The Function of a Refrigerator

The basic purpose of a refrigeration System is to remove heat from one space and deposit it into another space. Con­fusion often occurs when an explanation of refrigeration is given on the basis of heat transfer. One is tempted to think in terms of refrigeration as -cold- and "hot." How­ever, cold is a relative term that de­scribes a lack of heat. Thus to produce "cold," heat must be removed. This heat removal is accomplished in refrigeration through the use of refrigerants. 

These refrigerants are fluids which have the ability of boiling at a low temperature while under a low pressure. The refriger­ant in the cooling compartment (evaporator coil) absorbs the heat from the food which is placed in the refrigerator, thereby lower­ing the temperature of the food. The re­frigerant is now in a gaseous state because it has absorbed heat from the food and has evaporated. This evaporated refrigerant gives up its heat outside of the box by means of a condensing unit.

The condensing unit consists of a com­pressor and a condensing coil. The com­pressor compresses the vaporized re­frigerant back to high pressure and high temperature and passes it into the con­densing coil where its heat is given up in much the same way that the water in the cooling the system of a car gives up its heat to the air as the water passes through the car radiator tubes.