Introduction

How does
High Temperature
it work? Reservoir
Refrigeration & AC

Refrigeration
Heat Rejected
and air
conditioning R Work Input
is used to
cool products
Heat Absorbed
or a building
environment. Low Temperature Reservoir

1
Principles of Refrigeration

Based in Second law of thermodynamics.

Heat doesn’t flow from a low temperature body to high temperature

body with out the help of an external work.

External work is done by

1. Compressor
2. Condenser etc

2
Refrigerant

) A refrigerant is a substance that carries heat from the 

refrigerated space or body to the outside surrounding. 

2) Therefore a refrigerant may be defined as any substance that 

absorbs heat either by expansion or vapourisation and rejects it 
through condensation. 

3) In Mechanical refrigeration systems refrigerant is subjected to 

cyclic thermodynamic processes, so that it is forced to vapourise in 
the evaporator by absorbing heat from refrigerated space and it is 
forced to condense and convert into liquid in the condenser by 
rejecting heat to surrounding. 

4) The blood of any Refrigerating system is the refrigerent 

circulating inside the system.  3
Desirable Properties of a Good Refrigerant 

1) Thermodynamic Properties :- 

a) Boiling Point :- It should have Low Boiling Point. 

b) Freezing Point :- It should be below the Evaporator temperature. 

c) Evaporative Pressure :- It should be above Atmospheric pressure. 

d) Condensing Pressure :- It should have LOW Condensing pressure. 

e) Latent Heat of Vapourisation :- It should have HIGH Latent heat of 
Vaporisation. 

f) Critical Temperature & Pressure :- It should be above the 

condensing Temperature & Pressure. 
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2) Chemical Properties :- 

a) Toxicity :- It should not be Poisonous or injurious . It should not 

be non-irritating to eyes. 

b) Corrosiveness :- It should not be corrosive & should not have any 
effect on materials used in equipment. 
c) Leak Detection :- It should have less tendency to leak & if it is 
leaking it should be easily detectable. 

d) Flammability :- It should not be Inflammable. 

e) Miscibility with Oil :- It should be immiscible with oil & should 
not have any effect on the properties of Oil used for Lubrication. 

f) Effect on Foodstuff :- It should not affect on food articles Or 

make them poisonous or unportable. 
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3) Physical Properties :- 

a) Specific Volume :- It should be LOW in Vapour state. 

b) Viscosity :- It should have LOW viscosity. 

c) Thermal Conductivity :- It should have HIGH Thermal Conductivity. 

d) Di-Electric Strength :- It should have High strength. 

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Terminology
Refrigerator- machine used to extract heat from body at low temperature
to high temperature.

Refrigerant- It is liquid capable of absorbing heat from the other

substance.

Capacity of Refrigerator- It is the rate at which heat can be removed

from the cold body. Unit- ton of refrigeration
One ton of refrigeration is defined as the quantity of heat required to
freeze one ton of water at 0 C in 24 hours. Value is 3.5 kJ/sec.

Coefficient of Performance- Ratio of heat absorbed to the workdone.

COP- Heat absorbed/ Work done

Refrigerant effect- Ratio between heat removed and the time taken. Heat
removed/ time taken.
Ton of Refrigeration- Quantity of heat absorbed to freeze one ton of 7
 Introduction

How does it work?

Thermal energy moves from left to right through five
Refrigeration & AC

loops of heat transfer:

1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
Indoor air Chilled Refrigerant Condenser Cooling
loop water loop loop water loop water loop

(Bureau of Energy Efficiency, 2004)

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 Types of Refrigeration

• Ice refrigerator- Ice is kept in cabinet.

Refrigeration & AC

• Air refrigerator- Air is used as working

medium
• Vapor refrigerator:
• Vapour Compression Refrigeration (VCR)
• Vapour Absorption Refrigeration (VAR)
• Working medium: Ammonia, Co2, So2,
Freons
9
 Type of Refrigeration

Vapour Compression Refrigeration

Refrigeration & AC

Refrigeration cycle
3
Condenser
High
4 Pressure
Side
Expansion
Device Compressor

1 2 Low
Pressure
Evaporator Side
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 Type of Refrigeration
The superheated vapour
enters the compressor
Vapour Compression Refrigeration
where its pressure is
Refrigeration & AC

raised. Refrigeration cycle

3
Condenser
High
4 Pressure
Side
Expansion
Device Compressor

1 2 Low
Pressure
Evaporator Side
11
 Type of Refrigeration
The high pressure
superheated gas is
Vapour
cooled in several Compression
stages Refrigeration
in the condenser
Refrigeration & AC

Refrigeration cycle
3
Condenser
High
4 Pressure
Side
Expansion
Device Compressor

1 2 Low
Pressure
Evaporator Side
12
 Type of Refrigeration
Liquid passes through expansion
device, which reduces its
Vapour Compression Refrigeration
pressure and controls the flow
Refrigeration & AC

into the evaporator

Refrigeration cycle
3
Condenser
High
4 Pressure
Side
Expansion
Device Compressor

1 2 Low
Pressure
Evaporator Side
13
 Type of Refrigeration
Low pressure liquid
refrigerant in evaporator
Vapour Compression Refrigeration
absorbs heat and
/Refrigeration & AC

changes toRefrigeration
a gas cycle
3
Condenser
High
4 Pressure
Side
Expansion
Device Compressor

1 2 Low
Pressure
Evaporator Side
14
 Type of Refrigeration

Vapour Compression Refrigeration

Refrigeration & AC

Type of refrigerant
• Refrigerant determined by the
required cooling temperature
• Chlorinated fluorocarbons (CFCs) or
freons: R-11, R-12, R-21, R-22 and R-
502

15
 Type of Refrigeration

Vapour Compression Refrigeration

Refrigeration & AC

Choice of compressor, design of

condenser, evaporator determined by
• Refrigerant
• Required cooling
• Load
• Ease of maintenance
• Physical space requirements
• Availability of utilities (water, power)
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 Types Of Air Conditioner

Air Conditioning System

• An air conditioning system is an assembly of different part of the system
Refrigeration & AC

used produce a specified condition of air within a require space or

building.
• The basic elements of air conditioning system:--
• Fans : For circulation of air
• Filters : For cleaning air
• Heating Elements : Heating of air(It may be electric heater , steam , hot
water.
• Control System : It regulates automatically the amount of cooling or
heating.
• Grill : It adjust the direction of the conditioned air to the room.
• Tray : It collects condensed water.
• Refrigerating Plant : provide cooling . It consist of
compressor/generator and
absorber,eveporator,condensor,expansion
device(capallary tube).
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 Types Of Air Conditioner

• Window Air Conditioner

Refrigeration & AC

• Split Air Conditioners

18
 Types Of Air Conditioner

Window Air Conditioner

Refrigeration & AC

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 Types Of Air Conditioner

Window Air Conditioner

 Working:--The air circulation system of the window air conditioner comprises of the
Refrigeration & AC

following parts (please refer fig 4 & 5).

 1) Blower: This is the small blower that is fitted behind the evaporator or cooling coil
inside the assembly of the window air conditioner system. The blower sucks the air from
the room which first passes over the air filter and gets filtered. The air then passes over the
cooling coil and gets chilled. The blower then blows this filtered and chilled air, which
passes through the supply air compartment inside the window air conditioner assembly.
This air is then delivered into the room from the supply air grill of the front panel.
 2) Propeller fan or the condenser fan: The condenser fan is the forced draft type of
propeller fan that sucks the atmospheric air and blows it over the condenser. The hot
refrigerant inside the condenser gives up the heat to the atmospheric air and its temperature
reduces.
 3) Fan motor: The motor inside the window air conditioner assembly is located between
the condenser and the evaporator coil. It has double shaft on one side of which the blower
is fitted and on the other side the condenser fan is fitted. This makes the whole assembly of
the blower, the condenser fan and the motor highly compact.


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Centralized air conditioning system

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