Materials used in Evaporator and Condenser

[jamesk]

Hello everyone,

What are the most common materials used in the evaporator and the condenser for domestic vapour compress refrigerators? I have read that copper and steel can be used, and assume copper is the most common as it is good at transfering heat. But what is the most commonly used and why could anyone please tell me?
And is the same material commonly used in the evaporator and the condenser of the same refrigeration system?


Thank you

[NiHaoMike]

Most common is copper tubes with aluminum fins and a steel frame.

[jamesk]

Thanks NiHaoMike,, glad I can reduce the weight calculation now using aluminium,, was getting some ridiculous numbers when only using copper

[chemi-cool]

In domestic fridges, the evaporators are made from aluminium only, pipes and fins, condensers are made either from steel or copper.

[NiHaoMike]

It depends. Cheap mini fridges generally use steel evaporator plates and the steel enclosure as the surface for the condenser. Some high efficiency (full size) fridges use a copper coil/aluminum fin condenser with a brushless DC fan. If the freezer and refrigerator parts are individually controllable, that's generally done with two fans and controlling the speed of each, but I have seen one that advertized separate evaporators. I don't know the details but I think that works by having the refrigerant first flow through the freezer evaporator and then through the refrigerator evaporator.

The funny part is that the better full size fridges, due to all the technology they have, use less energy than most mini fridges. As it turns out, if you're looking for a high efficiency mini fridge for cheap, the best way is to get a mini chest freezer and modify or replace the thermostat.