Heat Rejection process of Carnot Refrigeration

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In a Carnot refrigeration cycle using refrigerant-134a, the energy added during the heat addition process can be classified as enthalpy rather than internal energy. This distinction arises because enthalpy accounts for both internal energy and the work done by the system, particularly in processes involving phase changes like vaporization. While internal energy reflects the kinetic and potential energies of molecules, enthalpy is more practical for analyzing thermodynamic systems. Understanding these concepts is crucial for correctly applying thermodynamic principles in refrigeration cycles. The discussion emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between these two thermodynamic properties.
ChildLikEsper
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Hi there, I just sign up today. I'm curious to know about the energy added/released in a Carnot Refrigeration Cycle. Let's say the problem is like this:

A Carnot Refrigerator used refrigerant-134a as the working fluid. During the heat addition process, a percentage of mass of the refrigerant vaporise.
So the question is how do we classify the energy in heat addition process? Is it enthalpy or internal energy? And why?
 
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ChildLikEsper said:
Hi there, I just sign up today. I'm curious to know about the energy added/released in a Carnot Refrigeration Cycle. Let's say the problem is like this:

A Carnot Refrigerator used refrigerant-134a as the working fluid. During the heat addition process, a percentage of mass of the refrigerant vaporise.
So the question is how do we classify the energy in heat addition process? Is it enthalpy or internal energy? And why?
You are aware that enthalpy and internal energy are functions of the thermodynamic state of a system, and are inherently different from heat passing through the boundaries of a system, correct?
 
Chestermiller said:
You are aware that enthalpy and internal energy are functions of the thermodynamic state of a system, and are inherently different from heat passing through the boundaries of a system, correct?

Can you elaborate on these, I may get these 2 terms confused.
 
ChildLikEsper said:
Can you elaborate on these, I may get these 2 terms confused.
For an ideal gas, the internal energy is just the sum of the kinetic energies of all the molecules. For a real gas, the internal energy also includes attractive and repulsive energetic interactions between the molecules. The enthalpy is just a convenient parameter to work with in many kinds of problems, and has no fundamental significance. It is defined as H = U + PV.

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