A.

Ice Refrigeration
BASIC CONCEPT/ PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Ice refrigeration is the most common form of artificial cooling. In the same
compartment, the ice is kept with the items that needs cooling. Warmer air comes
toward the ice because the colder air with higher density displaces the warmer air. Cold
air is warmed by absorbing the heat of the products. This happens in the storage space.
Due to lighter density, the warmer air rises. Air circulation is maintained if air is cooled in
ice space and the cycle is repeated.
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

MAJOR COMPONENTS
Ice refrigeration system has an insulated cabinet equipped with a tank or a tray at
the top for holding ice pieces. Below the ice compartment, shelves of food are located.
Air returns from the back of the cabinet up the sides and back of the cabinet which is
warmer, flows over and again flows down over shelves to be cooled.
REFRIGERANT USED
The refrigerant used in an ice refrigeration system is ice.
APPLICATIONS AND USES
The ice refrigeration system is commonly used in hotels for drink cooling.
 B. ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION
BASIC CONCEPT/ PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation are the processes that
made up the vapor absorption refrigeration system. In the condenser, the refrigerant
gets condensed; while the evaporator evaporates it. Cooling effect is produced by the
refrigerant in the evaporator and the condenser is the outlet of the release of heat to the
atmosphere.
Two devices carry out the process of absorption and compression, these two are
the absorber and the generator. The flow of the refrigerant is enabled by the absorbent
from the generator to the absorber by absorbing it.
The energy input is given in the form of heat. Excess steam from the process or
hot water is the source of heat. Heat is also treated by sources like natural gas.
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

MAJOR COMPONENTS
CONDENSER
The refrigerant at high pressure and temperature enters the condenser and gets
condensed. The condenser is of water-cooled type.
EXPANSION VALVE/ RESTRICTION
When the refrigerant passes through the expansion valve, its pressure and
temperature reduce suddenly. This refrigerant enters the evaporator.
EVAPORATOR
At low pressure and temperature enters the evaporator and produces the cooling
effect. In the vapor absorption cycle, the refrigerant flows to the absorber that acts as a
suction part of the refrigeration cycle.
ABSORBER
The absorber is a vessel that is made up of water which is the absorbent and the
previous absorbed refrigerant. Thus, the absorber consists of the weak solution of the
refrigerant (ammonia) and absorber (water). When ammonia from the evaporator enters
the absorber, it is absorbed by the absorbent due to which pressure inside the absorber
reduces further leading to more flow of the refrigerant from the evaporator to the
absorber. At high temperature, water absorbs ammonia, hence it is cooled by the
coolant to increase its absorption COP.
PUMP
Strong solution of refrigerant absorbent (ammonia and water) is formed. This is
pumped at high pressure to the generator. The pump increases pressure up to 10 bar
GENERATOR
The refrigerant-ammonia solution in the generator is heated by the external
source. This can be steam, hot water or any suitable source. Due to heating the
temperature of the solution increases. The refrigerant in the solution gets vaporized and
it leaves the solution at high pressure. The high pressure and temperature refrigerant
then enters the condenser. Where it is cooled and it then enters the expansion valve
and then finally into the evaporator where it produces the cooling effect. This refrigerant
is then again absorbed by the weak solution in the absorber.
REFRIGERANTS USED
The refrigerants used in the absorption refrigeration are ammonia, water, and
lithium bromide.
APPLICATIONS/ USES
Absorption refrigeration is used for bigger tonnage plants.
 C. STEAM JET REFRIGERATION
BASIC CONCEPT/ PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
The principle in which the pressure is reduced so that the boiling point of water is
lowered is the basis of steam jet refrigeration. A steam ejector is used to lower the
temperature and boiling point of water; and water is the refrigerant used. Filled in the
gas chamber is the water to be chilled. The boiler’s generated steam is expanded
through a nozzle and ejected out at high velocity. Low pressure is produced in the flash
chamber and water’s evaporation is increased due to this.
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

MAJOR COMPONENTS
The steam injector draws evaporated vapor from the chamber and sends the
fluid at high velocity in the condenser. The condensate is recirculated to the boiler. The
heat needed for the evaporation is taken from the water in the chamber thus the
temperature is reduced. The cold water is circulated through the refrigerated space
where it absorbs heat producing the refrigeration effect.
REFRIGERANTS USED
Water is the refrigerant used in the steam refrigeration system. When water
freezes at 0 °C, some device needs to pump the ice or the refrigeration has to be
stopped.
APPLICATIONS/USES
The steam jet refrigeration system is used in food processing plants, gas plants,
breweries, rubber, and vulcanizing industries, paper and pulp industries, paints and
dyes industries, and edible oil refineries.
 D. AIR CYCLE REFRIGERATION
BASIC CONCEPT/ PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Air cycle refrigeration works on the reverse Brayton or Joule cycle. Air is
compressed and then heat is removed, this air is then expanded to a lower temperature
than before it is compressed. Work must be taken out of the air by an expansion
turbine, which removes energy as the blades are driven round by the expanding air.
This work can be usefully employed to run other devices such as generators or fans.
Often enough, it is used to power a directly connected compressor, which elevates the
compressed (hot) side pressure further without added external energy input, essentially
recycling the energy removed by the expanding air to compress the high-pressure air
further.
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

MAJOR COMPONENTS
The major components of an air cycle refrigeration system are the motor,
compressor, heat exchanger, expander, and water removing device.
REFRIGERANTS USED
Instead of using freon/ ammonia as the refrigerant, gas is used. Throughout the
cycle in which no change in phase occurs, which are observed in liquid refrigerants. Air
is the most commonly used gas.
APPLICATIONS/ USES
The most common application of the air cycle refrigeration is in an aircraft. The
need to use air is to pressurize the cabin and cockpit. The air cycle refrigeration
requires 10 x more energy input than vapor cycles. This is the reason why air cycle is
not widely used for refrigeration.
E. VAPOR COMPRESSION
BASIC CONCEPT/ PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
This refrigeration cycle is approximately a Rankine cycle run in reverse. A
working fluid (the refrigerant) is pushed through the system and undergoes state
changes. However, for a refrigeration cycle that has a hot reservoir at around room
temperature and a cold reservoir that is desired to be at around 34 °F, the boiling point
of the refrigerant needs to be low.
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

MAJOR COMPONENTS
COMPRESSOR
The refrigerant enters the compressor as a gas under low pressure and having
low temperature. Then, the refrigerant is compressed adiabatically, so the fluid leaves
the compressor under high temperature and pressure.

CONDENSER
 The high pressure and temperature gas releases heat energy and condenses
inside the condenser. The condenser is in contact with the hot reservoir of the
refrigeration system. (The gas releases heat into the hot reservoir because of the
external work added to the gas). The refrigerant leaves as a high-pressure liquid.
EXPANSION VALVE
The liquid refrigerant is pushed through a valve, which causes it to expand. As a
result, the refrigerant now has low pressure and low temperature, while still in the liquid
phase. (The throttling valve can either be a thin slit or some sort of plug with holes in it.
When the refrigerant is forced through the throttle, its pressure is reduced causing the
liquid to expand).
EVAPORATOR
The low pressure, low temperature refrigerant enters the evaporator, which is in
contact with the cold reservoir. The refrigerant can boil at a low temperature because a
low pressure is maintained. So, the liquid absorbs heat from the cold reservoir and
evaporates.
REFRIGERANT USED
The most commonly used refrigerants in this cycle are ammonia, freon (also
known as CFC’s) and HFC-134a (non-toxic hydrofluorocarbon).
APPLICATIONS/ USES
It is commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioners because it is easy to
construct and the cost of employing this method is low.
F. CYROGENIC/ LOW TEMPERATURE REFRIGERATION
BASIC CONCEPT/ PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Cryogenic refrigeration is a term that may be applied to the process of cooling
equipment and components to temperatures below 150 K. The net capacity of a
cryogenic refrigeration system at a particular temperature is the amount of heat that can
be applied to a “cold station” in the system without warming the station above the
particular temperature. The cold station maybe a bath of cryogen fluid, or the cold
station may be a conductive surface cooled to bath temperature in which equipment
may be fastened.
The operation of a cryogenic refrigeration is based on a closed loop helium
expansion cycle. A complete system consists of two major components: one is the
compressor package, which compresses refrigerant and removes heat for the system;
the other is the cold head, which takes refrigerant through one or more additional
expansion cycles to cool down to cryogenic temperatures. Flexible stainless steel lines
called helium flex lines carry compressed helium from the compressor package to the
cold head and carry low pressure helium back.
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

DIRECT CRYOGENIC TRANSPORT REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

INDIRECT CRYOGENIC TRANSPORT REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

MAJOR COMPONENTS
The major components of a cryogenic refrigeration system are the cryogenic fuel
tank, pump, spray, temperature sensor unit, economizer, expander, heat exchanger,
electric fan, and exhaust.
REFRIGERANTS USED
The refrigerants used in a cryogenic system are often helium (He), hydrogen (H),
or nitrogen ( N 2 ). Systems that use cryogens such as liquid helium, liquid nitrogen, or
liquid hydrogen in a container called a “dewar” are usually refilled on a periodic basis.
Solidified gases (such as hydrogen/ methane can also be used for cooling purposes,
much as carbon dioxide (dry ice) is used to refrigerate perishable goods during
shipment.).
APPLICATIONS/ USES
The example applications of a cryogenic refrigeration systems are used for
laboratory, military, and commercial purposes. Liquefaction of gas is one of the many
uses of cryogenic refrigeration. Oxygen needs to be refrigerated at very low
temperatures to liquefy. This is used in medicines. Storage of natural gas is another
example. Natural gas must be refrigerated to approximately -165 °C in order to liquefy.
Its liquefaction reduces its volume to 1/600 which is favorable to its storage and
transport.
R-12
Refrigerant R-12 or Freon 12 is used in different applications and it’s the most
widely used refrigerant.
Boiling temperature: -29.8 °C
Freezing temperature: -157.7 °C
Chemical name: Monochlorodichlorofluoro methane

Chemical symbol: CCl2 F 2

APPLICATIONS:
R-12 is a highly versatile refrigerant that is used for wide range of refrigeration and air
conditioning applications. R-12 is used in domestic refrigerators and freezers, liquid
chillers, dehumidifiers, ice makers, water coolers, water fountains, and transport
refrigeration.
R-22
R-22 refrigerant is one of the most commonly used refrigerants in the air
conditioning systems. R-22 is a halocarbon compound.
Boiling temperature: -40.8 °C
Freezing temperature: -160 °C
Chemical name: Dichlorofluoro methane

Chemical symbol: CHClF 2

APPLICATIONS:
Due to its low boiling point this refrigerant was initially developed for the low
temperature applications like domestic and farm freezers and in industrial refrigeration
applications. It is extensively used in the industries for liquefaction of chlorine, for
supplying chilled water to various processes, machines, chillers, etc.
R-717
Ammonia is amongst the oldest refrigerants and still used widely in the
refrigeration applications. It is also the refrigerant outside the halocarbons group.
Boiling temperature: -2.22 °C
Freezing temperature: -77.73 °C
Chemical name: Ammonia

Chemical symbol: NH 3

APPLICATION:
Ammonia has the highest refrigerating capacity per pound of any refrigerant and
several other thermal properties that make it so popular for several applications despite
its toxic, explosive, and flammable within the certain conditions. It is used in food
industries like dairies, ice cream plants, frozen food production plants, cold storage
warehouses, processors of fish, poultry, and meat.
R-403
This product is originally developed as a replacement for R-502 but it can only be used
as an alternative for R-13B1 in single-stage, low temperature systems. It is a blend of R-
22 and R-218 with hydrocarbon R-290 (propane) added to remove oil return.
Boiling temperature: -43.78 °C
Freezing temperature:
Chemical name: Chlorodifluoromethane, Perfluoropropane, Propane

Chemical symbol: CHClF 2 , C 3 H 8 , C3 F8

APPLICATIONS:
Low temperature commercial and industrial direct expansion refrigeration and ice
machines.
R-404
R-404 is a zeotropic HFC refrigerant blend of R125, R143a, and R134a. It is widely
used in medium and low temperature refrigeration. It is designed as a replacement of
CFC R502 and closely matches its properties.
Boiling temperature: -46.2 °C
Freezing temperature: -117.5 °C
Chemical name: Pentafluoroethane, 1,1,1-Tetrafluoroethane, 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane

Chemical symbol: CF 3 CH 2 F / CF 3 CH 3

APPLICATION:
Widely used in the supermarket sector, refrigerated transport, and ice machines.