A Heat Engine
Every refrigerating system essentially functions as a heat pump, transferring heat from a colder region to a hotter one. It achieves this by using a working fluid or refrigerant that can absorb heat from the surroundings at a lower temperature (the cold body) and then release that heat at a higher temperature (the hot body). In essence, refrigeration systems make it possible to maintain controlled temperatures and create comfortable environments, making them indispensable in various applications, from preserving food in household refrigerators to providing climate control in buildings and industrial processes.
A Refrigerator :
Refrigerators maintain lower temperatures than most heating systems and heat pumps by utilising ice or water as a cooling medium instead of heat engines. They are energy-efficient, commonly used for food preservation, and employ a compressor to produce cold air, while heat engines generate hot air with a fan. Unlike Internal combustion engines, refrigerators (or heat pumps) operate in the opposite direction. At temperature T2, a refrigerator's working substance absorbs heat Q2 from a cold region, performs external work W, and releases high-temperature heat Q1 to the surroundings. The refrigerator's coefficient of performance represents the ratio of heat removed to work done.
A Heat pump :
Every refrigerating system essentially functions as a heat pump, transferring heat from a colder region to a hotter one. It achieves this by using a working fluid or refrigerant that can absorb heat from the surroundings at a lower temperature (the cold body) and then release that heat at a higher temperature (the hot body). In essence, refrigeration systems make it possible to maintain controlled temperatures and create comfortable environments, making them indispensable in various applications, from preserving food in household refrigerators to providing climate control in buildings and industrial processes.
