SP24 ME – 326 HVAC

Reversed Carnot & Vapor Compression

Refrigeration Cycle Part-I

Instructor: Dr. Waqas Khalid

Email: [email protected]
 Various Refrigeration Cycles/Systems

➢ The Reversed Carnot Cycle

➢ Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle
o Ideal
o Actual
➢ Modified Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Systems
(Multi-pressure Systems)
o Multi-compression systems
o Multi-evaporator systems
o Cascade systems
➢ Gas Refrigeration Cycles
➢ Absorption Refrigeration Systems

2
 Basic Refrigeration Cycle
Principal Components
Low P High P
Low T Med T

Low P High P
Med T High T

Evaporator

Condenser

Learn more: Compressor Expansion Valve

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NwxMyqUyJw
3
Refrigerators and Heat Pumps
Components Layout

Refrigeration & Air Conditioning M.Umer Energy.org 4

 Refrigerators and Heat Pumps
Main Types of HVAC System
Central Unit System:
• It provides the most even cooling throughout the home.
• Its quiet, convenient to operate and more efficient than window units.
• Expensive to install

Room Unit System:

• A room unit can provide cooling to select spaces at an affordable cost.
• Inexpensive way to cool a room
• Improper installation can result in significant air leakage

Split Unit System:

• It can provide cooling as well as heating.
• Highly efficient, work in all climate zones
• Easy to install and avoids energy loss associated with ductwork.
• Expensive

Evaporative Unit System:

• Favored in an arid climate as the dry air passes through the wet pads.
• a cost-effective cooling option.
• Requires more frequent maintenance and is only suitable for areas with low
humidity.

5
 Refrigerators and Heat Pumps

• The transfer of heat from a low-temperature Summer Winter

region to a high temperature requires special
devices called refrigerators/heat pumps.
• Refrigerators and heat pumps are essentially
the same devices; they differ in their
objectives only.
• In summers, we need cooling effect at a
desired location and the device operates as a
Refrigerator Fig (a).
• In winters, however, we desire to keep
ourselves warm, and the device operates as a
Heat Pump Fig (b).

6
 Refrigerators and Heat Pumps
Performance Parameters
Coefficient of performance (COP) Summer Winter
• The coefficient of performance or COP of a heat
pump, refrigerator or air conditioning system is a ratio
of useful heating or cooling provided to work required.
• Higher COPs equate to lower operating costs.
• Thus for Refrigerator and Heat Pump, the COP is
defined as:

• Notice that both COPR and COPHP can be greater

than 1.
𝐶𝑂𝑃𝐻𝑃 = 𝐶𝑂𝑃𝑅 + 1 for fixed values of QL and QH
7
 Refrigerators and Heat Pumps
Performance Parameters
Energy Efficiency ratio (EER)
• A room Air Conditioner's Efficiency is measured by the Energy Efficiency Ratio
(EER).
• EER is the ratio of output cooling energy (in BTU) to input electrical energy (in
watts) at a given operating point.
• The higher the EER rating, the more efficient the air conditioner.
• Mostly EER value is used for cooling purposes, its unit is Btu/Wh.
• EER is normally calculated with a 95 °F (35°C) outside temperature and an inside
(return air) temperature of 80 °F (26.7°C) and 50% relative humidity.
• Generally, an EER of 12 or above is considered energy efficient.
• However, when comparing two models, the one with the higher EER is more
energy efficient regardless of whether or not it is above 12.
• Some of the best devices can even reach more than 12 EER.
• The best mini split air conditioners have an extremely high 12+ EER rating.

8
 Refrigerators and Heat Pumps
Performance Parameters
Energy Efficiency ratio (EER)
• Consider that 1 Wh = 3.412 Btu
• It means a device with COP = 1 removes 1
kWh of heat from the cooled space for each
kWh of electricity it consumes.
• Thus it will have an EER of 3.412.
• Therefore, the relation between EER and
COP is:
𝐸𝐸𝑅 = 3.412 𝐶𝑂𝑃𝑅 Theoretical EER
• Classification of energy consumption of
heating and cooling devices is determined
by COP and EER values.
• If the working conditions in practice are
continuously variable, COP and EER
constantly change in the values.
Source: https://learnmetrics.com/eer-rating/
9
Energy efficiency ratio (EER) is used in the USA, and is defined as the system output
in Btu/h per watt of electrical energy. Coefficient of performance (COP) is the
equivalent measure using SI units, which is widely used in the UK. A COP of 1.0
equates to an EER of 3.4.

EER is mostly used for room air conditioners.

1
 Refrigerators and Heat Pumps
Units of Refrigeration
• The Cooling Capacity of a refrigeration system - that is, the rate of heat
removal from the refrigerated space - is often expressed in terms of Tons of
Refrigeration (TR).

• 1 ton of refrigeration is the rate of heat removal required to freeze a metric ton
(1000 kg) of water at 0°C in 24 hours.

• Based on the heat of fusion being 333.55 kJ/kg:

• 1 ton of refrigeration = 13,898 kJ/h = 3.861 kW or 12,000 Btu/hr.
Estimation of a Room Cooling Load:
1. Find room’s square footage = length × width
2. Cooling load in BTU = square footage × 20
Note: US ton (907 kg)
Resulting 1 ton of refrigeration = 3.5 kW
11
 The Carnot Cycle
Carnot and Reversed Carnot Cycles: Comparison

Carnot Cycle Reversed Carnot Cycle

Four reversible processes Four reversible processes

1-2 Isothermal Expansion 1-2 Isentropic Expansion
2-3 Isentropic Expansion 2-3 Isothermal Expansion
3-4 Isothermal Compression 3-4 Isentropic Compression
4-1 Isentropic Compression 4-1 Isothermal Compression

Note: Reversing the cycle does also reverse the directions of any heat and work
interactions.
12
Carnot Efficiency

• Consider the Carnot Cycle shown that operates

using an ideal gas.
• The heat transfer for each of the four processes is as
follows:

• Hence the thermal efficiency

13
 Carnot Efficiency

Note that during reversible-adiabatic processes (2 – 3)

and (4 – 1) on Ideal Gas:
and also

Thus we observe that:

Also note that:

Hence the Carnot Efficiency

can also be expressed as:

TL
th ,rev = 1−
TH
14
 Carnot Efficiency
• Consider the Carnot Efficiency: TL
th ,rev = 1−
Note that TL and TH are absolute temperatures TH

 The thermal efficiencies of actual

and reversible heat engines
operating between the same
temperature limits are compared
as follows:
 Carnot Refrigerator Coefficient of Performance

• Consider the COP of Carnot Refrigerator and Heat Pump:

1 1 1 1
COPHP,rev = = and
COPR ,rev = =
1 − QL QH 1 − TL TH QH QL − 1 TH TL − 1

• The coefficients of performance of actual and

reversible refrigerators operating between the
same temperature limits can also be compared as
follows:
 Conclusion Drawn by Comparing
Reversible and Real Systems

• The efficiency of a reversible heat engine,

such as a Carnot engine, is always higher
than a real engine.
• The COP of a reversible heat pump is
always higher than a real heat pump.
• The COP of a reversible refrigerator is
always higher than a real refrigerator.
 The Reversed Carnot Cycle

• The reversed Carnot cycle is the most

efficient refrigeration cycle operating
between two specified temperature levels.
• It sets the highest theoretical COP.
• The Refrigerant changes from a saturated
vapor state to a saturated liquid state in the
condenser during process 3-4.
• The Carnot cycle cannot be approximated in
an actual cycle, because:
𝑥1 𝑥2
1. Executing Carnot cycle requires a compressor that can
handle two-phases
2. Process 4-1 involves expansion of two-phase flow in a
turbine.
The Reversed Carnot Cycle
The coefficient of performance for Carnot
refrigerator and heat pump are:

1 1
COPHP ,rev = =
1 − QL QH 1 − TL TH
Only true for
1 1 the reversible
COPR ,rev = =
QH QL − 1 TH TL − 1 case

Note: Both COPs increase as the difference

between the two temperatures decreases, that is,
as TL rises or TH falls.

Consider T-s diagram: 𝑥1

𝑥2
Thermodynamics Processes
Recall the processes:

➢Isothermal = constant temperature (ΔT=0)

➢Isochoric = constant volume (ΔV=0)
➢Adiabatic = no heat exchange, well insulated (Q=0)
➢Isentropic = constant entropy (ΔS=0)
➢Isobaric = constant pressure (ΔP=0)
➢Isotropic = no change with direction
 The Ideal Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle

• The vapor-compression refrigeration is the most

widely used cycle for refrigerators, air conditioners,
and heat pumps.
• Assumptions for ideal vapor-compression cycle are:
 Irreversibilities within the evaporator, condenser and
compressor are ignored
 No frictional pressure drops
 Refrigerant flows at constant pressure through the two
heat exchangers (evaporator and condenser)
 Heat losses to the surroundings are ignored
 Compression process is isentropic

Note that: Area under the process curve on a T-s diagram

represents the heat transfer for internally reversible processes.
 The Ideal Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle
The Ideal Vapor-compression Refrigeration Cycle consists of the following
four processes:
• 1-2: Isentropic compression in a compressor
• 2-3: Constant-pressure heat rejection in a condenser
• 3-4: Throttling in an expansion device – (an irreversible process)
• 4-1: Constant-pressure heat absorption in an evaporator

Steady Flow Process:

Note: The COP improves by 2 to 4% for each °C

the evaporating temperature is raised or the
condensing temperature is lowered.
The Ideal Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle

P-h Diagram:
• In the analysis of Vapor-Compression Refrigeration
Cycle, we also use P-h diagram.
• An advantage of this diagram is that:
• Three out of four processes are represented by
straight lines.
• The heat transfer across condenser (2-3) and
evaporator (4-1) is proportional to the length of
the corresponding process curve.

• Note: the ideal vapor compression

refrigeration cycle is not an internally
reversible cycle since it involves an
irreversible (throttling) process.

• Replacing the expansion valve by a turbine,

although advantageous, is not practical since the
added benefits cannot justify the added cost and
complexity.