Service manual

DETAILED REFRIGERATION CYCLE
The following is a detailed refrigeration cycle as it applies to the refrigeration system installed in
Vendo equipment. (Refer to the flow chart in Figure 16)
As the temperature in the cabinet rises, the liquid in the thermostat feeler bulb also rises in
temperature. As this liquid becomes warmer, it expands. This expanding liquid expands against
the temperature control bellow which operates the temperature control switch. The temperature
control switch turns on both the compressor and condenser fan.
The evaporator fan pulls air from the front of the refrigerated space of the cabinet. It pulls the air
through the evaporator, and blows it up the back of the vend stack. (The evaporator fan runs
continuously.) As the air passes through the evaporator, heat is draw from the air and
transferred to the liquid refrigerant. As the cooled air circulates through the vend stack, heat is
drawn from the product and transferred to the circulating air. The heated air is again drawn
through the evaporator where the heat is removed.
In the evaporator, the liquid refrigerant draws heat from the circulating air. As refrigerant
receives heat, it vaporizes.
The compressor pumps the vapor from the evaporator and compresses it (increasing both
pressure and temperature). The compressor forces the compressed vapor out, through the
discharge line and into the condenser.
The condenser fan pulls air through the condenser. As the hot refrigerant vapor passes through
the condenser tubes, heat is drawn from the vapor. This heat is dissipated into the passing air,
the air then exits out the back of the vendor. As the refrigerant vapor in the condenser lines is
cooled, it returns to a liquid state.
From the condenser the liquid flows to the drier. The drier removes any water and solid particles
from the liquid refrigerant.
The cooled liquid refrigerant continues from the drier, through the capillary tube, to the
evaporator. The capillary tube steadies the flow rate of the refrigerant. Its small inside diameter
allows the pressure in the evaporator to remain low while the pressure in the condenser is high.
The cool refrigerant in the evaporator draws heat from the circulating air in the cabinet. As the
temperature in the cabinet drops, the liquid in the thermostat feeler bulb cools and condenses.
The condensed liquid releases the pressure against the thermostat control bellows, de-actuating
the temperature control switch. The deactuated control switch turns off the compressor and
condenser fan.
When the temperature in the cabinet rises above the thermostat’s setting, the compressor and
the condenser fan engage again. The refrigeration process is continuous as long as the
compressor operates.
S-14