Tech Note #6

The Basic Refrigerant Cycle

 Low pressure refrigerant
 High pressure refrigerant

Basic refrigeration system: 

• 
  Starting at the compressor; 

• 
  Low pressure vapor refrigerant is compressed and discharged out of the compressor.

• 
  The refrigerant at this point is a high temperature, high pressure, superheated vapor. 

• 
  The high pressure refrigerant flows to the condenser by way of the "Discharge Line".

• 
  The condenser changes the high pressure refrigerant from a high temperature vapor to a low temperature liquid and leaves through the "Liquid Line".

• 
  The high pressure refrigerant then flows through a filter dryer to the Thermal Expansion valve or TXV. 

• The TXV meters the correct amount of liquid refrigerant into the evaporator.

•  As the TXV meters the refrigerant, the high pressure liquid changes to a low pressure, low temperature, saturated vapor. 

• This saturated vapor enters the evaporator and is changed to a low pressure dry vapor. 

• The  low pressure dry vapor is then returned to the compressor in the "Suction line".

• The cycle then starts over.