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It is lucky that summer's swelter can be mercifully kept in check by air conditioning. Although previous generations had fans and other methods to keep cool, they were never as amazingly effective as modern air conditioners in terms of sheer cooling capacity. Thanks to its profoundly comforting impact, we are able to enjoy the feel of freshly chilled air on a hot day.
If you are lucky to be in an air conditioned room today, you might want to say thank you Mr Carrier, the inventor who designed the first modern air-conditioning system, launching an industry that fundamentally changed the world.
How Does an Air Conditioner Work?
An air conditioning system essentially has 4 main components. Let's see what these parts do and how they aid in this overall cooling system:
Evaporator – Change refrigerant from liquid to gas
Compressor – A pump that pressurizes refrigerant gas
Condenser – Facilitates heat transfer and turns refrigerant gas into a liquid
Expansion valve – regulates refrigerant flow into the evaporator
Modern air – conditioning works with the principle of thermodynamics. The cycle begins when a fan blows air over the evaporator coil and the refrigerant in the coil absorbs heat from the air. As the refrigerant absorbs heat, it evaporates into a low-pressure gas. Then the compressor draws in cool, low-pressure refrigerant gas and squeeze it, raising its temperature and pressure so that it exits the compressor as a hot, high-pressure gas. From there, the hot, pressurized gas flows over the third component, the condenser. Here, the gas is condensed back into its liquid state as heat is radiated away. The fluid then leaves the compressor as a hot, high pressure gas and flows into the condenser, which contains metal fins that help the heat dissipate. Following that, the cooled-off liquid is now returned into home. Just as before it will absorb heat and change phase from a liquid into a low-pressure gas. From this point, the cycle continues.
You can think of the compressor as the heart of the air conditioning system and the refrigerant as the blood: the compressor pumps the refrigerant through the system to keep it alive and running properly. Needless to say, compressors play a very vital role in the air conditioning system.
Common Refrigerants used in Air Conditioners
Refrigerant is another very important component of the AC system. As a medium for conveying heat, it loops from inside the home to outside throughout the coils and valves of the system to make cool air and starting the cycle anew, absorbing and casting out heat in the process.
R-22 is a hydro-chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC). It was the primary Refrigerant used for home and commercial units but was banned due to the harm it caused to the O-Zone layer. This regulation also required air conditioning manufacturers to cease the shipment of R-22 refrigerant with any newly-produced air conditioning systems.
Subsequently, the HVAC&R industry turned to hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants as substitutes. Due to their zero ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential), HFC refrigerants have gained widespread use since the 1990s.R-410A Is a hydro-fluorocarbon (HFC) which does not contribute to ozone depletion. It is primarily used for home and commercial units made on or after 2010.
However, many HFC refrigerants have relatively high global warming potentials.
The discovery of the greenhouse effects of refrigerants that are used to replace ozone depletion gaseous have prompted the players in the HVAC industry to look for better refrigerants. R-32 is a new refrigerant efficiently conveys heat. It can reduce electricity consumption up to approximately 10% compared to that of air conditioners using refrigerant R-22. Furthermore, compared to the refrigerants widely used today such as R-22 and R-410A, R-32 has a global warming potential (GWP) that is one-third lower and is remarkable for its low environmental impact. Yet this gas is categorized under flammability level A2, hence care has to be taken when using this gas.
R290 is highly refined propane. Its use is increasing due to low environmental impact and excellent thermodynamic performance. It is non-toxic with zero ODP and very low GWP. It is a flammable refrigerant and therefore not suitable for retrofitting existing fluorocarbon refrigerant systems.
Inverter AC VS Non-Inverter AC
Inverter air-conditioners are considered as more sophisticated as they have a variable speed compressor rather than operating at a fixed speed. In Inverter ACs the compressors function varies the capacity within 20–120% of capacity based on the outside temperature. They have precise temperature control and as the set temperature is attained, the unit adjusts its capacity to eliminate any temperature fluctuations. After reaching a specific speed, it lowers down the pace, which demands less electricity. Hence, you can save more electricity on your utility bill based on your room size and usage pattern. Also, they are quieter in its operation, for unlike the non-inverters, they don't automatically turn on and off every time they reach certain temperature limits. Contrary to the operation of a non-converter, the wear and tear that comes along is less as well. All in all, the inverter air conditioner unit is more expensive but is considered to offer wise investment on a long term.
Electronic Expansion Valve VS Thermostatic Expansion Valve
Throttling device in home air conditioners, a part responsible for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant as it flows into the evaporator coil, is referred as thermal expansion valve(TXV). Yet recent days has seen many homeowners switching over to a new type of throttling device known as an electronic expansion valve, or EEV.
Both TXVs and EEVs control the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator coil according to the refrigerant's superheat temperature. The conventional TXV is controlled by springs, bellows, and push rods while EEV operates with a superheat regulation: With a type of sensor known as a sensing bulb, TXVs monitor superheat using sensors located near the output end of the evaporator coil and cannot respond to changing superheats ASAP. On the other hand, EEV monitors superheat with an electronic sensor within a split-second.
In addition, EEV promotes better efficiency at start-up as it can regulate the amount of refrigerant flowing through with the help of step motor.
Some Cost-Effective ACs to Recommend:
Kelon KFR-26GW/EFQMA1(1N17)
Kelon KFR-35GW/EFQMA1(1P26)
Kelon KFR-26GW/EFVEA1(1N17)
TCL KFRd-26GW/D-XQ21Bp(A1)
GREE KFR-26GW/(265931)FNhAbD-A1
Midea KFR-26GW/BP3DN8Y-PH200(B1)
Panasonic XE13KK1
Whirlpool ISH-36AK1
CHIGO NEW-GD9F1H3
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