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03-2016
1. INTRODUCTION
Refrigeration is used widely in various applications from industrial to domestic situations, mainly for
the storage and transport of perishable foodstuffs and chemical substances. It has the prime
function to remove heat from a low temperature region, and it can also be applied as a heat pump
for supplying heat to a region of high temperature.
2. OBJECTIVE
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.
QH
E
. Wnet
QL
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).
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Thermofluids Lab-MEC 554/ LS 2/ Rev. 03-2016
Ideal refrigeration systems follows 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.
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Thermofluids Lab-MEC 554/ LS 2/ Rev. 03-2016
The cycle :
1–2 Condensation of the high pressure vapour during which heat is transferred to the
high temperature region.
2–3 Adiabatic throttling of the condensed vapour 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 vapour, from the evaporating to the condensing
pressures.
Compressor
q4-1 = h4 – h1 + w4-1
Power requirement, P = ṁ (h1 – h4), where ṁ is the flow rate of working fluid per unit time.
Condenser
q1-2 = h2 – h1 + w
Expansion Valve
q2-3 = h3 – h2 + w
therefore h2 = h3
Evaporator
q3–4 = h4 – h3 + w
q 3 4 h4 h3
COPref = =
w h1 h4
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Thermofluids Lab-MEC 554/ LS 2/ Rev. 03-2016
5. EQUIPMENT
6. PROCEDURES
a. Select air as a heat source by opening valves AVS-3 and AVS-5.Then click “START”
b. Adjust the water flow rate at the condenser to 5 L/m and adjust the air flow of the
evaporator until 50% of the maximal flow (evaporator load).
c. Then click “COMPRESSOR”
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. Record the data for 15 minutes (5 samples @ 900 second). “STOP SAVING”
g. Then increase evaporator load to 100% and repeat step (c) to step (f).
a. Select air as a heat source by opening valves AVS-3 and AVS-6. Then click “START”
b. Adjust the air flow of the condenser to maximum flow (100%) and 50% of the maximal
flow at the evaporator (evaporator load).
c. Then click “COMPRESSOR”
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. Record the data for 15 minutes (5 samples @ 900 second). “STOP SAVING”
g. Then increase evaporator load to 100% and repeat step (c) to step (f).
7.1 By using data obtained from the experiments, show sample calculations of the parameters
below and complete the results summary table.
4
SW-1
(W)
Thermofluids Lab-MEC 554/ LS 2/ Rev. 03-2016
SC-1
(L/h)
SP-2
(bar)
SP-1
(bar)
ST-4
(oC)
ST-3
(oC)
5
ST-2
(oC)
180
360
540
720
900
180
360
540
720
900
180
360
540
720
900
180
360
540
720
900
Time (s)
Evaporator
Fan power at evap. = 50% Fan power at evap. = 100% Fan power at evap. = 50% Fan power at evap. = 100%
heat load
Data Summary table
Condenser
SC-2 = 5 L/m Fan power at condenser = 100%
cooling load
Working fluid Cond - Water Evap - Air Cond - Air Evap - Air
Exp #
b
Thermofluids Lab-MEC 554/ LS 2/ Rev. 03-2016
Time (s)
Exp # Qevap (kW) COP =
Vref v2 (table) mref (kg/s)
h3 (kJ/kg) h4 (kJ/kg) = mref (h4 - Qevap/ (SW-
(m3/s) (m3/kg) = Vref/v2
h3) 1/1000)
180
360
540
720
900
Average COP
a
180
360
540
720
900
Average COP
180
360
540
720
900
Average COP
b
180
360
540
720
900
Average COP
8. DISCUSSIONS
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Thermofluids Lab-MEC 554/ LS 2/ Rev. 03-2016
b. What is the effect of cooling medium on the average refrigeration COP? Why?
c. What do you understand by the term load? Give examples of actual loads in refrigeration
practice in a domestic fridge, in a room, and in a factory.