The University of Calgary
Faculty of Engineering
ENME 485 Mechanical Engineering Thermodynamics Laboratory
Experiment 1: Refrigeration and Mechanical Heat Pump Experiment
Objectives:
i) To demonstrate the principles of a refrigeration cycle (Chapter 10 of Cengel and Boles). ii) To demonstrate the principles of a heat pump (Chapter 10 of Cengel and Boles).
Introduction:
It has been estimated that at least 85% of the refrigeration processes in use today are powered by vapor compression systems. The applications embrace many varied disciplines including catering, public health, architecture, food storage, transport and food processing. An improved understanding of refrigerating techniques is demanded of engineers, particularly in the fields of building services and environmental control. The purpose of the experiment is to demonstrate the basic principles of refrigeration, i.e. how heat can be transferred from a cooler object to a hotter object. The mechanical heat pump unit, shown in Fig. 1 (a), consists of a standard compressor-condenser unit, a watt meter, and controls and instrumentation including flow meters, thermocouples and pressure gauges.
Figure 1 (a): Picture of Mechanical Heat Pump
The Mechanical Heat Pump was designed solely for educational purposes and yields data in a quantitative and qualitative form in a manner easily understood by the student regardless of their level of interest in the subject. The equipment is compact, bench mounted and instrumented 2
ENME 485 Experiment #1: Heat Pump Experiment sufficiently for students to make measurements and perform calculations. All instruments are located at the actual point of measurement (Fig. 1(b)) and connecting pipes are open to view to allow the lab instructor to conveniently describe the sequence of events occurring in the