Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of the flooded design?

The flooded design in refrigeration systems is intended to optimize the use of the refrigerant by ensuring that the evaporator is fully charged with liquid refrigerant, rather than using vapor. This design has various disadvantages associated with it, among which the absence of superheat leaving the evaporator is significant.

In a flooded system, the refrigerant is kept at a sub-cooled state until it enters the evaporator, which means that once the refrigerant completely evaporates, it has not been allowed to gain any additional heat (superheat) beyond the boiling point. As such, it’s designed to operate with little to no superheat because excessive superheating can lead to inefficient heat transfer and possible compressor damage. This design characteristic is beneficial for ensuring maximum efficiency within the evaporator, thus making it not a disadvantage.

In contrast, oil contamination, bubbles in the supply line from pressure drops, and bubbles caused by loss of gravity supply are recognized shortcomings. Oil contamination can occur when oil mixes with the refrigerant, potentially harming compressor efficiency and leading to failure. Bubbles in the supply line may indicate insufficient refrigerant flow, which can occur due to sudden drops in pressure or loss of gravitational supply in certain configurations. Therefore, the absence of superheat in