Refrigerator is treasured as one of the best innovations
of the 20th century. It has become one of the prime necessities
of the 21st century. In over a span of three decades, there has
been a surge in the energy demands due to the ever increasing
population esp. in India. This has led to increased pollution
and energy costs. The World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates that about a quarter of the diseases facing mankind
today occur due to prolonged exposure to environmental
pollution. The idea of this project explores the possibility of
improvement in COP of refrigerator by the incorporation of a
flash chamber. R134a, the most common and eco-friendly
refrigerant was adopted as the refrigerant for this project.
Using a standard domestic refrigerator, the conceptual design
revolves around extending a hydraulic circuit in which a
liquid-vapour refrigerant separator known as Flash chamber is
installed. The thermodynamic calculations are obtained with
the help of pressure gauges and digital temperature meters
installed in the circuit.