Air conditioning

Air conditioning (often referred to as A/C, AC or aircon)

is the process of altering the properties
of air (primarily temperatureand humidity) to more
comfortable conditions, typically with the aim of
distributing the conditioned air to an occupied space to
.improve thermal comfort and indoor air quality
In common use, an air conditioner is a device that lowers
the air temperature. The cooling is typically achieved
through a refrigeration cycle, but
sometimes evaporation or free cooling is used. Air
conditioning systems can also be made based on
.desiccants

In the most general sense, air conditioning can refer

to any form of technology that modifies the condition
of air (heating, cooling, (de-)humidification, cleaning,
ventilation, or air movement). However,
in construction, such a complete system of
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning is referred to
as HVAC (as opposed to AC).

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 Midgley, Jr. created the first nonflammable, non-toxic chlorofluorocarbon gas, Freon, in
1928. The name is a trademark name owned
by DuPont for
any Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (
HCFC), orHydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant. The
refrigerant names include a number indicating the
molecular composition (e.g. R-11, R-12, R-22, R-134A).
The blend most used in direct-expansion home and
.building comfort cooling is an HCFC known as R-22
R-12 was the most common blend used in automobiles in
the US until 1994, when most designs changed to R134A due to the ozone-depleting potential of R-12. R-11

and R-12 are no longer manufactured in the US for this

type of application, so the only source for air-conditioning
repair purposes is the cleaned and purified gas recovered
from other air conditioner systems. Several non-ozonedepleting refrigerants have been developed as
alternatives, including R-410A. It was first commercially
.used by Carrier Corp. under the brand namePuron
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
as HCFCs (R-22, used in most U.S. homes even 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 hydrofluorocarbons
(HFCs) such asR-410A, which lack chlorine.[citation
needed]
HFCs, however, contribute to climate change
problems. Moreover, policy and political influence by
corporate executives resisted change.[15][16] In fact, since
corporate executives insisted that no alternatives to HFCs
existed, the non-governmental organization (NGO)
Greenpeace solicited a European laboratory to research
an alternative ozone- and climate-safe refrigerant in 1992,
gained patent rights to a hydrocarbon mix of isopentane
and isobutane, but then left the technology as open
access.[17][18] 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.[19][20] In 1995, Germany made
CFC refrigerators illegal.[21] Du Pont and other companies
blocked the refrigerant in the U.S. with the U.S. E.P.A.,
disparaging the approach as "that German technology."[20]
[22]
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 Unilever and General Electric began
to take steps to support production and use in the
U.S. Only in 2011 did the E.P.A. finally decide in favor of
the ozone- and climate-safe refrigerant for U.S.
.manufacture

Refrigeration cycle

In the refrigeration cycle, heat is transported from a colder

location to a hotter area. As heat would naturally flow in
the opposite direction, work is required to achieve this.
A refrigerator is an example of such a system, as it
transports the heat out of the interior and into its
environment (i.e. the room). The refrigerant is used as the
medium which absorbs and removes heat from the space
to be cooled and subsequently rejects that heat
.elsewhere
Circulating refrigerant vapor enters the compressor and is
compressed to a higher pressure, resulting in a higher
temperature as well. The hot, compressed refrigerant
vapor is now at a temperature and pressure at which it
can be condensed and is routed through acondenser.
Here it is cooled by air flowing across the condenser coils
and condensed into a liquid. Thus, the circulating

refrigerant rejects heat from the system and the heat is

.carried away by the air
The condensed and pressurized liquid refrigerant is next
routed through an expansion valve where it undergoes an
abrupt reduction in pressure. That pressure reduction
results in flash evaporation of a part of the liquid
refrigerant, lowering its temperature. The cold refrigerant
is then routed through the evaporator. A fan blows the
warm air (which is to be cooled) across the evaporator,
causing the liquid part of the cold refrigerant mixture to
evaporate as well, further lowering the temperature. The
.warm air is therefore cooled
To complete the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant vapor is
.routed back into the compressor
By placing the condenser inside a compartment, and the
evaporator in the ambient environment (such as outside),
or by merely running an air conditioner's refrigerant in the
opposite direction, the overall effect is the opposite, and
the compartment is heated instead of cooled. See
.also heat pump
The engineering of physical and thermodynamic
.properties of gasvapor mixtures is called psychrometrics

Heat pump
Heat pump is a term for a type of air conditioner in which
the refrigeration cycle can be reversed, producing heating
instead of cooling in the indoor environment. They are also
commonly referred to, and marketed as, a "reverse cycle
air conditioner". Using an air conditioner in this way to

produce heat is significantly more energy efficient

than electric resistance heating. Some homeowners elect
to have a heat pump system installed, which is simply
a central air conditioner with heat pump functionality (the
refrigeration cycle can be reversed in cold weather). When
the heat pump is in heating mode, the indoor evaporator
coil switches roles and becomes the condenser coil,
producing heat. The outdoor condenser unit also switches
roles to serve as the evaporator, and discharges cold air
.(colder than the ambient outdoor air)
Heat pumps are more popular in milder winter climates
where the temperature is frequently in the range of 40
55 F (413 C), because heat pumps become inefficient
in more extreme cold. This is due to the problem of ice
forming on the outdoor unit's heat exchanger coil, which
blocks air flow over the coil. To compensate for this, the
heat pump system must temporarily switch back into the
regular air conditioning mode to switch the outdoor
evaporator coil back to being the condenser coil, so that it
can heat up and defrost. A heat pump system will
therefore have a form of electric resistance heating in the
indoor air path that is activated only in this mode in order
to compensate for the temporary indoor air cooling, which
would otherwise be uncomfortable in the winter. The icing
problem becomes much more severe with lower outdoor
temperatures, so heat pumps are commonly installed in
tandem with a more conventional form of heating, such as
a natural gas or oil furnace, which is used instead of the
heat pump during harsher winter temperatures. In this
case, the heat pump is used efficiently during the milder
temperatures, and the system is switched to the
conventional heat source when the outdoor temperature is
lower.it also works on the basis of carnot cycle
Absorption heat pumps are actually a kind of air-source
heat pump, but they do not depend on electricity to power
them. Instead, gas, solar power, or heated water is used

as a main power source. Additionally, refrigerant is not

used at all in the process.[dubious discuss] An absorption pump
absorbs ammonia into water.[further explanation needed] Next, the
water and ammonia mixture is depressurized to induce
boiling, and the ammonia is boiled off, resulting in cooling.
[29]

Some more expensive window air conditioning units have

a true heat pump function. However, a window unit that
has a "heat" selection is not necessarily a heat pump
because some units use only electric resistance heat
when heating is desired. A unit that has true heat pump
functionality will be indicated its specifications by the term
.""heat pump

Evaporative cooling
In very dry climates, evaporative coolers, sometimes
referred to as swamp coolers or desert coolers, are
popular for improving coolness during hot weather. An
evaporative cooler is a device that draws outside air
through a wet pad, such as a large spongesoaked with
water. The sensible heat of the incoming air, as measured
by a dry bulb thermometer, is reduced. The total
heat(sensible heat plus latent heat) of the entering air is
unchanged. Some of the sensible heat of the entering air
is converted to latent heat by the evaporation of water in
the wet cooler pads. If the entering air is dry enough, the
results can be quite cooling. Evaporative coolers tend to
feel as if they are not working during times of high
humidity, when there is not much dry air with which the
coolers can work to make the air as cool as possible for

dwelling occupants. Unlike other types of air conditioners,

evaporative coolers rely on the outside air to be channeled
through cooler pads that cool the air before it reaches the
inside of a house through its air duct system; this cooled
outside air must be allowed to push the warmer air within
the house out through an exhaust opening such as an
open door or window.[30] These coolers cost less and are
.mechanically simple to understand and maintain
An early type of cooler, using ice for a further effect,
was patented by John Gorrie of Apalachicola, Florida in
1842. He used the device to cool the patients in
.his malaria hospital

Free cooling
Air conditioning can also be provided by a process
called free cooling which uses pumps to circulate a
coolant (typically water or a glycol mix) from a cold source,
which in turn acts as a heat sink for the energy that is
removed from the cooled space. Common storage media
are deep aquifers or a natural underground rock mass
accessed via a cluster of small-diameter boreholes,
equipped with heat exchanger. Some systems with small
storage capacity are hybrid systems, using free cooling
early in the cooling season, and later employing a heat
pump to chill the circulation coming from the storage. The
heat pump is added because the temperature of the
storage gradually increases during the cooling season,
.thereby declining its effectiveness
Free cooling systems can have very high efficiencies, and
are sometimes combined with seasonal thermal energy
storage (STES) so the cold of winter can be used for
summer air conditioning. Free cooling and hybrid systems

.are mature technology

Humidity control
Since humans perspire to provide natural cooling by
the evaporation of perspiration from the skin, drier air (up
to a point) improves the comfort provided. The comfort air
conditioner is designed to create a 40% to 60% relative
.humidity in the occupied space

Dehumidification and cooling

Refrigeration air conditioning equipment usually reduces the
absolute humidity of the air processed by the system. The relatively cold
(below the dewpoint) evaporator coil condenses water vapor from the
processed air, much like an ice-cold drink will condense water on the outside
of a glass. Therefore, water vapor is removed from the cooled air and the
relative humidity in the room is lowered. The water is usually sent to a drain or
may simply drip onto the ground outdoors. The heat is rejected by the
condenser which is located outside of room to be cooled.

Dehumidification only
An air conditioner that is used only for dehumidifying is
called a dehumidifier. It also uses a refrigeration cycle, but
differs from a "regular" air conditioner in that both the

evaporator and the condenser are placed in the same air

path. A "regular" air conditioner transfers heat energy out
of the room because its condenser coil is outside.
However, since all components of the dehumidifier are in
the same room, no heat energy is removed. Instead, the
electric power consumed by the dehumidifier remains in
the room as heat, so the room is actuallyheated, just as by
an electric heater that draws the same amount of power.
In addition, if the condensed water has been removed
from the room, the amount of heat needed to boil that
water has been added to the room (the "latent heat of
vaporization"). The dehumidification process is the inverse
of adding water to the room with an evaporative cooler,
.and instead releases heat
Inside the unit, the air passes over the evaporator coil first
and is cooled and dehumidified. The now dehumidified,
cold air then passes over the condenser coil where it is
warmed up again. Then the air is released back into the
room. The unit produces warm, dehumidified air and can
usually be placed freely in the environment (room) that is
.to be conditioned
Dehumidifiers are commonly used in cold, damp climates
to prevent mold growth indoors, especially in basements.
They are also used to protect sensitive equipment from
the adverse effects of excessive humidity in tropical
.countries

Energy transfer
In a thermodynamically closed system, any power
dissipated into the system that is being maintained at a set
temperature (which is a standard mode of operation for

modern air conditioners) requires that the rate of energy

removal by the air conditioner increase. This increase has
the effect that, for each unit of energy input into the
system (say to power a light bulb in the closed system),
the air conditioner removes that energy.[32] In order to do
so, the air conditioner must increase its power
consumption by the inverse of its "efficiency" (coefficient of
performance) times the amount of power dissipated into
the system. As an example, assume that inside the closed
system a 100 W heating element is activated, and the air
conditioner has an coefficient of performance of 200%.
The air conditioner's power consumption will increase by
50 W to compensate for this, thus making the 100 W
.heating element cost a total of 150 W of power
It is typical for air conditioners to operate at "efficiencies"
of significantly greater than 100%.[33] However, it may be
noted that the input electrical energy is of higher
thermodynamic quality (lower entropy) than the output
.thermal energy (heat energy)
Air conditioner equipment power in the U.S. is often
described in terms of "tons of refrigeration". A ton of
refrigeration is approximately equal to the cooling power of
one short ton(2000 pounds or 907 kilograms) of ice
melting in a 24-hour period. The value is defined as
12,000 BTU per hour, or 3517 watts.[34] Residential central
air systems are usually from 1 to 5 tons (3 to 20 kilowatts
..(kW)) in capacity

Health issues
Air-conditioning systems can promote the growth and
spread of microorganisms,[52] such as Legionella
pneumophila, the infectious agent responsible
for Legionnaires' disease, or thermophilic actinomycetes;

however, this is only prevalent in poorly maintained

water cooling towers. As long as the cooling tower is kept
clean (usually by means of a chlorine treatment), these
.health hazards can be avoided
Conversely, air conditioning (including filtration,
humidification, cooling and disinfection) can be used to
provide a clean, safe, hypoallergenic atmosphere in
hospital operating rooms and other environments where
an appropriate atmosphere is critical to patient safety and
well-being. Excessive air conditioning can have a negative
effect on skin, drying it out, and can also
.cause dehydration

Power consumption
Innovation in air conditioning technologies continues, with
much recent emphasis placed on energy efficiency.
Production of the electricity used to operate air
conditioners has an environmental impact, including the
.release of greenhouse gasses
Cylinder unloaders are a method of load control used
mainly in commercial air conditioning systems. On a semihermetic (or open) compressor, the heads can be fitted
with unloaders which remove a portion of the load from
the compressor so that it can run better when full cooling
.is not needed. Unloaders can be electrical or mechanical
In an automobile, the A/C system will use around
4 horsepower (3 kW) of the engine's power, thus
.increasing fuel consumption of the vehicle

Refrigerants
Most refrigerants used for air conditioning contribute to
global warming, and many also deplete the ozone layer.
[56]
CFCs, HCFCs, and HFCs are potent greenhouse
.gases when leaked to the atmosphere
The use of Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) as a refrigerant was
once common, being used in the refrigerants R-11 and R12 and R 134 (sold under the brand name Freon-12).
Freon refrigerants were commonly used during the 20th
century in air conditioners due to their superior stability
and safety properties. However, these chlorine-bearing
refrigerants reach the upper atmosphere when they
escape.[57] Once the refrigerant reaches
the stratosphere, UV radiation from the Sun homolytically
cleaves the chlorine-carbon bond, yielding a
chlorine radical. These chlorine atoms catalyze the
breakdown of ozone into diatomic oxygen, depleting
the ozone layer that shields the Earth's surface from
strong UV radiation. Each chlorine radical remains active
as a catalyst unless it binds with another chlorine radical,
.forming a stable molecule and breaking the chain reaction
Prior to 1994, most automotive air conditioning systems
used R-12 as a refrigerant. It was replaced with R134a refrigerant, which has a lower ozone depletion
potential. Old R-12 systems can be retrofitted to R-134a
by a complete flush and filter/dryer replacement to remove
.the mineral oil, which is not compatible with R-134a
R-22 (also known as HCFC-22) has a global warming
potential about 1,800 times higher than CO2.[58] It was to
be phased out for use in new equipment by 2010, and is
to be completely discontinued by 2020. Although those
gasses can be recycled when air conditioning units are
disposed of, uncontrolled dumping and leaking can
.accidentally release those gas directly in the atmosphere

In most countries[which?] the manufacture and use of CFCs

has been banned or severely restricted due to concerns
about ozone depletion (see also Montreal Protocol).[59] In
light of these environmental concerns, beginning on
November 14, 1994, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency has restricted the sale, possession and use of
refrigerant to only licensed technicians, per Rules 608 and
609 of the EPA rules and regulations.[60]
As an alternative to conventional refrigerants, natural
gases, such as CO2 (R-744), have been proposed.[61] R744 is being adopted as a refrigerant in Europe and
Japan. It is an effective refrigerant with a global warming
potential of 1, but it must use higher compression to
.produce an equivalent cooling effect
In fact, in 1992, a non-governmental organization was
spurred by corporate executive policies and requested
that a European lab find a substitute. The result quickly led
to two alternative mixes, one of propane (R290) and
isobutane (R60Oa), and one of pure isobutane.[18]
[21]
Corporate executives resisted change in Europe only
until 1993, but in the U.S. until 2011, despite some
supportive steps in 2004 and 2008 (see Refrigerant
.Development above)

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Bahadori MN (February 1978). "Passive Cooling Systems in Iranian

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154. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0278-144.

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Needham, Joseph (1991). Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 4:

Physics and Physical Technology, Part 2, Mechanical Engineering. Cambridge
University Press. pp. 99, 151, 233. ISBN 978-0-521-05803-2

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7.
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9.

Needham, Joseph (1991). Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 4:

Physics and Physical Technology, Part 2, Mechanical Engineering. Cambridge
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Laszlo, Pierre (June 2001). Salt: Grain of Life. ISBN 978-0-231-12198-9.
Franklin, Benjamin (June 17, 1758). "Letter to John Lining". Retrieved 6
August 2014.
History of Air Conditioning