REFLAB: An interactive tool for supporting practical learning in the educational field of refrigeration

Abstract

[EN] A new interactive tool for supporting practical learning in the educational field of refrigeration is presented in this paper. The application, called REFLAB, is used for on-line representation of the main operating variations in real refrigeration plants, such as cooling capacity, power consumption and coefficient of performance. The implementation of this interactive tool covers two groups of practical lessons, in which students operate with two refrigeration plants (a single-stage and a two-stage) and obtain, by means of its graphical interface, the effects produced by changes in the operating conditions. The use of REFLAB allows a quick comprehension of the theoretical concepts explained in class and an intuitive assimilation of the behaviour of the refrigeration plants. The aim of this paper is to explain how the interactive tool works and which are the main objectives pursued in the practical lessons. The paper includes a series of graphical animations that simulate the practice lessons received by the students.