If an evaporator is rated at 120,000 BTU/HR, what must be true about the condenser?

In a refrigeration system, the condenser must be larger than the evaporator's rating for several reasons. The primary function of the evaporator is to absorb heat from the environment, enabling the refrigeration cycle to cool a space or product. When the evaporator absorbs 120,000 BTU/hr of heat, the refrigerant within the system must carry this absorbed heat to the condenser during the refrigeration cycle.

The condenser's job is to remove this heat from the refrigerant and reject it to the external environment. To effectively handle the heat extracted from the evaporator, the condenser must have a capacity that exceeds the evaporator's rating. This ensures that the system operates efficiently, maintaining the desired temperature while avoiding excess pressure build-up, which could lead to operational issues or system failure.

If the condenser were the same size as or smaller than the evaporator, it would not adequately reject the heat carried from the evaporator, leading to inefficiencies and potentially causing the system to malfunction. Therefore, it is essential for the condenser to be larger than the rated evaporator to ensure proper heat exchange and optimal performance of the refrigeration system.