Evaporator and condenser

K.U.Leuven TME

Tube in tube condenser

Evaporator and condenser

K.U.Leuven TME

Shell and tube evaporator

Evaporator and condenser

K.U.Leuven TME

Bare-tube coil evaporator

Evaporator and condenser

K.U.Leuven TME

Plate-surface evaporator

Evaporator and condenser

K.U.Leuven TME

Dry expansion evaporator

Evaporator and condenser

K.U.Leuven TME

Flooded evaporator

Compressor
Performance curves

L/Qe

K.U.Leuven TME

Qe

Compressor
Performance curves
Qe

L/Qe

K.U.Leuven TME

Throttling valve
Capillary tube

K.U.Leuven TME

Simplest configuration
Very limited control
capability
L, D, p mass flow rate

Throttling valve
Hand expansion valve

K.U.Leuven TME

Manually controlled needle

valve
Pin shaped valve plug
Limted control freedom

Throttling valve
Constant evaporator
pressure expansion valve
Balance between
evaporator pressure and
spring pressure is
maintained

K.U.Leuven TME

Automatic expansion valve

Throttling valve
Automatic expansion valve

Low thermal loads: danger

for liquid entering the
compressor

K.U.Leuven TME

High thermal load: non

efficient use of heat
exchanger surface

Throttling valve
Thermostatic expansion valve

Charged with refrigerant (in 2-phase state)

Measures the temperature of the vapour leaving the evaporator
Converts this temperature to related pressure
Apply this pressure to diaphragm in expansion valve
On the other side of diaphragm: evaporator (inlet) pressure + spring pressure

Changes in pressure are used to position valve needle

If more superheat vlave opens more (throttling valve controls superheat)

K.U.Leuven TME

Most widely used

Maintains a constant amount of superheat at the evaporators
outlet
Full and effective use of the evaporator surface
Temperature sensing bulb located at the outlet of the evaporator

Throttling valve

K.U.Leuven TME

Thermostatic expansion valve

Throttling valve

If high flow rates, then significant pressure drop due to friction

Then lower pressure at outlet evaporator
Then larger superheat at outlet evaporator
Then portion of evaporators surface becomes ineffective for
absorbing the refrigerants latent heat

K.U.Leuven TME

Thermostatic expansion valve

Disadvantage:

Throttling valve
Externally equalized thermostatic expansion valve

psensing bulb
pspring

poutlet evaporator

K.U.Leuven TME

Pressure at the evaporator outlet is transmitted to the side of

the diaphragm that the setpoint adjusting spring acts upon
effect of p is neutralized without reducing the effective
heat transfer surface

Throttling valve

K.U.Leuven TME

Externally equalized thermostatic expansion valve

Secondary system components

Lubricant separator: separates oil from the discharge
vapours and safely returns it to the compressor (presence of oil in
condenser/evaporator hampers the heat transfer)

moisture
preventive action against corrosion or acid formation
throttling valve may be blocked by frozen moisture

Receiver tank valve: to avoid liquid in the compressor after

a restart; when valve closed no liquid towards evaporator

evaporator pressure decreases low pressure regulator active
compressor off when restarting the compressor no liquid in
the suction line

K.U.Leuven TME

Refrigerant drier: contains a chemical desiccant that adsorbs

Secondary system components

Hot gas defrost line: connects the discharge line to the
evaporator to melt the ice and frost from the evaporator surface
(when T < dew point moisture in air condenses; if T < freezing
point frost, which forms an insulation on the heat exchanger
surface Qe decreases COPR decreases)

Low and high pressure protection of compressor

K.U.Leuven TME

Another approach: system with 4-way valve refrigerator

works as heat pump automatic defrosting

condenser

Valves A and D open

Valves C and B closed
Refrigerator

evaporator

K.U.Leuven TME

Valves C and B open

Valves A and D closed
Heat pump