Refrigeration technology:

TYPES OF REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS

AND
PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION

Submitted by:
Paulo Jose Gallera
BSME-4

Submitted to:
Engr. Alejandro Manderico
PROFESSOR

Gas Refrigeration Cycle

Just as the vapors are used for cooling in the vapor compression cycle and vapor absorption cycle, the gas
is used for cooling in gas refrigeration cycle. When the gas is throttled from very high pressure to low pressure in the
throttling valve, its temperature reduces suddenly while its enthalpy remains constant. This principle is used in gas
refrigeration system

In this system instead of using Freon or ammonia as the refrigerant, the gas is used as the refrigerant. Throughout
the cycle there are no phase changes of the gas, which are observed in the liquid refrigerants. Air is the most
commonly used gas, also called as refrigerant in this case, in the gas refrigeration cycles.

Components and Working of the Gas Refrigeration Cycle

 The components of the gas refrigeration cycle are very similar to the vapor compression cycle. The gas
flows through the compressor where its pressure and temperature becomes very high. It then flows into the heat
exchanger, which performs the function similar to the condenser in the vapor compression cycle, except that there is
no change in the phase of air or gas. In the heat exchanger the air gives up heat, but its pressure remains constant.

The high pressure and medium temperature air then enters the throttling valve (also called expander), where its
pressure is reduced suddenly and due to this its temperature also becomes very low. The low temperature and low
pressure gas then enters the other heat exchanger (also called refrigerator) which performs the function similar to the
evaporator in vapor compression cycle. The gas absorbs the heat from the substance to be cooled and becomes
hotter, while the substance becomes cooler. There is no change in phase of the gas in this heat exchanger. The high
pressure and high temperature gas then enters the compressor where the cycle repeats.

Ice Refrigeration
In this method the ordinary ice is used for keeping the space at temperature below the surrounding temperature.
The temperature of ice is considered to be 0 degree Celsius hence it can be used to maintain the temperatures of
about 5 to 10 degree Celsius. To use the ice for refrigerating effect a closed and insulated chamber is required. On
one side of the chamber ice is kept while on the other side there is a space which is to be cooled where some
material to be cooled can be placed. If the temperature below 0 degree Celsius is required, then the mixture of ice
and salt is used. This method of cooling is still being used for cooling the cold drinks, keeping the water chilled in
thermos, etc.

Dry ice refrigeration

Dry ice is the solid carbon dioxide having the temperature of -78 degree Celsius. Dry ice converts directly from
solid state to gaseous; this process is called as sublimation. Dry ice can be pressed into various sizes and shapes as
blocks or slabs. Dry ice is usually packed in the frozen food cartons along with the food that has to be kept frozen for
long intervals of time. When the dry ice gets converted into vapor state it keeps the food frozen. The process of dry
ice refrigeration is now-a-days being used for freezing the food in aircraft transportation.

Cyclic Process of Refrigeration

In the cyclic process of refrigeration the heat is removed from the low temperature reservoir and is thrown to high
temperature reservoir. As per the second law of thermodynamics the natural flow of heat is from the high temperature
reservoir to low temperature reservoir. In the cyclic refrigeration process since the flow of heat is reversed, the
external work has to be done on the system. The cyclic process of refrigeration is also reverse of the thermodynamic
power cycle or Carnot cycle in which the heat flows from high temperature reservoir to low temperature reservoir;
hence the cycle of refrigeration is also called as Reverse Carnot Cycle.

Vapor Compression Cycle

he vapor compression cycle is the mostly widely used method of refrigeration in the modern applications. Your
household refrigerator, water cooler, deep freezer, air-conditioner etc, all run on vapor compression cycle. The cycle
is called as vapor compression cycle, because the vapors of refrigerant are compressed in the compressor of the
refrigerator system to develop the cooling effect.

Here are the various processes of vapor compression cycle (refer the figure give below):

1) Compression: The vapors of refrigerant enter the compressor and get compressed to high pressure and high
temperature. During this process the entropy of the refrigerant ideally remains constant and it leaves in superheated
state.
2) Condensation: The superheated refrigerant then enters the condenser where it is cooled either by air or water
due to which its temperature reduces, but pressure remains constant and it gets converted into liquid state.

3) Expansion: The liquid refrigerant then enters the expansion valve or throttling valve where sudden expansion of
the refrigerant occurs, due to which its temperature and pressure falls down. The refrigerant leaves expansion valve
in partially liquid state and partially in gaseous state.

4) Evaporation or cooling: The partially liquid and partially gaseous refrigerant at very low temperature enters the
evaporator where the substance to be cooled is kept. It is here where the refrigeration effect is produced. The
refrigerant absorbs the heat from the substance to be cooled and gets converted into vapor state.

Vapor Absorption Cycle

Before the development of the vapor compression system of refrigeration, vapor absorption cycle was very widely
used. The vapor compression system replaced vapor absorption system because it has high coefficient of
performance (COP). The vapor absorption system requires very less amount of electricity but large amount of heat;
hence it can be used very effectively in industries where very large stocks of excessive steam are available. In such
cases there is not only effective utilization of steam, but also lots of savings in electricity costs. Of late the vapor
absorption systems are being employed by a number of industries to save on their electric bills. However, the vapor
absorption system is useful only where large scale refrigeration in excess of at least 20 tons is required.

Various Processes of Vapor Absorption Cycle

The various processes of the vapor absorption cycle are similar to the one in vapor compression cycle, only the
method of compression of the refrigerant is different. In vapor absorption system ammonia is used as the refrigerant,
which has very high affinity to dissolve in water. Here are various processes of vapor absorption cycle:

1) Compression or absorption of the refrigerant: In vapor absorption system there is no traditional compressor,
instead there is absorber. The absorber consists of water, called as absorbent, in which the refrigerant, ammonia,
dissolves. This mixture of water and ammonia is then pumped and heated thus increase in temperature and pressure
of the ammonia occurs. Ammonia leaves the absorber at high pressure and high temperature. Some work has to be
provided to the pump and heating is carried out by the steam. The amount of electricity required by the pump is much
lesser than that required by the compressor hence there is lots of saving of electricity, however, the additional source
of heat in the form of steam has to be provided.

2) Condensation: The refrigerant at pressure and temperature then enters condenser where it is cooled by water
and its temperature and pressure reduces.

3) Expansion: Thereafter the expansion of refrigerant occurs in throttling valve due to which the temperature and
pressure of the ammonia refrigerant reduces drastically and suddenly.