Heat added to the refrigerant in a vapor state after the evaporation process is called?

The term used to describe heat added to the refrigerant after it has evaporated and is in a vapor state is "superheat." In the context of HVAC systems, after the refrigerant absorbs enough heat to transition from a liquid to a vapor during the evaporation process, any additional heat applied to the vapor increases its temperature further. This increase in temperature while in the vapor state is what is referred to as superheating.

Superheating is an important concept in refrigerant management as it ensures that the vapor entering the compressor is indeed vapor and not a mix of liquid and vapor, which could potentially cause damage to the compressor. Properly managing superheat is crucial for the efficiency and functioning of air conditioning and refrigeration systems.

Other terms mentioned, such as latent heat, refer to the heat absorbed or released during a phase change without a change in temperature, making it less applicable to the context of heat added to vapor post-evaporation. Subcooling is the process of cooling a refrigerant below its saturation temperature while in the liquid state, which is also not relevant for describing heat added after evaporation. Specific heat refers to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree Celsius and is a broader