Recent Blog Posts

Refrigeration Cycle: Building a Vapor Compression System

June 16th, 2026

Imagine there was a container with an infinite amount of saturated refrigerant, and this refrigerant was both non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Connecting this container to a compressor inlet would allow pressure control inside the container to a desired setpoint. Since the refrigerant is saturated, adjusting the pressure also changes the refrigerant’s boiling temperature. This allows […]

Refrigeration Cycle: Refrigeration Compressors

June 9th, 2026

The ‘compressor’ is the heartbeat of the vapor-compression refrigeration system. Without it, there is no pressure differential to drive the movement of refrigerant throughout the system, and therefore, no cooling can take place. The vapor exiting the evaporator is piped to the compressor which stands ready to receive the vapor and compress it. The compression […]

Refrigeration Cycle: Changing the Boiling Point

June 2nd, 2026

Opening a thermodynamics textbook, it is stated that the purpose of a refrigeration system is to maintain a cold region at a temperature below the temperature of its surroundings. This can be accomplished by employing a vapor compression refrigeration system. To understand how a vapor compression refrigeration system works, let’s start with a familiar substance…“water”. […]

Properties of Refrigerants: Refrigerant Selection Factors

April 21st, 2026

When selecting a refrigerant, many factors influence the decision. It is important to remember that no refrigerant is perfect. One might have wonderful thermodynamic properties, but it is highly flammable. Another refrigerant may be safe for humans to handle, but it negatively impacts the environment. Selecting a refrigerant for a specific application involves careful consideration […]

Properties of Refrigerants: Refrigerant Safety Groups

April 14th, 2026

ASHRAE Standard 34 is titled “Designation and Safety Classification of Refrigerants”. Among other things, this standard assigns each refrigerant a safety group classification based on the refrigerant’s flammability and toxicity. Refrigerants with low toxicity are given a rating of ‘Class A’, while refrigerants with higher toxicity are assigned ‘Class B’. According to Standard 34, refrigerants […]