1. What is Refrigeration?

Refrigeration is a process of moving heat from one location to another in controlled

conditions. The work of heat transport is traditionally driven by mechanical work, but can
also be driven by heat, magnetism, electricity, laser, or other means. Refrigeration has
many applications, including, but not limited to: household refrigerators, industrial
freezers, cryogenics, and air conditioning. Heat pumps may use the heat output of the
refrigeration process, and also may be designed to be reversible, but are otherwise
similar to refrigeration units.
2. How was Refrigeration developed?

The first cooling systems for food involved using ice. Artificial refrigeration began in the
mid-1750s, and developed in the early 1800s. In 1834, the first working vaporcompression refrigeration system was built. The first commercial ice-making machine
was invented in 1854. In 1913, refrigerators for home use were invented. In 1923
Frigidaire introduced the first self-contained unit. The introduction of Freon in the 1920s
expanded the refrigerator market during the 1930s. Home freezers as separate
compartments (larger than necessary just for ice cubes) were introduced in 1940.
Frozen foods, previously a luxury item, became commonplace.
3. What are the methods of refrigerator?
1. Dry Ice Refrigeration:

Solid Carbon dioxide (CO2) is called dry ice and it has a peculiar
characteristics that it changes from solid state to vapour state without getting
converted into intermediate liquid state (sublimation). Due to the change of
state, it absorbs heat equivalent to enthalpy of vaporization. The sublimation
temperature of dry ice at atmospheric pressure is -78C.

Dry ice is used to preserve foodstuff during transportation. Now a days it is

universally used to preserve food in air-transportation. Dry ice slabs are
usually packed in frozen food cartons on either side or on the top of the food
packages, dry ice absorbs heat from the foodstuff and preserve them in the
frozen state.
2. Evaporative Refrigeration:

Evaporative refrigeration makes use of the principle that when a liquid

evaporates, it absorbs heat equivalent to its latent heat of vaporization from
the surroundings, thereby cooling it.

Cooling of water in the earthen pitcher the water coming out of the pores
of the pitcher evaporates when it comes in contact with dry air, thereby
cooling the water in the pitcher.

When a drop of spirit is put on the palm of hand, it evaporates producing

cooling effect.

Evaporation cooling may be defined as the adiabatic transfer of heat from

air to water.

Evaporation cooling may be defined as the adiabatic transfer of heat from

air to water.
It is utilized in cooling towers where condenser water is cooled by spraying
it from top and forcing a current of air from below. Another application is
evaporative type of condensers. Yet another application is in desert coolers
or room coolers. Dry air is passed through wet pads. Due to evaporation, air
gets cooled. The principle is also utilized in making artificial snow.

3. Thermo-electric Refrigeration:

Thermo-electric refrigeration type employs Peltiers effect. when two

dissimilar metals are joined on either ends and a direct current is circulated
through it, one joint gets cooled while the other gets heated.

Antimony (Sb) and Bismuth (Bi) are commonly used metals as they are
electro-chemically opposite in their polarity. If the cold end is placed in a
closed space, it gets cooled. If the magnitude of current is increased and a
series of such strips are placed together a good cooling effect can be
produced.
Steam Jet Refrigeration:
Schematic diagram of steam jet refrigeration

The principle of steam jet refrigeration is that the boiling point of water can
be reduced by reducing the pressure. At standard atmospheric pressure, the
boiling point of water is 100C. If the atmospheric pressure is lowered, the
boiling point is considerably reduced. For example, at pressure of 6.5 cm of
water, the boiling point of water is considerably reduced to 5 cm of water, its
boiling point reduces to 6C.
The schematic diagram of a steam jet refrigeration system is shown in the
figure. The pressure reduction in the system is achieved by a steam nozzle
and ejector assembly. Due to the extremely high velocity of steam in ejector
assembly all the gases and vapors present in the flash chamber are
removed thereby creating partial vacuum. This results in the reduction of the
boiling point of water.

Due to the evaporation of water at low temperature, the remaining water in

the flash chamber gets cooled which is circulated to the refrigerated space
and the warm water received from it is sprayed in the flash chamber.
A make-up water connection is provided in the flash chamber to make
good any water lost in evaporation. The steam is supplied to the nozzle from
a boiler. The condenser condenses the steam and water vapour received
from flash chamber. The condensate from the condenser is taken back to
the boiler.

5. Liquid Gas Refrigeration:

Liquid gases which can be utilized for producing refrigeration should be

non-toxic. Due to this limitation only nitrogen and liquid carbon dioxide can
be utilized for the purpose.

Due to the evaporation of cooling gas, cooling is accomplished.

Liquid gas is filled in a well in sulated cylinder and its quantity regulated by
means of a valve.

Liquid gas is sprayed in the refrigerated space. Due to its evaporation, the
temperature in the refrigerated space is lowered. This method is used for
cooling the vehicles transporting food stuff. It may also be utilized for cold
storages.
6. Vertex Tube System of Refrigeration:

Vertex tube is a simple straight piece of tube into which compressed air
flows tangentially and is so throttled that the central core of the air steam can
be separated from peripheral flow.

The central core of the air is separated either by uni-flow or counter flow
method. The central core of the air steam in cold as compared to the hot
gases at the periphery.

Metering Device
We will now take a closer look at the individual components of the system. We will start
with the metering device. There are several types but all perform the same general
function which is to cause a pressure drop. There should be a full column of high
pressure liquid refrigerant (in the liquid line) supplying the inlet of the metering device.
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. It
is hard to try and light a log with a match but chop the log into toothpick sized slivers and
the pile will go up in smoke easily. 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 metering
device. The device has this name because it meters the flow of refrigerant into the
evaporator. The next graphic shows a capillary line metering device. This is a long small
tube which has an inside diameter much smaller than a pencil lead. You can imagine the
large pressure drop when the liquid from a 1/4 or 3/8 inch or larger pipe is forced to go
through such a small opening. The capillary line has no moving parts and can not
respond to changing conditions like a changing thermal load on the evaporator. Some
labels have been added showing the names of some of the pipes.
3. What are the components of basic refrigeration system? Give their
functions and included picture.

The Compressor
The compressor performs 2 functions. It compresses the gas (which now contains
heat from the eggs) and it moves the refrigerant around the loop so it can perform
it's function over and over again. We want to compress it 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 but at least this process is also
conveniently named; The Heat of Compression. The graphic shows a
reciprocating compressor which means that it has piston(s) that go up and down.
On the down stroke refrigerant vapour is drawn into the cylinder. On the upstroke
those vapours are compressed. There are thin valves that act like check valves
and keep the vapours from going back where they came from. They open and
close in response to the refrigerant pressures being exerted on them by the action
of the piston. The hot compressed gas is discharged out the...you guessed it;
discharge line. It continues towards the last main component

The evaporator
The metering device has sprayed 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 aluminium 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. If that
evaporator was located in a walk in cooler, the air would be blown out into the box and
would pick up heat from the product; let's say it is a room full of eggs. The flow of heat
would be egg core/egg shell/circulating air/aluminium fins/copper evaporator pipe/liquid
droplet of refrigerant. 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. We have lowered it's pressure, we have increased surface areas and
now we are adding heat to it. Just like water, refrigerants also have ratings for Latent
Heats of vapourization in BTU's per LB. When heat is picked up from theair stream, the
air is by definition cooled and is blown back out into the box to take another pass over
the eggs and pick up more heat. This process continues until the eggs are cooled to the
desired temperature and then the refrigeration system shuts off and rests. But what
about our droplet of refrigerant. By now it might have picked up so much heat that it just
couldn't stand it anymore and it has evaporated into a gas. It has served it's purpose and
is subjected to a suction coming from the outlet pipe of the evaporator. This pipe is
conveniently called the suction line. Our little quantity of gas joins lots of other former
droplets and they all continue on their merry way to their next destination.

The Condenser

The condenser is similar in appearance to the evaporator. It

utilizes the principles 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
at135 F and the air being sucked through the 90 F condenser
fins was at 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.

UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

ASSIGNMENT
IN
REFRIGERATION

SUBMITTED BY:
MACARAIG KELLY D
1300804

SUBMITTED TO:
ENGR. GILBERT MENDOZA

DECEMBER 2016