Q3Basic Mechanical Engineering
Question
2 marks
Define the coefficient of performance of Refrigerator.
Answer
The Coefficient of Performance (COP) of a refrigerator is the ratio of the desired cooling effect (heat extracted) to the net mechanical work required to drive the compressor.
Since a refrigerator artificially moves heat from a cold body to a hot body (against nature), it requires a work input according to the Clausius statement. The efficiency of this process is measured by the COP. A higher COP means better efficiency (more cooling per unit of electricity used). It is routinely greater than 1.