Refrigeration Cycle

Ever wondered how your refrigerator or air conditioner works? The vapor compression refrigeration cycle is the most common method used in these appliances. The purpose of this cycle is to transfer heat from a low-temperature source, like your room, to a high-temperature source, such as the ambient air. In this lab, you will explore how this cycle works and figure out what the capacity of your air conditioner should be.

Modeling the cycle

The cycle consists mainly of four different processes: evaporation, compression, condensation and throttling. These processes happen in the evaporator, compressor, condenser and expansion valve, respectively.
Thermal model of the refrigeration cycle. Since this lab is focused on calculating power requirements, the expansion valve is not considered, as its power consumption is negligible.

Integrating with the Room

To use your cycle, you need to connect it to the room model. Define the parameters of your room, such as the heat capacity and the desired room temperature. Tune the mass flow rate to obtain the desired temperature response in the room.

Reusable components

Quickly explore alternative designs and scenarios.

Thermal model of the room with the refrigeration cycle.

Thermal Analysis

Analyze the thermal behavior by observing the temperature fluctuations and heat flows in the room for different parameters .

Custom analysis

Directly analyze and visualize simulation results in Mathematica.

Temperature fluctuations and heat flows.

Explore the CollegeThermal Library to learn more