1.

INTRODUCTION

Air-conditioning is a process of treating air for the comfort requirements of the occupants in
the conditioned space. The properties of air can be modified by underground certain
thermodynamic processes. The most basic of processes involved in an air-conditioning system
are simple heating, steam humidification, simple cooling and dehumidification.

HVAC systems control the humidity, temperature and the quality of air around the
area of the certain places. The system need to transfer the heat by absorb the heat of the area
and then bring it out into the outer space of the area. Somehow it does relate with air
pollution.

2. OBJECTIVE

To investigate the variation of Coefficient of Performance (COPR) of a vapor compression

refrigeration system at different cooling load.
3. THEORY

A refrigeration cycle works to lower and maintain the temperature of a controlled space by
heat transfer from a low to a high temperature region.

Refrigeration duty is another term for the cooling effect of the refrigeration system, which is
the rate of heat being removed from the low temperature region with specified evaporation
and condensation temperatures. The unit for duty measurements is in Watts (for 1 ton of
refrigeration = 3517W).
3.1 The Vapor Compression Cycle

Ideal refrigeration systems follow the theoretical Reversed Carnot Cycle process. In practical
refrigerators, compression and expansion of a gas and vapor mixture presents practical
problems in the compressor and expander. Therefore, in practical refrigeration, compression
usually takes place in the superheated condition and a throttling process is substituted for the
isentropic expansion.
The cycle:

1 2 Condensation of the high-pressure vapor during which heat is transferred to the

high temperature region.

2 3 Adiabatic throttling of the condensed vapor from the condensing to the

evaporating pressure.

3 4 Evaporation of the low-pressure liquid during which heat is absorbed from the low

temperature source.

4 1 Isentropic compression of the vapor, from the evaporating to the condensing

pressures.

Energy Transfers Analysis

Compressor

q4-1 = h4 h1 + w4-1

If compression is adiabatic, q4-1 = 0, and w4-1 = h1 h4 = Wcomp

Power requirement, P = (h1 h4), where is the flow rate of working fluid per unit time.

Condenser

q1-2 = h2 h1 + w

w = 0, therefore q1-2 = h2 h1 and rate of heat rejection Q1-2 = ( h2 h1 )

Expansion Valve

q2-3 = h3 h2 + w

w = 0, therefore q 2-3 = h2 h3 and process is assumed adiabatic 0 q

therefore h2 = h3

Evaporator

q34 = h4 h3 + w

w = 0 therefore q34 = h4 h3 and rate of heat absorbed Q34 = ( h4 h3 )

q hh
Coefficient of Perfomance, COPref: COPref = = = hh
w

4.0 APPARATUS

The apparatus used for this experiment as follows;

 Figure 1: Computer used for the experiment

Figure 2: Refrigeration Coefficient of Performance from P.A Hilton Ltd

5.0 PROCEDURES

6a) Condenser-water and evaporator-air

a. Air as a heat source by opening valves AVS-3 and AVS-5 is selected. Then the START
button is clicked.

b. The water flow rate at the condenser to 5 L/m is adjusted and the air flow of the

evaporator until 50% of the maximal flow (evaporator load) also is adjusted.

c. Then the COMPRESSOR is clicked.

d. When the system is stabilized, start recording the data by click START SAVING

e. Set the sampling rate at 180 second per sample.

f. The data for 15 minutes (5 samples @ 900 second) is recorded. STOP SAVING

g. Then the evaporator load is increased to 100% and step (c) to step (f) is repeated.

6b) Condenser-air and evaporator-air

a. The air as a heat source is selected by opening valves AVS-3 and AVS-6. Then the
START is clicked.

b. The air flow of the condenser is adjusted to maximum flow (100%) and 50% of the
maximal

flow at the evaporator (evaporator load).

c. Then COMPRESSOR is clicked.

d. When the system is stabilized, start recording the data by click START SAVING

e. The sampling rate at 180 second per sample is set.

f. The data for 15 minutes (3 samples @ 900 second) is recorded. STOP SAVING

g. Then evaporator load is increased to 100% and step (c) to step (f) is repeated.
6.0 RESULT AND DATA

Table 1 shows: Data Summary table

ST-2 ST-3 ST-4 SP-1 SP-2 SC-1 SW-1

(oC) (oC) (oC) (bar) (bar) (L/h) (W)

180
41.510 16.993 22.639 9.684 2.321 27.811 483.42

360
43.338 16.728 22.431 10.241 2.301 26.858 487.046

540
43.737 16.704 22.463 10.311 2.286 27.14 483.91

720
43.828 16.780 22.591 10.338 2.305 27.486 482.086

900
43.934 16.834 22.414 10.381 2.310 26.885 480.979
a
180
43.720 18.923 25.111 10.534 2.56 29.791 489.181

360
44.553 19.320 25.396 10.727 2.598 30.189 494.276

540
44.827 19.594 25.680 10.822 2.623 30.415 498.591

720
45.017 19.757 25.701 10.880 2.646 30.699 497.690

900
45.118 19.867 25.858 10.895 2.647 30.845 498.370

180
46.144 19.053 24.661 10.86 2.503 29.047 492.34

360
47.064 19.157 24.496 11.185 2.491 28.743 493.876

540
47.442 18.970 24.173 11.310 2.491 28.477 495.312

b 720
47.391 18.847 24.185 11.298 2.484 28.259 495.931

900
47.260 18.771 24.044 11.237 2.477 28.251 493.486

180
46.530 18.296 24.734 11.057 2.499 28.703 495.977

360
47.980 20.028 26.057 11.573 2.666 30.721 507.402
 540
48.848 20.827 26.527 11.887 2.755 31.836 512.488

720
49.151 21.209 27.873 11.986 2.794 32.595 514.974

900
49.039 21.388 26.905 11.910 2.798 33.016 514.964

Table 2: Results Summary table

Q evap (kW) COP =

Vref 3 v2 (table) mref (kg/s) =
h3 (kJ/kg) h4 (kJ/kg) = mref (h4 -
(m/s) (m3/kg) V ref/v2 Qevap/ (SW-
h3) 1/1000)

180
7.725x10-6 8.764x10-4 8.814x10-3 108.46 259.73 1.333 2.76

360
7.461x10-6 8.757x10-4 8.520x10-3 111.22 259.61 1.264 2.60

540
7.539x10-6 8.838x10-4 8.530x10-3 111.82 259.63 1.261 2.61

720
7.635x10-6 8.841x10-4 8.636x10-3 111.96 259.70 1.276 2.65

900
7.468x10-6 8.845x10-4 8.443x10-4 112.12 259.61 1.245 2.59

Average COP
2.64
a
180 8.838x10-4 9.363x10-3
8.275x10-6 111.78 261.02 1.397 2.86
360 8.866x10-4 9.459x10-3
8.386x10-6 113.04 261.17 1.401 2.83
540 8.876x10-4 9.519x10-3
8.449x10-6 113.49 261.40 1.408 2.82
720 8.883x10-4 9.6x10-3
8.528x10-6 113.78 261.32 1.460 2.93
900 8.887x10-4 9.641x10-3
8.168x10-6 113.93 261.41 1.422 2.85

Average COP 2.85

180 8.923x10-4 9.043x10-3

8.069x10-6 115.51 260.79 1.314 2.67

360 8.956x10-4 8.915x10-3

7.984x10-6 116.92 260.71 1.282 2.60
b
540 8.969x10-4 8.819x10-3
7.910x10-6 117.50 260.53 1.261 2.55

720 8.967x10-4 8.754x10-3

7.850x10-6 117.42 260.55 1.253 2.53
900 8.963x10-4 8.756x10-3
7.848x10-6 117.22 260.47 1.254 2.54

Average COP 2.58

180 8.937x10-4 8.921x10-3

7.973x10-6 116.10 260.83 1.291 2.60

360 8.988x10-4 9.495x10-3

8.534x10-6 118.32 261.51 1.360 2.68

540 9.021x10-4 9.803x10-3

8.843x10-6 119.67 261.75 1.393 2.72

720 9.033x10-4 10.023x10-3

9.054x10-6 120.14 261.93 1.421 2.76

900 9.028x10-4 10.158x10-3

9.171x10-6 123.84 261.94 1.403 2.72

Average COP
2.69
7.0 SAMPLE CALCULATION

3
I. Converting SC-1 (L/h) to Specific Volume (m /s)

Example;

For SC-1 = 27.811 L/h

L 1m^3 1H
27.811 x x
H 1000 L 3600s

Vref = 7.735 x 10-6 m3/s

II. Taking value of v2 from Table

A-11 When T=41.510 oC

42 41.51 0.0008780 v

42 40 0.0008780 0.0008714

V2 = 8.764 x 10-4 m3/kg

III. Calculating mref (kg/s)

mref (kg/s)=

mref(kg/s)=7.735x10-6/8.764x10-4
= 8.814x10-3 kg/s
IV. Taking value of h3 from Table A-11

Table A-11 (Saturated Refrigerant-134a-Temperature Table)

When T2=41.510 oC;(Sat. liquid)

h2=h3

42 41.51 109.19 h2

42 40 109.19 106.19

h2 = 108.46 kJ/kg

V. Taking value of h4 from Table A-11

When T4=22.639 oC;(Sat. vapor)

h4=259.73 kJ/kg
 VI. Calculating Qevap (kW) = mref (h4 - h3)

Qevap = 8.814x10-3 X (259.73-108.46)

=1.333KW

VII. Calculating COP;

COP = Qevap/ (SW-1/1000)

=1.333K/483.422- 1x103

COP = 2.76

VIII. Calculating COP avg;

2.76 2.60 2.61 2.65 2.59

COPavg = 2.64
5
8.0 DISCUSSION

a) What is the effect on the COPref as the load is increased? Why?

The COPref is inversely proportional to the load. Hence, when the load is increased, the
COPref will decrease. Basically, COPref depend on the operating conditions especially on the
absolute temperature and also the relative temperature between the sink and the system.
Easily speaking, when there are more work to be done in order to withstand the temperature,
it will affect the increase of the energy that will be consumed. For an example, a refrigerator
that is full of foods and things will consume more time and energy in order to reduce the
temperature and cold all the stuff rather than an empty refrigerator which need a shorter time
to cold itself.

b) What is the effect of the cooling medium on the average refrigeration COP? Why?

Based on the experiment, it can be seen that when the water is used as the liquid coolant
rather than air, the efficiency of the whole system is increased. Using water as the liquid
coolant enabled the transfer of the heat is faster than when air is used. When the transfer of
heat is faster, automatically the efficiency of the whole system will be much greater. Hence,
the COP will be affected by the cooling medium. Nevertheless, water as the cooling medium
has its own advantage and disadvantage as when water is leak into the system, this will lead
to corrosion with the present of air. Hence, water is not a preferable choice for a cooling
medium.

c) What do you understand by the term load? Give examples of actual loads in
refrigeration practices in a domestic fridge, in a room and in a factory.

Based on my understanding, term load can be defined as the amount of the heat that is needed
to be transferred per unit time which is come from the cold chamber. For an example in a
domestic fridge, heat is used to cold the whole system or to freeze the food stuff in order to
make the food to last longer and avoid the infection of the bacteria. Hence, fridge need to
maintain a low temperature in order to make the food last longer. Meanwhile for in a room,
the room must have a good ventilation system in order for the air to come in and also go out
from the room. Hence, transferring the hot air will keep the room in a suitable temperature
and prevent odors. Lastly in factory, some machine needs to be cooled down in order to make
it work in greater efficiency. So, when a machine does switch on for a long period, the
machine will become too hot that will cause it to be easily damage if no maintenance is taken.
Hence, to prevent such situation to happen, the surrounding of the factory or the machine
must be in suitable temperature in order to cool the machine that is being used. So, process of
transferring of heat from the machine to the surrounding is take place in this situation.
9.0 CONCLUSION

It can be concluded that:

1) The cooling medium of a system played a big role in determining the efficiency of the
system itself. Greater selection of a cooling medium will contribute to a greater efficiency of
the system.

2) As the load is increased, the COP will automatically decrease as the COP is highly
depend on the operating conditions such as the absolute temperature and the relative
temperature.

For recommendation, as the data and the results do come by 100% by sing the computer, an
error may be occurred. So, do repeat the experiment for several times in order to obtain the
average value of the data and the results of the experiment.
10.0 REFERENCES

1. http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/buildings/commercial/hvac.htm
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HVAC
3. http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/buildings/commercial/hvac.htm
4. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/functions-compressors-air-conditioners-85051.html
5. http://www.airconditioning-systems.com/condenser.html