Heat Transfer and HVAC Lab

Lab Report: 09

VISUAL CYCLE REFRIGERATION UNIT

6th SEMESTER

Submitted to: Sir Zeeshan

Name: Muhammad Usman

Class: ME 13 C
CMS: 372903

School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

(SMME)
Objective:
 To calculate the COP of a refrigeration cycle employing water as both heat source and rejection medium.
 To calculate the COP of a refrigeration cycle utilizing air as both heat source and rejection medium.

Apparatus:

Figure 1 Refrigeration cycle demonstration unit.

Introduction:
The refrigeration cycle is a closed-loop process that removes heat from an enclosed space and expels it to the
outside environment. It operates using a refrigerant, a substance that undergoes various phase changes and pressure
variations throughout the cycle.
Evaporation:
Inside the evaporator coil, the low-pressure, low-temperature liquid refrigerant absorbs heat from its surroundings,
typically the interior of a refrigerator or an air-conditioned space. As it absorbs heat, the refrigerant evaporates
and transforms into a gas.
Compression:
The refrigerant gas is then compressed by a compressor, which increases its pressure and temperature, turning it into
a hot, high-pressure gas.
Condensation:
The hot gas moves to the condenser, where it releases the absorbed heat to the outside environment. As it loses heat,
the refrigerant condenses and reverts into a liquid.
Expansion:
The high-pressure liquid then passes through an expansion valve or capillary tube, where it experiences a sudden
drop in pressure. This pressure reduction cools the refrigerant, preparing it to enter the evaporator again.
This continuous cycle of evaporation, compression, condensation, and expansion efficiently transfers heat from the
inside to the outside, effectively cooling the interior space.

Procedure:
 Turn on the water flow in the system by opening valves Av1 and Av4 and closing
valves Av2 and Av3.
 Turn on the air flow in the system by opening valves Av2 and Av3 and closing valves
Av1 and Av4.
 Start the compressor.
  Adjust the flow rates of the cooling and heating water in condenser and evaporator
respectively. Let the compressor run for some time until the system reaches a steady
state, indicated by the temperature at the compressor's outlet (T6) no longer
increasing.
 Record the temperatures at condenser inlet and outlet and evaporators inlet and
outlet and check the pressure in the condenser and evaporator’s inlet and outlet.
 Switch off the compressor.
 Turn off the main switch of the experimental unit.
 Shut off the water supply or air supply.

Results:
Water as heat source and rejection unit:
 Flow rate of water in evaporator = V= 1.5 l/m= 2.5 × 10-5 m3/s
 Flow rate of water in condenser = 2 l/m = 3.33 × 10-5 m3/s
 Density of water = = 997 kg/m3
 Coefficient of heat of water = = 4.186 × 103 J/K. Kg
 Mass flow rate of water in evaporator=m = (V) ( )=(2.5 × 10-5) (997)
 Mass flow rate of water in evaporator=m =0.0249 Kg/s
Temperatures Evaporator inlet T5 21
() Condenser inlet - 21
Evaporator outlet T7 14
Condenser outlet T6 29
Pressures Evaporator inlet - 2.8
(bar) Condenser inlet P1 9.8
Evaporator outlet - 2.2
Condenser outlet P2 10.1
Power(W) Compressor power Win 794

Calculation:
qe
Coefficient of performance of refrigerant= COPR

Win
Heat inlet to the evaporator = qe= mCwΔT
COPR =

qe= mCwΔT= mCw(evaporator inlet's temp − evaporator

outlet's temp) qe= mCw(T5 − T7)= (0.0249) (4.186 × 103) (21
729.619
– 14) = 729.619 W

794
COPR
=
= 0.918

Air as heat source and rejection unit:

 Average temperature at evaporator = (8+18)/2 = 13˚C
 Average pressure at evaporator = (3.3+4.2)/2 = 3.85 bar
 Flow rate = V= 30 l/hr= 8.33 × 10-6 m3/s
 Density of refrigerant at evaporator= 134= 17.795 kg/m3
 Mass flow rate=m = (V) ( 134)=(8.33 × 10-6) (17.795)
  Mass flow rate=m =1.482× 10-4 Kg/s

Temperatur Evaporator inlet T3 08

es () Ambient T8 18
Evaporator outlet T10 19
Condenser outlet T9 19
Pressures Evaporator inlet - 4.2
(bar) Condenser inlet P1 12
Evaporator outlet - 3.3
Condenser outlet P2 11.8
Power(W) Compressor power Win 877

Calculation:
qe
Coefficient of performance of refrigerant= COPR

Win
Heat inlet to the evaporator = qe= mΔh
COPR =

qe= mΔT= m(evaporator outlet's enthalpy − evaporator inlet's enthalpy)

Outlet enthalpy= h_out= 415.259
KJ/Kg Inlet enthalpy = h_in = 210.592

qe= m h_out − h_in = (1.482 × 10-4) (415.259 – 210.592) = 0.0303 KJ/s

KJ/Kg

qe= 30.3 W
30.8

877
COPR =
= 0.034
Discussion:
We conducted an experiment to determine the coefficient of performance (COP) of a refrigeration cycle in two
scenarios using R134a as the refrigerant. In the first scenario, where water was used as both the heat source and the
rejection unit, the COP was 0.918, indicating 91.8% efficiency.
In the second scenario, where air was used as both the heat source and the rejection unit, the COP was significantly
lower at 0.034. This result suggests that using air in this capacity is inefficient. Potential reasons for this lower COP
include inadequate airflow over the condenser and evaporator, ambient temperature fluctuations affecting heat
transfer, improperly sized or designed heat exchangers for air use, incorrect refrigerant charge impacts system
efficiency, experimental setup errors such as misalignment or improper sealing, measurement inaccuracies in
temperature, pressure, or flow. Heat exchanger fouling, reducing heat transfer efficiency.
In the second case, where the volume flow rate of the evaporator was kept constant and that of the condenser was
decreased, we found that both the input and output temperatures of the evaporator remained constant. However, the
work input to the compressor decreased, resulting in an increase in the COP of the refrigerator. This outcome, while
theoretically possible, typically necessitates specific adjustments or control strategies to achieve. For instance,
reducing the flow rate through the condenser without corresponding adjustments in compressor operation often
leads to increased compressor work due to higher discharge pressures. Therefore, the observed decrease in
compressor work and subsequent increase in COP would likely require tailored system adjustments or optimizations,
such as changes in compressor speed or efficiency enhancements under higher condensing pressures.

Conclusion:
We achieved our objective of determining the COP of a refrigeration cycle using both water-based and air-based
heat sources and rejection mediums. Our findings indicate that a water-based heat source and rejection medium is a
more efficient option compared to an air-based system in our experimental setup.