ACCURATELY ASSESS REFRIGERATION COMPONENTS AND EVAPORATIVE

COOLERS

1. Understand the terms: refrigeration compressors, refrigeration condensers, fouling factor,
evaporators, refrigerant flow control device, evaporative coolers, centrifugal chillers,
screw chillers

2. Identify various refrigeration components and describe their function

3. Identify various refrigeration systems

4. Differentiate between air-cooled, water cooled, evaporative condensers and cooling

towers

5. Understand the problems and remedies in recirculated water systems

6. Recognise refrigerant behaviour which lubricating oils

Refrigeration works by removing heat from a product and transferring that heat to the outside
air.
Refrigeration is the action of cooling, and in practice this requires removal of heat and
discarding it at a higher temperature. Refrigeration is therefore the science of moving heat
from low temperature to high temperature. In addition to chilling and freezing applications,
refrigeration technology is applied in air conditioning and heat pumps.
A refrigeration system is a combination of components and equipment connected in a
sequential order to produce the refrigeration effect. The refrigeration systems commonly used
for air conditioning can be classified by the type of input energy and the refrigeration process
as follows:
1. Vapour compression systems
2. Absorption systems
3. Air or gas expansion systems.
Compressors
Compressors are machines that take refrigerant vapour flowing from the evaporator and
compress it, causing a rise in temperature to take place. Compressors are also responsible for
keeping the refrigerant circulating throughout the system, so that the hot vapour from the
compressor is passed to the condenser, where it cools and flows back to the evaporator.
There are three types of compressor commonly used in refrigeration:
1. The reciprocating compressor
2. The centrifugal compressor
3. The rotary compressor
A reciprocating compressor has a piston moving up and down inside a cylinder which has
valves at the top.
 The ideal basic refrigeration cycle consists of four components, connected by piping with
refrigerant flowing through the system. Figure 1 shows the components in the cycle.

One factor that the evaporator capacity must depend on is the surface area (A) that is in
contact with the fluid (usually air) to be cooled. The greater the area of contact the greater is
the amount of heat conducted in. Another factor is the ability of the eva orator to conduct
heat, which should be as higfi as possible. This depends in part on the metal that makes up
the walls of the evaporator, although because all metals are good conductors of heat
compared with non-metals, this actually has little effect on resistance to heat flow. The ability
to conduct heat is called conductance. Resistance is the opposite to conductance; the lower
the resistance to heat flow, the higher is the conductance and the higher the resistance the
lower is the conductance. The same relationship exists between electrical conductance and
resistance (see Cha ter 4). The important effects on the conduction of eat are caused by a thin
film of refrigerant fluid on the inner wall of the evaporator and a thin layer of air between the
refrigerated space and the outer wall. The inner film of refrigerant is in close contact with the
wall and it is mainly liquid near the input of the evaporator. At the suction line end of dry
evaporators it is all vapour. In flooded evaporators there is liquid refrigerant all along the ipe.
Liquids are much better conductors of heat t an vapours. Sometimes the fluid in the
refrigerated space is air but in some cases it is a liquid, such as brine or water. These latter
two substances are much better conductors than air. The ability to conduct heat, the
conductance, is also affected by the speed at which fluid in the refrigerated space moves over
the surface of the evaporatbr. The speed of the refrigerant inside the evaporator is important,
too. In both cases the higher the speed, the reater is the conductance. Taking into account afi
the above effects on conductance, there is an overall conductance factor (U) for the
evaporator. Heat conduction and any other form of heat transfer depends upon the
temperature difference (TD) between the outside of the evaporator and the refrigerant inside.
The capacity (Q) is related to area, conductance and temperature difference by the following
equation:

Q=AxeTD

where A is the surface area of the evaporator, in contact with the fluid to be cooled, in m2; U
is the overall conductance factor in W/mzK and TD is the temperature difference in kelvin
(or °C).
The temperature difference is not constant over the whole of an evaporator. Some large
evaporators, for example, consist of a number of plates joined together or manifolded. Air
flows over the first row of plates at a high temperature and by the time it. leaves the last row
it is at a much lower temperature (see Figure 12.6).
In such a large evaporator, used for, say, air conditioning, let the temperature of the air
entering the evaporator be t, and the temperature of the air leaving be t2. Then the
temperature difference between the incoming air and that of the refrigerant at a temperature
I:r is (t, - t,). For the air leaving, the temperature difference is (t; - t,). The mean temperature
difference (MTD) is given by:

(t1 _ tr) + (t2 — tr)

2

MTD=
In practice the temperature across the evaporator does not vary in a simple way and for very
accurate calculations the mean effective temperature difference (METD) must be used. This
can be calculated from a more complex formula than the one given above or it can be looked
up in tables. The METD for the temperatures used in Example 11.1 is about 12.3°C.
Evaporator and air movement
Air can be made to pass over the evaporator either by natural or forced convection. Natural
convection occurs in a domestic refrigerator where the evaporator and the freezing
compartment are at the top. Warm air rises from the bottom of the food compartment and
then cools at the evaporator, so setting up convection currents. In air-conditioning systems
the air is blown over the evaporator by means of a fan.
Chillers
Chillers or liquid cooling evaporators are devices which have a number of ap lications, from
the cooling of milk and wine to t e cooling of liquids known as secondary refrigerants. One
application of secondary refrigerants is, for air-conditioning systems and for other
refrigeration systems, in situations where the evaporator is some distance from the
compressor. With normal (primary) refrigerants, pressure drops would occur in the long pipes
that are needed, and so in a refrigeration system for air conditioning, the condenser,
compressor and evaporator are positioned separately from the coolin coil which is used to
lower the temperature of t e air being conditioned. Secondary refrigerant, which can be water
or brine, is pumped through the chiller and cooled. From the chiller the secondary refrigerant
is then pumped through the cooling coils, or it may be used to cool the water in a water spray
unit. Brine is a salt water solution designed for use at temperatures lower than 0°C, where
water would freeze.
Dry expansion chillers
The dry expansion chiller works on the same principle as the dry expansion evaporator.
Liquid primary refrigerant passes through a thrott ing valve and vaporises in a large number
of tubes contained within a metal shell. The secondary refrigerant circulates through the shell
and is cooled by contact with the tubes. Flat lates called baffles control the s eed of flow of)
secondary refrigerant through t e chiller. If the incoming speed is high, widely spaced baffles
are used to reduce the speed, whereas if the speed is low the baffles are close together to
increase the speed. Figure 12.7 shows a dry expansion chiller.

Flooded chiller
In this type of chiller the primary refrigerant is contained in the shell while the secondary
refrigerant flows through the pipe. A float valve controls the flow of primary refrigerant into
the shell. The tubes in the flooded chiller are fixed close together for maximum heat transfer.
A variation on the flooded chiller is the spray chiller in which refrigerant is sprayed over the
brine or water tubes. This type is shown in Figure 12.8.
Double-pipe cooler
A double-pipe cooler consists of two tubes, one arranged inside the other. The brine or water
flows in one direction through the inner tube while the refrigerant flows in the opposite
direction in the other. Double-pipe coolers can be operated either as dry expansion types or as
flooded types. The disadvantage of this type of cooler is that it is more bulky than other
coolers so that its use is limited.
Baudelot cooler
The Baudelot cooler consists of a number of parallel tubes arranged close together in such a
way that a large flat plate is produced. This plate is held vertically with the tubes horizontal
as shown in Figure 12.9.

Refrigerant is passed through the tubes and a thin film of the liquid to be cooled is passed
through small holes above the plate and allowed to trickle down over the surface of the tubes.
The liquid can be secondary refrigerant or else it can be something like milk or wine that
needs to be cooled.
Tank and coil coolers
An evaporator coil is placed in a tank full of the liquid which is to be chilled. Warm liquid
comes in at the top of the tank and flows over the evaporator. Cool liquid leaves at the side.
The movement of liquid within the tank is forced by a fan-like agitator which is driven by an
electric motor. Tank coolers have the advantage that they can store cooled secondary
refrigerant for use during periods when the air-conditionin system is being heavily used.
During such periodgs there is a tendency for secondary refrigerants not to have time to be
cooled properly, since the system is being used to the limit.
Air-conditioning coils
In air-conditioning systems, an evaporator coil is sometimes placed in brine solution,
contained in a tank. The brine is pumped through a cooling coil which is placed in an air-
conditioning duct (see Figure 9.2). ifikir is blown over the.coil using a fan and the air is then
guided to the air-conditioned space through the duct. This system does not apply only to air-
conditioning systems, it applies also where cold air is needed in large freezers or cold stores.
Brine sprays
Cool air may also be produced by a brine spray cooler. A fan sucks air over an evaporator
coil and at the same time a spray of brine cools as it cascades over the coil. This cools the air
further and a duct at the top conducts the cool air to the refrigerated space (see figure 12.10).
Eliminators stop water droplets from entering duct.

Evaporator maintenance
A major problem with eva orators is that water from the air condenses and t en freezes to
form ice or frost on the evaporator surfaces. The lower the tem erature of the evaporator the
faster is the rate of rost formation. Of course, there is no frost formation on those eva orators
where the working temperature is greater t an 0°C. Frost is a poor conductor of heat and so
the rate of heat conduction from the refrigerated space into the refrigerant is reduced. This
means that the refrigerant temperature is lower than it ought to be and so more frost forms
making it even more difficult for heat to enter. The evaporator capacity is thus reduced. In
finned evaporators frost forms between the fins and reduces the area of contact between the
fins and the air. This reduces heat conduction and so reduces the temperature, again leading
to more frost. Water ex ands as it freezes and this expansion can damage t e fins.
Defrosting the evaporator
The frost that collects on eva orators must be removed from time to time and t e process is
called defrosting. In small domestic refrigerators defrosting is usually achieved by switching
off the apparatus for a period until the ice melts. Some of the frost ma be carefully chipped
away and removed in order to speed up the process so that food does not spoil.
In larger systems a number of methods may be used. One method is to spray warm water on
the frost. Another is to use specially constructed evaporators which have electric elements
fixed inside them. The frost is melted by switching on the element. A third way is to use
discharge vapour from the co’mpressor. This vapour is hot enough to melt the ice.
Refrigeration systems should be defrosted at intervals according to the manufacturers’
instructions. In general, the lower the temperature is, the more frequently the system needs
defrosting. Some methods involve simply shutting down the system until the frost melts, as in
the case of domestic refrigerators and freezers; while other systems are more complex and
involve removing the refrigerant, followed by heating the evaporator. Methods of defrosting
are given below.
Water defrosting
A valve in the liquid line is closed and the compressor pum s the refrigerant out, the
compressor is then switclged off, followed by the evaporator fan to stop water being sprayed
into the refrigerator.
The water spray, which is situated above the evaporator, is turned on for a few minutes until
the frost is melted and the water has been allowed to drain away.
Electrical defrosting
Again the li uid line is closed and the compressor is switched of as soon as the refrigerant is
pumped out. The heating element is switched on, the fan switched off and heating continues
until the frost is melted (see Figure 12.11). The heating element is then switched off, the
compressor is started, a valve is opened to allow the refrigerant back and the fan is switched
back on. The process can be performed either manually, by an operator, or automatically,
using a timer.
Hot gas defrosting
A tube, known as the by-pass line, runs from the discharge line to the evaporator. When the
valve in the by-pass line is opened, hot gas travels to the evaporator and melts the ice around
it.
One disadvantage of this method is that because the hot gas condenses into a liquid in the
evaporator, there is a danger that liquid refrigerant will return to the compressor along the
suction line and damage the compressor. This problem can be overcome by using a second
evaporator, known as a re-evaporator, which is switched into the system by a valve when
defrosting occurs. After defrosting it can be switched out again, usually by a timer.
Other maintenance
In addition to defrosting, the surfaces of evaporators should be cleaned regularly using a
solvent(see Chapter 11).
The accumulation of oil, which has come from the compressor, in the evaporator can be a
problem (see Chapter 10). This is because oil is a poor conductor of heat and heat is not
conducted in from the refrigerated space so readily. The refrigeration system becomes less
efficient. The presence of oil in the pipes can be checked by making sure that the oil level in
the compressor has not dropped. If it has, it may be a sign that oil has been deposited inside
the evaporator. The compressor should also be checked for leaks to eliminate that possibility
of oil loss.