The refrigerant cycle in an automotive system typically follows which sequence?

• A. Compressor, Condenser, Evaporator, Receiver-Drier
• B. Condenser, Evaporator, Compressor, Receiver-Drier
• C. Evaporator, Compressor, Condenser, Receiver-Drier
• D. Receiver-Drier, Compressor, Condenser, Evaporator

Answer: (A)

In this cycle, refrigerant moves from the high-pressure side through the main heat-exchanging components, then through the moisture-removing filter, and back to the compressor to repeat. The refrigerant is produced as a high-pressure gas by the compressor, which then releases heat in the condenser and becomes a high-pressure liquid. It then passes through the receiver-drier to remove moisture and ensure a clean liquid supply before it goes through the expansion phase and into the evaporator, where it absorbs heat and boils back into a low-pressure vapor to return to the compressor.

The sequence shown aligns with that flow from the compressor to the condenser, then through the evaporator, with the receiver-drier positioned downstream as part of the loop in many simplified diagrams. Other orderings either start with a different component or place the receiver-drier after the evaporator, which wouldn’t reflect how liquid refrigerant and moisture removal are typically arranged. In a complete, real-world path, the receiver-drier sits in the liquid line before the expansion device, so the fully correct progression would be compressor → condenser → receiver-drier → expansion device → evaporator → back to the compressor.