Increasing the refrigerating effect of the primary refrigerant in a chilled water air conditioning unit can effectively be achieved through subcooling the refrigerant in the condenser. Subcooling refers to the process of lowering the temperature of the refrigerant below its saturation temperature after it has been condensed. When the refrigerant is subcooled, it is still at a liquid state but at a lower temperature, which enhances its ability to absorb heat when it enters the evaporator.
This improved thermal gradient allows for more heat to be absorbed from the area being cooled, thereby increasing the overall cooling capacity of the system. A higher capacity results in enhanced efficiency and effectiveness of the air conditioning unit, leading to better performance in achieving desired indoor temperatures.
Subcooling also reduces the risk of flash gas forming in the liquid line, ensuring that only liquid refrigerant enters the evaporator. This further maximizes the efficiency of heat exchange within the evaporator, allowing the system to operate more effectively.
Other methods such as reducing airflow or heating the refrigerant do not contribute to increasing the refrigerating effect and may diminish system efficiency instead. Adding a secondary refrigerant could change the dynamics of the system but does not inherently enhance the refrigerating effect of the primary refrigerant in the way