant is used over and over again absorbing heat from one area and relocating it to another. Refrigeration is the removal and relocation of heat.

Compressor

The compressor performs two functions. It compresses the gas which now contains heat from the food in the refrigerator and it moves the refrigerant around the loop so it can perform it's function over and over again. It is compressed because that is the first step in forcing the gas to go back into a liquid form. This compression process unfortunately adds some more heat to the gas. The figure above shows a compressor which means that it has pistons that goes up and down. On the down stroke refrigerant vapor is drawn into the cylinder. On the upstroke those vapors are compressed. The valves are thin that acts like check valves and keeps the vapors from going back where it came from. The valves open and close in response to the refrigerant pressures being exerted on it by the action of the piston. The hot compressed gas is discharged out. Condenser

The condenser is similar in appearance to the evaporator. It utilizes the same features to effect heat transfer as the evaporator does. However, this time the purpose is to reject heat so that the refrigerant gas can condense back into a liquid in preparation for a return trip to the evaporator. If the hot compressed gas was at 135 degrees and the air being sucked through the condenser fins was at 90 degrees, heat will flow downhill like a ball wants to roll down an inclined plane and be rejected into the air stream. Heat will have been removed from one place and relocated to another as the definition of refrigeration describes. As long as the compressor is running it will impose a force on the refrigerant to continue circulating around the loop and continue removing heat from one location and rejecting it into another area.

Expansion Valve

There should be a full column of high pressure liquid refrigerant (in the liquid line) supplying the inlet of the expansion valve. When it is forced to go through a small orifice it loses a lot of the pressure it had on the upstream side of the device. The liquid refrigerant is sort of misted into the evaporator. So not only is the pressure reduced, the surface area of the liquid is vastly increased. The surface area of zillions of liquid droplets is much greater than the surface area of the column of liquid in the pipe feeding the expansion valve. The device has this name because it meters the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator. Evaporator

The expansion valve will spray low pressure droplets of refrigerant into the evaporator. The evaporator could be the forced air type and could be constructed of many copper tubes which conduct heat well. To further enhance heat transfer the pipes could have aluminum fins pressed onto them. This vastly increases the surface area that is exposed to the air. And this type of evaporator could have a fan motor sucking air through the fins. The evaporator would be capable of reducing the temperature of air passing through the fins and this is a prime example of the refrigeration effect. The droplet of refrigerant has the capability of absorbing a large quantity of heat because it is under conditions where it is just about ready to change state into a gas. The pressure has been lowered and increased surface areas and now adding heat to it. Just like water, refrigerants also have ratings for Latent Heats of vaporization in BTU's per LB. When heat is picked up from the air stream, the air is by definition cooled and is blown back out into the box to take another pass over the food in the refrigerator and pick up more heat. This process
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continues until the food is cooled to the desired temperature and then the refrigeration system shuts off and rests. Thermostat

A refrigerator thermostat is the controlling component of the refrigerator cooling system. This system includes a compressor, a condenser, a metering device, and an evaporator. It works by removing heat from the refrigerator, as opposed to cooling the air inside.Refrigerator thermostats are usually located inside the refrigerator and have a knob that allows users to adjust them. Once a user sets the desired temperature, the thermostat maintains that temperature by sensing internal fluctuations and prompting the compressor to turn on or off in response to those changes. When the refrigerator is appropriately adjusted to the designated temperature, the thermostat stops the flow of electricity to the compressor, stopping it from cooling the appliance.The compressor is the engine of the cooling system. About the size of a football, it includes a pump and motor in a sealed compartment where the refrigerator cooling liquid, called refrigerant, travels. When the refrigerator thermostat detects too much heat, the compressor turns on and begins transforming refrigerant from a low-pressure gaseous state into a high-pressure gas.The refrigerant gas moves from the compressor to the condenser, where it becomes a liquid that gives off heat. The liquid refrigerant is then forced into a capillary tube, which controls the pressure and flow. When the liquid refrigerant reaches the evaporator, it loses pressure and changes back into a gaseous state. This transformation from liquid to gas absorbs the heat in refrigerator, resulting in a cooling effect.

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Actual Vapor Compression Refrigeration Carnot Refrigerator Cycle

Compression process is isentropic Frictional pressure drops Irreversibility within the evaporator, condenser and compressor are ignored Heat losses are taken into account Pressure change through the two heat exchangers Not 100 % efficiency

Compression process is not isentropic No frictional pressure drop Reversible process Heat losses to the surroundings are ignored Refrigerant flows at constant pressure through the two heat exchangers 100 % efficiency

Coefficient of Performance The coefficient of performance or COP of a refrigerator is a ratio of heating or cooling provided to electrical energy consumed. Higher COPs equate to lower operating costs. The COP may exceed 1, because it is a ratio of output loss, unlike the thermal efficiency ratio of output - input energy. For complete systems, COP should include energy consumption of all auxiliaries. COP is highly dependent on operating conditions, especially absolute temperature and relative temperature between sink and system, and is often graphed or averaged against expected conditions

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Impracticability of Carnot Cycle 1. Boiler -Isothermal heat transfer eliminates the possibility of using subcooled liquid boiler feed or producing superheated vapor in the boiler effluent. 2. Turbine - Turbines take in saturated vapor produce an exhaust with high liquid content, causes corrosion to the turbine rotor. 3. Condenser - Isothermal heat transfer eliminates the possibility of using superheated vapor in the condenser feed. 4. Pump - Difficult to design pump which takes in liquid vapor mixture (point 4). This can result in damage to the pump rotor.

Conclusion: Based on this experiment, the procedures was carried out accordingly and all the objectives of this experiment was achieved. The study was done based on the thermodynamics cycle of a working refrigerator. Each component of the refrigerator was determined and studied based on the principle of thermodynamics cycle. The thermodynamics cycle was compared to the theoretical cycle. In conclusion to that, students was able to enhance and much improve the working of the refrigerator.

Precaution Steps: 1. Be careful with hazardous chemicals contained in the components of the refrigerator. 2. The refrigerator should not be opened too many times as this will cause the warmer air from the outside to enter the refrigerator. 3. Ensure the refrigerator door does not have any air leaks. 4. Try to save energy power by filling the refrigerator with food and keeping the temperature not too low.

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Reference: 1. Thermodynamic cycle [online]. Available from: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermodynamic_cycle#Carnot_cycle > [Accessed on: 8th March 2014]. 2. Gas Power Cycles [online]. Available from < https://wiki.ucl.ac.uk/display/MechEngThermodyn/Gas+Power+Cycles > [Accessed on 9th March 2014]. 3. Thermodynamic Power Cycles [online]. Available from < http://wwwold.me.gatech.edu/energy/brett/four.htm > [Accessed on 10th March 2014]. 4. Thermodynamics Cycle Program and Its applications [online]. Available from < http://www.mekanizmalar.com/menu_thermodynamic.html >[Accessed on 10th March 2014].

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