Chapter 5 - Evaporators and Condensers
Chapter 5 - Evaporators and Condensers
Chapter 5 - Evaporators and Condensers
Chapter Five
Evaporators and Condensers
Evaporators
Refrigeration & Air Conditioning
Systems
- The evaporator is a heat transfer system, and is that part of a
refrigeration cycle in which liquid refrigerant is evaporated for the
purpose of removing heat from the refrigerated space or product.
- The evaporator is maintained at a temperature that is lower than
the medium being cooled.
- The capacity of any evaporator or cooling coil is the rate at which
heat will pass through the evaporator walls from the refrigerated
space to the vaporizing liquid refrigerant.
- Removes both latent and sensible heat from the air in the
refrigerated box or the cooled space.
- Latent heat is in the form of moisture
- Sensible heat reduces air and product temperature.
Types of Evaporators
Based on their construction, the various types of
evaporators are:
1. Bare Tube Evaporators :
a) The bare tube evaporators are made up of copper tubing or steel
pipes
b) The copper tubing is used for small evaporators where the
refrigerant other than ammonia is used
c) the steel pipes are used with the large evaporators where
ammonia is used as the refrigerant.
d) the atmospheric air flows over the bare tube evaporator and the
chilled air leaving it used for the cooling purposes..
e) The bare tube evaporators are usually used for liquid chilling
2) Plate Type of Evaporators
a) the coil usually made up of copper or
aluminum is embedded in the plate so as so
to form a flat looking surface.
b) the plate type of evaporator looks like a
single plate, but inside it there are several
turns of the metal tubing through which the
refrigerant flows.
c) advantage of the plate type
of evaporators is that they are more rigid as
the external plate provides lots of safety.
d) This type of evaporator is widely used in
domestic refrigeration.
e) The plates can also be welded together
forming the bank of the plate type of
evaporators that can be used the
larger evaporators of higher capacities.
3) Finned Evaporators
a) Are the bare tube type
of evaporators covered with the fins
b) he fluid tends to move between the
open spaces of the tubing and does
not come in contact with the surface
of the coil, thus the bare
tube evaporators are less effective.
c) the finned evaporators are more
effective than the bare
tube evaporators.
d) are most commonly used in the air
conditioners of almost all types like
window, split, packaged and the
central air conditioning systems.
4) Shell and Tube types of Evaporators
a) Are used in the large refrigeration and central air conditioning
systems.
b) comprise of large number of the tubes that are inserted inside the
drum or the shell.
c) Depending on the direction of the flow of the refrigerant in the
shell and tube type of evaporator, they are classified into two
types: dry expansion type and flooded type of evaporator.
1. Dry expansion evaporator: In dry expansion evaporators the
refrigerant flows along the tube side and the fluid to be chilled
flows along the shell side.
2. Flooded evaporator : In case of the flooded type
of evaporators the refrigerant flows along the shell side and fluid
to be chilled flows along the tube.
According to mode of heat transfer
Natural Convection Evaporators :
a) are often used in applications where low speed air desirable or
damage dehydration product possible.
b) The greater the temperature difference will produce higher rates
of air circulation, because the difference between the density of
warm and cold air increases.
c) Cold air is denser than warm air. Therefore, the natural circulation
evaporators, usually mounted high above the floor die refrigerated
Cabinet.
Forced convection evaporator :
a) High velocity air over a closely finned coil can increase heat
transfer.
b) The use of forced draught can reduce the overall size and weight of
the evaporator which can reduce purchasing and installation costs.
c) Forced draught also gives:-
more rapid cooling
even temperatures
good humidity control
easy defrosting.
The fins on a forced draught evaporator are very closely spaced which
gives a high capacity rating.
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
Chapter Five
Evaporators and Condensers
5.1:Evaporators
The evaporator is one of the main components of a refrigeration system, in
which refrigerant evaporates for the purpose of extracting heat from the
surrounding air, chilled water, or other substances. Evaporators can be
classified into three categories, depending on the medium or substance to be
cooled:
- An air cooler is an evaporator that cools the air directly in a refrigerated
space or piece of equipment (such as a packaged unit). Conditioned air is then
distributed through air distribution systems. In an air cooler, the refrigerant
flows inside the metal tubes or finned tubes while air flows over them.
- In a liquid cooler, chilled water is cooled to a lower temperature and is
pumped to remote air-handling units, fan coils, or other terminals for air
conditioning or other applications.
The various combinations of cooler types and refrigerant feeds make up the
following evaporator groups:
- DX cooler, which is a DX coil, acts as an air cooler with direct-expansion
refrigerant feed.
- Flooded shell-and-tube liquid cooler, with direct-expansion refrigerant feed,
or simply direct-expansion liquid cooler.
- Liquid over feed cooler.
- Direct-expansion ice maker.
5.1.1: DX Coils-Wet Coils
In a direct-expansion or dry-expansion DX coil for a comfort air conditioning
system, the evaporating temperature Tev,°C, of refrigerant R22, R134a,
R404A, R410A, R407A, or R407C inside the coil tubes is usually 2.8 to
11.1°C. In such a Tev, the surface temperature of the coil is usually lower than
the dew point of the air entering the coil. Condensation occurs on the outside
surface of the DX coil, so the coil becomes a wet coil. The air conditioning
process of a DX coil is always a cooling and dehumidifying process as well as
a heat-and mass-transfer process.
52
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
53
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
Face Control, The refrigerant circuits are divided into upper and lower
sections, as shown in Fig. 5.2a. One section can be shut off by deenergizing
its solenoid valve during capacity reduction. Face control reduces the
temperature of the conditioned air, and requires thorough mixing of
conditioned and bypass airstreams downstream from the DX coil.
Row Control, Row control is more effective when applied to a six-row DX
coil, as shown in Fig. 5.2b. One distributor connects to the refrigerant circuits
of two rows; another distributor connects to the remaining four rows. The
active refrigerant circuits can then be operated at 33, 66, or 100 percent
capacity.
Intertwined Face Control, An intertwined face control (shown in Fig. 5.2c)
always has a full face active coil even when the refrigerant supply to one of
the distributors is cut off by the solenoid valve. When one distributor is
inactive, the fin efficiency and the heat capacitance ratio of wet coil are
changed, and the capacity of the DX coil is reduced to about 70 percent.
54
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
55
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
56
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
5.2: Condensers
Condensation Process, when saturated vapor comes into contact with a
surface having a temperature below the saturation temperature, condensation
occurs on the surface. There are two types of condensation:
- The condensed liquid, often called the condensate, wets the surface and
forms a film covering the entire surface. This type of condensation is called
film wise condensation.
- The surface is not totally wetted by the saturated vapor, and the condensate
forms liquid droplets that fall from the surface. This type of condensation is
called drop wise condensation.
In practice, however, the entire surface of the condenser tubes becomes wet
during refrigerant condensation. The heat-transfer process in a refrigerant
condenser occurs in three stages: desuperheating of the hot gas, condensing of
the gas to liquid state and release of the latent heat, and subcooling of the
liquid refrigerant.
5.2.1: Water-Cooled Condensers
In a water-cooled condenser, condenser water or cooling water is used to
remove condensing heat from the refrigerant. The condenser water is often the
recirculating water from the cooling tower. Two types of water-cooled
condensers are widely used for air conditioning and refrigeration purposes:
shell-and-tube and double-tube condensers. A double-tube condenser consists
of two tubes, one inside the other, as shown in Fig.5.5. Water is pumped
through the inner tube while refrigerant flows in the space between the inner
and outer tubes in a counterflow arrangement.
57
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
58
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
59
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
60
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
The condensing coils are usually made of bare pipes of copper, galvanized
steel, or stainless steel. The high heat-transfer coefficient of the wetted
surface does not require fins to increase its outer surface area. Bare pipes are
not easy to foul and are easier to clear.
Evaporative condensers have the advantage of lower condensing temperature
and lower installation and energy costs. They are widely used in industrial
applications and have been adopted more and more frequently in commercial
buildings recently.
61
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
62
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
- Based on the location of the evaporative condenser and the sound control
requirement, it is often best to select a centrifugal fan. Check the volume flow
rate and the fan total pressure that can be provided by the fan to overcome the
pressure drop of the condenser coil and eliminator.
- Check the flow rate of the water spray of the circulating pump.
- For outdoor installation, select a casing and other system components that
are weatherproof and corrosion-resistant.
- Install the evaporative condenser in a location where there is ample space
for outdoor air intake and discharge.
5.3: Cooling Towers
A cooling tower is a device in which recirculating condenser water from a
condenser or cooling coils is evaporatively cooled by contact with
atmospheric air. According to the location of the fan corresponding to the fill
and to the flow arrangements of air and water, currently widely used
mechanical draft cooling towers for HVAC&R can be classified into the
following categories: counterblow induced-draft, cross flow induced-draft,
and counter flow forced-draft.
5.3.1: Counter flow Induced-Draft Cooling Towers
In a counter flow induced-draft cooling tower, as shown in Fig. 5.9a, the fan
is located downstream from the fill at the air exit. Atmospheric air is drawn
by the fan through the intake louver or, more simply, an opening covered by
wire mesh. Water from the condenser or recirculating water from the coil, or a
mixture of the two, is evenly sprayed or distributed over the fill and falls
down into the water basin. Air is extracted across the fill and comes in direct
contact with the water film. Because of the evaporation of a small portion of
the condenser water, usually about 1 percent of the water flow, the
temperature of the water gradually decreases as it falls down through the fill
countercurrent to the extracted air. Evaporated water vapor is absorbed by the
air stream. Large water droplets entrained in the air stream are collected by
the drift eliminators. Finally, the air stream and drift are discharged at the top
exit. The evaporative cooled water falls into the water basin and flows to the
condenser. In a counter flow induced-draft cooling tower, the driest air
contacts the coldest water. Such a counter flow arrangement shows a better
tower performance than a cross flow arrangement. Compared with the cross
flow induced-draft cooling tower, the vertical height from the installation
level to the inlet of the water-spraying nozzles in a counter flow tower is
greater and, therefore, requires a higher pump head.
63
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
64
Subject Tutor: Dr. Wail Sami Sarsam
Air Conditioning University of Baghdad Mechanical Dept
4th Year College of Engineering Dr. Najim A. Jassim
The preceding types of cooling towers, which use the evaporation of water to
cool the condenser water, are sometimes called wet towers. There is also a
kind of cooling tower called a dry tower. It is essentially a dry cooler, a finned
coil and induced fan combination that cools the condenser water flowing
inside the tubes. The following terms are commonly used when referring to
the performance of a cooling tower:
Approach, Temperature difference between the temperature of the condenser
water leaving the tower and the wet-bulb temperature of the air entering the
tower.
Range, Temperature difference between the temperature of condenser water
entering the tower Tte and the temperature leaving the cooling tower Ttl.
Blow down, Water discharged to the drain periodically to avoid buildup of
dissolved solids.
Fill, The structure that forms the heat-transfer surface within the tower. Water
from the condenser or coil is distributed along the flow passages of the fill
down to the water basin.
Makeup, Water added to the circulating water to compensate for the loss of
water to evaporation, drift, and blow down.
5.3.4: Factors That Affect Cooling Tower Performance
The criteria for selecting a cooling tower for a water-cooled condenser are the
effective removal of total heat rejected at the condenser and the minimization
of the sum of power consumption in compressors, condenser fans, and
condenser water pumps. Proper selection of tower range, water-air ratio,
approach, fill configuration, and water distribution system directly affects the
performance of a cooling tower. A cooling tower used for an air conditioning
system is rated on the following conditions: unit of heat rejection at
condenser: 1 condenser ton = 4.395 kW; water circulation rate: 0.0 14 L/s per
kW heat rejected; entering condenser water temperature: 35°C; leaving
condenser water temperature: 29.4°C; outdoor wet-bulb temperature: 25.6°C,
range: 5.6°C, and approach: 3.9°C.
65