CLB 20403 THERMODYNAMICS JULY 2018

EXPERIMENT 1
REFRIGERATION CYCLE

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CLB 20403 THERMODYNAMICS JULY 2018

OBJECTIVE

 To determine the Coefficient of Performance (COP) of a refrigeration unit.

 To determine the overall heat transfer coefficient between R141b and water in the
evaporator and condenser.

1.0 KEYWORDS
Refrigeration, air conditioning

2.0 OVERVIEW
Refrigeration is used in many applications such as preservation of food and material.
In air conditioning, refrigeration is the heart of the system. It is important to
understand the principle of operation of a refrigeration unit in particular the efficiency
of the system commonly known as Coefficient of Performance (COP)

3.0 INTRODUCTION
A refrigerator is defined as a machine whose prime function is to remove heat from a
low temperature region. Since energy cannot be destroyed, heat taken in at a low
temperature plus any other energy input must be dissipated to the surroundings. If the
temperature at which the heat is dissipated is high enough to be useful for example
space heating, the machine is then called a heat pump.

Clausius statement of the Second Law states that heat will not pass from a cold
to a hotter region without the aid of an external agency. Thus a refrigerator requires a
compressor to operate. The most common type of refrigerator operates on a vapor
compression cycle. The components of a vapor refrigeration system are:
i. Compressor- which uses work input to reduce the pressure in the evaporator
and increase the pressure of the vapor being transferred to the condenser
ii. Condenser- where the high pressure vapor condenses, rejecting heat to its
surroundings

iii. Expansion device - Controls the flow of liquid refrigerant and reduces the
pressure

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CLB 20403 THERMODYNAMICS JULY 2018

iv. Evaporator- heat is taken from low temperature region as the liquid

evaporates at low pressure

Condenser

Expansion device

Compressor

Evaporator

The refrigeration cycle can be plotted on a Pressure enthalpy diagram

P
3 2

1
4

h
The Coefficient of Performance (COP) is an indicator of performance of a
refrigeration cycle.

COP = Refrigeration effect

Compressor work

= h1-h4

h2-h1

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4.0 PROCEDURES.
4.1 Start-up Procedure.
1. Turn on the Cooling Water supply valve.
**Ensure that the pipe elbow needs to be held at the same time as the
valve is opened. This is to minimize the risk of the pipe elbow to be
broken while turning on the valve.
2. Plug in the socket and turn on the switch. Turn on the Main Switch on the
unit. This step will basically start the Compressor and at the same time the
two internal lights will also illuminate. Allow the system to run for a
while (Refer to Technician / Lecturer)
** Make sure your hand is dried in order to avoid from electrocution.
**If the optional Temperature Indicator is installed, then the display will
also illuminate.
**If suddenly the Temperature Indicator shows OPEN (when the knob
position is at zero), adjust Temperature Measurement knob until the
temperature reading appears once more. (Refer to Technician / Lecturer)
3. Open Valve 2 and Valve 3 (Refer to Diagram R633 Valve Positions
under Normal Operation). (Refer to Technician / Lecturer)
**This step basically will enable vapor to be drawn from the Evaporator
by the Compressor and at the same time enable the Condensed Liquid
Refrigerant to return to the Evaporator from the Condenser. Also, this step
ensures that any presence of Air is freed by venting remaining Air from
the Condenser. The time taken to stabilize will depend upon the local
ambient conditions and the Cooling Water Inlet Temperature.
4. Set the Water Flow Meter Control Valve on the Condenser unit to 50
g/s. At the same time, set the Water Flow Meter Control Valve on the
Evaporator to 25 g/s. Allow the system to achieve stability about 20
minutes. The Pressure at which the Condenser stabilizes will depend upon
the Water Inlet Temperature.
5. While waiting, please observe the reading for Gauge Pressure for
Condenser unit. Ensure that the reading DO NOT exceed 150 kN/m2.
**Also observe the Flow meter for both Condenser and Evaporator.
Immediately notify lecturer / technician if there is any sudden drop /
sudden increase or even no flow at all as indicated by both Cooling Water

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CLB 20403 THERMODYNAMICS JULY 2018

Flow Rate for Condenser and Evaporator. This could be due to high / low
water pressure and also could be due to no supply of Cooling Water to the
unit at all.
**If the Cooling Water Flow Rate becomes too low in between 6 to 8 g/s,
please observe the Condenser Pressure Gauge. Immediately notify
Lecturer / Technician if the pressure gauge value increase towards and
close to 150 kN/m2.

4.2 Experimental Procedures

A. To determine the coefficient of performance (COP) of a refrigeration
unit and generation of a refrigeration cycle diagram on a Pressure –
Enthalpy chart.
1. Record all the required readings in the provided Data Sheet for condenser
water flow rate 50 g/s and evaporator water flow rate 25 g/s.
2. Repeat the experiment by setting the condenser water flowrate 40 g/s, 30
g/s, 20 g/s and 10 g/s by adjusting the water flow meter control valve for
condenser. At the same time, maintain water flowrate for evaporator at 25
g/s. Allow the system to achieve stability about 10 minutes for each
flowrate value.
3. Record all the required readings in the provided Data Sheet.

B. To determine the overall heat transfer between R141b and water in

the evaporator and condenser.
1. Increase the Condenser Cooling Water flowrate to 25 g/s. The pressure at
which the Condenser stabilizes will depend upon the Water Inlet
Temperature.
2. Set the Evaporator Water flow to 25 g/s and allow the unit to run about 10
minutes. The time taken to stabilize will depend upon the local ambient
conditions and the Cooling Water Inlet Temperature.
3. Record all the required readings in the provided Data Sheet.

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4.3 Shutdown Procedures

1. Set Cooling Water Flow Rate for both Evaporator and Condenser at 50 g/s.
2. Pump down the refrigerant by closing Valve 2 (Refer to Diagram R633
Valve Position under Refrigerent Pump Down)
**This basically means that the Refrigerant is transferred from the
evaporator chamber to the Condenser chamber. This is a recommended
step in order to shut down the unit.
** Wait until all the refrigerant is transferred to the condenser chamber
(No drops of Refrigerent around the coil in the condenser chamber)
**The system is allowed to return to a normal running condition before the
machine is finally shut down.
**Normal running condition is with approximately between 20 to 25 mm
of liquid in the bottom of the Condenser chamber and the float valve
maintaining this level constant.
**The Refrigerant level will increase up to the lowest coil.
3. Return the oil from the evaporator chamber to the compressor by fully
closing Valve 3, fully open Valve 4, and SLOWLY OPEN Valve 5 (to
avoid vibration) (Refer to Diagram R633 Valve Position under Oil Return)
** Wait about 15 minutes, until all the oil in the evaporator chamber return
to the compressor.
4. Shut down the unit by fully closing Valve 4 and Valve 5 (Refer to
Diagram R633 Valve Position under shut down)
5. Turn off the Main Switch on the unit when once normal operating
conditions have been achieved.
**The Compressor will stop and the lights on the unit will be
extinguished. If the optional Temperature Indicator has been installed, the
display on this will also be extinguished.
6. Turn off the switch and remove plug from the socket.
7. Turn off the Main Cooling Water supply.
**While doing so, ensure that at the same time the pipe elbow is hold on in
order to minimize the risk of accidentally breaking the pipeline.
**It is recommended that the Water Control Valve is left open so that if
the user supplied External Valve Leaks, Water will be allowed to run to
the drain and will be noticed more readily.

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CLB 20403 THERMODYNAMICS JULY 2018

**In addition, if conditions are such that the Water Supply is likely to
freeze, then leaving the Control Valves on the Flow Meters open may not
prevent the glass tubes from being broken but, it will make breakage less
likely.
8. Once the unit has been turned off, then the ball valves on the unit should
be closed to mimic the shutdown condition.
**This will prevent the large volume of Refrigerant contained in the
Evaporator migrating into the Compressor casing due to vapour pressure
changes. The small volume of liquid in the Condenser may migrate to the
Compressor under certain ambient conditions but this is no cause for
concern.
**For Refrigerant Pump Down Step, observe that Water droplet at
condenser is getting slower and becomes less. The level should be closer
to the bottom coil.
**While opening the valve at the bottom of Evaporator, please open
slowly at first before fully open later. This is due to pressure effect inside
Evaporator.
**For Oil Return Step, observe that there’s no more liquid Refrigerant at
the bottom of the Evaporator chamber.
**Also observe the sight glass (next to evaporator). Ensure there is no
liquid Refrigerant during shutdown. This is to ensure that there is no
Refrigerant remaining inside the pipeline.

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5.0 DATA SHEET

A. To determine the coefficient of performance (COP) of a refrigeration
unit and generation of a refrigeration cycle diagram on a Pressure –
Enthalpy chart.

Test no 1 2 3 4 5
Gauge Evaporator pressure
Pe (KN/m2)

Absolute Evaporator Pressure

Pe (KN/m2)
EVAPORATOR

Evaporator temperature
T5 (oC)

Evaporator Water Flow Rate

25 25 25 25 25
ms (g /s)

Evaporator Water Inlet Temp

T1 (oC)

Evaporator Water outlet Temp

T2 (oC)

Condensed Liquid Temp

T8 (oC)

Gauge Condenser Pressure

Pc (kN/m2)

Absolute Condenser Pressure

COMPRESSOR

Pc (kN/m2)
Condenser Temp
T6 (oC)

Condenser Water Flow Rate

50 40 30 20 10
mc (g/s)

Condenser Water Inlet Temp

T4 (oC)
Condenser Water Outlet Temp
T3 (oC)

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COMPRESSOR
Compressor Discharge Temp
T7 (oC)

Compressor Power input

W (Watts)

B. To determine the overall heat transfer coefficient between R141b and water in
the evaporator and condenser.

Gauge Evaporator pressure, Pe (KN/m2)

EVAPORATOR

Absolute Evaporator Pressure, Pe (KN/m2)

Evaporator temperature, T5 (oC)
Evaporator Water Flow Rate, ms (g /s) 25
Evaporator Water Inlet Temp, T1 (oC)
Evaporator Water outlet Temp, T2 (oC)
Condensed Liquid Temp, T8 (oC)
Gauge Condenser Pressure, Pc (kN/m2)
CONDENSER

Absolute Condenser Pressure, Pc (kN/m2)

Condenser Temp, T6 (oC)
Condenser Water Flow Rate, mc (g/s) 25
Condenser Water Inlet Temp, T4 (oC)
Condenser Water Outlet Temp, T3 (oC)
COMPRESSOR

Compressor Discharge Temp, T7 (oC)

Compressor Power input , W (Watts)

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Absolute evaporator, Pe (kN/m2)

Rate of heat transfer, Qe (W)

Q  m C (t  t ) x1000
e e p 1 5

Given:
me = 0.025kg/s and Cp = 4.18 kJ/kg.K
Temperature different for outlet, Tin,e (°C)

T in ,e
 t1  t 5

Temperature different for outlet, Tout,e (°C)

Evaporator
T out ,e
 t 2 t5

Log mean temperature difference, ∆T LMTD (°C)

T T
T  in , e out , e
LMTD
 T in ,e 
ln  
T 
 out , e 

Overall heat transfer coefficient, ue (W/m2.°C)

Q
u   A x e
Given A=0.032 m2
e
T LMTD

Absolute condenser, Pc (kN/m2)

Rate of heat transfer, Qc (W)

Q  m C (t  t ) x1000
c c p 3 4

Given:
me = 0.025kg/s and Cp = 4.18 kJ/kg.K
Temperature different for outlet, Tin,e (°C)

T in ,c
 t 6 t 4

Temperature different for outlet, Tout,e (°C)

Condenser
T out ,c
 t 6 t3

Log mean temperature difference, ∆T LMTD (°C)

T  T out ,c
T  in ,c
LMTD
T 
ln  in ,c 
T 
 out ,c 
Overall heat transfer coefficient, ue (W/m2.°C)

Q
u   A x c
Given A=0.032 m2
c
T LMTD

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6.0 TASKS

A. To determine the coefficient of performance (COP) of

refrigeration unit and generation of a refrigeration cycle diagram
On Pressure – Enthalpy chart.

By using the provided Pressure – Enthalpy chart, perform the following tasks.

1. Plot the cycle on the Pressure-Enthalpy chart for 5 different

Condenser Water Flowrate in order to determine the Enthalpy values.
You may use more than one Pressure- Enthalpy chart to illustrate the
cycle.

2. Determine the Coefficient of Performance (COP) for different

Condenser water flow rate.

B. To determine the overall heat transfer between R141b and water

in the evaporator and condenser.

Use the recorded data to perform the following tasks.

1. Calculate the rate of heat transfer to water in evaporator and condenser.

2. Calculate the logarithmic mean temperature Difference (LMTD) for

both evaporator and condenser.

3. Calculate the overall heat transfer between R141b and water in the
evaporator and condenser by using the calculated values in (1) and (2).

4. Compare both values for overall heat transfer between R141b and water
in the evaporator and condenser. Give your comment and analysis
based on the results you have obtained and calculated.

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7.0 USEFUL DATA

a) Water Coil Surface Area Condenser = 0.032 m2

b) Water Coil Surface Area Evaporator = 0.032 m2

c) Water Specific Heat Capacity, Cp,Water = 4.18 kJ/kg.K.

d) Refrigerant type: R141b or 1,1-dicholoro-1-fluoroethane.

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8.0 APPENDIX

1
3

4
2 5

1
3

4
2 5

1
3

4
2 5

4
2 5

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