🔍 Key Concepts

• Basic refrigeration cycle: compression, condensation, expansion, evaporation • Difference between sensible heat (superheating) and latent heat (change of state) • Location and purpose of the evaporator, expansion valve, drier, and receiver in the system

💭 Think About

• Think about where the refrigerant is a low-pressure vapor that can safely gain temperature without changing phase. • Ask yourself: in which component do we WANT to be sure there is no liquid refrigerant returning to the compressor? • Consider which component’s job is mainly to meter flow, which is to store liquid, which is to dry/clean, and which is to absorb heat from the space being cooled.

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which component normally contains saturated or slightly superheated vapor leaving it. • Eliminate components that mainly handle liquid refrigerant (high pressure) or moisture/contaminant removal, since superheating won’t primarily occur there. • Confirm which component is directly responsible for absorbing heat from the refrigerated space, causing the last bit of liquid to boil off and the vapor temperature to rise.