Pressure control of phase change

Definition

Adjusting pressure to set the temperatures at which a refrigerant boils and condenses, since lowering pressure lowers the boiling point and raising pressure raises the condensation point.

By compressing and expanding the refrigerant, an operator chooses where it absorbs and releases heat. This pressure lever is what allows the chiller to move heat from a cold source to a hot sink, a process thermodynamics would otherwise forbid. It is the basis for the evaporator running cold and the condenser running hot in the same loop.

Related concepts

Condenser · Expansion valve · Evaporator

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Part of The Blueprint of Water · 🔥 thermodynamics