Refrigeration: Theory and Applications by James K Carson covers the basic thermodynamic and heat transfer considerations of the vapour compression cycle followed by the major applications of refrigeration in the areas of food preservation, human comfort and cryogenics. In addition, a chapter is devoted to the issue of refrigerant selection, and a further chapter focuses on refrigerating devices that do not operate the vapour compression cycle. The text, which contains worked examples, is intended for use as an elective undergraduate paper for 3rd or 4th year engineering students.

1. Introduction
   1. Importance of Refrigeration
   2. A Brief History of Refrigeration
   3. Scope and Outline of this Book
   4. Bibliography for Chapter 1

Part 1: Theory

2. Thermodynamics
   1. Definitions
   2. The First Law of Thermodynamics
   3. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
   4. Phase diagrams and refrigerant properties
   5. Vapour Compression Cycles
   6. Cascade and multi-stage vapour compression cycles
   7. Sorption refrigeration
   8. Summary of Chapter 2
   9. Further Reading
3. Heat Transfer
   1. Modes of heat transfer
   2. Steady state conduction and convection
   3. Heat Exchangers
   4. Transient Heat Transfer
   5. Summary of Chapter 3
   6. Further Reading
4. Refrigerants
   1. Desirable Attributes of Refrigerants
   2. Refrigerants after the Montreal and Kyoto Protocols
   3. Summary of Chapter 4
   4. Further Reading
5. Refrigeration without a Refrigerant
   1. Evaporative cooling
   2. Peltier-Seebeck effect (thermoelectric devices)
   3. Magneto-Calorific Effect (Magnetic Refrigeration)
   4. Thermo-acoustic effect (acoustic refrigeration)
   5. Summary of Chapter 5
   6. Further Reading

Part 2: Applications

6. Chilling and Freezing
   1. Estimating Chilling times of food products
   2. Estimating heat loads of food products
   3. Freezing and Thawing Time Prediction
   4. Summary of Chapter 6
   5. Further Reading
7. Food Refrigeration
   1. The Domestic Refrigerator
   2. The Cold Chain
   3. Typical examples of refrigerated facilities
   4. Design Considerations
   5. Refrigerated transport
   6. Summary of Chapter 7
   7. Further Reading
8. Air Conditioning
   1. Air-conditioning Cooling Load Calculations
   2. Domestic air-conditioning
   3. Large-scale air-conditioning
   4. Summary of Chapter 8
   5. Further Reading
9. Cryogenics and Gas Liquefaction
   1. Cryogenics
   2. Gas Liquefaction
   3. Summary of Chapter 9
   4. Further Reading
10. List of Symbols
11. Appendix: Physical Properties of Refrigerant R134a