UNIT-6

Refrigeration

Definition
Refrigeration is the process of providing and maintaining temperature of the system
below that of the surrounding atmosphere.
Carnot Cycle
The reversed carnot cycle can be considered in refrigeration system.

T2
C.O.P = where T2 < T1
T2 − T1

Unit of Refrigeration
The common unit used in the field of refrigeration is known as Ton of
refrigeration.
A ton of refrigeration is defined as the quantity of heat required to be
removed to produce one ton (1000kg) of ice within 24 hours when the initial
condition of water is 0ºC
1000 x335
Ton of refrigeration = = 3.5 kJ/s
24 x3600
Consider a refrigerator of T tons capacity,
Refrigeration capacity = 3.5 kJ/s
Heat removed from
refrigerator = Refrigeration effect =R.E. kJ/s
Power of the compressor =work/kg of refrigerant x mass flow rate

Air Refrigeration system working on

Bell-coleman cycle

In air refrigeration system, air is used as the refrigerant which always remains in the
gaseous phase. The heat removed consists only of sensible heat and as a result, the
coefficient of performance (C.O.P) is low.
The various processes are:
Process 1-2:
The air leaving the evaporator enters a compressor. Where it is compressed
isentropically to higher pressure and temperature.
Process 2-3:
This high pressure, high temperature air, then enters a cooler where it is cooled at
constant pressure to a low temperature.
Process 3-4: This high pressure, low temperature air is then expanded in an expander to
lower pressure and temperature in a isentropic manner.At point 4, the temperature of the
air will be lowest.
Process 4-1: This low temperature air is then passed through the heater coils where it
absorbs heat from the space to be cooled namely the refrigerator and the air gets heated
back to the initial temperature, but in the process, it cools the refrigerator. And the cycle
repeats.
Air refrigeration system

Expression C.O.P when compression and expansion are Isentropic

Refrigeration Effect = Heat removed from the refrigerator

= C p (T1 − T4 )kJ / kg
P2V2 − P1V1 PV − P V
Work input = WC − WE = γ −γ 3 3 4 4
γ −1 γ −1

γ
Work input = WC − WE = [R(T2 − T1 ) − R(T3 − T4 )]
γ −1
γR
Wnet = [(T2 − T1 ) − (T3 − T4 )]
γ −1
γR
But Cp =
γ −1
Wnet = C p [(T2 − T1 ) − (T3 − T4 )]
 Pr ocess 1 - 2 is isentropic
γ −1
T2 P γ
= 2 - - - -(2)
T1 P1
Pr ocess 3 - 4 is isentropic
γ −1 γ −1
T3 P γ P2 γ
= 3 = - - - -(3)
T4 P4 P1
From (2) and (3)
T2 T3
=
T1 T4

RE C p (T1 − T4 )
C.O.P = =
Work C p [(T2 − T1 ) − (T3 − T4 )]

C.O.P =
(T1 − T4 ) =
1
− −(1)
[(T2 − T1 ) − (T3 − T4 )] T2 − T3 − 1
T1 − T4
T2 T1
=
T3 T4
T2 T
−1 = 1 −1
T3 T4
T2 − T3 T1 − T4
=
T3 T4
T2 − T3 T3
= - - - - - (4)
T1 − T4 T4

From (1) and (4)

1
C.O.P =
T3
−1
T4
T4
C.O.P =
T3 - T4
For Polytropic process
Net work
n γ −1
Wnet = C p [(T2 − T1 ) − (T3 − T4 )]
n −1 γ
T4
COP =
n γ −1
(T3 − T4 )
n −1 γ

Advantages of air refrigeration system

1. Air is cheap, easily available.
2. It is not flammable.
3. For a given capacity, weight of air refrigeration system is less compared to other
system and hence it is widely used for aircraft cooling.
Disadvantages
1. Since heat removed by air consists only of sensible heat, weight of air required is
high.
2. C.O.P of the system is low compared to other systems.
Problem 1
A cold storage is to be maintained at -5°C (268k) while the surroundings are at 35°C. the
heat leakage from the surroundings into the cold storage is estimated to be 29kW. The
actual C.O.P of the refrigeration plant is one third of an ideal plant working between the
same temperatures. Find the power required to drive the plant. (VTU Jan
2007)

Solution : -
T1 = 35°C = 308k T2 = 5°C = 268k
C.O.P of the ideal plant is nothing but
C.O.P based on carnot cycle.
T2
∴ C.O.P ideal =
T1 − T2
268
= = 6 .7
308 − 268
 1
Actual C.O.P = idealC.O.P
3
1
= x6.7 = 2.233
3

Q2 = The heat removed from low temperature reservoir (cold storage) must be equal to
heat leakage from surroundings to the cold storage(which is 29kw)

Q2 = 29kW
Q2
Actual C.O.P =
W
Q2 29
W= =
Actual C.O.P 2.233
Power required = 12.98 kW

Problem 2
A refrigeration machine of 6 tones capacity working on Bell coleman cycle has an upper
limit pressure of 5.2 bar. The pressure and temperature at the start of the compression are
I bar and 18°C respectively. The cooled compressed air enters the expander at 41°C.
assuming both expansion and compression to be adiabatic with an index of 1.4.
Calculate:-
(i) Co-efficient of performance.
(ii) Quantity of air circulated per minute.
(iii) Piston displacement of compressor and expander
(iv) Bore of compression and expansion cylinder when the unit runs at 240 rpm and is
double acting with stroke length =200 mm
(v) Power required to drive the unit

Solution : -
T1 = 18°C P1 = 1bar
T3 = 41°C P2 = 5.2bar
Work input = C p [(T2 − T1 ) − (T3 − T4 )]
= 1.005[(466 − 291) − (314 − 196 )] = 57 kJ / kg

Re griferation effect
C.O.P =
Work input
95.42
= = 1.67
57
Re frigeration capacity = 6 tons = 6x3.5 = 21kJ/s

Re griferation capacity
Mass of air/sec =
R.E
21
= = 0.22kg / s
95.42
Power required = workdone/kg of air x Mass of air/sec
= 57 x 0.22 = 12.54kW
Mass of air/min = 0.22x60 = 13.2kg/min

mRT1 13.2 x0.287 x 291

V1 = = 2
= 11m3 / min
P1 1x10
Piston displacement of compressor V1 = 11m3 / min
mRT4 13.2 x0.287 x196
V4 = = 2
= 7.42m3 / min
P4 1x10
Piston displacement of expander V4 = 7.42m3 / min
π
But V1 = 2 d12 LN
4
π
11 = 2 d12 x0.2 x 240
4
d1 = diameter of compressor cylinder = 0.38m = 38cm
π
V4 = 2 d 22 LN
4
π
7.42 = 2 d12 x0.2 x 240
4
d1 = diameter of expander cylinder = 0.313m = 31.3cm
 Problem3 An air refrigerator system operating on Bell Coleman cycle, takes in air from
cold room at 268 K and compresses it from 1 bar to 5.5 bar the index of compression
being 1.25. the compressed air is cooled to 300 K. the ambient temperature is 20ºC. Air
expands in expander where the index of expansion is 1.35.
Calculate:
i) C.O.P of the system
ii) Quantity of air circulated per minute for production of 1500 kg of ice per day at
0°C from water at 20ºC.
iii) Capacity of the plant.

Solution
γ −1
P2 γ 1.25−1
T2 = T1 = 268(5.5) 1.25
P1
= 376.8K

γ −1 1.35−1
P γ 1 1.35
T4 = T3 4 = 300 = 192.83K
P3 5 .5

n γ −1
WC = C p (T2 − T1 )
n −1 γ
1.25 1 .4 − 1
= 1.005(376.8 − 268) = 156.2kJ / kg
1.25 − 1 1 .4

n γ −1
WE = C p (T3 − T4 )
n −1 γ
1.35 1 .4 − 1
= 1.005(300 − 192.83) = 118.69kJ / kg
1.35 − 1 1 .4

Network = WC − WE = 156.2 − 118.69 = 37.5kJ / kg

R.E = C p (T1 − T4 ) = 1.005(268 − 192.83) = 75.54kJ / s
RE 75.54
C.O.P = = =2
work 37.5
Heat extracted/kg of ice = C pw (20 − 0) + L
= 4.187(20) + 335 = 418.74kJ/kg
1500
Mass of ice produced/sec = = 0.0173kg / s
24x3600

Actual heat extracted/sec = 418.74x0.0173

7.26
or Refrigeration capacity = 7.26kJ/s = = 2.02tons
3 .5
Refrigeration Capacity 7.26
Mass flow rate = =
Refrigeration efect 75.54
= 0.096kg / s

Problem 4
An air refrigeration system is to be designed according to the following specifications
Pressure of air at compressor inlet=101kPa
Pressure of work at compressor outlet=404kPa
Pressure loss in the inter cooler=12kPa
Pressure loss in the cold chamber=3kPa
Temperature of air at compressor inlet=7°
Temperature of air at turbine inlet=27°

Isentropic efficiency of compressor =85%

Isentropic efficiency of turbine =85%
Determine
i) C.O.P of cycle
ii) Power required to produce 1 ton of refrigeration
iii) Mass flow rate of air required for 1 ton of refrigeration

Solution : -
T1 = −7°C P1 = 101kPa
T3 = 27°C ηT = 0.85;ηC = 0.85

γ −1
P γ
Pr ocess 1 - 2 is isentropic, HenceT '2 = T1 2
P1
1.4−1
404 1.4
= 266 = 395.4K
101
 T2 − T1 395.4 − 266
ηC = orT '2 −T1 =
T '2 −T1 0.88
T '2 = 418.2k
P4 − P1 = 0.03P1 ∴ P4 = 1.03P1 = 1.03 x101 = 104kPa
P2 − P3 = 0.03P2 ∴ P3 = 0.97 P2 = 0.97 x 404 = 392kPa
γ −1
P γ
Pr ocess 3 - 4 is isentropic, ∴T4 = T3 4
P3
1.4−1
104 1.4
= 300 = 202.3K
392

T3 − T '4
ηE = ∴T '4 = T3 − ηT (T3 − T4 )
T3 − T4
T '4 = 300 − 0.85 x[300 − 205.3] = 216.53k
Re frigeration effect/kg of air = C p (T1 − T4 )
= 1.005x[266 - 216.53] = 50.47 kJ/kg
Compressor work/kg of air = C p (T '2 −T1 )
= 1.005x[418.2 - 266] = 152.96kJ/kg

Turbine work/kg of air WT = C p (T3 − T4 ')

= 1.005x[300 - 216.53] = 84.9kJ/kg
Net work Input/kg of air Wnet = WC − WT
= 152.96 − 80.9 = 72.06kJ / kg

RE 46.73
C.O.P = = = 0.73
Work 72.06

Power required per tons of refergeration

Refrigeration capacity
=
C.O.P
Refrigeration capacity = 1 ton = 3.5kJ/s
Refrigeration capacity
Mass of air =
RE
3 .5
= = 0.075kg / s
50.47
Power = Wnet xmassofair / sec = 72.06 x0.075 = 5.42kW