JIMMA UNIVERSITY

JIT

Faculty of mechanical engineering

Refrigeration mini
mini-project

SUBMITION DATE: DEC 25.2022

25.20

SUBMITTED TO: Mr Ali S

 GROUP MEMBERS

S/N NAME ID NO
1 Merera Worku RU 3358/11
2 Jamal Aliye RU 4280/11
3 Gemachu Hailu RU 3680/11
4 Chala Balach RU 3300/11
5 Sofoniyas Feyisa RU 3253/11
6 Bontu Gadisa RU 3697/11
7 Tadele Sertsu RU 4305/11
8 Garasu Waldekidan RU 3696/11
9 Gadisa Tana RU 3378/11
10 Natanem Demena RU 4057/11
11 Tamiru Fufa RU 3812/11

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page ii

Table of Contents
Chapter 1................................................................................................................................................. 1
Intorduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1
Chapter 2................................................................................................................................................. 2
Evaporator .............................................................................................................................................. 2
2.1. Evaporator Components ............................................................................................................... 3
2.2. Working principle of Evaporator ................................................................................................. 3
2.3. Factors affecting the performance of Evaporator ......................................................................... 4
Chapter 3................................................................................................................................................. 6
Compressor ............................................................................................................................................. 6
3.1. Compressor Types ....................................................................................................................... 7
3.1.1. Reciprocating compressor ..................................................................................................... 7
3.1.2. Scroll compressor .................................................................................................................. 7
3.1.3. Screw compressor ................................................................................................................. 8
3.1.4. Oil Management compressor ................................................................................................ 9
3.2. Factors affecting the performance of compressor ...................................................................... 10
Chapter 4............................................................................................................................................... 11
Condenser ............................................................................................................................................. 11
4.1. Condenser Types ........................................................................................................................ 12
4.1.1. Air Cooled Condenser ......................................................................................................... 12
4.1.2. Adiabatic Condenser ........................................................................................................... 13
4.1.3. Evaporative Condenser ....................................................................................................... 14
4.2. Factors affecting the performance of condenser ........................................................................ 15
Chapter 5............................................................................................................................................... 17
Expansion Valve .................................................................................................................................... 17
5.1. Working principle of Expansion Valve ..................................................................................... 18
5.2. Factors affecting the performance of Expansion Valve ............................................................. 18

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page iii

List of figure

Figure 1 Refrigeration cycle .................................................................................................. 1

Figure 2 Evaporeting process ............................................................................................... 2
Figure 3 Compressor function ............................................................................................... 6
Figure 4 Condensor process ................................................................................................ 11
Figure 5 Expansion valve .................................................................................................... 17

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page iv

 CHAPTER 1
INTORDUCTION
Refrigeration is defined as lowering the temperature of an enclosed space by removing heat
from that space and transferring it elsewhere. A device that performs this function may also
be called an air conditioner, refrigerator, air source heat pump, water source heat pump, geo
thermal heat pump or chiller (heat pump).

That’s not the full picture,, of course, but that’s the basic idea. Now, let’s get into
the equipment that helps execute that job. There are certainly other components in most
loops, but most would agree the four fundame
fundamental
ntal elements of a basic cycle are as follows:

 The compressor
 The condenser
 The expansion device
 The evaporator

Figure 1 Refrigeration cycle

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 1

 CHAPTER 2
EVAPORATOR
We will now turn our focus on discussing in more detail the four basic components in a
refrigeration cycle. We will start with the evaporator. Our focus will be on evaporators seen
in grocery stores and industrial applications as ice arenas use a different type of evaporator. It
performs the same function but operates a little differently. We will discuss this type of
evaporator when reviewing the three different refrigeration applications.The picture on slide
shows what a typical evaporator looks like for a grocery store. The purpose of the evaporator
is to remove the unwanted heat from a space. Here the refrigerant will enter at a low pressure
and temperature mixture
ture of liquid and vapor from the expansion valve. As it moves through
the evaporator, it absorbs heat from the space, and evaporates into a vapor as it leaves.

Figure 2 Evaporeting process

Remembering
ing our discussion on latent heat, the refrigerant can absorb a lot of energy as it
changes from a liquid to a vapor. Another key takeaway is the saturated suction temperature
of the refrigerant, must be lower than the room temperature in order to absorb the
t heat. To
assist with the movement of heat from the space to the refrigerant, fans are used to blow the
room air over the refrigerant, providing additional help in absorbing the heat.

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 2

2.1. Evaporator Components
Fan Motor Efficiency

• Shaded Pole – 30%

• Permanent Split Capacitor (PSC) – 60%

• Electronically Commutated Motor (ECM) – 80%

Coil

• Refrigerant flows through tubing

• Fins placed on tubing to increase transfer of heat,

Condensate Drain

• Air is cooled below its dew point and water condenses from the air

Capacity

Based on the following;

• Refrigerant type

• Temp difference between refrigerant and the space

• Saturated Suction Temperature

2.2. Working principle of Evaporator

Evaporators are used in both coolers and freezers. Typically coolers will have a refrigerant
temperature between 15°F‐20°F and freezers will have the refrigerant temperature
between ‐20°F to ‐10°F. The refrigerant temperature is normally 10°F ‐ 15°F below the
temperature of the space being cooled. Evaporators typically operate continuously even if
there is no demand to remove heat from the space. The exception to this is a during a period
known as a defrost cycle. As mentioned earlier, moisture from the warm air will begin to
condenser as it is blown over the evaporator coil and cooled. The refrigerant and the coil
temperature are below the freezing point of water and the condensed water will begin to
freeze on the evaporator coil creating frost. As shown in the figure on the slide, if enough

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 3

frost is built up, it can reduce the amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant. To combat this,
defrost cycles are implemented to remove this frost.

There are three kinds of defrost. Off time is only used in coolers as it will stop the flow of
refrigerant through the coil and the fans will blow the warm room air over the coil to melt the
frost. The room temperature must be above freezing for this to work. With off time, the fans
remain on 24/7. This is the simplest form of defrost. The second type is electric defrost. In the
figure on the slide, you can see electric resistance heating rods that are installed along the
coil. When the cycle is activated, the refrigerant flow is stopped, the fans are turned off, and
the heaters are turned on to melt the frost. The fans are turned off to prevent any water,
created from the melting frost, from being blown into the room.

Electric defrost is commonly found for freezer applications. The third type is called hot gas
defrost. Some of the refrigerant discharge vapor from the compressor is routed through the
coil and used to melt the frost. During the cycle, the liquid refrigerant from the expansion
valve is stopped and the fans are turned off. In the figure currently shown, the valve labeled
“A” closes to stop the liquid refrigerant from the expansion valve from entering the
evaporator. Valve “B” on the right side of the figure, opens to allow hot refrigerant vapor
from the compressor discharge to enter the evaporator and warm the coil to melt the frost.

This is the most complex and expensive form of defrost and commonly used in freezers. A
common method of controlling when a defrost cycle is initiated is by a set schedule and time
length. An example of a typical schedule is 4 defrosts per day for 45 minutes. With this
control method, a defrost cycle will be performed even if it’s not needed. This will be
revisited later in the presentation as it involves an energy efficient measure

2.3. Factors affecting the performance of Evaporator

Though there are many factors upon which the heat transfer capacity of an evaporator
depends, yet the following are important from the subject point of view :

1. Velocity of refrigerant. The velocity of refrigerant is affects the heat transfer capacity
of an evaporator. If the velocity of refrigerant flowing through the evaporator increases,
the overall heat transfer coefficient also increases. But this increased velocity will cause
greater pressure loss in the evaporator. Thus the only recommended velocities for
different refrigerants which give high heat transfer rates and allowable pressure loss
should be used.

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 4

 2. Thickness of the evaporator coil wall. The thickness of the evaporator coil wall also
affects the heat transfer capacity of the evaporator. In general, the thicker the wall, the
slower is the rate of heat transfer. Since the refrigerant in the evaporator coils is under
pressure, therefore the evaporator walls must be thick enough to withstand the effects of
that pressure. It may be noted that the thickness has only a slight effect on total heat
transfer capacity because the evaporators are usually made from highly conductive
materials.

3. Contact surface area. An important factor affecting the evaporator capacity is the
contact surface available between the walls of evaporator coil and the medium being
cooled. The amount of contact surface, in turn, depends basically on the physical size and
shape of the evaporator coil.

4. Material. In order to have rapid heat transfer in an evaporator, the material used for the
construction of an evaporator coil should be a good conductor of heat. The material which
is not affected by the refrigerant must also be selected. Since metals are best conductors
of beat, therefore they are always used for evaporators. Iron and steel can be used with all
common refrigerants. Brass and copper are used with all refrigerants except ammonia.
Aluminium should not be used with Freon.

5. Temperature difference. The temperature difference between the refrigerant within

the evaporator and the product to be cooled plays an important role in the heat transfer
capacity of an evaporator. The following table shows the suggested temperature
difference for some of the products to be cooled.

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 5

 CHAPTER 3
COMPRESSOR
The purpose of the compressor is to increase the pressure of the low temperature
temperatur refrigerant
vapor to a higher pressure. The pressure it compresses it to is the head pressure the condenser
is maintaining. The compressor performs the uphill work I mentioned earlier. The higher the
“hill” the more energy it consumes. This hill can be visualized
visualized in the figure on the slide. It
must climb the hill to increase the refrigerant from the suction pressure to the head pressure.
Anything that can be done to decrease the amount of uphill work, the less energy it will
consume and the more efficient it will operate. The compressor consumes most of the energy
in the refrigeration cycle compared to the other components. As stated earlier, the compressor
adds heat to the refrigerant that must be removed by the condenser. By reducing this uphill
climb, wee also reduce the amount of extra heat added to the refrigerant. A key point to
remember is that most compressors do not like liquid refrigerant entering it. Liquid can’t be
compressed and therefore causes problems in the compressor. The refrigerant must be all
vaporsuponleavingtheevaporator.

Figure 3 Compressor function

The expansion valve, which we will discuss shortly, meters the amount of refrigerant to the
evaporator to ensure this. In refrigeration, there are three main typ
types
es of compressors that can
be used, and we will discuss those briefly. The first are reciprocating compressors.

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 6

3.1. Compressor Types

3.1.1. Reciprocating compressor

• Uses pistons to compress refrigerant

• May have multiple pistons

• Used for capacity reduction

• Most common for large systems

• Grocery stores, industrial, ice arenas

• Simplest compressor

3.1.1.1. Working princpile of Reciprocating compressor

Reciprocating compressors use pistons to raise the pressure of the refrigerant, similar to the
pistons in a car. On the left side of the picture on the slide, the piston is performing what’s
known as the suction stroke. As the piston moves down the pressure drops and the orange
valve on the top left side of the piston opens, drawing in the refrigerant. The piston will then
perform its discharge stroke, as shown on the right side of the figure, and begin to rise. As it
rises the refrigerant is compressed and its pressure increases. The orange valve on the top
right side of the piston opens, discharging the refrigerant to the condenser. The piston then
repeats this cycle continuously. Most reciprocating compressors have multiple pistons, except
for very small compressors, and they commonly have sets of 2. With multiple pistons, the
compressor can essentially turn off a few pistons when the refrigeration demand is low,
preventing it from cycling on/off. Reciprocating is commonly found in all three refrigeration
applications. They are the simplest compressor type in regards to how it functions.

3.1.2. Scroll compressor

• Uses a fixed scroll and an orbiting scroll

• Becoming common in commercial refrigeration and HVAC for smaller systems

• Lower sound levels

• Can use Variable Frequency Drive (VFD

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 7

3.1.2.1. Working princpile of Scroll compressor

The next type of compressor is the scroll compressor. A scroll compressor has two main
components; a fixed scroll and an orbiting scroll. There is an orbiting motion that creates a
series of gas pockets traveling between the two scrolls. On the outer portion of the scroll the
pocket draws in vapor, then moves it to the center of the scroll where it’s discharged. As the
vapor travels through the increasing smaller inner pocket, the pressure of the refrigerant
increases and is then discharged to the condenser. These are becoming more common in
commercial refrigeration such as grocery stores and for small HVAC system. One benefit of
the scroll compressor is it has lower sound levels compared to the other two types. This
makes it ideal for applications where sound is critical. They can also use Variable Frequency
Drives or VFD’s to slow down the speed of the motor and the scroll when the refrigeration
demand is low, preventing it from cycling on/off.

3.1.3. Screw compressor

• Two rotors, male and female rotate

• Gas enters in the void space between the rotors

• Common for industrial refrigeration and new ice arenas

• Use VFD or slide valve for capacity control

• Slide valves are much less efficient than VFD

3.1.3.1. Working princpile of Screw compressor

There are two rotors, a male and female, that continuously rotates. These rotors look like
rotating screws which can be seen in the animation on the slide. The animation shows the
refrigerant vapor entering the void space between the spaces on the rotors, compressing the
vapor. It’s then discharged to the condenser. Screw compressors are commonly found in
industrial refrigeration and new ice arenas. To assist in regulating how much refrigerant is
compressed, VFD’s can be used to slow down the speed of the motor and the rotors. Another
option is to use slide valves. Slide valves essentially decrease the amount of void space
between the rotors, which decreases the amount of refrigerant that can be compressed. They
are much less efficient than using VFD’s to control the amount of refrigerant compressed by
the compressor.

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 8

3.1.4. Oil Management compressor

• Reciprocating and screw require oil to lubricate moving parts

• Oil and refrigerant mix and oil temperature increases, requiring cooling

• Oil Cooling Methods:

 Air
 Water or Cooling Liquid
 Liquid Injection
 Seal Types

• Open

 Motor/compressor mounted separately

 Risk of refrigerant leak

• Semi-hermetic

 Motor/compressor seal together in bolted housing

 Allows for maintenance

• Hermetic

 Motor/compressor sealed together in welded housing

 No access for maintenance

3.1.4.1. Working princpile of Oil Management compressor

Reciprocating and screw compressors both require oil in order to keep the moving parts of
the compressor lubricated. Scroll compressors are unique and don’t require oil. Screw
compressors require much more than reciprocating due to more moving parts. The oil
lubrication process involves circulating oil through the compressor and it’s moving parts. Oil
and refrigerant will mix during the process which requires the oil to be separated from the
refrigerant before it goes to the condenser. If the oil isn’t separated, the evaporator can
become oil‐logged, meaning the tubing in the coil will become coated with oil. This reduces
the ability for the refrigerant to absorb heat from the space. The separated oil from the
discharge of the compressor will be at an elevated temperature and needs to be cooled before
being recirculated back to the compressor. There are a couple methods used to cool the oil.

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 9

First, there is air cooled which requires moving cool air across the oil tubing to remove the
heat. Typically this requires access to outside air because if the room air from where the
compressor is located is used, the room will eventually overheat especially during summer 24
months. This is a common method if the building already uses water or a different cooling
liquid for there HVAC system. A third method is liquid refrigeration injection. The current
figure on the slide shows that in this process, some liquid refrigerant from the discharge of
the condenser is fed into the compressor from a receiver or tank that holds it. When the liquid
refrigerant enters the compressor, it absorbs heat from the oil, evaporates, and is then
compressed again. A thermal expansion valve, as shown on the top portion of the figure, is
used to meter the amount of liquid refrigerant used to cool the oil to ensure safe operation.
This method is commonly used due to its simplicity but comes with consequences such as an
increase in compressor power. We will discuss more of these consequences later in the
presentation as there is a fourth type of oil cooling method that can be implemented to
increase the efficiency of the oil cooling system.

3.2. Factors affecting the performance of compressor

Such factors include

 Type of compressor
 Model of the compressor
 Size of compressor
 motor power rating
 system design and control mechanis

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 10

 CHAPTER 4
CONDENSER
We will now move into discussing the third component of the refrigeration cycle, the
condenser. The heat that is absorbed in the evaporator and produced by the compressor is
rejected by the condenser to a heat sink. This heat sink is typically outdoor air. Refrigerant
enters the condenser as a high pressure and high temperature vapor. The figure on the slides
shows that as it moves through the condenser, heat moves from the refrigerant to a different
source, causing the refrigerant to condense and become a liquid. In some instances, the
refrigerant will continue to release heat after it's changed fro
fromm a vapor to liquid and its
temperature will be reduced slightly. Remember that when a refrigerant changes state, it
absorbs or releases a lot of latent heat. In this case, it is releasing heat from the refrigerant to
the outdoor air. This latent heat is what
what allows a refrigeration system to remove large
quantities of heat. The refrigerant then leaves the condenser as a high pressure and medium
temperature liquid. As mentioned earlier, the refrigerants temperature or condenser saturation
temperature must be higher than the source it is trying to reject the heat to.

Figure 4 Condensor process

Most condensers are designed to have the condenser saturation temperature 10

10‐15F
‐15F above the
heat sink temperature. Energy in the form of condenser
condenser fans is used to assist with the

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 11

removal of heat from the refrigerant. The amount of energy used by the fans depends on the
minimum condenser saturation temperature set for the system. Condensers are controlled to
maintain the condenser saturation temperature from dropping below a set minimum. With a
higher minimum condenser saturation temperature, for example 90F, the fans will work less
at lower outdoor air temperature, due to the higher temperature difference between the
refrigerant and outdoor air temperature, but the compressor consumes more energy as it must
constantly climb a large hill to maintain the minimum condenser pressure. If the minimum
condenser saturation temperature is low, around 70‐75F, the fans will consume more energy
at lower outdoor air temperatures because of the smaller temperature difference but the
compressor will consume less energy. Therefore it’s important to analyze the system and not
just one component when looking at implementing certain energy saving measures. On
average the condenser consumes 5‐25% of the total energy used in the refrigeration cycle,
with the remaining primarily coming from the compressor. Now we will look at the three
main types of condensers that can be used.

4.1. Condenser Types

4.1.1. Air Cooled Condenser

• Ambient air is blown over condenser coils by axial fans

• Single or double fan banks

• Three different fan speeds available

 540 RPM
 830 RPM
 1140 RPM
 1140 RPM, ECM

• Lowest first cost

• Simplest to operate

• Typically highest system energy consumption

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 12

4.1.1.1. Working principle of Air Cooled Operation condenser

Air cooled condensers operate rather simply. The fans are controlled to maintain a minimum
head pressure required for the system. Typically, fans are staged on/off in banks to maintain
this pressure. For example, if a condenser has 6 fans, two fans may stage on as the head
pressure begins to rise above an initial setpoint. If the pressure continues to rise and increases
above a second pressure setpoint, two additional fans will come on. Finally, the last two fans
will come on when a third pressure setpoint has been exceeded. The fans will then turn off in
a similar reverse manner as the pressure begins to decrease. If a condenser has an ECM or
VFD, the fans may all modulate together or the fans may be controlled by a combination of
on/off and modulating. Using the same example, 4 fans may be staged on/off and two fans
will modulate. The ability to modulate the fan speed provides more consistent condenser
pressures compared to on/off. We will explore the benefits of ECMs and VFDs later in the
presentation during the energy efficient measures. The minimum condenser pressure is
commonly a fixed setpoint and doesn’t change. There is a control method that modulates the
condenser pressure as the outside air temperature changes. This allows the condenser and
compressor to operate at lower condenser pressures as the outside air temperature decreases,
saving energy. We will expand on this when we discuss the energy efficient measures.

4.1.2. Adiabatic Condenser

The second type of condenser is the Adiabatic Condenser. It’s like an air cooled condenser
where fans blow outside air over the condenser coils. The difference is that before the air
passes over the coils it’s blown through cooling pads that are saturated with water. The
bottom figure on the slide shows that as the warm outside air is drawn through the cooling
pads it absorbs some of the water, cooling the air. The dryer the air, the more water it can
absorb and the lower the temperature it can be cooled to. The reduction in temperature of the
outside air allows the condenser to operate at a lower condenser saturation temperature. This
becomes very important on hot 95°F summer days when the refrigeration system is working
the hardest. Instead of operating at a condenser saturation temperature of 110F it can be
around 95F. This decreases the amount of uphill climb for the compressor to raise the
refrigerants pressure and thus reduce the amount of energy it consumes. Adiabatic condensers
provide the opportunity for energy demand savings during peak operating conditions. We
will circle back to this topic during the energy efficient measures.

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 13

4.1.2.1. Working principle of adiabatic condenser

Adiabatic condensers operate in a similar manner to air cooled condensers. The fans blow
outside air over the condenser coils, cooling the refrigerant, causing it to condense into a high
pressure liquid. The fans can be controlled to be staged on/off or have an ECM or VFD and
modulate their fan speed to maintain the minimum head pressure. The key differences are the
cooling pads. A small pump is used to continuously keep the pads saturated. This water could
be circulated or be once through. If circulated from a tank, the water is typically dumped
every 3 to 4 hours to ensure no bacteria growth. With these cooling pads, the outside air
temperature is reduced as it absorbs the moisture from the pads. The current figure shows an
example of how much the outside air temperature can decrease. It can be reduced from 95°F
down to 74°F. The required condenser saturation temperature for the refrigerant can then be
reduced. The highest condenser saturation temperature typically seen for adiabatic
condensers is 95°F. An adiabatic condenser can also operate dry which means the cooling
pads are no longer kept wetted. The pump will shut off when this occurs. Typically, there is a
certain outside air temperature where the condenser will switch from using the cooling pads
to operating dry. When operating dry, the adiabatic condenser is essentially an air cooled
condenser. One key piece of information to keep in mind when operating an adiabatic
condenser dry is that the amount of heat it can remove from the refrigerant may be reduced.
Operating with the cooling pads even down into lower outside air temperatures will help
reduce the refrigeration systems energy consumption and demand.

4.1.3. Evaporative Condenser

The third type of condenser is the evaporative condenser. This type of condenser uses
evaporation to cool and condense the refrigerant. The current figure on the slide shows that as
the refrigerant moves through the condenser coils, water is sprayed from nozzles above onto
the coil. Fans are used to blow outside air over the condenser coils. As the air moves over the
wetted coils, the water evaporates into the air, removing heat from the refrigerant. The water
that is sprayed over the coils is collected in a sump at the bottom of the condenser. It is then
recirculated by a pump up to the top of the condenser and the process repeats. This water
must be treated in order to prevent any build up or growth of bacteria. There are three
different types of evaporative fans, distinguished by the type of fan used or the location of the
fan. They all operate in the same way though. The first two are the induced draft axial fan and
forced draft axial fan condensers.

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 14

4.1.3.1. Working principle of Evaporative condenser

Evaporative condensers are able to reject more heat from the refrigerant when the outside air
is dry. The dryer the air the greater the heat removal capacity of the condenser. This is what
makes evaporative condensers ideal in hot, dry climates. Hot‐humid climates like in Florida
may not benefit as much from an evaporative condenser like New Mexico would which has
more of a hot‐dry climate. They are implemented in MN but must be sized correctly for our
more humid climate. Even with this caveat, evaporative condensers are almost always used in
industrial cold storage and sometimes ice arena applications in MN. During operation, water
is continuously sprayed over the coils for most of the year except when outside air
temperatures become very cold. Typically below freezing is when the water will shut off but
sometimes water will continue to be used down to 15‐20F. When water is no longer used, the
condenser is operating in the dry condition. Like adiabatic condensers, its heat removal
capacity can be reduced when operating dry so it must be verified the condenser can remove
the required amount of heat from the refrigerant at these conditions. Typically this isn’t a
problem due to the large temperature difference between the refrigerant and the outside air
temperature. Regardless if water is being used, the fans for the condenser will either stage
on/off or modulate, if there is a VFD, to maintain the minimum head pressure. Because some
of the water that is sprayed over the coils evaporates, new water must be introduced
periodically. As mentioned earlier, all water must be treated to prevent any growth of
bacteria. The current figure on the slide shows that in cold climates, such as in MN, the sump
that collects the water after it has been sprayed over the coils is installed inside to prevent the
water from freezing.

4.2. Factors affecting the performance of condenser

The condenser capacity is the ability of the condenser to transfer heat from the hot vapour
refrigerant to the condensing medium. The heat transfer capacity of a condenser depends
upon following factors:

1. Material. Since the different materials have different abilities of heat transfer,
therefore, the size of a condenser of a given capacity can be varied by selecting the
right material. It may noted that higher the ability of a material to transfer heat, the
smaller will be the size of condenser.
2. Amount of contact. The condenser capacity may be varied by controlling the amount
contact between the condenser surface and the condensing medium. This can be done

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 15

 by varying the surface area of the condenser and the rate of flow of the condensing
medium over condenser surface. The amount of liquid refrigerant level in the
condenser also affects the amount of contact between the vapour refrigerant and the
condensing medium. The portion of condenser used for liquid sub-cooling cannot
condense any vapour refrigerant.
3. Temperature difference. The heat transfer capacity of a condenser greatly depends
u~ the temperature difference between the condensing medium and the vapour
refrigerant. As temperature difference increases, the heat transfer rate increases and
therefore the condenser capacity increases. Generally, this temperature difference
cannot be controlled. But when temperature difference becomes so great that it
becomes a problem, devices are available that will change the amount of condensing
surface and the air flow rate to control condenser capacity.

Note: Most air-cooled condensers are designed to operate with a temperature difference of
14° C.

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 16

 CHAPTER 5
EXPANSION VALVE
The final component of the refrigeration cycle is the expansion valve. Its purpose is to meter
the amount of refrigerant entering the evaporator to ensure enough heat is absorbed by the
refrigerant and removed from th
thee space. High pressure, medium temperature liquid
refrigerant enters the valve. The refrigerant expands and leaves as a low pressure and
temperature liquid and vapor mixture. Expansion valves require a minimum pressure drop in
order to meter the refrigerantt correctly. This is what commonly dictates the minimum
condenser pressure for a system. The expansion valve seems small and insignificant when
compared to the other components, but it plays an important role on how efficient the system
operates.

Figure 5 Expansion valve

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 17

5.1. Working principle of Expansion Valve
If too much refrigerant enters the evaporator, there is a chance not all the refrigerant will
evaporate into a vapor before it enters the compressor, causing issues with its operation. If
too little enters the evaporator, not enough heat will be removed from the space and it will
enter the compressor at a much warmer temperature, increasing the amount of energy
required by the compressor and reducing its capacity. There are two types of expansion
valves that can be used. The current figure on the slide shows thermostatic expansion valves
which uses pressure differentials to move a mechanical diaphragm that meters the refrigerant
entering the evaporator.

An electronic expansion valve performs the same operation but the valve is powered. The
current figure on the slide shows that a controller decides how much to open/close the valve
based on the leaving temperature and pressure of the refrigerant from the evaporator.
Electronic expansion valves can react quicker than thermostatic valves and provide more
consistent refrigerant temperatures entering and leaving the evaporator. Thermostatic valves
are simpler and have a lower first cost but aren’t as efficient as electronic. We’ve now
covered all four components of a refrigeration system. Before we move to the different
refrigeration applications, I have a few review questions on the last two components we just
discussed.

5.2. Factors affecting the performance of Expansion Valve

Now that we know the factors that affect expansion valve, it is important to know what brings
about these problems. The following is some of the reason why an expansion valve becomes
faulty;

Compressor failure: In most cases, the compressor failure leads to an expansion valve
malfunction. Whenever it fails, it cannot transmit the required refrigerant to the expansion
valve. In turn, this leads to a valve leak.The best thing to do is consult a technician who will
replace it or purchase a new one.

Excess refrigerant flow: Excessive refrigerant flow in your AC is another cause of a faulty
expansion valve. The expansion valve’s limited capacity is because it does not manage
excessive coolant. If your valve leaks, it is due to underfilling or overfilling it with the
incorrect amount of refrigerant.

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 18

To avoid this, you should consult a technician to change out your expansion valve and
replace the required amount of refrigerant.

Also, ensure that you never open or close the expansion valve outside of when it’s necessary.
It can cause severe damage and affect the performance of the expansion valve.

They can fail internally but most often they fail because of a blocked inlet screen (if they
have one), contaminants entering the valve, loss of charge from the power head, bulb
location, and positioning issues and overheating of the valve.

Inconsistent airflow is also one of the expansion valve failure symptoms. Whenever there is a
faulty expansion valve, there will be fluctuations in its ability to control refrigerant flow in
the unit. If this happens, the air from the vents will be too cold or warm.

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 19

REFERANCE

[1] Refrigeration_and_Air_Conditioning_Second_Edition_By_C_P_Arora.

[2] International conferences on compressors and their systems, IMechE, 2001, 2003, 2005 and
2007

[3] European Standard EN14511: Parts 1–4 Air conditioners, liquid chilling pack  ages and heat
pumps with electrically driven compressors for space heating and cooling, 2004

[4] Evans JA , Scarcelli S , and Swain MVL , Temperature and energy performance of refrigerated
retail display and commercial catering cabinets under test conditions , Int J Refrigeration , 2007

Jimma University, JIT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Page 20