Consider a two-stage cascade refrigeration system operating between the pressure limits of 1.2 MPa and 200 kPa with refrigerant-134a as the working fluid. The refrigerant leaves the condenser as a saturated liquid and is throttled to a flash chamber operating at 0.45 MPa. Part of the refrigerant evaporates during this flashing process, and this vapor is mixed with the refrigerant leaving the low-pressure compressor. The mixture is then compressed to the condenser pressure by the high-pressure compressor. The liquid in the flash chamber is throttled to the evaporator pressure and cools the refrigerated space as it vaporizes in the evaporator. The mass flow rate of the refrigerant through the low-pressure compressor is 0.15 kg/s. Assuming the refrigerant leaves the evaporator as a saturated vapor and the isentropic efficiency is 80 percent for both compressors, determine (a) the mass flow rate of the refrigerant through the high-pressure compressor, (b) the rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space, and (c) the COP of this refrigerator. Also, determine (d) the rate of heat removal and the COP if this refrigerator operated on a single-stage cycle between the same pressure limits with the same compressor efficiency and the same flow rate as in part (a).

OH 5 Condenser 4 Expansion valve High-pressure compressor Flash chamber Expansion Low-pressure compressor valve Evaporator QL