Roberto Gomez Hussein Dagher Miki Table 1.

This table represents the temperature and pressure values obtained using the unit CRD 400.

Condenser 3 2

Expansion valve

Compressor

4 Evaporator

Diagram 1. This diagram shows each component of the vapor- compression refrigeration cycle. The four components are the compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator. Each component of the cycle is analyzed as a control volume at steady state (no change). Except for the process through the expansion valve, which is a throttling process . The throttling process involves only flow work where mass enters and exits the control volume with no significant heat transfer or potential energy from inlet to exit. As a result of the throttling process, the enthalpy of state four is equivalent to the enthalpy of state 3; h_3 = h_4.

Diagram 2. This diagram of temperature vs. entropy represents the actual refrigeration cycle. You can use four states with values of pressure and temperature to draw the actual refrigeration cycle. You can use pressure and temperature values from the evaporator output, condenser input, condenser output, and evaporator input. The four states are assumed to be in steady state (no change). The evaporator output is R134a overheated steam state with low pressure of value 2.8 bars and low temperature value of 11 deg. C. The condenser input is R134a overheated steam state with high pressure value of 10.7 bars and high temperature value of 62.7 deg. C. The condenser output is R134a overcooled liquid state at high pressure of value 10.7 bars and temperature value of 41.2 deg. C. Finally to complete the cyclic process the evaporator input is R134a steam liquid state of low pressure value of 2.8 bars and temperature value of 6.6 deg. C. Note there is no pressure drops through the evaporator and condenser. Calculating Coefficient of Performance Note you can use the textbook, Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics 7th edition Analysis: Begin by fixing each of the principal states located on the accompanying T-s diagram. At the outlet to the evaporator, state 1, the refrigerant is a superheated vapor at 11 deg. C, 2.8 bars, so interpolating from Table- A-12, h_1 = 257.68 kJ/kg. Similarly, at the inlet to the condenser, state 2, the refrigerant is a superheated vapor at 62.7 deg. C, 10.7 bars, so interpolating from Table A-12, h_2= 294.32 kJ/kg. Now for the outlet to the evaporator, state 3, the refrigerant is compressed liquid at 41.2 deg. C, 10.7 bars. Interpolating from Table A-10, h_3 = h_f (41.2 deg. C) = 107.94 kJ/kg. The expansion through the valve is a throttling process, state 4, so h_3 = h_4. Hence the coefficient of performance for an actual refrigeration cycle is

Ideal vs. Actual Cycle Ideal Cycle The ideal cycle is reversible, thus there are no frictional pressure drops, and the refrigerant flows at constant pressure through the two heat exchangers, which are the evaporator and condenser. Since the ideal cycle is reversible the heat transfer to the surroundings from the compressor is neglected, the compression process is isentropic (constant entropy). With these considerations the actual cycle differs due to irreversibilitys in the cycle. Actual Cycle As shown in diagram 2 the heat transfers between the refrigerant and the warm and cold regions are not accomplished reversibly. Hence, the refrigerant temperature in the evaporator is less than the cold region temperature, T_c, and the refrigerant temperature in the condenser is greater than the warm region temperature, T_h. As a result of such an irreversibility, the coefficient of performance decreases as the average temperature of the refrigerant in the evaporator decreases and as the average temperature of the refrigerant in the condenser increases.