What is the main process involved in refrigeration?

The main process involved in refrigeration is the removal of heat. In refrigeration systems, heat is extracted from a specific area and transferred to another location, usually outside the space being cooled. This process relies on the principles of thermodynamics and the refrigeration cycle, which includes the evaporation of refrigerant, compression, condensation, and expansion.

When refrigerant inside the evaporator absorbs heat from the surroundings, it evaporates and turns into a gas. This gas is then compressed by the compressor, raising its pressure and temperature. The high-pressure gas is subsequently moved to the condenser, where it releases the absorbed heat to the environment, condensing back into a liquid state. This cycle continues, continually removing heat from the designated area, such as a refrigerator or air conditioning system, effectively cooling it down.

While the removal of humidity, cooling ambient air, and recirculating air are all relevant to the operation and efficiency of many HVAC systems, they are not the main focus of the refrigeration process itself. The core objective remains the efficient removal of heat.