MEET310 - Refrigeration System - Research Paper
MEET310 - Refrigeration System - Research Paper
MEET310 - Refrigeration System - Research Paper
MEET310
Basic Mechanical Engineering
REFRIGERATION SYSTEM
Group #1:
BEATO, Christian Jade
COLLAO, Louise Ann
MOSTOLES, Glenn
REYES, Christian Josh
CEE34
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page 1
Introduction ... 4
History .. 4
Refrigeration Systems . 10
Refrigerant ... 12
History ... 12
Classification .. 12
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Metal Hydride Refrigeration Systems 26
Solar Refrigeration System 27
Magnetic Refrigeration .... 28
Supermarket Refrigeration .. 28
Direct Expansion System . 29
Distributed System . 30
Secondary Loop System . 31
Vortex Tube Refrigeration System .. 31
Maintenance ... 32
References . 41
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REFRIGERATION SYSTEM
1.0 INTRODUCTION
From private homes, public buildings to different commercial and manufacturing
establishments and transportation services, refrigeration have become a vital part in
their construction. Especially in todays increasing demands of different types of
services, the use of refrigeration is essential in achieving each of our needs. Food
preservation or transportation, liquefaction of different gases, reduction of moisture
content in compressed air purification, maintaining desired temperature in different
industrial facilities; these are only one of the few functions that refrigeration has made
available in todays society.
Refrigeration is the process of cooling or removing heat from matter which may
be a solid, a liquid, or a gas thus lowering its temperature. Or it is the process of
removing heat from a low-level temperature medium and transferring this heat to a
higher level temperature medium. Cooling is involved in refrigeration but they are not
exactly the same. Cooling can be spontaneous and the final temperature may or may
not be lower than its surroundings. Whereas the refrigeration is not spontaneous and the
end temperature should always be lower than the environment. One example of
cooling is that of a Hot Cup of Coffee wherein if left for a while, its temperature
decreases and lower compared to its surroundings. Refrigeration on the other hand
can be easily explained by adding portions of ice in a glass of water which lowers its
temperature and below that of its surroundings.
2.0 HISTORY
There are a number of ways of lowering temperatures that have been used and
developed. But all these stemmed down due to humanitys need for food and comfort,
dating back from one of the earliest civilization of mankind. The development of
refrigeration can be broadly divided into two categories; the Age of Natural
Refrigeration and that of Artificial Refrigeration. The former began during pre-historic
times until the beginning of the 19th Century while the latter began during the 19th
Century until today.
The most common method under this category is the use of natural ice that are
obtained by gathering ice in colder regions, harvesting it during winter and through
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nocturnal cooling. The use of ice to refrigerate and thus preserve food goes back to
prehistoric times. Through the ages, the seasonal harvesting of snow and ice was a
regular practice of most of the ancient cultures.
A Chinese collection of lyrics from this time period known as the Shijing, describes
religious ceremonies for filling and emptying ice cellars. The Jews may have also been
gathering ice as according to the Book of Proverbs which was interpreted by Historians
used the ice to cool their beverages, not to preserve food. Other ancient cultures such
as the Greeks and the Romans dug large snow pits insulated with grass, chaff, or
branches of trees as cold storage or they harvest the ice directly from the nearby
mountains. The Persians, on the other hand, stored ice in a pit called a Yakhchal and
may have been the first group of people to use cold storage to preserve food.
Huge mound called Yakhchals, or ice pits in Ancient Persia that is used to
store away the ice for summers, meat, dairy products or other food items
Getting ice blocks from the Polar Regions was also once a flourishing business in
olden times. The Nocturnal Cooling on other hand is where ice is made by keeping a
thin layer of water in a shallow earthen tray, and then exposing the tray to the night sky.
The water loses heat by radiation to the stratosphere and by early morning, the water in
the tray freezes to ice. It was popular in India but still has limitations in its production.
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Ancient Egyptian Fresco Paintings illustrating
slaves fanning large, porous clay jars filled with water.
The water permeates through the pores of the jar to its outer surface where it
evaporates to the surrounding, absorbing its latent heat in part from the vessel, which
cools the water. The same principle applies with human perspiration which cools the
human body by releasing sweat and dissipating their metabolic heat. But this method is
only effective in a dry climate and wouldnt work in a climate that is humid.
In the 16th century, the discovery of refrigeration by using certain chemicals was
one of the first steps toward artificial means of refrigeration. Certain salts, such as
sodium nitrate, sodium thiosulfate, and sodium sulfite, when added to water, lowered
the waters temperature. These substances absorbs the heat and reduces the
temperature of the solution due to endothermic process. In Italy, such a solution was
used to chill wine and cakes.
With the methods listed under the Natural Refrigeration, each of their application
has their own limitations. They depend on the local condition and are uncertain due to
their weather dependence. It is also difficult to produce a large amount of refrigeration.
Lastly, they are not available to everybody. Hence, people tried producing refrigeration
through artificial or mechanical means.
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diethyl ether thus lowering its boiling pint and making it boil. That reaction absorbed
heat from the surroundings and lead to a production of small amount of ice. However,
the process was not yet practical and could be not used commercially, but it paved
the way for the further development of artificial refrigeration.
After more than a half century, American Inventor Oliver Evans designed but
never built a refrigeration system based on the vapor-compression refrigeration cycle
rather than chemical solutions or volatile liquids such as ethyl ether in 1805. This left him
with the title of Grandfather of Refrigeration. But in 1820, Michael Faraday, an English
Scientist, developed an ammonia and other gases that can be liquefied by using high
pressures and low temperatures that paved the way for the further development of
other refrigeration systems in the future. The theoretical background required for
mechanical refrigeration was provided by Rumford and Davy, who had explained the
nature of heat, and by Kelvin, Joule, and Rankine, who were continuing the work
begun by Sadi Carnot in formulating the Science of Thermodynamics. Carnot also
described the mathematical operating principle of a refrigeration as a heat engine in
1824.
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pressure. However, it only produced a small quantity of ice and was commercially
possible. But this still earned Jacob Perkins the title of Father of the Refrigerator.
John Gorrie, an American Doctor, also built a similar machine to Evans design in
1842. He designed the first system for refrigerating water to produce ice and also
conceived the idea of using this system to cool the air for comfort in homes and
especially for the purpose of cooling down patients with yellow fever in a Florida
Hospital during that time. His system compressed air, then partially cooled the hot
compressed air with water before allowing it to expand. This led to the cooling of the air
to a temperature low enough to freeze water and produce ice. This earned him the title
of Father of Air Conditioning and Mechanical Refrigeration. On the other hand,
Alexander Twining began experiment with vapor-compression refrigeration using ether
in 1848, initiating the first commercial refrigeration in the United States by 1856. He
established an ice production plant using this system in Cleveland, Ohio, and could
produce close to a ton per day.
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Ferdinand Carr's ice-making device
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refrigerating units, as well as in their basic components, compressors, condensers, and
evaporators. The popularity of commercial refrigeration also grew in which by the
beginning of the 20th Century, nearly all breweries had a refrigerator. The meatpacking
industry followed. By the 1920s, refrigerators were considered essential in homes and
nearly all homes in the United States have one.
A report from the 1937 issue of Modern Mechanix that features the
technological advances to refrigeration in the 20th Century.
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In the present, different kinds of refrigeration system have been developed
giving each of their own advantages and disadvantages. They can be categorized
between:
For other refrigeration applications, the Cyclic Refrigeration System may not be
suitable and more advanced and innovative refrigeration systems may have to be
used. Other motivations include the search for improved performance and efficiency
as well as requirements to achieve very low temperatures. This needs can then be met
by using Advanced Refrigeration Systems. These are the systems that falls under this
category together with other special systems:
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3.3 Refrigerant
The refrigerant is the primary working fluid used for
absorbing and transmitting heat in a refrigeration system.
It absorbs heat at a low temperature and pressure and
releases heat at a higher temperature and pressure. Most
refrigerants undergo phase changes during heat
absorption (evaporation) and heat releasing
(condensation).
3.3.1 History
The first designers of refrigeration machines, Jacob Perkins in 1834, and others
later in the 19th century, used ethyl ether as the first commercial refrigerant. However, it
was dangerous and requires an excessive compressor volume. Other and more
appropriate refrigerants, for example, ammonia, carbon dioxide, ethyl chloride,
isobutane, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, and sulfur dioxide, were soon
introduced, including air. Three of these refrigerants became very popular, that is,
ammonia and sulfur dioxide for refrigerators and other small units and carbon dioxide
preferably for ships refrigeration.
3.3.2 Classification
Halocarbons
The Halocarbons contain one or more of the three halogens (chlorine, fluorine, or
bromine) and are widely used in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems as
refrigerants. These are more commonly known by their trade names, such as Freon,
Arcton, Genetron, Isotron, and Uron.
In this group, the halocarbons, consisting of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon, were
the most commonly used refrigerants (so-called chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs). Their use
rapidly decreased, because of their environmental impact. In the past decade CFC
phase-out in refrigeration became a primary political issue as well, making it even more
problematic.
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Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons (HC) are the compounds that mainly consist of carbon and
hydrogen. HCs include methane, ethane, propane, cyclopropane, butane, and
cyclopentane. Although HCs are highly flammable, they may offer advantages as
alternative refrigerants because they are inexpensive to produce and have zero ozone
depletion potential, very low global warming potential, and low toxicity. There are
several types of HC families such as the Hydro-bromofluorocarbons, Hydro-
chlorofluorocarbons, Hydro-fluorocarbons, Methyl Bromide, and Methyl Chloroform.
Inorganic Compounds
In spite of the early invention of many inorganic compounds, today they are still
used in many refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump applications as
refrigerants. Some examples are ammonia, water, air, carbon dioxide, and sulfur
dioxide. Ammonia has received the greatest attention for practical applications
among these compounds, even today.
Azeotropic Mixtures
Nonazeotropic Mixtures
- Compressor
- Condenser
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- Evaporator
- Expansion Valve
4.1.1 Components
Compressor
Condenser
Expansion Valve
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Evaporator
4.1.3 Application
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Industrial Plants also use this kind of system, albeit in a larger scale. Here are the list of its
different applications:
Advantages
- Relatively Inexpensive
- Easy refilling of the refrigerant
- High Coefficient of Performance
- Low Heat rejection
- Flexible Range of Temperatures
Disadvantages
- More wear, tear and noise due to the moving parts in the compressor
- Performance is adversely affected during partial load
- Liquid traces in the suction line may damage the compressor
- Difficulty in controlling the operational capacity
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fluids and some quantity of heat input, rather than electrical input as in the more
familiar vapor-compression system. Hence this system is also called as Heat-Operated or
Thermal-Energy Driven Systems. A secondary fluid (absorbent) is used to circulate and
absorb the primary fluid (refrigerant), which is vaporized in the evaporator. The success
of the absorption process depends on the selection of an appropriate combination of
refrigerant and absorbent. The most widely used refrigerant and absorbent
combinations in ARSs have been ammonia-water and lithium bromide-water.
Ammonia-water is used for cooling and low-temperature freezing applications.
It has also been commercialized and are widely used in various refrigeration
applications. And since these systems run on low-grade thermal energy, they are
preferred when low-grade energy such as waste heat or solar energy is available.
- Generator
- Condenser
- Expansion Valve
- Evaporator
- Absorber
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4.2.1 Components
Generator
Condenser
Expansion Valve
Also called as the throttle valve and with almost the same function as that of
Vapor-Compression, the expansion valve expands the liquid refrigerant (ammonia) and
converts it into a low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant liquid. The refrigerant also
consists some vapor.
Evaporator
Absorber
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4.2.2 Working Principle
4.2.3 Application
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electricity has made Vapor-Absorption Systems less popular. But recently, there has
been increasing interest in the industrial and domestic use of the this system for meeting
cooling and air conditioning demands as alternatives, because of a trend in the world
for rational utilization of energy sources, protection of the natural environment, and
prevention of ozone depletion, as well as reduction of pollution. There are a number of
applications in various industries where Vapor-Absorption Refrigeration Systems are
employed, including the following:
- Food Industry (meat, dairy, vegetables, freezing and storage, fish, freeze drying)
- Chemical and Petrochemical Industry (liquefying of gases, separation processes)
- Cogeneration Units in combination with production of Heat and Cold (Tri-
Generation Plants)
- Leisure Sector (Skating Rinks)
- Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC)
- Cold Storage (non-food)
Advantages:
- As there are few moving parts in the system, the operation is essentially quiet and
subject to low level of wear and tear
- Pump consumes less energy
- Maintenance Cost is low due to the absence of moving parts
- Long Service Life
- Efficient and Economic use of low-grade Energy sources (solar, waste,
geothermal energy)
- Doesnt produce Greenhouse Effect
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- Automatic operation for controlling the capacity is easy
- No cycling losses during on-off operations
- Meeting the viable load easily and efficiently
- Liquid traces of the refrigerant present in the piping at the exit of the evaporator
constitutes no danger
Disadvantages:
Also known as the Reverse Brayton Cycle, Gas Cycle Refrigeration System or
Dense Air Machine, the Air-Standard Refrigeration System is accomplished through a
non-condensing gas (air) cycle rather than a refrigerant vapor cycle. The throttling
valve used for the expansion process in a vapor-compression refrigeration cycle is
usually replaced by an expansion engine (expander). The external work required for the
refrigeration effect is provided by the gas refrigerant. These systems are of great interest
in applications where the weight of the refrigerating unit must be kept to a minimum
(aircraft cabin cooling).
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This system has four main components:
- Compressor that raises the pressure of the refrigerant from its lowest to its highest
value
- Energy Output Heat Exchanger where the high temperature of the refrigerant is
lowered
- Expander which reduces the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant
- Energy Input Heat Exchanger that raises the temperature of the refrigerant at a
constant pressure
The Multistage System uses two or more compressors connected in series in the
same refrigeration system. The refrigerant becomes a denser vapor while it passes
through each compressor. In this system, the evaporator installed within the
refrigeration system and the ice-making unit, as the source of low temperature, absorbs
heat. Heat is released by the condenser a t the high-pressure side.
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Multi-stage Systems are also used in applications requiring refrigeration at
different temperatures. For example, in a dairy plant where different temperature may
be required for making ice cream and for chilling milk. In such cases it may be
advantageous to use a multi-evaporator system with the low and high temperature
evaporator.
In Steam Jet Refrigeration Systems, water can be used as the refrigerant. Like air,
it is perfectly safe. These systems were applied successfully to refrigeration in the early
years of this century. At low temperatures the saturation pressures are low and the
specific volumes are high. The temperatures that can be attained using water as a
refrigerant are not low enough for most refrigeration applications but are in the range
which may satisfy air-conditioning, cooling, chilling requirements, or some processing in
chemical industries. The main advantages of this system are the utilization of mostly low-
grade energy and relatively small amounts of shaft work.
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Krtings Steam Jet Refrigeration System in China
Steam Jet Refrigeration Systems use steam ejectors to reduce the pressure in a
tank containing the return water from a chilled water system. The steam jet ejector
utilizes the energy of a fast-moving jet of steam to capture the flash tank vapor and to
compress it. Flashing a portion of the water in the tank reduces the liquid temperature.
With enough pressure value, the mixture of high-pressure steam and the flash
vapor may be liquefied in the condenser. The latent heat of condensation is transferred
to the condenser water. The condensate 5 is pumped back to the boiler, from which it
may again be vaporized at a high pressure. The evaporation of a relatively small
amount of water in the flash tank reduces the temperature of the main body of water.
The cooled water is then pumped as the refrigeration carrier to the cooling-load heat
exchanger.
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5.4 Thermoelectric Refrigeration System
This type of system is used to move heat from one area to another by the use of
electrical energy. The electrical energy, rather than the refrigerant, serves as a carrier.
The essential use of this systems has been in portable refrigerators, water coolers,
cooling of scientific apparatus used in space exploration, and in aircraft. The main
advantage of this system is that there are no moving parts. Therefore, the system is
compact, quiet, and needs little service.
This system can be used to heat and to cool, depending on the direction of the
current. In an application requiring both heating and cooling, the design should focus
on the cooling mode. Using a thermoelectric in the heating mode is very efficient
because all the internal heating and the load from the cold side is pumped to the hot
side. This reduces the power needed to achieve the desired heating.
Thermo-acoustic Refrigeration is
considered a developing technology,
attaining cooling without the need for
refrigerants. The basic mechanism is very
simple and efficient. A loudspeaker
creates sound in a hollow tube which is
filled with an ordinary gas. In fact,
thermos-acoustic Refrigeration utilizes A Thermo-acoustic Refrigerator
high-density sound waves to transfer
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heat due to the thermos-acoustic effect (acoustic energy). Therefore, the working fluid
in this system is acoustically driven gas. The process itself utilizes standing acoustic waves
in an enclosed cavity to generate the mechanical compression and expansion of the
working fluid needed for the cooling cycle. The technique has the potential for high-
efficiency operation without the need for cooling liquids or mechanical moving parts.
These factors make the concept amenable to miniaturization to chip-scale dimensions
for thermal management of electronic components.
Metal Hydride Refrigeration System uses hydrogen absorbing alloys for cold
storage at low temperatures, below -30 degrees centigrade.
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The MH system can be made as compact in size as a conventional vapor
compression refrigeration system. The system can be incorporated easily, therefore, into
automatic vending machines and display cabinets for frozen foods. In addition, the
system is safe since hydrogen is absorbed and stored in metal hydride alloys. This is a
very safe as well as clean and environmentally friendly, chlorofluorocarbons-free
refrigeration system. Hydrogen is sealed in gas-tight cylinders, and, being far lighter than
air, rapidly diffuses into the atmosphere in the accidental event of its leakage. Thus, the
danger of explosion caused by hydrogen is minimal.
Solar Refrigeration System runs on energy directly provided by sun, and may
include photovoltaic or solar thermal energy. Depending on its type of solar power
source, it can be used in different refrigeration systems such as the vapor-compression
system, absorption cycle system, jet ejector system, air-standard cycle stem, or
thermoelectric system.
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in remote locations.
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greenhouse gases. Most supermarkets use direct expansion refrigeration systems. Two
of the most common advanced refrigeration technologies for supermarkets are
distributed system and secondary loop system.
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Distributed System
Unlike the traditional direct expansion refrigeration systems, which have a central
refrigeration room containing multiple compressor racks, distributed systems use multiple
smaller rooftop units that connect to cases and coolers, using considerably less piping.
The compressors in a distributed system are located near the display cases they serve,
for instance, on the roof above the cases, behind a nearby wall, or even on top of or
next to the case in the sales area. Thus, distributed systems typically use a smaller
refrigerant charge than direct expansion systems and hence have decreased total
emissions.
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Secondary Loop System
In the above figure, the refrigerant is compressed in parallel compressors and the
superheated refrigerant gas is cooled and condensed in a remote condenser. The
liquid refrigerant is then collected in the receiver, expanded in a throttling device, and
evaporated by absorbing heat from a cold fluid. The cooled brine is distributed in the
sales area, which is to be refrigerated, absorbing heat from the products before
returning to the evaporator to repeat the process.
Being one of the non-conventional type refrigerating systems, the Vortex Tube,
also known as the Ranque-Hilsch Vortex Tube, is a mechanical device that separates a
compressed gas into hot and cold streams. Its components consists of nozzle,
Schematic Diagram of a Vortex Tube
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diaphragm, valve, hot-air side, cold-air side. It is usually used for cooling workers in the
mines and also for spot-cooling of electronic components.
The compressed air passes through the nozzle as shown in the figure above
which expands and increases in velocity due to the particular shape of the nozzle. A
vortex flow, while restricted by the valve, is created in the chamber and the air travels
in a spiral-like motion along the periphery of the hot side. When a higher pressure is
made near the valve than the atmospheric pressure due to partly closing the valve, a
reversed axial flow occurs through the core of the hot side and starts from the high-
pressure region to the low-pressure region. During this process, heat transfer takes place
between the reversed and forward stream. Thus the air stream flowing through the core
gets cooled while the air stream in the forward direction gets heated up. The cold
stream then escapes through the diaphragm hole and into the cold side, while passing
through the hot stream from the opening of the valve. By controlling the how the valve
opens, the quantity of the cold air and its temperature can be modified.
a. Keep the area at the back of the refrigerator clean, especially the condenser
coils, by using soft bristled brush to dust off dirt.
b. Clean or replace the gasket (rubber door) if needed. The gasket outlines the
door of the refrigerator to seal out warm air. Over time, they wear and no longer
seal the way refrigerators and freezers need to be to operate efficiently.
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c. Manually defrost when frost has accumulated on the inside walls of the freezer.
With this, there will be more space and make the freezer work more efficiently.
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Low refrigerant charge. Locate and repair leaks. Charge
refrigerant.
Compressor short cycles on Thermal expansion valve not Adjust, repair, or replace thermal
low-pressure control feeding properly. expansion valve.
1. Dirty strainers. 1. Clean strainers.
2. Moisture frozen in orifice or 2. Remove moisture or dire (Use
orifice lugged with dirt. system dehydrator).
3. Power element dead or weak. 3. Replace power element.
Compressor short cycles on Water flow through evaporators Remove restriction. Check water
low pressure control restricted or stopped. Evaporator flow. Clean coils or tubes.
(continued) coils plugged, dirty, or clogged
with frost.
Defective low-pressure control Repair or replace low-pressure
switch. control switch.
Compressor runs continuously Shortage of refrigerant Repair leak and recharge system
Compressor short cycles on Insufficient water flowing Determine if water has been
high-pressure control switch through condenser, clogged turned off. Check for scaled or
condenser. fouled condenser.
Defective high-pressure control Repair or replace high-pressure
switch. control switch.
Compressor short cycles on Insufficient water flowing Determine if water has been
high-pressure control switch through condenser, clogged turned off. Check for scaled or
condenser. fouled condenser.
Defective high-pressure control Repair or replace high-pressure
switch. control switch.
Compressor will not run Seized Compressor. Repair or Replace compressor.
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circuit including temperature and
pressure controls.
9. Check oil levels in crankcase.
Check oil pressure.
Sudden loss of oil from Liquid refrigerant slugging back to Adjust or replace expansion valve.
crankcase. compressor crankcase.
Capacity reduction system Hand-operating stem of capacity Set hand-operating stem to
fails control valve not turning to automatic.
automatic position.
Compressor continues to Pressure-regulating valve not Adjust or repair pressure-
operate at full or partial load. opening. regulating valve.
Capacity reduction system Broken or leaking oil tube Repair leak.
fails to load cylinders. between pump and power
element.
Compressor continues to Pressure regulating valve not Adjust or repair pressure regulating
operate unloaded. closing. valve.
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Compressor is not Check unloaded system
unloaded
Compressor starts but motor Compressor has liquid or Check compressor crankcase temperature.
cycles off on overloads oil in cylinders Throttle suction stop valve on compressor
to clear cylinders and act to prevent
recurrence of liquid accumulation.
Suction pressure is too Unload compressor when starting. Use
high internal unloaders if present. Install
external bypass unloader.
Motor control Motor control located in hot ambient. Low
voltage. Motor overloads may be
defective or weak. Check motor control
relay. Adjust circuit breaker setting to full
load amps.
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at too low a suction
pressure
Faulty control circuit, may Check and repair.
be low pressure control or
capacity controls
Compressor may have Check compressor for condition of parts.
broken valve plates. This condition can usually be detected by
checking compressor discharge
temperature.
Thermostat control is Check temperatures of product or space
defective and keeps unit and compare with thermostat control.
running Replace or
readjust thermostat.
Defrost system on Check and repair as needed.
evaporator not working
properly
Suction bags in strainers Clean or remove.
are dirty and restrict gas
flow
Hot gas bypass or false Check and repair or replace.
load valve stuck
Compressor loses excessive High suction superheat Insulate suction lines.
amount of oil causes oil to vaporize Adjust expansion valves to proper
superheat.
Install liquid injection (suction line
desuperheating).
Too low of an operating Raise liquid level in flooded evaporator (R-
level in chiller will keep oil 12 systems only).
in vessel
Oil not returning from Make sure all valves are open
compressor Check float mechanism and clean orifice.
Check and clean return line.
Oil separator is too small. Check selection.
Broken valves cause Repair compressor.
excessive heat in
compressor and
evaporation of oil.
"Slugging" of compressor "Dry up" suction gas to compressor by
with liquid refrigeration repairing evaporator. Refrigerant feed
that causes excessive controls are overfeeding.
foam in the crankcase. Check suction trap level controls. Install a
refrigerant liquid transfer system to return
liquid to high side.
Noisy compressor operation Loose flywheel or coupling Tighten
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Coupling not properly Check and align if required.
aligned
Loose belts. Align and tighten per specs. Check sheave
grooves.
Poor foundation or Tighten mounting bolts, grout base, or
mounting install heavier foundation.
Check for liquid or oil Eliminate liquid from suction mains.
slugging Check crankcase oil level.
Low evaporator capacity Inadequate refrigerant Clean strainers and driers.
feed to evaporators. Check expansion valve superheat setting.
Check for excessive pressure drop due to
change in elevation, too small of lines
(suction and liquid lines). A heat
exchanger may correct this.
Check expansion valve size.
Expansion valve bulb in a Change piping or bulb location to correct.
trap
Oil in evaporator Warm the evaporator, drain oil, and install
an oil trap to collect oil.
Evaporator surface fouled. Clean.
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Evap condenser fan and Reset condenser controls.
water switches are
improperly set
Suction pressure too low Light load condition Shut off some compressors. Unload
compressors. Slow down RPM of
compressor. Check process flows.
Short of refrigerant Add if necessary
YES NO
CHECK PATH
CONTROL, FROM POWER METER DISPLAYS
SWITCH, OR METER DISPLAYS SOURCE TO LOAD INFINITY OR NO DIGITAL
PATH IS OPEN ZERO VOLTS? DISPLAY READOUT?
YES
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ELECTRICAL TROUBLESHOOTING LOADS
YES NO
LOAD ELECTRICALLY
VOLTAGE PRESENT AT MAIN
FUNCTIONING?
DISCONNECT OR POWER
NO NO
LOAD WINDINGS SOURCE?
GROUNDED?
YES
YES
WINDINGS
REPAIR OR WINDINGS OPEN?
SHORTED?
REPLACE LOAD
YES YES NO
REPAIR OR REPAIR OR
REPLACE LOAD REPLACE LOAD
LOAD IS
ELECTRICALLY
FUNCTIONING
PROPERLY
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7.0 REFERENCES
Honeywell. (2016). The Refrigeration System: An Introduction to Refrigeration.
Lanarkshire, UK: Honeywell Publications.
Dincer, I. & Kanoglu, M. (2010). Refrigeration Systems and Applications: 2nd Edition.
Singapore: Markono Print Media Pte Ltd
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