Air Refrigeration Cycle

Air Refrigeration Cycle

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1. Open Air Refrigeration Cycle
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1. Open Air Refrigeration Cycle
Cooling Water Out Cooling Water In

Drier
2. Closed or Dense Air
Refrigeration Cycle
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2. Closed or Dense Air
Refrigeration Cycle
Cooling Water Out Cooling Water In

Refrigerator

Brine In Brine Out

Closed or Dense Air Refrigeration Cycle


Carnot Refrigeration Cycle ( or Reversed Carnot Cycle )
Carnot Refrigeration Cycle
( Reversed Carnot Cycle )
The Carnot Refrigeration Cycle cannot
be performed in practice because
 Temperature Limitations for
Reversed Carnot Cycle
Q1 T1
C.O.P.  
Q 2  Q1 T2  T1

1 2
 Temperature Limitations for
Reversed Carnot Cycle
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 Temperature Limitations for
Reversed Carnot Cycle
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Reversed Carnot Cycle
Reversed Carnot Cycle
Reversed Carnot Cycle
Reversed Carnot Cycle
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Reversed Carnot Cycle
 Bell Coleman
Air Refrigeration Cycle
Air Refrigerator working on Bell Coleman
or Reversed Brayton or Reversed Joule Cycle

Cooling Water Out Cooling Water In

3 2

Cooler
3 2

Expander Compressor
Auxiliary Drive
4
1

Refrigerator
4 1
Closed or Dense Air refrigerator working
on Bell Coleman Cycle
Cooling Water Out Cooling Water In

Brine In Brine Out

Bell Coleman Air Refrigeration



Bell Coleman Air Refrigeration


1 1 1
Q2

Q1
Bell Coleman Air Refrigeration

3 2 3
2 3

2 3

Q23  1.c p .(T2  T3 )  c p .(T2  T3 )

Bell Coleman Air Refrigeration

3 4

3 4

4 3
Bell Coleman Air Refrigeration

4 4 1
4 1

4 1

Q41  c p .(T1  T4 )
Reversed Carnot
Refrigeration
Cycle

Q2

Bell Coleman
Refrigeration
Cycle
Q1
 Q2

Q1

Specific
Heat
Process Process Type Pressure Volume Temperature Entropy
Exchange

Isentropic
1-2 0 Constant
Compression
Constant
Q2
2-3 Pressure Constant
Rejected
Cooling
Isentropic
3-4 0 Constant
Expansion
Constant
Q1
4-1 Pressure Constant
Absorbed
Expansion
 Heat rejected by the air
( In cooler at constant pressure per kg of air)

Q23  1.c p .(T2  T3 )  c p .(T2  T3 )

 Heat absorbed by the air

( from refrigerator at constant pressure per kg of air)

Q41  c p .(T1  T4 )

 Work done during the cycle per kg of air

= Heat rejected- Heat absorbed
 c p .(T2  T3 )  c p (T1  T4 )
Coefficient of Performance

Heat Absorbed
C.O.P. 
Work Input

c p (T1  T4 )

c p .(T2  T3 )  c p (T1  T4 )
(T1  T4 )
C.O.P. 
(T2  T3 )  (T1  T4 )

T1
T4 (  1)
T4
C.O.P.  .............(i )
T2 T1
T3 (  1)  T4 (  1)
T3 T4
  T1 
T4   1
 T4 
C.O.P.  ........(i )
T  T 
T3  2  1  T4  1  1
 T3   T4 

For isentropic compression process 1-2

 1
T2  P2  
   ......................(ii )
T1  P1 
Similarly, for isentropic expansion process 3-4
 1
T3  P3  
   .....................(iii )
T4  P4 
Since P2=P3 and P1=P4, therefore from eq. (ii) and (iii)
T2 T3 or T2 T1
 
T1 T4 T3 T4
Now, Substituting these values in
eq. (i), we get
 T1 
T4   1

 T4  T4 1
C.O.P.   
 T1   T1  T3  T4 T3
T3   1  T4   1 1
 T4   T4  T4

1 1
  1
  1
 P3    P2  
  1   1
 P4   P1 

1
C.O.P. 
r 
 1
p
 1

Where, rp = Compression or Expansion Ratio

Quite often the compression and expansion
process take place polytropically where pressure
and volume are related as;
pv n=Constant.

When compression and expansion occurs as

isentropic process ( No heat transfer).
Work Done= Heat rejected- Heat Absorbed

 But For polytropic processes

Work Done  Wcomp  Wexp
Work input during compression 1-2 (per kg of air)
n
Wcomp  ( p 2 v 2  p1v1 )
n 1
n
 R(T2  T1 )....................( pv  RT )
n 1

Work input during Expansion 3-4 (per kg of air)

n
Wexp  ( p3 v3  p 4 v 4 )
n 1
n
 R (T3  T4 )...................( pv  RT )
n 1
Net Work done during the cycle per kg of air
 Wcomp  Wexp
n n
 R (T2  T1 )  R (T3  T4 )
n 1 n 1
n
 R[(T2  T1 )  (T3  T4 )]
n 1

Heat absorbed during 4 - 1  Refrigerat ing Effect

 c p .(T1  T4 )
HeatAbsorbed
C.O.P. 
WorkInput
c p (T1  T4 )
C.O.P. 
n
 cv (  1)[(T2  T1 )  (T3  T4 )]
n 1
We know that, R  c p  c v  c v (  1)
Substituti ng the value of R in equation

c p (T1  T4 )
C.O.P. 
n
 cv (  1)[(T2  T1 )  (T3  T4 )]
n 1

(T1  T4 )
C.O.P. 
n  1
 [(T2  T1 )  (T3  T4 )]
n 1 

(T1  T4 )
C.O.P.  .....................(v)
n  1
 [(T2  T3 )  (T1  T4 )]
n 1 
Remarks:

2 4

n 1 n 1
T2  P2  n T3  P3  n
   and   
T1  P1  T4  P4 

n 

(T1  T4 )
C.O.P.  ...............same as before
(T2  T3 )  (T1  T4 )
Remarks:
3) We know that main drawback of open air refrigerator is
freezing of the moisture in the air during expansion stroke
which chokes up the valves.

Hence, a closed cycle or dense air Bell Coleman refrigerator

is preferred. In this case cold air is passed through the pipes
and it is used for absorbing heat from the brine and this cold
brine is circulated in the refrigerated space.

The term dense air system is derived from the fact that the
suction to the compressor is at higher pressure than the open
cycle system (which is atmospheric).
Q1.) The atmospheric air at pressure 1 bar and temperature -5C is
drawn in the cylinder of the compressor of a Bell Coleman
refrigerating machine. It is compressed isentropically to a pressure
of 5 bar. In the cooler, the compressed air is cooled at 15C, pressure
remaining the same. It is then expanded to a pressure of 1 bar in an
expansion cylinder, from where it is passed to the cold chamber.
Find –
a.) The work done per kg of air
b.) C.O.P. of the plant.
For air assume law of expansion pv1.2=constant.
Law for compression pv1.4=constant.
Cp= 1 KJ/Kg K, γ for air = 1.4, R for air= 0.287KJ/Kg K.
(Q2.) In a refrigerator working on Bell Coleman cycle, the air is
drawn into the cylinder of the compressor from the cold chamber at a
pressure of 1.03 bar and temperature 12C. After isentropic
compression to 5.5 bar, the air is cooled at constant pressure to a
temperature of 22C. The polytropic expansion pv1.25=constant, then
follows and the air expanded to 1.03 bar is passed to cold chamber.
Determine-

i.) Work done per kg of air flow.

ii.) Refrigerating effect per kg of air flow.
iii.) C.O.P.
iv.) Refrigerating capacity of the plant in tonnes for a mass flow rate
of 90 kg/h.
For air take γ = 1.4 and cp= 1.003 KJ/Kg K, R=0.287 KJ/Kg K
(Q3.) In an open cycle air refrigeration machine, air is drawn from a
cold chamber at -2C and 1 bar and compressed to 11 bar. It is then
cooled at This pressure, to the cooler temperature of 20C and then
expanded in expansion cylinder and returned to the cold room. The
compression and expansion are isentropic, and follows the law
pv1.4=constant. Sketch the p-v and T-s diagrams of the cycle and for a
refrigeration of 15 tonnes. Find-

1. Theoretical C.O.P.
2. Rate of circulation of the air in kg/min.
3. Piston displacement per minute in the compressor and expander.
4. Theoretical power per tonne of refrigeration.
(Q4.) A dense air refrigeration cycle operates between pressures of 4
bar and 16 bar. The air temperature after heat rejection to
surroundings is 37ºC and air temperature at exit of refrigerator is 7ºC.
The isentropic efficiency of turbine and compressor are 0.85 and 0.8
respectively. For a system of 1 TR cooling capacity, determine
(i) Compressor and turbine work;
(ii) C.O.P.; and
(iii) Power.
Take γ = 1.4 and cp=1.005 kJ/kg K.