What is the difference between refrigerant and coolant?
Publication Time:
2022-12-07 11:27
Source:
1. Fundamentally different, refrigerants, also known as coolants or refrigerating agents, are intermediate substances used in various heat engines to complete energy conversion.
In indirect cooling refrigeration systems, the coolant transfers heat from the cooling system (object or space) to the refrigerant acting as an intermediate cooling medium. This intermediate cooling medium is also called the secondary refrigerant.
In air conditioning engineering, industrial production, and scientific experiments, refrigeration equipment is often used to indirectly cool the object to be cooled, or to transport the cold air produced by the refrigeration equipment over long distances. At this time, it is necessary to cool the intermediate substance in the evaporator. Then use it to cool the object to be cooled, and this intermediate substance is called the coolant.
2. Different principles. The coolant cycle must first be cooled by the refrigerant in the evaporator, then sent to the cooling equipment to absorb the heat of the cooling system, and then returned to the evaporator to transfer the absorbed heat to the refrigerant while absorbing the refrigerant.
It is cooled by the refrigerant again. Using a coolant allows the refrigerant to be concentrated in a smaller circulation system and transports the cooling capacity to remote cooling equipment. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the object to be cooled at a low temperature, and then transfers it to cooling water or air at a higher temperature.
In vapor-compression refrigeration machines, refrigerants that can be liquefied at room temperature or lower are used as refrigerants, such as Freon (fluorocarbons, bromine, chlorine, and bromine derivatives of saturated hydrocarbons) and azeotropic mixed refrigerants (from two Freons, forming an azeotropic solution in a certain proportion), hydrocarbons (propane, ethylene, etc.), ammonia water, etc.
In gas-compression refrigeration machines, gaseous refrigerants such as air, hydrogen, and helium are used, which remain gaseous throughout the refrigeration cycle. In absorption refrigerators, a binary composition consisting of an absorbent and a refrigerant is used.
A solution used as a working fluid, such as ammonia water, lithium bromide (molecular formula: LiBr. White cubic crystals or granular powder, easily soluble in water) and water; vapor-jet refrigerators use water as a refrigerant.