What happens to the compressor's discharge gas in a wet compression refrigeration system?

In a wet compression refrigeration system, the compressor's discharge gas retains moisture because the system intentionally operates with a certain level of refrigerant in the vapor state combined with liquid. This means that when the gas is compressed, it comes out saturated or slightly superheated, but still contains some liquid refrigerant, leading to the retention of moisture within the gas.

Wet compression systems are designed this way to enhance the efficiency of heat exchange in evaporators and to improve the cooling capacity, leveraging the presence of liquid in the gas. This process is particularly important in systems that aim to maximize cooling performance at the expense of complete dryness in the vapor, differentiating it from dry compression systems where the vapor is entirely in gaseous form.

Thus, the main characteristic of wet compression is the retention of moisture in the discharge gas, which is key to the operation and efficiency of the refrigeration process in these systems.