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Mechanical / HVACaka: evaporator coilaka: DX coilaka: cooling coil

Evaporator

In Plain English

The part of a refrigeration system that absorbs heat from air or water to provide cooling.

Definition

The heat exchanger in a refrigeration system where low-pressure liquid refrigerant absorbs heat from the medium being cooled (air or water) and evaporates into a vapor. In direct-expansion (DX) cooling systems, the evaporator coil is located in the air stream; in water-cooled chillers, it is a shell-and-tube or plate heat exchanger that cools water. The evaporator is the cooling side of the refrigeration cycle.

Example

The chiller evaporator cools 500 GPM of chilled water from 54°F to 44°F using R-134a refrigerant at low pressure.

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