Refrigeration System

an overview

Refrigeration System
Refrigeration system is a combination of machineries.
These machineries perform several processes.
All the processes complete a Refrigeration Cycle to Remove heat from low temperature region
Transfer heat to high temperature region

Introduction
Type of refrigeration
Assessment of refrigeration and AC
Energy efficiency opportunities

UNEP 2006

Refrigerators and Heat Pumps

Refrigerators:

Take Heat from cooler place

Transfer heat to hotter place
Objective : Keeping low temp. at the cooler place
Used in Tropical Countries/Deserts for Space Cooling

Heat Pumps:

Take Heat from cooler place

Transfer heat to hotter place
Objective : Keeping high temp. at the hotter place
Used in Cold Countries for space heating

Introduction
How does
it work?

High Temperature Reservoir

Heat Rejected
R

Work Input

Heat Absorbed
Low Temperature Reservoir
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Introduction
How does it work?
Thermal energy moves from left to right through five
loops of heat transfer:
1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

Indoor air
loop

Chilled
water loop

Refrigerant
loop

Condenser
water loop

Cooling
water loop

(Bureau of Energy Efficiency, 2004)

Introduction
AC Systems
AC options / combinations:

Air Conditioning (for comfort / machine)

Split air conditioners

Fan coil units in a larger system

Air handling units in a larger system

Introduction
Refrigeration systems for industrial
processes
Small capacity modular units of direct
expansion type (50 Tons of Refrigeration)
Centralized chilled water plants with
chilled water as a secondary coolant

(50

250 TR)

Brine plants with brines as lower

temperature, secondary coolant (>250 TR)
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Introduction
Refrigeration at large companies
Bank of units off-site with common
Chilled water pumps
Condenser water pumps
Cooling towers

More levels of refrigeration/AC, e.g.

Comfort air conditioning (20-25 oC)
Chilled water system (8 10 oC)
Brine system (< 0 oC)

Training Agenda: Refrigeration &

Air Conditioning
Introduction
Type of refrigeration
Assessment of refrigeration and AC
Energy efficiency opportunities

10

Types of Refrigeration
Refrigeration systems
Vapour Compression
Refrigeration (VCR): uses
mechanical energy
Vapour Absorption Refrigeration
(VAR): uses thermal energy

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Types of Refrigeration Cycle

There are two types of refrigeration cycle:

Vapor Compression Cycle
&
Vapor Absorption Cycle

Type of Refrigeration
Vapour Compression Refrigeration
Highly compressed fluids tend to get
colder when allowed to expand
If pressure high enough
Compressed air hotter than source
of cooling
Expanded gas cooler than desired
cold temperature
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Type of Refrigeration
Vapour Compression Refrigeration
Refrigeration cycle
3

Condenser

High
Pressure
Side

4
Expansion
Device

Compressor

1
Evaporator

Low
Pressure
Side
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Type of Refrigeration
Low pressure liquid refrigerant in
evaporator absorbs heat and
changes to a gas

Vapour Compression Refrigeration

Refrigeration cycle
3

Condenser

High
Pressure
Side

4
Expansion
Device

Compressor

1
Evaporator

Low
Pressure
Side
15

Type of Refrigeration
The superheated vapour enters the
compressor where its pressure is
raised

Vapour Compression Refrigeration

Refrigeration cycle
3

Condenser

High
Pressure
Side

4
Expansion
Device

Compressor

1
Evaporator

Low
Pressure
Side
16

Type of Refrigeration
The high pressure superheated
gas is cooled in several stages in
the condenser

Vapour Compression Refrigeration

Refrigeration cycle
3

Condenser

High
Pressure
Side

4
Expansion
Device

Compressor

1
Evaporator

Low
Pressure
Side
17

Type of Refrigeration
Liquid passes through expansion device,
which reduces its pressure and controls the
flow into the evaporator

Vapour Compression Refrigeration

Refrigeration cycle
3

Condenser

High
Pressure
Side

4
Expansion
Device

Compressor

1
Evaporator

Low
Pressure
Side
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Type of Refrigeration
Vapour Compression Refrigeration
Type of refrigerant
Refrigerant determined by the
required cooling temperature
Chlorinated fluorocarbons (CFCs) or
freons: R-11, R-12, R-21, R-22 and R502

Type of Refrigeration
Vapour Compression Refrigeration
Choice of compressor, design of
condenser, evaporator determined by
Refrigerant
Required cooling
Load
Ease of maintenance
Physical space requirements
Availability of utilities (water, power)
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Type of Refrigeration
Vapour Absorption Refrigeration
Condenser

Generator
Hot
Side

Evaporator
Cold
Side

Absorber

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Type of Refrigeration

Electrical Equipment/
Refrigeration & AC

Vapour Absorption Refrigeration

Evaporator

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UNEP 2006

Type of Refrigeration

Electrical Equipment/
Refrigeration & AC

Vapour Absorption Refrigeration

Absorber

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UNEP 2006

Type of Refrigeration
Vapour Absorption Refrigeration
High pressure generator

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Type of Refrigeration
Vapour Absorption Refrigeration
Condenser

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Type of Refrigeration
Evaporative Cooling
Electrical Equipment/
Refrigeration & AC

Air in contact with water to cool it close to wet

bulb temperature

Advantage: efficient cooling at low cost

Disadvantage: air is rich in moisture

Sprinkling
Water

Hot Air

Cold
Air

(Adapted from
Munters, 2001)
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UNEP 2006

Training Agenda: Refrigeration &

Air Conditioning
Electrical Equipment/
Refrigeration & AC

Introduction
Type of refrigeration
Assessment of refrigeration and AC
Energy efficiency opportunities

30

UNEP 2006

Assessment of Refrigeration and AC

Assessment of Refrigeration
Cooling effect: Tons of Refrigeration
1 TR = 3024 kCal/hr heat rejected

TR is assessed as:
TR = Q xCp x (Ti To) / 3024
Q=
Cp =
Ti =
To =

mass flow rate of coolant in kg/hr

is coolant specific heat in kCal /kg deg C
inlet, temperature of coolant to evaporator (chiller) in 0C
outlet temperature of coolant from evaporator (chiller) in 0C
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UNEP 2006

Vapour Absorption Refrigeration System

Difference of VC and VA Cycle

Refrigerants
Refrigerants are chemicals that act as the working fluid in
Refrigeration cycles
The names of the Refrigerants were initially developed by
a company named DuPont for VCRSR (Carbon atoms-1) (Hydrogen atoms+1) (Flourine atoms)

R-11 = R011 = CCl3F and R-22= R022 = CHF2Cl

Refrigerant/Absorber Combination for VARS

Desirable Properties of Refrigerant

Low Ozone Depletion Potential
Low Global Warming Potential
High hfg: Can take more heat before vaporizing
Low Specific volume(m3/kg) : easier to compress
Chemically stable, non-toxic and non corrosive
Low cost and easy availability
Does not keep very low pressure in evaporator (air leakage)
Does not keep very high pressure in condenser (refrigerant leakage)

Type of Refrigeration
Vapour Compression Refrigeration
Two advantages
Lot of heat can be removed (lot of
thermal energy to change liquid to
vapour)
Heat transfer rate remains high
(temperature of working fluid much
lower than what is being cooled)
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