Vapor-compression refrigeration uses a liquid refrigerant to absorb and remove heat from a space. The cycle includes a compressor, evaporator, condenser, and throttle valve. It is used in home appliances, air conditioning, transportation, and industrial settings with an efficiency of up to 60%.
Vapor-compression refrigeration is a refrigeration system that uses a circulating liquid refrigerant to absorb and remove heat from a space in need of cooling. In any refrigeration process, heat is transferred from one region to another with the help of an external agent. In the widely used vapor-compression refrigeration system, the external agent is a compressor. Other systems employed are gas refrigeration, vapor absorption refrigeration and vortex refrigeration. Steam jet water vapor refrigeration, magnetic cooling, and thermoelectric refrigeration are some of the other refrigeration systems used for specific applications.
This particular refrigeration cycle contains four major components, which are the compressor, evaporator, condenser, and throttle valve. The evaporator is responsible for both absorbing and removing heat. The liquid refrigerant enters the evaporator under very low pressure and low temperature conditions; it is much colder than the space that needs refrigeration. This cold mixture enters the evaporator tubes or coils. The warm air within the enclosed space is driven through pipes carrying the extremely cold liquid refrigerant.
Following this contact, the liquid part of the refrigerant evaporates and the circulating air cools. The temperature in the enclosed space drops until it reaches the desired temperature. The refrigerant leaves the evaporator as a slightly superheated vapor and enters the compressor. The compressor compresses the vapor to a higher pressure, which results in a higher temperature. The heat rise is due to the transfer of part of the energy used in the compression process to the steam.
The superheated vapor leaves the compressor and enters the condenser where it is cooled with the aid of cooling water or air. The heat from the steam is transferred to and carried away by the water or air in the condenser. The refrigerant leaves the condenser as a liquid under high pressure and its pressure is then reduced with the aid of the throttle valve.
Part of the liquid flash evaporates due to the sudden reduction in pressure. The butterfly valve not only reduces the pressure of the refrigerant but also controls its flow into the evaporator and the cycle starts again. To summarize, heat is both absorbed and removed from the space needing cooling by the refrigerant circulating in the evaporator within the vapor compression refrigeration system. This heat is processed inside the condenser where the cooling air or water transfers the heat elsewhere.
Home refrigerators and freezers are common applications of the vapor compression refrigeration system. It is used commercially to air-condition offices, hotels and private residences. Automobiles, rail cars, and trucks are other places where vapor compression refrigeration systems are applied. Even deployed on a large scale in processing plants and refineries, the system is both affordable and mature. The efficiency of vapor compression refrigeration systems can reach 60%.
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