What is an air conditioner?
An air conditioner is a cooling system for multiple uses (domestic, commercial or even in the car). It is a device that can be installed in homes, premises, as well as in an enclosed space. It is a team for the comfort of people. The air conditioner is used to cool the environment in hot weather while functions to warm the environment in cold weather. The air conditioning system includes;
- Compressor: It is responsible for introducing the refrigerant to the condenser.
- Condenser (in cooling): It extracts the heat of the cooling substance.
- Expansion valve: Controls the pressure by establishing a difference in the level of pressure between the side where it is elevated and the side on which it is low.
- Evaporator: It exchanges heat by absorbing heat from the medium where it is, that is, it cools it.
Types of air conditioning
Various types of air conditioning are designed for different uses and applications. Its application is dependent on a number of factors such as the size of the area to be cooled, the total amount of heat generated inside the enclosure, the budget of the installation, etc. The most used types of air conditioners are;
- Window: This is mostly utilised in single rooms. All the components, including the compressor, expansion valve, condenser, evaporator, and cooling coil, are packed in a single unit. They are noisy and easy to maintain.
- Portable: All units of the air conditioning are enclosed in a movable box to facilitate movement from one room to another. A tube is attached to it to expel the hot air generated to the outside. They are cheap, noisy, and can be cold or cold-hot.
- Split: This is the most commonly used air conditioning in homes and offices. It consists of two parts: the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. The outdoor unit comprises of the compressor valve, the condenser, and the expansion. The indoor component has the evaporator/cooling coil and the cooling fan. The split AC is quiet and easy to maintain.
- Central: The central air conditioning is installed when a large building is to be ventilated. The central air conditioning system consists of a huge compressor that has the capacity to produce hundreds of tons of air conditioning.
Air conditioning refrigeration cycle
The cycle is carried out in 4 stages, including the evaporator, the compressor, the condenser, and the expansion valve or regulator:
- Expansion: The liquid refrigerant flows through the regulator to the evaporator at high temperature and pressure. The pressure of the liquid is reduced to the pressure of the evaporator when the liquid passes through the regulator, in such a way that the saturation temperature of the refrigerant enters the evaporator and it will be in this place where its temperature will decrease to cool down. A part of the liquid evaporates when passing through the regulator in order to reduce the temperature of the liquid refrigerant to the evaporation temperature.
- Evaporation: In the evaporator, the liquid evaporates at a constant temperature and pressure. The pressure remains constant even though the steam temperature increases due to overheating. The refrigerant evaporates completely in the evaporator.
- Compression: By the action of the compressor, the vapour resulting from the evaporation is absorbed by the evaporator to the compressor inlet. The temperature and pressure of the steam in the compressor will increase due to the compression itself. High-temperature, high-pressure steam is discharged from the compressor in the discharge line.
- Condensation: The steam flows through the discharge line to the condenser where it releases heat to the outside. When the steam releases its heat to the colder air, its temperature is reduced to the new saturation temperature corresponding to the new pressure and the vapour condenses, returning to the liquid state. Before the refrigerant reaches the bottom of the condenser, all the steam condenses and cools. The cooled liquid reaches the regulator and is ready to start a new refrigeration cycle.
For air conditioning installation North Lakes, contact the most trusted company in the area to save yourself from troubles in the future.