In cool rooms and freezers, there are many obvious components that we’ve all had contact with, such as the seals and thermostats. Some of the crucial aspects of these machines go totally unnoticed; that is, until they stop working. To celebrate the unsung heroes of refrigeration, we’re taking a closer look at the pressure relief vents in cool rooms and walk-in freezers. Simply put, the vast majority of commercial and industrial refrigeration systems work on the of vapor compression. A typical refrigeration system will be made of four basic components: A compressor, condenser, expansion device and evaporator.
Refrigeration fluid flows through the refrigeration system where it is converted into liquid and vapour forms over and over again. The compressor converts the hot vapour which is low pressure to high condensation pressure after which the fluid flows towards the condenser.
The condenser is a heat exchanger which can operate at high pressure and at a temperature that is much higher than environmental temperature. This way, the condenser is “dumps” large amounts of heat from the fluid into the atmosphere. This process of heat reduction turns superheated vapour into subcooled fluid.
The refrigerant fluid then runs through a filter dryer, responsible for removing humidity from the system. While flowing out of the filter dryer, the refrigerant then expands in the expansion device.
When leaving the expansion device, the refrigerant fluid is in two forms, vapour and liquid at evaporating pressure. When the refrigerant flows at low temperature through the heat exchanger (evaporator) it allows for the removal of energy from the refrigerated environment. While absorbing energy from the refrigerated environment, thereby reducing the temperature of the compartment and making it cooler, the refrigerant ends the evaporation process and flows back into the compressor to repeat the cycle.
How Does Air Conditioning Work?
The cycle of air-conditioning involves a simple process; removing heat from the inside of a room and releasing it outside.
There are five main aspects to air-conditioning: a refrigerant, compressor, condenser, expansion valve and an evaporator coil. Here’s a closer look at how these components come together to cool a room.
Air conditioners work on the basic principle that liquids absorb heat as they are converted to gases. operate on the principle that liquids absorb heat as they convert to gases. Residential air conditioners use two common refrigerants to achieve this process on demand: R-22 and R-410A, both hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
There are different refrigerants that are used in the cooling process, R-410A and R-134 are eco-friendly types that are becoming popular in advanced refrigeration as businesses reduce their impact on the environment.
Refrigerant gains heat in the evaporator when very cold refrigerant moves into the evaporator coils. A blower moves the air from the room across the cold coils where the warmer air is cooled down by the refrigerant. The cool air enters the room through the vents and is pulled back into the unit until the refrigerant turns into vapour which moves into the compressor.
The compressor raises the pressure and temperature of the gas before sending it to a condenser where it is supercooled and sent back to the evaporator.
The additional heat produced by this process is filtered out through condenser coils and the fan unit.
How Does Split Air Conditioning Work?
The outdoor unit of a split system air conditioner contains the refrigerant and other components. Several ducts are installed through which the pressurised gas passes where it condenses into liquid form. Supercooled liquid then passes through the expansion joint and is converted to a vapour, releasing a large amount of heat in the process.
The reason these are called split systems are because the cooling unit is placed outside while vents lead into the room.
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