AIR CONDITIONER

INTRODUCTION:

Air conditioners and refrigerators work the same way. Instead of

cooling just the small, insulated space inside of a refrigerator, an air
conditioner cools a room, a whole house, or an entire business.

Air conditioners use chemicals that easily convert from a gas to a

liquid and back again. This chemical is used to transfer heat from
the air inside of a home to the outside air.

The machine has three main parts. They are a compressor, a

condenser and an evaporator. The compressor and condenser are
usually located on the outside air portion of the air conditioner. The
evaporator is located on the inside the house, sometimes as part of
a furnace. That’s the part that heats our house.

The working fluid arrives at the compressor as a cool, low-pressure

gas. The compressor squeezes the fluid. This packs the molecule of
the fluid closer together. The closer the molecules are together, the
higher its energy and its temperature.

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The working fluid leaves the compressor as a hot, high pressure gas
and flows into the condenser. If we looked at the air conditioner part
outside a house, look for the part that has metal fins all around. The
fins act just like a radiator in a car and helps the heat go away, or
dissipate, more quickly.

When the working fluid leaves the condenser, its temperature is

much cooler and it has changed from a gas to a liquid under high
pressure. The liquid goes into the evaporator through a very tiny,
narrow hole. On the other side, the liquid’s pressure drops. When it
does it begins to evaporate into a gas.

As the liquid changes to gas and evaporates, it extracts heat from

the air around it. The heat in the air is needed to separate the
molecules of the fluid from a liquid to a gas.

The evaporator also has metal fins to help in exchange the thermal
energy with the surrounding air.

By the time the working fluid leaves the evaporator, it is a cool, low
pressure gas. It then returns to the compressor to begin its trip all
over again.

Connected to the evaporator is a fan that circulates the air inside

the house to blow across the evaporator fins. Hot air is lighter than
cold air, so the hot air in the room rises to the top of a room.

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There is a vent there where air is sucked into the air conditioner and
goes down ducts. The hot air is used to cool the gas in the
evaporator. As the heat is removed from the air, the air is cooled. It
is then blown into the house through other ducts usually at the floor
level.

This continues over and over and over until the room reaches the
temperature we want the room cooled to. The thermostat senses
that the temperature has reached the right setting and turns off the
air conditioner. As the room warms up, the thermostat turns the air
conditioner back on until the room reaches the temperature. Any
system that loours temperature operates in similar fashion. First we
take a gas, like Freon, and place it in a sealed system. This Freon is
then pressurized using a compressor. As it’s pressurized, it gets hot
by absorbing the heat around it. This hot gas is then circulated
through a series of tubes that dissipate the heat. Scientifically, the
gas removes heat rather than adds cold, but that’s a lesson in
physics that doesn’t really matter to us right now. The gas can lose
lots of its heat, in other words it gets really cold, when we reduce
the pressure. As it cools it becomes a liquid. This is when we get
cold air blowing on wet sweaty forehead.

To use this system in a car, it needed very little adaptation from its
early applications as a refrigeration device. Since it was discovered
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that Freon (R-12) was harmful to the earth’s Ozone layer, it’s been
phased out for automotive use, and replaced with the slightly less
efficient, but harmless R-134a refrigerant. This is actually good
news because for years it was against the law to service our own air
conditioning system without a license. Now that the refrigerant is
safer, we can all work on our own A/C systems again! Some cars
have not been converted from the old R12 to R-134a, but this
conversion can be done easily.

WORKING PRINCIPLE
As with all air conditioning systems the principle remains the same whereby
the heat is removed from one area and replaced with chilled dry air and the
hot air is expelled, normally to the outside atmosphere. As you can see from
this typical example of an air conditioning system, the ambient air is drawn
over the condenser that can best described as a ‘radiator’ as seen on motor
vehicles but instead of water running through the system it contains a
refrigerant gas.

On its journey around the system it has three main stages; the evaporator
contains the sub-cooled refrigerant and air blows through its veins to release
the chilled dry air into the room, the condenser contains the high temperature
gas that once again air is blown through the veins collecting the heat as it
passes through and this is then expelled outside.

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 APPARATUS
COMPRESSOR

The air conditioning compressor is the refrigerant pump of the air

conditioning system. The compressor compresses refrigerant inside
the system and circulates it to the condenser and then to the
evaporator. The evaporator is where the pressurized refrigerant is
released, causing a drop in pressure resulting in a cold evaporator,
the low

Pressure refrigerant is then returned to the compressor to be re-

pressurized. The air conditioning compressor is driven by a drive
belt that is pooured by the engine and can be engaged and
disengaged by an electromagnetic coil on the front of the
compressor.

To maintain the efficiency of the air conditioning system the

compressor drive belt should be checked regularly. If it is worn out
or degenerated it should be replaced. The system’s hoses should be
checked for deterioration, bubbles, cracks and hardening or oily
residue, all could be signs of leakage. The correct refrigerant charge
should always be maintained, low system refrigerant charge is a
common cause of a weak AC system.

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Odors can devel.0oped in the air conditioning system when a
fungus has grown on the evaporator core. Warm damp surroundings
provided the perfect breeding ground for fungus, which grows with
moisture. Aerosol disinfectants can be used to remedy this
condition. While the air conditioner system is running on the full
high setting with recirculation feature activated, spray a disinfectant
(Lysol, Ozium) into the inlet of the ac system (under the dash on the
passenger’s side), be aware whatever we spray will come out of the
upper vents, so we may not want our face in front of any vents
when doing this procedure. Odors can be prevented from returning
by repeating this procedure periodically throughout the summer
months. This is the heart of our a/c system. The compressor is what
takes the refrigerant (the gas) and pressurizes it so it will cool the
air. It’s run by an engine belt. The compressor also has an
electrically operated clutch that turns the compressor on and off as
we demand more cool air.

CONDENSERS
This is the area in which heat dissipation occurs. The condenser, in
many cases, will have much the same appearance as the radiator in
we car as the two have very similar functions. The condenser is
designed to radiate heat. Its location is usually in front of the
radiator, but in some cases, due to aerodynamic improvements to
the body of a vehicle, its location may differ. Condensers must have
good air flow anytime the system is in operation. On rear wheel
drive vehicles, this is usually accomplished by taking advantage of
our existing engine’s cooling fan. On front wheel drive vehicles,
condenser air flow is supplemented with one or more electric
cooling fan(s).

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As hot compressed gasses are introduced into the top of the
condenser, they are cooled off. As the gas cools, it condenses and
exits the bottom of the condenser as a high pressure liquid. The
condenser is like a miniature radiator, usually mounted at the front
of the car right next to our big radiator. Sometimes the condenser
will have its own electric cooling fan, too. The hot, compressed air
passes through the condenser and gets lots cooler. As it cools, it
becomes a liquid.

EVAPORATOR
Located inside the vehicle, the evaporator serves as the heat
absorption component. The evaporator provides several functions.
Its primary duty is to remove heat from the inside of our vehicle. A
secondary benefit is dehumidification. As warmer air travels through
the aluminum fins of the cooler evaporator coil, the moisture
contained in the air condenses on its surface. Dust and pollen
passing through stick to its wet surfaces and drain off to the
outside. On humid days we may have seen this as water dripping
from the bottom of our vehicle. Rest assured this is perfectly
normal.

The ideal temperature of the evaporator is 32 Fahrenheit or 0

Celsius. Refrigerant enters the bottom of the evaporator as a low
pressure liquid. The warm air passing through the evaporator fins
causes the refrigerant to boil (refrigerants have very low boiling
points). As the refrigerant begins to boil, it can absorb large
amounts of heat. This heat is then carried off with the refrigerant to
the outside of the vehicle. Several other components work in
conjunction with the evaporator. As mentioned above, the ideal
temperature for an evaporator coil is 32 F. Temperature and
pressure regulating devices must be used to control its
temperature. While there are many variations of devices used, their
main functions are the same; keeping pressure in the evaporator
low and keeping the evaporator from freezing; A frozen evaporator
coil will not absorb as much heat. The evaporator is another little
radiator that does just the opposite task as the condenser. As the
super-cool liquid is passed through its tubes, air is forced through
and gets really cold, right before it hits our face. As it warms up
again, the refrigerant starts turning back into a gas.

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Another common refrigerant regulator is the thermal expansion
valve, or TXV. Commonly used on import and aftermarket systems.
This type of valve can sense both temperature and pressure, and is
very efficient at regulating refrigerant flow to the evaporator.
Several variations of this valve are commonly found. Another
example of a thermal expansion valve is Chrysler’s “H block” type.
This type of valve is usually located at the firewall, between the
evaporator inlet and outlet tubes and the liquid and suction lines.
These types of valves, although efficient, have some disadvantages
over orifice tube systems. Like orifice tubes these valves can
become clogged with debris, but also have small moving parts that
may stick and malfunction due to corrosion.

Flow control, or metering, of the refrigerant is accomplished by use

of a temperature sensing bulb filled with a similar gas as in the
system that causes the valve to close against the spring pressure in
the valve body as the temperature on the bulb increases. As
temperatures in the evaporator decrease, so does the pressure in
the bulb and therefore on the spring causing the valve to open. An
air conditioning system with a TX valve is often more efficient than
other designs that do not use one. A thermal expansion valve is a
key element to a refrigeration cycle; the cycle that makes air
conditioning, or air cooling, possible. A basic refrigeration cycle
consists of four major elements, a compressor, a condenser, a
metering device and an evaporator. As a refrigerant passes through
a circuit containing these four elements, air conditioning occurs.
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The cycle starts when refrigerant enters the compressor in a low
pressure, low temperature, and gaseous form. The refrigerant is
compressed by the compressor to a high pressure and temperature
gaseous state.

RECIEVER-DRIER
The receiver-drier is used on the high side of systems that use a
thermal expansion valve. This type of metering valve requires liquid
refrigerant. To ensure that the valve gets liquid refrigerant, a
receiver is used. The primary function of the receiver-drier is to
separate gas and liquid. The secondary purpose is to remove
moisture and filter out dirt. The receiver-drier usually has a sight
glass in the top. This sight glass is often used to charge the system.
Under normal operating conditions, vapor bubbles should not be
visible in the sight glass. The use of the sight glass to charge the
system is not recommended in R-134a systems as cloudiness and
oil that has separated from the refrigerant can be mistaken for
bubbles. This type of mistake can lead to a dangerous overcharged
condition. There are variations of receiver-driers and several
different desiccant materials are in use. Some of the moisture
removing desiccants found within are not compatible with R-134a.
The desiccant type is usually identified on a sticker that is affixed to
the receiver-drier. Neour receiver-driers use desiccant type XH-7
and are compatible with both R-12 and R-134a refrigerants. The ac
receiver drier is used to take all of the water out of the ac system,
and to take out any contaminants that may plug the ac system. The
ac receiver drier should be changed every time we remove any ac
component that exposes the sealed ac system to the atmosphere.

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The ac receiver drier is typically located in the engine compartment
and has 2 hoses connected to it. There also may be a low-pressure
switch attached to the receiver drier as well. For convenience some
ac receiver driers have a small window on the unit to allow us to see
if the air conditioning system is fully charged. Simply turn the ac
system on high, wait a few minutes and look at the small window.
We should not see any bubbles passing thru the receiver drier.

ACCUMULATORS

Accumulators are used on systems that accommodate an orifice

tube to meter refrigerants into the evaporator. It is connected
directly to the evaporator outlet and stores excess liquid refrigerant.
Introduction of liquid refrigerant into a compressor can do serious
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damage. Compressors are designed to compress gas not liquid. The
chief role of the accumulator is to isolate the compressor from any
damaging liquid refrigerant. Accumulators, like receiver-driers, also
remove debris and moisture from a system. It is a good idea to
replace the accumulator each time the system is opened up for
major repair and anytime moisture and/or debris is of concern.
Moisture is enemy number one for our A/C system. Moisture in a
system mixes with refrigerant and forms a corrosive acid. When in
doubt, it may be to our advantage to change the Accumulator or
receiver in our system. While this may be a temporary discomfort
for our wallet, it is of long term benefit to our air conditioning
system. An accumulator can maintain the pressure in a system for
periods when there are slight leaks without the pump being cycled
on and off constantly. When temperature changes cause pressure
excursions the accumulator helps absorb them. Its size helps absorb
fluid that might otherwise be locked in a small fixed system with no
room for expansion due to valve arrangement.

The gas precharge in an accumulator is set so that the separating

bladder, diaphragm or piston does not reach or strike either end of
the operating cylinder. The design precharge normally ensures that
the moving parts do not foul the ends or block fluid passages. Poor
maintenance of precharge can destroy an operating accumulator. A
properly designed and maintained accumulator should operate
trouble-free.

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ORIFICE TUBE
The orifice tube, probably the most commonly used, can be found in
most GM and Ford models. It is located in the inlet tube of the
evaporator, or in the liquid line, somewhere between the outlet of
the condenser and the inlet of the evaporator. This point can be
found in a properly functioning system by locating the area between
the outlet of the condenser and the inlet of the evaporator that
suddenly makes the change from hot to cold.

We should then see small dimples placed in the line that keep the
orifice tube from moving. Most of the orifice tubes in use today
measure approximately three inches in length and consist of a small
brass tube, surrounded by plastic, and covered with a filter screen
at each end. It is not uncommon for these tubes to become clogged
with small debris. While inexpensive, usually between three to five
dollars, the labor to replace one involves recovering the refrigerant,
opening the system up, replacing the orifice tube, evacuating and
then recharging. With this in mind, it might make sense to install a
larger pre filter in front of the orifice tube to minimize the risk of of
this problem reoccurring. Some Ford models have a permanently
affixed orifice tube in the liquid line. These can be cut out and
replaced with.

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 THEORY
Evaporative cooling

Since prehistoric times, snow and ice were used for cooling. The business of
harvesting ice during winter and storing for use in summer became popular
towards the late 17th century, this practice was replaced by mechanical ice-
making machines.
The basic concept behind air conditioning is said to have been applied in
ancient Egypt, where reeds were hung in windows and were moistened with
trickling water. The evaporation of water cooled the air blowing through the
window. This process also made the air more humid, which can be beneficial

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in a dry desert climate. Other techniques in medieval Persia involved the use
of cisterns and wind towers to cool buildings during the hot season.
The 2nd-century Chinese mechanical engineer and inventor ding human of
the Han Dynasty invented a rotary fan for air conditioning, with seven wheels
3 m in diameter and manually powered by prisoners. In 747, Emperor
Xuanzong (r. 712–762) of the Tang Dynasty (618–907) had the Cool Hall
built in the imperial palace, which the Tang Yilin describes as having water-
powered fan wheels for air conditioning as well as rising jet streams of water
from fountains. During the subsequent Song Dynasty (960–1279), written
sources mentioned the air conditioning rotary fan as even more widely used.
In the 17th century, the Dutch inventor Cornelius Dribble demonstrated
"Turning Summer into winter" as an early form of modern air conditioning
for James I of England by adding salt to water.

Development of mechanical cooling

In 1758, Benjamin Franklin and John Hadley, a chemistry professor

at Cambridge University, conducted an experiment to explore the principle of
evaporation as a means to rapidly cool an object. Franklin and Hadley
confirmed that evaporation of highly volatile liquids (such as alcohol and
ether) could be used to drive down the temperature of an object past the
freezing point of water. They conducted their experiment with the bulb of a
mercury thermometer as their object and with a bellows used to speed up
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the evaporation. They lowered the temperature of the thermometer bulb down
to −14 °C (7 °F) while the ambient temperature was 18 °C (64 °F). Franklin
noted that, soon after they passed the freezing point of water 0 °C (32 °F), a
thin film of ice formed on the surface of the thermometer's bulb and that the
ice mass was about 6 mm (1⁄4 in) thick when they stopped the experiment
upon reaching −14 °C (7 °F). Franklin concluded: "From this experiment one
may see the possibility of freezing a man to death on a warm summer's day.
In 1820, English scientist and inventor Michael Faraday discovered that
compressing and liquefying ammonia could chill air when the liquefied
ammonia was allowed to evaporate. In 1842, Florida physician John
Gorrie used compressor technology to create ice, which he used to cool air
for his patients in his hospital in Apalachicola, Florida. He hoped to eventually
use his ice-making machine to regulate the temperature of buildings. He even
envisioned centralized air conditioning that could cool entire cities. Though his
prototype leaked and performed irregularly, Gorrie was granted a patent in
1851 for his ice-making machine. Though his process improved the artificial
production of ice, his hopes for its success vanished soon afterwards when
his chief financial backer died and Gorrie did not get the money he needed to
develop the machine. According to his biographer, Vivian M. Sherlock, he
blamed the "Ice King", Frederic Tudor, for his failure, suspecting that Tudor
had launched a smear campaign against his invention. Dr. Gorrie died
impoverished in 1855, and the dream of commonplace air conditioning went
away for 50 years.

James Harrison's first mechanical ice-making machine began operation in

1851 on the banks of the Barwon River at Rocky Point in Geelong, Australia.
His first commercial ice-making machine followed in 1853, and his patent for
an ether vapor compression refrigeration system was granted in 1855. This

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novel system used a compressor to force the refrigeration gas to pass
through a condenser, where it cooled down and liquefied. The liquefied gas
then circulated through the refrigeration coils and vaporized again, cooling
down the surrounding system. The machine produced 3,000 kilograms
(6,600 lb) of ice per day.
Though Harrison had commercial success establishing a second ice company
back in Sydney in 1860, he later entered the debate over how to compete
against the American advantage of ice-refrigerated beef sales to the United
Kingdom. He wrote: "Fresh meat frozen and packed as if for a voyage, so that
the refrigerating process may be continued for any required period", and in
1873 prepared the sailing ship Norfolk for an experimental beef shipment to
the United Kingdom. His choice of a cold room system instead of installing a
refrigeration system upon the ship itself proved disastrous when the ice was
consumed faster than expected.
Electrical air conditioning

The creation of the modern electrical air conditioning unit and industry is
credited to the American inventor Willis H. Carrier. After graduating
from Cornell University, Carrier found a job at the Buffalo Forge Company.
There, he began experimenting with air conditioning as a way to solve an
application problem for the Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing and Publishing
Company in Brooklyn, New York. The first air conditioner, designed and built
in Buffalo, New York by Carrier, began working on 17 July 1902.

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Designed to improve manufacturing process control in a printing plant,
Carrier's invention controlled not only temperature but also humidity. Carrier
used his knowledge of the heating of objects with steam and reversed the
process. Instead of sending air through hot coils, he sent it through cold coils
(filled with cold water). The air was cooled, and thereby the amount of
moisture in the air could be controlled, which in turn made the humidity in the
room controllable. The controlled temperature and humidity helped maintain
consistent paper dimensions and ink alignment. Later, Carrier's technology
was applied to increase productivity in the workplace, and The Carrier Air
Conditioning Company of America was formed to meet rising demand. Over
time, air conditioning came to be used to improve comfort in homes
and automobiles as well. Residential sales expanded dramatically in the
1950s.
In 1906, Stuart W. Cramer of Charlotte was exploring ways to add moisture to
the air in his textile mill. Cramer coined the term "air conditioning", using it in a
patent claim he filed that year as an analogue to "water conditioning", then a
well-known process for making textiles easier to process. He combined
moisture with ventilation to "condition" and change the air in the factories,
controlling the humidity so necessary in textile plants. Willis Carrier adopted
the term and incorporated it into the name of his company.
Shortly thereafter, the first private home to have air conditioning was built in
Minneapolis in 1914, owned by Charles Gates. Realizing that air conditioning
would one day be a standard feature of private homes, particularly in regions
with warmer climate, David St. Pierre DuBose (1898-1994) designed a
network of ductwork and vents for his home Meadowmont, all disguised
behind intricate and attractive Georgian-style open moldings. This building is
believed to be one of the first private homes in the United States equipped
for central air conditioning.
In 1945, Robert Sherman of Lynn, Massachusetts invented a portable, in-
window air conditioner that cooled, heated, humidified, dehumidified, and
filtered the air.

Refrigerant development

The first air conditioners and refrigerators employed toxic or flammable

gases, such as ammonia, methyl chloride, or propane that could result in fatal
accidents when they leaked. Thomas Midgely, Jr. created the first non-
flammable, non-toxic chlorofluorocarbon gas, Freon, in 1928. The name is
a trademark name owned by DuPont for any chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), hydro
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chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), or hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant. The
refrigerant names include a number indicating the molecular composition
(e.g., R-11, R-12, R-22, and R-134A). The blend most used in direct-
expansion home and building comfort cooling is an HCFC known
as chlorodifluoromethane (R-22).
Dichlorodifluoromethane (R-12) was the most common blend used in
automobiles in the U.S. until 1994, when most designs changed to R-
134A due to the ozone-depleting potential of R-12. R-11 and R-12 are no
longer manufactured in the U.S. for this type of application, but is still
imported and can be purchased and used by certified HVAC technicians. For
systems requiring only an occasional "shot" of R-12 and otherwise in good
working order and performing far better than virtually all "R-134a" systems
whether "converted" or "factory", even $50-$100 per pound of R-12 is
considered "cheap" by many individuals.
Modern refrigerants have been developed to be more environmentally safe
than many of the early chlorofluorocarbon-based refrigerants used in the
early- and mid-twentieth century. These include HCFCs (R-22, as used in
most U.S. homes before 2011) and HFCs (R-134a, used in most cars) have
replaced most CFC use. HCFCs, in turn, are supposed to have been in the
process of being phased out under the Montreal Protocol and replaced by
HFCs such as R-410A, which lack chlorine. HFCs, however, contribute to
climate change problems. Moreover, policy and political influence by
corporate executives resisted change. Corporations insisted that no
alternatives to HFCs existed. The environmental
organization Greenpeace provided funding to a former East German
refrigerator company to research an alternative ozone- and climate-safe
refrigerant in 1992. The company developed a hydrocarbon mix of is
pentane and isobutene, but as a condition of the contract with Greenpeace
could not patent the technology, which led to its widespread adoption by other
firms. Their activist marketing first in Germany led to companies like
Whirlpool, Bosch, and later LG and others to incorporate the technology
throughout Europe, then Asia, although the corporate executives resisted in
Latin America, so that it arrived in Argentina produced by a domestic firm in
2003, and then finally with giant Bosch's production in Brazil by 2004.
In 1995, Germany made CFC refrigerators illegal. DuPont and other
companies blocked the refrigerant in the U.S. with the U.S. EPA, disparaging
the approach as "that German technology". Nevertheless, in 2004,
Greenpeace worked with multinational corporations like Coca-
Cola and Unilever, and later Pepsico and others, to create a corporate
coalition called Refrigerants Naturally! Then, four years later, Ben & Jerry's of
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Unilever and General Electric began to take steps to support production and
use in the U.S. In 2011 the EPA decided in favour of the ozone- and climate-
safe refrigerant for U.S. manufacture.

ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES:

Most people use air conditioners to stay more comfortable in

their homes or offices during hot and humid summer weather.
Under extreme conditions, air conditioners may keep elderly and
other vulnerable people safer from heat-induced health problems.
Air conditioners are used in many commercial settings not only for
increased comfort but for decreasing heat stress on delicate
machinery such as computers, and reducing food spoilage in
grocery stores and restaurants.

Prevents Dehydration and Heat strokes

Being exposed to excessive heat for long periods can cause

dehydration. This is because high temperature leads to profuse
sweating and makes your body lose water. If you fail to replenish
this lost water, the result will be dehydration. Since air conditioners
reduce sweating, they can minimize the risk of water loss and
dehydration.

Heat strokes are another problem that excessive heat can cause.
This is because too much heat can make it difficult for the body to
regulate its temperature. Failing to treat this problem early enough
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can cause damage to the brain and other organs of the body. Since
air conditioners reduce the temperature of the air, they can be
helpful in preventing heat strokes.

Improves the Quality of Air

Air conditioners can significantly improve indoor air quality and

create a much healthier atmosphere. This is because they are
capable of flittering out pollen, dust, and other allergens present in
the environment. By reducing humidity, air conditioners can check
the growth of mildew and mold.

Helps to Reduce Asthma and Allergies

Air conditions can help to filter as well as disinfect the air that we
breathe. This can help to reduce the risk of asthma attacks and
allergies by removing pollen and dust, and also preventing the
growth of mildew and mold. Being exposed to mold is one of the
main factors that increase the risk of asthma attacks, allergic
reactions, and other respiratory issues. The fact that we close our
windows while using air conditioners helps to prevent the entry of
environmental allergens, bacteria, and dust.

DISADVANTAGES

Air conditioners use a lot of electricity. This creates both financial

disadvantages for the people who have to pay for the power, and
more generalized environmental disadvantages caused by power
production. Because a large percentage of electricity is created by
coal-burning power plants, air conditioning contributes indirectly to
the release of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. In addition,
according to The Independent, spending too much time in an air-
conditioned environment can contribute to health problems such as
asthma, tightness in the chest and other respiratory ailments.
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Skin Dryness

Spending increased amount of time in an air-conditioned room can

make your skin lose its moisture, thereby becoming sensitive and
dry. It can also cause irritation and dryness of the mucous
membrane.

Aggravation of Respiratory Problems

A sudden change in temperature has shown to exacerbate the

symptoms of various respiratory diseases. Fortunately, you can
significantly reduce the risk of this problem by setting a higher
temperature and decreasing it gradually.

Respiratory Tract Infections and Allergies

Not cleaning the air conditioner can cause the buildup of dust,
bacteria, and pollen in the air filters. This will significantly increase
the risk of asthma attacks and respiratory tract infections.

CONCLUSION:
The main conclusions that emerge from this study are summarized as follows:

1. It is technically possible to have comfort air conditioning, even under hot, humid
weather conditions, using desiccant-augmented evaporative cooling systems.
However, the size requirement of these units is likely to be much larger than that of
vapor compression refrigeration systems used for this purpose.

2. The COP values obtained under conditions of high humidity, however, are quite
low even in comparison with other heat operated systems such as absorption
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refrigeration based air conditioning machines. There is however, considerable scope
for an increase in COP. To achieve this objective, further research and development
work into the following areas is recommended.

(a) Development of new desiccants, enabling efficiency rapid regeneration even at

lower temperature, which may also permit regeneration with solar energy.

(b) Reduction in the cost of the dehumidifier and the heat recovery wheels through
advancement in technology.

(c) Development of new media most appropriate for such systems.

(d) Development of newer configurations to achieve higher COPs. So far as the last
recommendation is concerned, numerous possibilities exist. For example, the COP of
the new proposed cycle for Delhi monsoon conditions can be easily increased to
0.41 by incorporation of another heat recovery wheel between the cool air leaving
at state point 10 and the warm air leaving then heat wheel at state point 3. Further
increase in COP is possible by using better desiccants, which can be regenerated at
lower temperatures. Thus if the regeneration temperature is reduced to 1000C, the
COP is increased to 0.65, and if this temperature is 800C, the COP becomes 1.06. The
system COP can also be increased by employing heat exchanger of higher
effectiveness. If effectiveness values of 0.9 are achieved in all the heat exchangers,
the COP is increased (by another 15%) to about 1.22. Further increase in COP could
also be achieved by employing staged regeneration, as suggested by Waugh man et
al. and by optimizing the ration of process air to regeneration airflow rate.

ABSTRACT
Air conditioning units or the air conditioners are used in everyday life to
cool the air around us. They are a very common consumer electronic
device. Inside the air conditioner, refrigeration of some special gases
takes place to give out cool air, much like in refrigerators.
The air condition uses the simple principle that while changing from
liquid state to gaseous state, the substance gives out heat. To send out,
cold air, the air conditioner has special substance which is used as a
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refrigerant. This substance is evaporated and condensed continuously to
give out cool air. This process takes place in the closed condition inside
the unit.

There is a proper mechanism to pass the heat generated during this

process out of the machine from the other end. In centralized air
conditioners, there is a duct system to channel hot air away and keep
the system from heating inside. The fan is also provided for the same
reason. A compressor is also fitted inside the machine to convert the gas
back to liquid. The compressor basically creates high pressure and
converts the gas back to liquid so that the process continues and the
temperature remains controlled. Thus, the refrigerant constantly
maintains the indoor temperature and the inside temperature of the
system is also controlled.

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