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Operation and components in a refrigeration installation

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2024 9:18 am
by pappu654
Refrigeration facilities


Refrigeration installations are part of many equipment in the energy sector, both at industrial and domestic level, and are used in multiple equipment such as: refrigeration systems for air conditioning, industrial cold rooms, refrigerators and food preservation systems, etc.



To understand how the refrigeration cycle works, we first need vp security email lists to know the basic and main components it is made up of, which, in general terms, are:

compressor
condenser
expansion valve
evaporator
These are the four basic elements that make up a refrigeration cycle. Without any of them, the cycle cannot be carried out, although there may be additional elements, intended to improve the performance of the installation or for its control and regulation.
We analyze each of the elements and their operation to understand how refrigeration installations work as a whole.


Compressor operation
The function of the compressor in the refrigeration cycle is to draw in vapor from the evaporator, raise its pressure , and direct it to the condenser. It does this by supplying external energy through an electrically powered motor. The more efficient a compressor is, the better it will be able to transfer mechanical energy to raise the pressure of the fluid and the less of it will be transformed into heat.


Condenser
The condenser is a heat exchanger where heat is extracted from the refrigerant, to transfer it to the environment, producing condensation of the fluid . This heat is the sum of the heat absorbed by the evaporator and the heat produced by the compression work. In a refrigeration system in a cold room, the condenser will be the external unit where the heat extracted from the chamber is dissipated.

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Expansion valve
In a refrigeration system, the expansion valve is responsible for reducing the pressure to provide the established pressure difference between the high and low pressure sides of the refrigeration circuit. There are many designs, but the simplest system is by means of a capillary tube between the condenser and the evaporator, so that a high pressure loss is generated in the refrigerant.

This system is used in small refrigeration systems , but when it comes to regulating large quantities of refrigerant, thermostatic expansion valves are used , which use a system placed at the outlet of the evaporator, in contact with the pipe, and which contains a certain volume of refrigerant. If the vapour leaving the evaporator cools, the bulb cools, which generates a decrease in the pressure transmitted to the valve, causing it to close and then less refrigerant will reach the evaporator. If less refrigerant arrives, there will be more surface area for overheating and therefore the temperature to which the refrigerant is heated will increase.