AN EXCHANGE OF TECHNICAL INFORMATION

st
VOLUME 7 NUMBER 1 ABOUT CARRIER TRANSICOLD CONTAINER PRODUCTS 1 Quarter 2002

Inside This Issue The book rounds itself out with practical information on
TechTips requirements, recommendations, and descriptions of many
commonly transported floras, fruits, fungi, and vegetables.
CA Guide to Food Transport
Generator Bearing O-Ring N. LaCount
Filter-Drier O-Ring Installation
Avoid Damaging the E-Partlow Drive Tech Tip

Feature Article Generator Bearing O-Ring

The Pressure-Enthalpy (Heat) Diagram When inspecting/replacing the bearing on the Lima
generator the O-ring, located inside the machined recess of
FAQ’s the end bearing housing, is often over looked. The purpose
WebClaim – Unit Serial Number Usage of this O-ring is two fold. First, with a single bearing
General design, such as is used in the 69UG & RG models, the
2001 Newsletter Listing rotor shaft must be able to float. This float assures proper
Training School Schedule alignment, in the axial direction, of the generator’s rotor
drive discs and that of the engine’s flywheel. The second
is to allow the outer race of the bearing to rotate slightly
Tech Tip within the housing to minimize the possibility of
CA Guide to Food Transport BrinellingI the race during over the road trucking. It is
suggested that whenever inspecting/replacing a bearing the
For those looking for practical information on and O-ring be included, P/N 42-50010-00.
about controlled atmosphere there is available, from G. Barkowski
Mercantila Publishers (printed in Denmark by BB
Grafik), a “Guide to Food Transport – Controlled I
Atmosphere” (ISBN 87 890 1096-5), by Michael S. Refers to indentations made in a bearings raceway caused by the rollers
when they are subjected to loads that exceeds the strength of the
Reid and Margrethe Serek. raceways material.
This book covers the basics of the biology of controlled
atmospheres related to respiration, aging, low oxygen,
high carbon dioxide, ethylene, mold growth, insect Tech Line is a publication of Carrier Transicold
quarantine, and other informative topics. It also covers Editor: N. LaCount
information on gas-tight enclosures, fixed stores, Graphics & Publications Coordinator:
oxygen removal, nitrogen flushing, calibration, and D. Mansfield
much more about the techniques in CA storage and Contributors: Z. Asprovski, G. Barkowski,
modified atmosphere packaging. M. Donahoe, P. Hoover, N. LaCount, M. Rogers
Graphics: N. LaCount

Please circulate this newsletter to all of your support personnel

Carrier Transicold Division • P.O. Box 4805 • Syracuse, New York 13221 • +1 315-432-7688 • Fax +1 315-432-7698
Feature Article
The Pressure-Enthalpy (Heat) Diagram
“Pulling together just how the refrigeration cycle really works!”
Or
“An invaluable aide to trouble-shooting system operating conditions!”

Don’t let the below diagram scare you away. Over the past couple of years Tech Line has covered just
about all of what is being represented. This article will serve to pull all of the basic principles of
refrigeration, heat transfer, pressure, temperature, specific heat, latent heat, sub-cooling, superheating,
and enthalpy together to illustrate how and why a refrigeration system operates*.

Total Heat Rejection

Superheat
Removed

PA Condensing
A D
PD
PRESSURE –PSIA

PE Throttling E
(Metering Device)
Also
PB P Between
PC B Cond. & Evap.
F C
PF S Heat of
Evaporation
PS Flash Compression
Effective Latent Heat
Gas (Refrigeration Effect) (Superheat
Added)
Total Latent Heat

HF H A = HB H C = HS HD
ENTHALPY (HEAT) – BTU / lb
(Ideal Refrigeration Cycle)

Note: This discussion is based on generalizations and of using a pure refrigerant and neglects
any effect lubricating oil or other materials and items in a system may have on
influencing the refrigerants behavior.

The principles of refrigeration, and ultimately how and why a refrigerant system works, are based on
the science of Thermodynamics, which deals with the relationship between heat and work (mechanical
action vs reaction) and conversion of one into the other. The refrigeration cycle is very simple, as can
be seen in the following System Diagram and the accompanying explanation. The above is a plot of
this cycle on what is referred to as a Pressure-Enthalpy (Heat) diagram (P-H diagram) showing the
physical property changes of a refrigerant as it cycles around the system. Remember, Enthalpy is a
measure of the total heat energy content of a substance.
A thorough understanding of this Pressure-Heat diagram can be an invaluable aide to the service
technician when trouble-shooting system operating conditions. As we discuss the refrigeration cycle
using these two diagrams, you can refer to each based on the labeled points, which have been placed at
the relevant discussion areas.

&
 B'
Condenser
B
Metering D D'
F
Device E
A' C,S
C' S' A
Evaporator Compressor A'
System Diagram
A - Condenser Outlet (No sub-cooling) S' - Compr Inlet (With pressure drop)
A' - Cond Outlet / Meter Inlet (Subcooled) D - Compressor Outlet (Discharge)
B/B' - Evaporator Inlet (B' Result of sub-cooling) D' - Condenser Inlet (Pressure drop)
C/S - Evap Outlet / Compr Inlet E - Saturated Vapor
(No pressure drop, no Super Heat) (Condensing begins, SH removed)
C' – Evaporator Outlet (Super Heated) F - Flash Gas Effect

Starting at the metering device (F), as the refrigerant enters the evaporator coil, passing through
the small opening in the metering device, some of the refrigerant vaporizes (flashes) as a result
of the pressure differential between the high side pressure in the liquid line and the low side
pressure in the coil. This Flash Gas effect (throttling) acts to cool the remainder of the
refrigerant as it continues to flow into the evaporator coil (B), in a liquid state. Once in the coil,
the refrigerant vaporizes at a lower constant pressure1 (PB,PC,PF,PS), as the remaining liquid
begins to absorb (removes) heat from the enclosed space around the coil. The metering device
and evaporator coil act to change the “state” of the refrigerant, that is to say their purpose is to
turn a refrigerant liquid into a vapor. Referring to the P-H diagram, this is accomplished by
increasing the total heat energy (enthalpy) of the refrigerant as it flows from the metering device
(F) through the evaporator coil (B) and into the suction side of the compressor (S). The amount
of heat absorbed/removed from just the enclosed space is referred to as the “Effective Latent
Heat” or “Refrigeration Effect.” The total amount of heat absorbed, which includes the initial
amount that vaporized as it passed through the metering device, is referred to as the “Total
Latent Heat of Vaporization” —increases the enthalpy of the refrigerant from HF to HS.

Note: The metering device ensures that only refrigerant vapor leaves the coil
before entering the suction side of the compressor. And remember, the
compressor and metering device are the separation points between the systems
high and low pressure sides.

The compressor takes this low-pressure vapor and converts it into a high pressure, superheated
vapor (D), which as a result of the compression cycle, raises the refrigerant temperature and
increases the enthalpy from HS to HD. As the refrigerant vapor enters the condenser coil, it gives
up this heat (D to A), condensing (E) into a high pressure and temperature liquid (A) that flows
to the metering device to begin the cycle all over again.

1
Remember, temperature and pressure are intimately related, as one changes (e.g.: increases or decreases) so does
the other, thus constant for one means constant for the other.

&
The above explanation, while general in nature, works quite well to describe an ideal system.
The below P-H diagram is very similar, but here we show some slight differences that more
closely apply to what one might encounter with a typical refrigeration cycle.
Starting at (D), compressor discharge, as the refrigerant flows through the condenser line to the
coil inlet (D'), a pressure drop2 occurs. Note that there is no change in enthalpy associated with
this pressure drop. The superheat (increase in enthalpy) that was added during the compression
cycle is removed from D' to E. This (E) represents the point within the condenser coil where the
refrigerant reaches its saturated vapor point and begins to turn from a pure vapor to a liquid as it
continues to give up its heat energy content (enthalpy). This change of “state” continues from E
to A, or until the refrigerant reaches it saturated liquid temperature (A). In actuality the line from
D' to A is not straight because of the pressure drop that occurs as the refrigerant passes through
the coil, as well as, the loss in temperature due to the dissipation of heat as the refrigerant flows
through the condenser line from the compressor to the coil. However, these losses are generally
considered insignificant in typical systems and thus it is common to refer to the condensing
temperature as the saturation temperature at the pressure entering the condenser coil.
Total Heat Rejection
Liquid Superheat
Sub-Cooling Removed
PD D
Discharge Line
PA /A' A' A Condensing Pressure Drop
PRESSURE –PSIA

PD' E
Throttling D'
PE
(Metering Device)
Also
PB /B'
P Between
PC /C'
PF F Cond, & Evap. C'
B' C
PS B Evaporation S Suction Line
S' Pressure Drop
PS' Superheat Added
Flash
(Low Temperature)
Gas Heat of Compression
Refrigeration Effect
(Superheat Added)

HA' = HB' HC' = HS' HD = HD'

ENTHALPY (HEAT) – BTU / lb
(Typical Refrigeration Cycle)

Most condenser coils in our application provide some amount of refrigerant sub-cooling. As
seen above this sub-cooling (A') has several effects. One, it reduces the amount of “flash gas”
(F to B'), which means more refrigerant will enter the evaporator coil as a liquid. Thus, when
changing its “state” from a liquid to a vapor, as it absorbs the heat from the load, there will be
more refrigerant available to accomplish this process. This then results in an increase in the
“Total Heat Rejection” and “Refrigeration Effect” of the system—capacity is increased.

2
Pressure drops are the result of the pressure differentials created by the system components (e.g.: compressor,
metering device, coils, interconnecting piping, etc.) required to cause refrigerant flow throughout the system, as well
as, the loses associated with normal fluid flow friction within these components.

&
In the “Ideal Cycle” diagram, the metering device and evaporator coil acted to change the “state”
of the refrigerant from a liquid to a vapor (B to C). These functions are true as well with our
“Typical Cycle” as shown above (B' to C), however, the metering device takes on an added
function. In fact, most ensure that the vapor leaving the coil is slightly “superheated” to ensure
that no liquid enters the compressor. By additionally controlling the amount of superheat that the
refrigerant leaving the coil has above its saturation point, the metering device also helps to
effectively increase the “Refrigeration Effect” (B' to C'). As the refrigerant flows through the
suction line to the compressor (C' to S') another significant pressure drop occurs, which again
does not result in any loss of enthalpy, but sets up the refrigerant vapor to go through the
compression cycle and start the system cycle again. Here line B' to C' is not really straight
mainly due to the pressure drop through the evaporator coil, but as with the condenser side these
losses are generally considered small.
As you can see, the biggest effects on our “Typical Cycle” are the result of the pressure drops
associated with moving the refrigerant around the system, sub-cooling the refrigerant in the
condenser coil, and superheating it in the evaporator.

Using the P-H diagram to Troubleshoot

So what good does all this do in helping to troubleshoot a refrigeration problem?

Well, the first thing that a technician must do to locate the problem area is to understand what is
happening inside the refrigeration system. What makes this difficult is that the system is sealed.
To accurately determine what is happening inside requires the use of gauges, thermometers, and
the system sight glass to get the operating pressures, temperatures and to look inside to see the
refrigerant level, as well as its dryness. Next, the technician needs to know what is supposed to
be going on inside and what each part of the system is supposed to be doing. Armed with this
information, the technician can use logic to narrow down the cause of the problem. This is
where understanding the P-H and System diagrams, along with component functions, can
provide invaluable assistance.

Example: System with a low charge

If a system is sufficiently undercharged, the refrigerant will not be able to reach point (A), its
saturated liquid temperature—the enthalpy for line A/B is shifted to the right. As a result, the
refrigerant does not completely liquefy and much more vapor refrigerant is passed through the
metering device. This causes a “loss” in the “Effective Latent Heat” or “Refrigeration Effect”
and the unit may have to run longer and work hard to remove the same amount of heat.

Example: Air in the system

Air in a refrigeration system increases the total head pressure, which will equal the refrigerant
condensing pressure plus the pressure of the air in the condenser. In other words, point (D) goes
much higher, resulting in the refrigerant condensing at a much higher temperature (line D' to A'
is higher) since the pressure is higher. This higher pressure results in the compressor having to
work harder, and the potential for the corresponding temperatures to be high enough to cause oil
breakdown may also exist. Depending on the actual pressures encountered damage can also
occur with the compressor valve plates, valve seats, head gaskets, pistons, etc.

&
Example: Dirty condenser coil
With effects similar to those seen with air in the system, a dirty condenser coil can also result in
higher condenser pressures and the losses associated with the compressor having to work harder.
Losses can also result from lower than normal sub-cooling capability of the coil, which will
cause more “flash gas” effect thus reducing the “Refrigeration Effect.”

These are only a few examples of how having an understanding of the P-H diagram can be used
by technicians to augment their training and experience in identifying and understanding the
effect a refrigeration problem can have on a system.
N. LaCount

*
For those who would like to refresh themselves on some of these topics, the following TechLine’s can be referenced:
June 1999, Vol. 4 No. 1 – “What is Refrigeration?”, “What is Heat?”, “How is Heat measured?”
July 1999, Vol. 4 No. 2 – “What is Cold?”, “How does Heat energy flow?”, “What are the methods of Heat transfer?”
August 1999, Vol. 4 No. 3A – “What is Temperature”, “What is Pressure”, “What is a refrigerant”
September 1999, Vol. 4 No. 4 – “Specific Heat”, “Sensible and Latent heat”
November 1999, Vol. 4 No. 6 – “Saturation Temperature”, “Sub-cooling”, “Superheating”
December 1999, Vol. 4 No. 7 – “What is Enthalpy?”
March/April 2000, Vol. 5 No. 2 – “Mechanical Refrigeration (The Basics)”
These articles can be found within the Container Product Groups Information Library on our web site at
www.container.carrier.com . The information library section is a user restricted site, you must have an ID and password to
access it. If you do not have access to this site you can also contact your nearest CTD field service engineering representative
who will be happy to supply you with copies.

Tech Tip
Filter-Drier O-Ring Installation
It has been brought to our attention that the filter-drier (P/N 14-00311-02SV), which comes with O-rings,
has been reported as “difficult to install.” The investigation into the root cause of this “difficult-to-fit”
problem found that the wrong O-ring was being used.
As shown below, the filter-drier is shipped with dust caps that also have O-rings inside. The dust cap O-
rings also serve to help preserve the slight positive pressure each filter-drier is charged with when
manufactured. Included with each filter-drier package is a new set of installation O-rings, P/N 14-00284-
02. In the event that these installation O-rings are lost or separated from the drier package, the end user
can mistakenly try to use the dust cap O-rings. As can be seen below, these O-rings are quite a bit
different in size and will consequently lead to the “difficult-to-install“ problem being reported.
Z. Asprovski and M. Rogers
O-Ring P/N 14-00284-20

Discard after
opening
FAQ WebClaim – Unit Serial Number Usage
It is my understanding that when using WebClaim, to file a warranty claim, a unit serial number must be
entered. However, there are several instances in which a unit serial number may not apply for a particular claim.
The specific questions I have are:
Q1: How does one submit a claim for an RCG service part that is found defective while installing it, or say
upon shipment acceptance by my parts department?
Q2: How does one submit a claim for freight charges not necessarily associated with a unit claim, but say as
a result of a special request from Service Engineering to return something?
Q3: How does one submit a claim for an RCG service part that is still under its parts warranty, but the unit it
is in is not under warranty?
In the cases of questions 1 & 2 there isn’t a unit serial number that can really be used and in the case of question
3 if the unit serial number is used the claim will likely be rejected.
A: Question one pertains to what is referred to as “defective shelf” claims, question two “freight” claims, and
question three refers to “service parts” claims. The following procedures should be used for submitting claims
for these cases:
At the “Unit Screen” enter into the Unit Serial Number field either:
000000001 for Defective Shelf or 000000002 for Service Parts or 000000003 for Freight
Then click the “Find or Verify ” button. When the system responds, you will see “Defective Shelf”,
“Service Parts”, or “Freight” displayed in the Unit Model Number field.
In the Date of Failure and Install Date fields, enter the appropriate dates.
Since the Container # Prefix and Container # fields are required, but do not pertain in these situations,
you can use your keyboard “space bar” to get by these two fields—by hitting the space bar once in
each field. For parts that have serial numbers, please place the defective parts’ serial number in the
appropriate field.
On the “Part Number Screen” enter the part number in the Enter Part # field and verify correct
number. For “freight” claims skip this screen.
On the “Job Code Screen” enter your company in the Customer Name field.
For “freight” claims the Enter Failure Code field will also appear, select “01-Other.”
In the Condition and Cause of Failure field box enter a brief description of what the part defect was,
or in the case of “freight” claims enter reason for freight charges.
From the “Calculation Screen” submit the claim.
Note: Items with core value will need to be returned under the normal core procedures.
M. Donahoe

Tech Tip Avoid Damaging the Electronic Partlow Drive

Analysis of damaged recorders has shown that the largest percentage can be attributed to mishandling during the
changing of the chart. This mishandling appears to occur from either over tightening the chart-retaining hub
nut, or from physically moving the stylus arm up or down along the chart, apparently to verify its function.
Either of these actions can result in the motor drive gear stripping.
To properly remove and install a new chart, it is recommended that the stylus be carefully lifted by grasping the
arm near the base and pulling the arm away from the chart until it snaps into its retracted position. Then hold
the chart in place and turn the chart-retaining nut counter-clockwise. Then finger-tighten only the new chart in
place with the retaining nut. Gently lower the arm until the pen tip comes in contact with the chart.
The stylus arm should never be manually moved up and down the chart face!
Further details on recorder operation and trouble-shooting can be found in the Operation & Service Manual.
P Hoover
TECHLINE email: [email protected]

General

2001 Tech Line Newsletters

Volume 6
Number 1 (March) Number 3 (November – Special Edition)
FAQ – Gasket Materials Feature Article:
Tech Tip – Stepper Motor O-Ring EliteLINE & StreamLINE Scroll Units
Tech Tip – DataView for DOS Tips Components
Tech Tip – Combination Return Air Sensor The Economizer
General – Training School Schedule The Expansion module
General – 2000 Newsletter Listing The Refrigerant / Oil Separator
The Scroll Compressor
Number 2 (September) Modes of Operation
Economized
FAQ – Megohm Readings on Heaters Standard
Tech Tip – Control Transformer Replacement Unloaded
Tech Tip – Cd29 Failure Action / Response Mode Software
General – Troubleshooting Electronic Chart Recorders Troubleshooting
General – New Container Web Site
General – DataLine for Windows

Notes: Copies of each of these articles can be found under the Container Products Group (CPG) Information
Center located on our web site at: www.container.carrier.com or they can be ordered by contacting
our Technical Publications Department at 315-432-6485 (fax at 315-432-7683).

General

Training School Schedule Date Program Location Class I.D. Language

Here is a brief look at the APRIL

some upcoming container 3–5 3-Day Container Guatemala 661 Spanish
training being offered around 8 – 12 1-Week Container Rotterdam, NL 662 English
8 – 12 1-Week Container San Jose, Costa Rica 663 Spanish
the world this year. Refer to
15 – 17 3-Day Container Rotterdam, NL 664 English
the 2002 Worldwide Customer 18 – 19 2-Day Cont./Genset Rotterdam, NL 665 English/Dutch
Training brochure (62-03198 22 – 23 2-Day CA Update Long beach, CA 666 English
Rev. AH) for the full schedule 22 – 24 3-Day Container Las Vegas, NV 673 English
and program descriptions, 24 – 26 3-Day Container Hong Kong 669 English
enrollment details, and fees. 29 – May 3 1-Week Container Qingdao, China 671 English/Mandarin
MAY
6 – 10 1-Week Container Long Beach, CA 674 English
13 – 17 1-Week Container Athens, Greece 678 English/Greek
20 – 22 3-Day Container Agadir, Morocco 682 English/French
21 – 22 2-Day Cont./Genset Montreal, Canada 681 English
22 – 23 2-Day CA Update Fremantle, Australia 683 English
JUNE
10 - 12 3-Day Container Elizabeth, NJ 685 English
17 – 18 2-Day Cont./Genset Yokohama, Japan 688 English/Japanese
19 - 21 3-Day Container Pusan, Korea 686 English/Korean
20 – 21 2-Day Cont./Genset Pusan, Korea 687 English/Korean
24 – 25 2-Day Cont./Genset Seattle, WA 670 English
24 - 28 1-Week Container Christchurch, NZ 689 English

Please circulate this newsletter to all of your support personnel

www.container.carrier.com Emergency 24-Hour Technical Assistance
E 800-668-6283 (800-ONTO-CTD)