REFRIGERATION

AND
CRYOGENIC SYSTEMS

[MME – 5022 (3 1 0 4)]

II Sem M.Tech (TSES)
 Subject Contents
A. Refrigeration systems

1. Review of Thermodynamic Principles of Refrigeration:

Refrigeration and air conditioning, units , COP.
2. Refrigeration cycles: Introduction of air refrigeration,
vapor compression, vapor absorption cycle, steam jet
refrigeration and nonconventional refrigeration like Vortex
and Pulse Tube Refrigeration and Thermoelectric
refrigeration, comparison of Theoretical and actual vapor
compression cycle
3. Multistage, Multi evaporator system and Cascade system.
4. Gas cycle refrigeration for aircraft applications.
5. Estimation of thermal load in refrigeration system
6. Selection and matching of components:
Compressors, Evaporators, Condensers, Expansion
devices and Cyclic controls.
7. Requirements of refrigerants, Lubricants in refrigeration,
Secondary refrigerants and Mixed refrigerants
8. Vapor absorption system, Theory of mixtures, Aqua
ammonia systems, LiBr water system, three fluid
absorption systems, Solar refrigeration system.
B. Cryogenic Systems

Introduction to cryogenics
Properties of Cryogenic fluids
Material properties at Cryogenic Temperatures
Carnot Liquefaction Cycle, F.O.M. and Yield of

Liquefaction; Inversion Curve, Joule Thomson Effect.

Liquefaction Cycles: Linde Hampson Cycle, Pre-cooled

Linde-Hampson Cycle, Claudes Cycle, Dual Cycle, Helium

Refrigerated Hydrogen Liquefaction Systems.
Critical components in Liquefaction Systems
Cryogenic Refrigerators:
 J. T. Cryo-coolers
 Sterling Cycle Refrigerators
 G.M.Cryo-coolers
 Pulse Tube Refrigerators
 Magnetic Refrigerators
Regenerators used in Cryogenic Refrigerators
Applications of Cryogenics in Space programs,
Superconductivity, Cryo Metallurgy, Medical fields
References:
 W.F Stocker, J.W. Jones., Refrigeration and Air-
conditioning Data, McGraw Hill, 1985.
 Manohar Prasad., Refrigeration and Air Conditioning,
Willey Eastern Ltd., 1990.
 Jordan and Priester., Refrigeration and Air conditioning,
Prentice Hall of India, 1974.
 Ashrae Hand Book, 4 Vol., Current Ed.,
 K. D. Timmerhaus and T.M. Flynn, Cryogenic Process
Engineering, Plenum Press, 1989.
 R. F. Barron, Cryogenic Systems, McGraw Hill, 1985.
 R.B.Scott, Cryogenic Engineering, Van Nostrand and Co.,
1962.
 What is Refrigeration?
 Refrigeration is the science of producing and
maintaining temperatures below that of the
surrounding atmosphere. It simply means cooling or
removal of heat from a system or confined space.
 It works based on Clausius Theorem of 2nd Law of TD

Cooling of
air or
liquids
Refrigerati Provide
Cool lower
beverages on temperature

Make ice
Difference between Heat Engine, Refrigerator and Heat pump

Matter of interest
 Applications of Refrigeration

 Ice Making

 Human comfort
 A/C of hospitals, hotels, theaters, shopping
malls, skyscrapers
 Transport Air conditioning: automobiles, trains,
aircrafts, ships, submarines

 Storage of perishable food products , drinks,

medicines
Ammonia based refrigeration plant for a large cold storage
Photograph of a typical cold storage
 Industry
 Processing of food products
 Precision machines manufacturing
 Paper & Textile manufacturing
 Oil refining
 Manufacturing of synthetic rubber
 Cooling of concreate in big buildings & dams
 Liquefaction of gases
 
Some Terminologies related to Refrigeration:

 Refrigerating Effect:

 It is the rate at which heat is absorbed by the

refrigerant in the evaporator is called
refrigerating effect. It is expressed in kW.
 Performance:
 Performance of any device is measured as a ratio
of desired output to required input
 Performance =
 The performance parameter or the working
efficiency of the system is called as COP
Performance of a Refrigeration system
 
Co-efficient of Performance

 COP = =

 Relative COP=
Rating or Capacity of a Refrigeration Machine:

 The rating or capacity of a refrigeration system is

expressed in Ton of Refrigeration (TR).

 A ton of refrigeration is defined as the quantity of

heat to be removed from one ton of water at 00 C in
order to form ice at 00 C in 24 hours (one day).
 Ton of Refrigeration (USA):

 One ton of refrigeration capacity can freeze one

short ton (2000 lb) of water at 0°C (32°F) in 24 hours

 One short ton = 2000 lbkg

 One ton of refrigeration (TR) =

= 211 J/min= =3.52 KW
 Refrigeration Methods
1. Natural Methods
a. Ice or cold water
b. Sublimation of solid carbon dioxide
2. Chemical methods
• Heat required for the completion of chemical reaction
3. Mechanical Refrigeration
a. Air or Gas refrigeration
b. Vapor compression refrigeration
4. Heat Energy Refrigeration
a. Vapor absorption refrigeration
b. Steam jet refrigeration
5. Thermoelectric Refrigeration
Thermoelectric Refrigeration
What is air conditioning
Control of
quality of
air

Controlling
the
Moisture
content
AC Control of
Temperature

Air motion
and
Circulation
History Of Refrigeration
The subject of refrigeration and air conditioning
has evolved out of human need for preservation of
food and comfort, and its history dates back to
centuries.
The history of refrigeration is very interesting
since every aspect of it, the availability of
refrigerants, the prime movers and the
developments in compressors and the methods of
refrigeration all are part of it.
History of Refrigeration
Availability of
refrigerants
The prime
movers
Methods of
refrigeration

Developments in
compressors
Ice Refrigeration
For years, ice (frozen water) was the only
refrigerating means available.
It was used in many refrigerating application.
The usual ice refrigerator is an insulated
cabinet equipped with a tray or tank at the
top for holding blocks or pieces of ice .
In earlier times, ice was either:
1. Transported from colder regions,
2. Harvested in winter, stored in ice houses for summer use
3. In Europe, America and Iran
A number of icehouses were built to store ice.
Insulating materials used: sawdust or wood shavings & cork

In India,
The Mogul emperors were very fond of ice during the harsh
summer in Delhi and Agra
The ice used was made by Nocturnal cooling.
Evaporative Cooling:
It is the process of reducing the temperature of a system
by evaporation of water.
Human beings perspire and dissipate their metabolic
heat by evaporative cooling if the ambient temperature
is more than skin temperature.
Animals such as the hippopotamus and buffalo coat
themselves with mud for evaporative cooling.
Has been used in India for centuries to obtain cold
water in summer by storing the water in earthen pots.
The water permeates through the pores of earthen
vessel to its outer surface where it evaporates to the
surrounding, absorbing its latent heat in part from the
vessel, which cools the water.
Cooling by Salt Solutions

Certain substances such as common salt, when

added to water dissolve in water and absorb its heat
of solution from water (endothermic process).
This reduces the temperature of the solution (water
+ salt).
Sodium Chloride salt (NaCl) can yield temperatures
up to - 20°C and Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) up to
- 50°C in properly insulated containers.
This process has limited application, as the
dissolved salt has to be recovered from its solution
by heating.
Artificial Refrigeration

As the name indicated artificial refrigeration is

obtained by mechanical means or artificial means.
History of artificial refrigeration began in the year 1755
Scottish Professor William Cullen made the first
refrigerating machine, to produce a small quantity of
ice in the laboratory.
Perkins refrigeration system
Water container ‘A’
cold Chamber
Evaporator B
Pump C
Condenser Tubes D
Condenser vessel E
Throttle valve H
The refrigerant (ether or other volatile fluid) boils in
evaporator B taking heat from surrounding water in
container A.
 The pump C draws vapour away and compresses it to
higher pressure at which it can condense to liquids in
tubes D, giving out heat to water in vessel E.
John Hague made Perkins’s
design into working model
with some modifications.
The earliest vapour
compression system used
either sulphuric (ethyl) or
methyl ether.
Entry of Hermetic Compressors and Air cooled
Condensers
General Electric Company introduced the first
refrigerator with a hermetic compressor in 1926
 Open type compressors were completely replaced by
the hermetic compressors
First refrigerators used water-cooled condensers,
which were soon replaced by air cooled-condensers
 The development of mechanical domestic
refrigerators was very rapid in USA.
The use of mechanical domestic refrigerators grew
rapidly all over the world after the Second World
War.
Except very few almost all the present day
domestic refrigerators are mechanical
refrigerators with hermetic compressors and air
cooled condensers.
The modern refrigerators use either HFC-134a
(hydro-fluoro-carbon) or iso-butane as
refrigerant.