Refrigeration Basics
An Introduction to the Refrigeration Trade

Foreword

There are a great number of technical publications on refrigeration but few are written from a mechanics perspective. This one is. It illustrates the mechanical refrigeration process and related topics with straight forward explanations and graphics. It's intent is to make it easy to understand important concepts and terminology. Traditional refrigeration textbooks cover such a large scope of material and in such great detail that rudimentary concepts often become lost in the process. Refrigeration Basics is an introduction to the Refrigeration Trade and focus's on creating a solid foundation which can be built upon readily. Learning about refrigeration is a never ending process and well understood fundamentals make learning more advanced concepts much easier. This book is a preparation for anyone interested in entering the refrigeration trade and is an introduction to some of the immediate problems one will face in the field. It is designed for those who:
  • are considering going into the refrigeration trade or trade college
  • wish an easily understandable overview of HVAC/R (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning/Refrigeration)
  • wish a reference of basic refrigeration concepts
  • are interested in these topics

Electronic Media

This electronic book or "e-book" uses the HTML format for several reasons. (HTML stands for Hyper Text Mark up Language and is the language that web pages are created with) HTML is displayed in Internet Browsers and is generally platform independent. Browsers support animated graphics, hyperlinks and JavaScript. Those capabilities are used extensively to accomplish the goals outlined above. This is an introduction to refrigeration in electronic form with interactive and animated graphics and interactive objects. The first section is called Refrigeration Basics and is a very compact overview of the refrigeration process. It is a slightly modified version of a web site that was online for several years and received praises from folks from all over the world. Those compliments are what inspired me to carry on from where the Refrigeration Basics web site left off. Here are a few of those compliments:

Compliments about Refrigeration Basics (the original web site)

Applications Engineer at an Instrumentation Company:


I wanted to briefly comment on your basic refrigeration web site. First the quality of the writing is excellent. It's not easy explaining technical concepts in a way that is both clear and interesting; you've succeeded on both accounts. In fact we intend to incorporate your web site into our training regime. Keep up the good work.

Heating Contractor:

I am a heating contractor from the Boston area. I recently finished a basic HVAC course that lasted 6 weeks. I have just absorbed more understanding in the last 30 minutes viewing your Basic HVAC web pages than I did in the 6 week course. I have been in the heating field for just over 22 years and I am just now willing to give A/C a try. I want to thank you for taking the time to do what you have done in your web pages. Thanks again and if your ever in the Boston area, let me take you out for a lobster dinner.

Engineer from Malaysia:

Your tutorial is excellent! I conduct short cold store courses for owners/consultants and the uninitiated and simplifying these basics are always a challenge. I have my own methods of doing just that but with your permission, I may want to borrow some of your ideas.

HVAC Engineer in Yugoslavia:

I have read your site about refrigeration and I think it is one of the best ones for beginners because no other site explains the basics of refrigeration so simply and in such an interesting manner.

Misc:

This is simply an excellent web site, the best I've seen on this subject. Thanks for putting this information out there for everyone to use.

Misc:

Great refrigeration site, another bulb is now on!

General Manager - Services Instrumentation Company:


I recently discovered your website and I would like to congratulate you on perhaps the best explanation of the basics of refrigeration I have seen. I have looked at a lot of textbooks, websites, videos etc. over the last five years always with an eye towards finding an explanation I could easily use with people without a technical background. Yours is the first I have seen that comes close. I would also like to ask your permission to use the material or portions of it in our internal training programs and perhaps our website.

Installation Manager:


Great job. I have some employees (trainees) that need some basic knowledge of this field and you have explained this more briefly and understandably than anything I have read, without going into details that would distract from the basic concept. Have you written anything else in this field with the simplicity of this? Again great job!!

Summary:

Thanks for all the many compliments I have received. And in answer to the question posed above by the installation manager...now I have, this electronic book. The original Refrigeration Basics web site was aimed at the lay person who was merely curious about the refrigeration process. This book starts off with that original presentation and then continues on with interactive training for the serious refrigeration apprentice or student or otherwise interested person. It carries on with the straight forward and down to earth approach that made the web site so popular. I hope this book is found to be useful and informative.
Sincerely

Steve Kennedy