INTRODUCTION

Refrigeration or cooling process is a process of removing unwanted heat from one location to
another in controlled conditions (BERG Chilling System Inc., 2016). The process of removal
heat allows the temperature of the surrounding to be lowered. Refrigeration has had a large
impact on industry, agriculture and especially to human lifestyle. There are many type of system
that can be applied to refrigeration according to its purpose of usage. In this paper, the main
focus is on discussing the selected type of refrigeration system for home refrigerator.

The vapor-compression refrigeration cycle is the most common type of refrigeration system.
This cycle involves the usage of four main components which are evaporator, compressor,
condenser and throttling device. Each component plays a different role to create a complete and
an efficient refrigeration system. The quantity of each component may differ depending on what
type of vapor-compression refrigeration cycle used. Generally, the most suitable cycle must be
chosen for a home refrigerator which requires the least amount of energy usage with highest
efficiency.

Other than the mentioned components, a refrigerant also plays a significant role which acts as a
working fluid for absorbing and transmitting heat throughout the closed refrigeration system. The
refrigerant undergoes several phase transition from a liquid to a gas and back again. In general,
a refrigerant may be required to satisfy requirements which may be classified as
thermodynamic, chemical and physical. The choice of a refrigerant for a given application is
governed mainly by the refrigerating capacity (very small, small, medium or large) and
refrigerating temperature required (Kaleemullah, S., n.d.). In this discussion, R134a is chosen
as the refrigerant which is one of the synthetic refrigerants. It is also one of the common types of
hydroclorofluorocarbon (HFCs) refrigerants and is being used as a replacement for other
refrigerant which is less ozone friendly. It is safe for normal handling as it is non-toxic, non-
flammable and non-corrosive (Airconditioning-systems, n.d).

The most common refrigerator used in homes provides two separated components that have
different temperature for different daily purposes. It is given that the usage of the main
components is limited to only one unit of compressor and condenser including other
components to design this system. This system is generally known as a multipurpose
refrigeration system where it can provide refrigeration at several temperatures ( Cengel, Y. A. &
Boles, M. A., 1998). In this paper, the problem statement is to show how the flow of the cycle
works with only one compressor and condenser, two evaporators and with some throttling
devices which in this case are the expansion valves. A complete diagram of the process is
drawn to show a clear detail on how the cycle works. The state functions and the physical states
of refrigerant, R134a is also determined after each process in the cycle. T-s diagram of the cycle
is used for better understanding to make the calculations of the state functions easier. A specific
property table for the refrigerant is also used in the analysis.

REFERENCES

Kaleemullah, S. (n.d). Refrigeration Engineering and Cold Chain. [Online]. [Accessed 14-09-
2016]. Available from world wide web: http://www.angrau.ac.in/media/9298/fden-222.pdf

Airconditioning-systems (n.d.). Air Conditioner Refrigerant. [Online]. [Accessed 14-09-2016].

Available from world wide web: http://www.airconditioning-systems.com/air-conditioner-
refrigerant.html

Cengel, Y. A. & Boles, M. A. (2014). Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach. (8th ed). New
York: McGraw-Hill.

BERG Chilling System Inc., (2016). The Science Behind Refrigeration. [Online]. [Accessed 15-
09-2016]. Available from world wide web: http://berg-group.com/engineered-solutions/the-
science-behind-refrigeration/