Name: Vlademir M.

Juntado
Year: BSME-3

Assignment on
Refrigeration System

Subject Prof.: Engr. Jimmy Rama

 History of Refrigeration
- Refrigeration, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space or from
a substance for the purpose of lowering the temperature. refrigeration is chiefly
used to store foodstuffs at low temperatures, thus inhibiting the destructive
action of bacteria, yeast, and mold.
- Many perishable products can be frozen, permitting them to be kept for months
and even years with little loss in nutrition or flavour or change in appearance.
Air-conditioning, the use of refrigeration for comfort cooling.
- Artificial refrigeration began in the mid-1750s, and developed in the early
1800s. In 1834, the first working vapor-compression refrigeration system, using
the same technology seen in air conditioners, was built. The first commercial ice-
making machine was invented in 1854.
 Types of Refrigeration

1. Evaporative Cooling
- Evaporative cooling units are also referred to as swamp coolers. They work by
blowing warm outdoor air over pads that are soaked in water. The water’s job is
to absorb the heat from the air. The water then evaporates and cooler air enters
your home while warm air stays out. An evaporative cooling unit is capable of
reducing the temperature in a home by about 15-40 degrees. An evaporative
cooling unit is easier to install and doesn’t cost half as much as a central air
conditioner.

2. Mechanical-Compression Refrigeration Systems

- Mechanical compression is used in commercial and industrial refrigeration, as
well as air conditioning. Most HVAC companies install this type of cooling
system. By mechanically compressing refrigerant into a cold liquid with low
pressure and expanding it into hot gas with high pressure, this type of system
transfers heat. Refrigerants work when pressure is applied or removed. When
they absorb heat, they boil and turn into gas, then turn back into liquid form
when they release that heat. The refrigerant in a mechanical-compression
system boils at 40 degrees, sucking the heat out of warm indoor air.
 3. Absorption
- The process in absorption refrigeration is similar to how heat is transferred in
mechanical compression. However, instead of using a mechanical compressor,
absorption systems use refrigerants that attract and absorb other substances.
In some systems, for example, ammonia acts as the refrigerant and water acts
as the absorbent. Instead of relying on electric power, heat can come from water,
natural gas, steam or other fuel sources.

4. Thermoelectric
- These systems don’t need water or any type of refrigerant. They rely on a
thermocouple and electric current. One end of the thermocouple is hot and the
other end is cool when current is directed to it. The cold side of the thermocouple
is placed in the area that needs cooled so it can attract heat and remove it from
the air. Thermoelectric refrigeration isn’t usually used for large cooling loads, but
it’s perfect for hard-to-access small cooling loads. A good example would be
electronic systems.
 What are Refrigerants and Ozone Depletion?

- Refrigerants are chemicals that change from liquid to gas or vice versa at
specific temperatures. They also absorb heat from their surroundings and
release that heat when they change from liquid to gas or vice versa. The
refrigerant is stored in a container called an “absorption” system. The absorption
system has two parts: a compressor and a condenser.
- The compressor compresses the refrigerant, which increases its pressure. The
condenser allows the heat to be released from the compressed refrigerant into
the atmosphere. The system then utilizes this heat to cool down equipment or
products inside of a building. This process will repeat until the temperature
reaches a set point that you determine you want to maintain within your
commercial refrigeration system.
- Ozone layer depletion is the thinning of the ozone layer present in the upper
atmosphere. This happens when the chlorine and bromine atoms in the
atmosphere come in contact with ozone and destroy the ozone molecules. One
chlorine can destroy 100,000 molecules of ozone.

4 main types of refrigerants

❖ Hydrocarbon Refrigerants
- Hydrocarbon refrigerants are synthetic compounds that contain no chlorine or
bromine atoms. These refrigerants, also called HFCs, have been developed to
replace ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).
- HFCs are typically made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms. They are lighter
than air and nontoxic. The most commonly used HFCs include R-134a, R-22, R-
410A, and R-407C.
- The primary advantage of hydrocarbon
refrigerants is their high energy
efficiency. They are also highly stable at
high temperatures and pressures. This
makes them suitable for use in
commercial HVAC equipment such as air
conditioners and heat pumps that
require high pressures and temperatures
in order to produce chilled water or hot
water for heating systems.
 ❖ Chlorofluorocarbons
- Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a class of compounds that contain chlorine,
fluorine, and carbon. They are otherwise known as “organic chlorofluorocarbons”
(O-CFCs). In addition to CFCs, other types of O-CFCs include
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), hydro
chloroethylene (HC), and chloroethane (CHCl).
- CFCs consist of carbon atoms bonded to fluorine atoms, with one or more
chlorine atoms attached to each molecule. The compound is colorless, odorless,
and non-flammable. CFCs were first used as refrigerants in the early 20th
century due to their low boiling points and high heat transfer coefficients; they
functioned well as coolants in refrigeration systems until they began causing
damage to Earth’s ozone layer.
There are three types of CFCs:
▪ CFC-11: An older type of CFC with a high global warming potential (GWP).
It has largely been phased out.
▪ CFC-12: Another older type of CFC with a high GWP. It has largely been
phased out.
▪ CFC-22: A newer type of CFC that is being phased out because it has a
high GWP.
 ❖ Hydrofluorocarbon Refrigerants
- The Hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants are the refrigerants that are used in the R-
134a and R-404A systems. They are also called HFCs. These refrigerants have
been developed to replace the older ones like CFCs and HCFCs.
- The HFCs do not contain any chlorine, fluorine, or bromine atoms in them.
These atoms are found in the other types of refrigerants like CFCs and HCFCs.
The HFCs are also non-toxic and non-flammable gases which makes them safe
to use in your commercial refrigeration system.
There are many advantages of using these gases as they:
▪ Have a higher energy efficiency than the older types of refrigerants
like CFCs and HCFCs.
▪ Contain no chlorine, fluorine or bromine atoms which makes them
safer for the environment.
▪ Are non-toxic and non-flammable gases.
▪ Have less effect on the ozone layer than other types of refrigerants.
 ❖ Methyl Chloride Chlorofluorocarbon
- Methyl chloride chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC-22) refrigerant is a type of
refrigerant that has been used in commercial and industrial refrigeration
systems. It has been used for many years and is still in use today.
- Methyl chloride chlorofluorocarbon is a colorless liquid that boils at 138.2
degrees Fahrenheit. It has a density of 1.79 grams per liter at 20 degrees Celsius,
which makes it heavier than air.
- Methyl chloride chlorofluorocarbon is part of the R-1234yf refrigerant family
and was first approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2015. It
uses a blend of methyl chloride and chlorofluorocarbons as its base components,
along with fluorine-based solvents to help stabilize it. It is designed to replace R-
134a, which has been found to contribute significantly to global warming and
ozone depletion when released into the atmosphere.
- Methyl chloride chlorofluorocarbon is a non-ozone depleting replacement for
R134a that works well at low temperatures and high pressures, making it an
ideal choice for commercial refrigeration systems such as those found in
supermarkets and restaurants where food needs to be stored at very cold
temperatures but still be easily accessible by customers who are shopping or
dining inside the store or restaurant.
 Pure Substance and Ideal Gases
- A substance that has a fixed chemical composition throughout is called a pure
substance such as water, air, and nitrogen. A pure substance does not have to
be of a single element or compound. A mixture of two or more phases of a pure
substance is still a pure substance as long as the chemical composition of all
phases is the same.

Phases of a Pure Substance

A pure substance may exist in different phases. There are three principal phases
solid, liquid, and gas.
A phase: is defined as having a distinct molecular arrangement that is
homogenous throughout and separated from others (if any) by easily identifiable
boundary surfaces.
A substance may have several phases within a principal phase, each with a
different molecular structure. For example, carbon may exist as graphite or
diamond in the solid phase, and ice may exist in seven different phases at high
pressure.
Molecular bonds are the strongest in solids and the weakest in gases.

Phase‐Change Processes of Pure Substances

Consider a process where a pure substance starts as a solid and is heated up at
constant pressure until it all becomes gas. Depending on the prevailing pressure,
the matter will pass through various phase transformations.
I. Solid
II. Mixed phase of liquid and solid
III. Sub‐cooled or compressed liquid (means it is not about to vaporize)
IV. Wet vapor or saturated liquid‐vapor mixture, the temperature will stop
rising until the liquid is completely vaporized.
V. Superheated vapor (a vapor that is not about to condense).