Tutorial 4

Refrigeration cycles

1. A refrigerator uses refrigerant-134a as the working fluid and operates on an ideal vaporcompression refrigeration cycle between 0.12 and 0.7 Mpa. The mass flow rate of the refrigerant
is 0.05 kg/s.
(a) Show the cycle on a T-s diagram with respect to saturation lines.
(b) Determine,
(i)
the rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space and the power input to the
compressor
(7.41 kW)
(ii)
The rate of heat rejection to the environment
(1.83 kW)
(iii)
The coefficient of performance
(4.06)
2. If the throttling valve in Prob. 1 is replaced by an isentropic turbine, determine the percentage
increase in the COP and in the rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space
3. Why is the throttling valve not replaced by an isentropic turbine in the ideal vapor-compression
refrigeration cycle?
4. Does the ideal vapor-compression refrigeration cycle involve any internal irreversibilities?
5. Refrigerant-134a enters the compressor of a refrigerator as superheated vapor at 0.14 MPa and
-10C at a rate of 0.12 kg/s, and it leaves at 0.7 MPa and 50 C. The refrigerant is cooled in the
condenser to 24 C and 0.65 MPa, and it is throttled to 0.15 MPa. Disregarding any heat transfer
and pressure drops in the connecting lines between the components, show the cycle on a T-s
diagram with respect to saturation lines, and determine,
(a) The rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space and the power input to the compressor,
(b) The isentropic efficiency of the compressor
(c) The COP of the refrigerator.
6. Refrigerant-134a enters the compressor of a refrigerator at 140 kPa and -10C at a rate of 0.3
m3/min and leaves at 1 MPa. The isentropic efficiency of the compressor is 78 percent. The
refrigerant enters the throttling valve at 0.95 MPa and 30C and leaves the evaporator as saturated
vapor at -18.5C. Show the cycle on a T-s diagram with respect to saturation lines, and determine,
(a) the power input to the compressor,
(b) the rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space, and
(c) the pressure drop and rate of heat gain in the line between the evaporator and the compressor.
7. A refrigerator uses refrigerant-134a as the working fluid and operates on the ideal vaporcompression refrigeration cycle. The refrigerant enters the evaporator at 120 kPa with a quality of
30 percent and leaves the compressor at 60C. If the compressor consumes 450 W of power,
determine
(a) The mass flow rate of the refrigerant,
(b) The condenser pressure
(c) The COP of the refrigerator
8. When selecting a refrigerant for a certain application, what qualities would you look for in the
refrigerant?

9. A refrigerant-134 a refrigerator is to maintain the refrigerated space at -10C. Would you

recommend an evaporator pressure of 0.12 or 0.14 MPa for this system? Why?
10. A heat pump operates on the ideal vapor compression refrigeration cycle with R-134a as the
working fluid between the pressure limits of 0.32 and 1.2 MPa. If the mass flow rate of the
refrigerant is 0.193 kg/s, determine the rate of heat pump supply by the heat pump to the heated
space.