AISSMS COE, PUNE

Refrigeration and air conditioning

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Industrial visit to centralized air conditioning system

Place: BalGandharva Rangamandir. Date: 19/07/2017

Faculty: Prof. C. N. Narkhede, Prof. D. S. Mane Time: 9.15am

Introduction:
A visit to BalGandharva Auditorium’s Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Plant was
organized under subject Refrigeration and Air-conditioning. The aim of this visit was
to make students aware of working of actual air-conditioning plant. During this visit
students were exposed to various components of Centralized Air Conditioning System
plant and its working. BalGandharva Ranga Mandir is a theatre, auditorium and
exhibition hall located in Pune, India. The theatre was built in 1962 and is named after
Marathi singer and stage actor BalGandharva. The actual plant is located near the
theatre.

Central Air Conditioning:

Central air conditioning is a type of air-conditioning in which a confined space i.e.
building, auditoriums, malls are maintained at required temperature with desired air
quality. Central air conditioning is used when area of space to be maintained at required
temperature is large.

Necessity:
1. As far as theatre is concern, all the air is trapped inside it.so as we feel more humid.
2. Human beings do not feel comfortable if some extra effort is required by the body to
reject this energy.
3. A delicate balance of pleasant feeling in the body produced by theatre surroundings.
4. Comfort involves four things: (a) temperature, (b) humidity, (c) air Cleanliness, and
(d) air movement

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Main Components Of Central Air Conditioning Are:

 Compressor
 Condenser
 Evaporator
 Throttling device
 Blower
 Duct system.
In vapour compression cycle compressor compresses the refrigerant to very high
pressure and temperature, further compressed refrigerant enters condenser where
phase change occurs and vapour refrigerant gets converted into liquid refrigerant at
constant pressure, further liquid refrigerant enters throttling device where enthalpy
and pressure of refrigerant reduces and actual cooling process starts, from throttling
device liquid refrigerant enters evaporator where major cooling takes place,
evaporator absorbs heat from confined place and produces cooling effect. Function
of blower is to circulate cool air all over the confined place i.e. Mall, building etc.
through ducts.

Plant layout at Balgandharva RAC plant:-

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The plant is distributed in three sections: (a) Compression section which consisted
compressor, condenser, and throttling system, (b) Evaporator section where water
was being cooled, (c) Blower section from where air was blown over evaporator and
cool air was carried all over the auditorium.

General Specification of Visited RAC Plant:

 Compressor:-
1. Blue star Screw type compressor.
2. Blue star Reciprocating compressor.
 Condenser
90-100 tube water cooled condenser.
 Expansion valve:-
Pressure compensated expansion valve.
 Refrigerant used - Freon 22. Quantity:-60kg
 Refrigerating Capacity - 50 tonnes.
 Minimum cooling temperature:-7℃.
 Max discharge pressure of compressor:-250psi
 Cooling system used:-thermo cooling solution.
 Secondary refrigerant used - water.
 Blower:-electric motor driven centrifugal blower.
 Evaporator:-perforated fabric tube type evaporator.

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Components of RAC plant:

1. Compressor:

Two major types of compressors are used in the refrigeration and air-conditioning
plant which are the reciprocating screw compressor and reciprocating compressors
(two units). The two housing categories are open and hermetic compressors.
Reciprocating compressors having capacity 50 ton are used. Hermetic refers to the
type of housing the compressor is contained in and is divided into two types 1.fully
welded and 2.serviceable or semi-hermetic. The drive mechanisms may be either
enclosed inside the shell or outside the shell. When the compressor is hermetic, the
drive mechanism is direct. The compressor and motor shaft are the same shaft inside
the compressor shell.
When a (semi-hermetic) compressor is manufactured, the motor and
compressor are contained inside a single shell that is bolted together. This unit can
be serviced by removing the bolts and opening the shell at the appropriate place.
Following are the characteristics of the semi hermetic compressor:

1. They are normally heavier than the fully welded type.

2. They generally use a splash-type lubrication system in the smaller compressors
and a pressure lubrication system in the larger compressors.
3. They are often air cooled and can be recognized by the fins.
4. Compressor outlet temp is 95oC.
5. Semi hermetic package chiller unit.

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Compressor works on principle of heater mechanism

a. If the switch is off-compressor on
b. If the switch is on-compressor off

The screw compressor of size 80 ton capacity is used in place of two reciprocating
compressors. Rotary screw compressor is another mechanical method of
compressing refrigerant gas used in larger installations instead of a piston, and
minimum air discharge pressure is maintained up to 45 psi and oil pressure greater
than 450 psi. The refrigerant used is R22 of gas type and the liquid purifier is used
to safe the refrigerant. The sensors at outlet & inlet of pipes give the temp in 0F.
There are 4 cylinders which are used for each of compressors. Each of them having
90 tubes inside the casing of compressors. The tubes are 3 pass or 2 pass depending
on the condition and having a pressure of range 125-135 psi. The following condition
will determine compressors working:
1. Loading- spring load is on & compressor is on.
2. Unloading- spring load is off & compressor is off

2. Condenser:

There are 3 condensers which are of water cooled types. Water-cooled condensers
are more efficient than air-cooled condensers and operate at much lower condensing
temperatures. The refrigerant from the compressor enters the condenser where it is
cooled by the atmospheric air and water coils thus losing heat absorbed by it in the
evaporator and the compressor. Here the condenser used was water cooled tube type

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condenser.it had 90-100 tubes through which water was passed so as to cool vapour
refrigerant. Condenser was provided with safety valve having capacity 320psi. It
rejects the heat from the system absorbed by the evaporator. This heat is rejected
from a hot superheated vapor in the first passes of the condenser. The middle of the
condenser rejects latent heat from the saturated vapor, which is in the process of
phase changing to a saturated liquid. The last passes of the condenser reject heat
from sub cooled liquid. This further sub cools the liquid to below its condensing
temperature.
In fact, the three functions of a normal condenser are to desuperheat,
condense, and sub cool the refrigerant. When heat is being absorbed into the system,
it is at the point of change of state (liquid to a vapor) of the refrigerant where the
greatest amount of heat is absorbed. The same thing, in reverse, is true in the
condenser. The point where the change of state (vapor to a liquid) occurs is where
the greatest amount of heat is rejected. The condenser is operated at higher pressures
and temperatures than the evaporator and is often located outside. The materials a
condenser is made of and the medium used to transfer heat make a difference in the
efficiency of the heat exchanger.

3. Throttling device:
The refrigerant leaving the condenser enters the expansion device; here expansion
device used is pressure compensated throttle valve. When the refrigerant is passed
through the expansion device its pressure and temperature drops down suddenly.
Function of throttle valve is to reduce enthalpy of refrigerant to produce cooling
effect.

4. Blower:
In blower room normal person having EER of about 350 B.Th.U. and working
person having EER of about 500 B.Th.U. The blower provides the pressure
difference to force the air into the duct system, through the heat transfer surfaces in
the conditioning equipment, through the grilles. Air has weight and has a resistance
to movement. This means that it takes energy to move the air to the conditioned
space. Blower runs on 40 HP motor. Blower can be adjusted to the air with the speed
range of max 1400 rpm and min 515 rpm. Air travels in the blower at the rate of
3500 kg/min.

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The supply duct system distributes air to the terminal units, registers,
grilles, or diffusers in the conditioned space. Flexible rubber or a similar material is
more commonly used. The vibration eliminator is recommended on all installations
but is not always used. If the blower is quiet, it may not be necessary. In order to
move the required air quantities, the blower must overcome the resistance and
friction created by other components located in the air distribution system: the return
duct, the supply duct, the air filter, the cooling coil, the heat exchanger, the supply
registers, and the return air grilles. The blower motor consumes power to facilitate
the moving of the correct air volumes through the system.
Blower and throttling device

5. Cooling towers:
The cooling tower is a device that passes outside air over the water to remove the
system heat from the water. Any cooling tower is limited in capacity to the amount
of evaporation that occurs. The evaporation rate is linked to the wet-bulb
temperature of the outside air (humidity). Usually a cooling tower can cool the water
that returns back to the condenser to within -14°C of the wet-bulb temperature of the
outside air, With 26°C wet-bulb temperature air entering the cooling tower, the water
in the tower can be cooled to 30°C. This tower arrangement comes in sizes of about
100 tons of refrigeration and up. The cooling water is of natural circulated system.
When the system gets large enough that saving water is a concern,
then a system that will recirculate the water is considered. The water is then pumped
to an area away from the condenser where the heat is removed from the water. The
refrigerant will normally condense at a temperature of about -12°C higher than the

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leaving-water temperature. A recirculating water system will circulate

approximately 3 gal of water per min per ton of refrigeration. The typical design
temperature for the entering water is 30°C, and most systems have a -12°C rise
across the condenser. Therefore, you could look for 30°C entering and 35°C leaving
when the system is under full load. Since the R-134a refrigerant will condense at a
temperature about -12°C higher than the leaving-water temperature, the approximate
condensing temperature would be 40°C (30°C +10°C). The head pressure for R-
134a corresponding to this 40°C condensing temperature is 135 psi.

6. Air filter:
In blower room, fins are provided on air filter (nylon). In air filter room, rubber is
provided on air filter. All the air from theatre is sucked by blower. Very small
particle size 5 to 10 micron can passed through air filter. Above bigger size particles
can trap by air filter. It is necessary to change the air filter unit at each interval. The
air filter unit change as per the requirement. As more amount of dust is collected on
air filter, load on compressor is increases. So to avoid the dust passage the air filter
unit can be arranging in zigzag way. By arranging zigzag way max area can be
utilized. Air is sucked from theatre by means of downstream flow.
There are 5 air absorber units that absorb all air, dust particles and sent to the air
filter next to blower. By proper mixing of clean air again through towards the theatre.
There are 6 clean air distribution units which give cooling and heating effect
according to the requirement.

Pump setting-
There are 4 centrifugal pumps working on the side of compressor. each pump ha
power rating 7.5 kW and runs at the speed of 1500 rpm. They suck the water from
water tank and deliver to condenser. Each one is parallel connected to condenser. At
each of piping seal is provided to avoid heat losses. Each sub assembly is mounted
separately giving through the space. The condenser water pump is the device that
moves the water through the condenser and cooling tower circuit. The cooling tower
pump normally is located where it takes water from the cooling tower sump into the
pump inlet. This water must be pumped al the correct rate and delivered to the
cooling tower at the correct pressure.

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