Introduction to Industrial Refrigeration
Lowering the temperature of any closed space is called industrial refrigeration. This may be done by transferring the heat from that closed space elsewhere. Industrial refrigeration is the high capacity industrial refrigeration used in most commercial applications. In industrial refrigeration the most widely used industrial refrigeration cycle is the Vapour-compression cycle.
This industrial refrigeration system uses a liquid refrigerant which is constantly circulated throughout as the medium which transfers the heat. A typical single stage vapour-compression system has four components. These are the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, and the evaporator. The refrigerant enters the compressor in the form of saturated vapour. Here it is compressed to a higher pressure, which results in a higher temperature. The refrigerant is now in a hot, compressed state and exists as a superheated vapour. This superheated vapour is forced through the condenser, where it is cooled with the help of cool water or air flowing through tubes. Many systems use a method called ammonia refrigeration.
The superheated vapour is then condensed back to a liquid form, and now is in the form of saturated liquid. This is forced through the expansion valve, where it looses a lot of pressure. The reduction in pressure causes a partial adiabatic evaporation of the coolant. This reduces the temperature of the refrigerant to an extent where it is cooler than the area to be cooled.
This cold mixture of liquid and vapour refrigerant is forced through the evaporator, where the warm air evaporates the liquid portion of the refrigerant. In order to complete the industrial refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant in vapour form, available from the evaporator, which is a saturated vapour is sent back to the compressor. This completes a cycle in Industrial Refrigeration.
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