Refrigerating Capacity

the amount of heat removed from an object to be cooled per unit time by a refrigerating machine. Refrigerating capacity is measured in watts or in kilocalories per hour. It depends on the power of the refrigerating machinery, the temperature conditions under which the refrigerating machine operates, and the refrigerant used. In particular, the refrigerating capacity of a vapor-compression machine is determined mainly by the refrigerating-compressor volumetric capacity and by the amount of heat required to evaporate 1 kg of refrigerant per unit time in a particular thermodynamic cycle and at a specified refrigerant boiling point and condensation temperature.

A distinction is made between the useful refrigerating capacity, which is determined under operating conditions, and the rated refrigerating capacity, which is determined at rated or comparative temperatures. The refrigerating capacities of present-day refrigerating machines range from several hundred watts to ten or more megawatts.