Do you have a wine cellar at home with a cooling unit that keeps your wine collection at the ideal temperature and humidity? Have you ever wondered how your wine cellar cooling system works? Read more of this article and learn.
The Cycle of Refrigeration The cycle starts at the compressor. The compressor receives the refrigerant from the evaporator coil. It then compresses the refrigerant from low temperature, low pressure to high temperature, high pressure. The high temperature high pressure refrigerant is then pumped into the condenser. The condenser removes heat from the refrigerant. When the refrigerant loses heat, it turns to liquid. The heat is removed either by moving air across the coil or by some other medium. The liquid refrigerant then moves into the refrigerant metering device. This drops the pressure of the refrigerant which also causes its temperature to drop. As this cools, high pressure liquid moves through the evaporator, it absorbs heat and the cool air is returned back to the room. The refrigerant turns back to its gaseous state in this process. The cool, low pressure gas then returns back to the compressor and the cycle continues.
Primary Parts of a Refrigeration System 1. Compressor-this part pumps the refrigerant from a low pressure to a high pressure level. It is able to increase the pressure on the hot refrigerant using a piston which is driven by a motor. The first part of the compressor is a suction valve that sucks the refrigerant out of the evaporator. The second part is a discharge valve which super heats the refrigerant by maintaining high pressure.
2. Condenser-this is a tube made from copper where the super heated refrigerant circulates and dissipates the heat into the air. Hot, high pressure refrigerant from the compressor is received by this component and is cooled until it turns liquid.
3. Metering Device. In order for the refrigerant to absorb heat, it needs to be cold. The refrigerant cools when it is under low pressure. The purpose of the metering device is to lower the pressure of the refrigerant as it enters the evaporator. Thus, the metering device ensures the proper flow of the refrigerant throughout the system.
4. Evaporator. This piece is usually made of a coil of copper and aluminum alloy tubing. It is in this component where the actual cooling takes place. The evaporator is a heat exchanger surface that transfers heat from the area to be cooled, inside your refrigerator or inside your wine cellar, into the refrigerant thus removing the heat from the area.
Refrigerant This substance functions similar to how alcohol works on your skin. If you pour alcohol on your skin, you will feel a certain coolness on that area of your skin. This is because as alcohol evaporates, it absorbs the heat on the surface of your skin thus making it cooler. The refrigerant functions similarly. The refrigerant is trapped inside the coils in the cooling system and as it makes its way through them, it evaporates inside the system and absorbs heat to create a cool temperature.
The Cycle of Refrigeration The cycle starts at the compressor. The compressor receives the refrigerant from the evaporator coil. It then compresses the refrigerant from low temperature, low pressure to high temperature, high pressure. The high temperature high pressure refrigerant is then pumped into the condenser. The condenser removes heat from the refrigerant. When the refrigerant loses heat, it turns to liquid. The heat is removed either by moving air across the coil or by some other medium. The liquid refrigerant then moves into the refrigerant metering device. This drops the pressure of the refrigerant which also causes its temperature to drop. As this cools, high pressure liquid moves through the evaporator, it absorbs heat and the cool air is returned back to the room. The refrigerant turns back to its gaseous state in this process. The cool, low pressure gas then returns back to the compressor and the cycle continues.
Primary Parts of a Refrigeration System 1. Compressor-this part pumps the refrigerant from a low pressure to a high pressure level. It is able to increase the pressure on the hot refrigerant using a piston which is driven by a motor. The first part of the compressor is a suction valve that sucks the refrigerant out of the evaporator. The second part is a discharge valve which super heats the refrigerant by maintaining high pressure.
2. Condenser-this is a tube made from copper where the super heated refrigerant circulates and dissipates the heat into the air. Hot, high pressure refrigerant from the compressor is received by this component and is cooled until it turns liquid.
3. Metering Device. In order for the refrigerant to absorb heat, it needs to be cold. The refrigerant cools when it is under low pressure. The purpose of the metering device is to lower the pressure of the refrigerant as it enters the evaporator. Thus, the metering device ensures the proper flow of the refrigerant throughout the system.
4. Evaporator. This piece is usually made of a coil of copper and aluminum alloy tubing. It is in this component where the actual cooling takes place. The evaporator is a heat exchanger surface that transfers heat from the area to be cooled, inside your refrigerator or inside your wine cellar, into the refrigerant thus removing the heat from the area.
Refrigerant This substance functions similar to how alcohol works on your skin. If you pour alcohol on your skin, you will feel a certain coolness on that area of your skin. This is because as alcohol evaporates, it absorbs the heat on the surface of your skin thus making it cooler. The refrigerant functions similarly. The refrigerant is trapped inside the coils in the cooling system and as it makes its way through them, it evaporates inside the system and absorbs heat to create a cool temperature.
About the Author:
US Cellar Systems are one of the leading makers of wine cellar cooling units Seattle Washington. To get advice on choosing the best wine cellar refrigeration, visit their website at http://www.WineCellarRefrigerationSystems.com/.