What is the first function a condenser must perform before condensing can occur?

Before condensing can occur in a refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant must first undergo de-superheating. This process involves cooling the refrigerant vapor down from a higher temperature to its saturation temperature. Essentially, at this stage, the refrigerant is in a superheated state, meaning it is at a temperature above its boiling point at a given pressure.

De-superheating is crucial because it prepares the refrigerant to change phase from vapor to liquid. If the refrigerant were to be condensed without first reducing its temperature, it would not condense effectively and could lead to inefficiencies or potential damage to the system. Once the refrigerant has been de-superheated and arrives at its saturation temperature, it can then proceed to condense into a liquid as the heat is removed, allowing the refrigeration cycle to continue efficiently.

In this context, subcooling, evaporating, and increasing pressure are processes that either occur later in the cycle or are not part of the initial phase needed for condensation to take place.