The refrigeration cycle

The refrigeration cycle utilizes a fluid, named a refrigerant to move heat from one place to another. The key to get how it works is recognizing that at the similar pressure, the refrigerant boils at a very lower temperature than water. The refrigerant commonly used in home refrigerators boils between 40 and 50F as contrast to water's boiling point of 212F. The procedure is the similar whether it is operating a refrigerator, an air conditioner or a heat pump. Let's began with the cool, liquid refrigerant entering the indoor coil, operating as the evaporator in cooling. As its name involves, refrigerant in the evaporator evaporates. After entering the evaporator, the liquid refrigerant's temperature is between 40 and 50F and with no change in its temperature, it soaks up heat as it changes state from a liquid to a vapor. The heat comes from the warm, damp room air blown crosswise the evaporator coil. As it passes over the cool coil and it gives up some of its heat and dampness may condense from it. The cooler, drier room air is re-circulated by a blower into the gap to be cooled.

Main function:

The vapor refrigerant moves into the compressor that is basically a pump that raises the pressure so it will move through the system. Once it passes during the compressor, the refrigerant is on the high side of the system. Like everything that is put under pressure, the increased pressure from the compressor pedigree the temperature of the refrigerant to rise. As it leaves the compressor, the refrigerant is a warm vapor. It now flows into the refrigerant to water heat exchanger, working as the condenser throughout cooling. As it condenses, it gives up heat to the loop that is circulated by a pump. The loop water is capable to pick up heat from the coils because it is still cooler than the 120 degree coils.

Little more on it:

Since the refrigerant leaves the condenser, it is cooler but still under pressure provided by the compressor. It then reaches the expansion regulator. The expansion valve allows the high pressure refrigerant to flash during becoming a lower pressure, cooled liquid. When pressure is reduced, as with spraying an aerosol can or a fire extinguisher, it cools. The cycle is complete as the cool, liquid refrigerant re-enters the evaporator to choose room heat. In winter, the reversing valve switches the inside coil to operate as the condenser and the heat exchanger as the evaporator.