Temperatures are rising in many places and heat waves are occurring more frequently. Air conditioning systems are therefore becoming increasingly popular. They offer cooling on hot days and can significantly improve the quality of life. But how does air conditioning actually work?
Air conditioning was rather unusual in Germany for a long time. But with rising temperatures and increasing heat waves, fans are often no longer enough. More and more people are therefore equipping their homes with appropriate cooling devices. The advantages are obvious: a pleasantly cool apartment, better sleep quality and a place to retreat on hot days.
How does air conditioning actually work?
Physically speaking An air conditioner works similarly to a refrigerator. This is because both devices transport heat energy from a place with a low temperature to a place with a higher temperature. However, heat only migrates in the direction of lower temperatures. This is why a refrigerant is required that flows through a closed circuit of tubes and cools down the warm room air.
Various components are necessary for this process: a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator. They are part of a cycle that… several stations goes through. Together they ensure that the air is cooled.
These four steps cool down the air in the room
In the first step, the compressor compresses the refrigerant. To do this, it sucks it in gas form. He then presses it into the condenser – also called the condenser. There, the still warm refrigerant cools down with the help of supplied outside air.
The waste heat is released into the colder air in the immediate area. Meanwhile, the temperature of the refrigerant drops and it begins to condense. It changes its form from gaseous to liquid.
A specially designed line then transfers the liquid coolant into the evaporator via the expansion valve. There it evaporates using the ambient heat (room temperature). For this to work, a fan sucks in the warm indoor air and passes it through the evaporator. In return, the cooled air is blown directly into the room.
This cycle repeats itself until the desired temperature is reached in the room. Air conditioning systems work on the principle of a heat pump. However, the process works in reverse: instead of heating rooms, they are cooled.
Air conditioners can also humidify air
However, many air conditioning systems can not only lower the temperature of a room, but also regulate the humidity in the interior. The background: As the temperature inside the building cools, the humidity also decreases.
This is because cool air can store less water vapor than warm air. On the surface of the pipes through which the refrigerant flows, water vapor from the air condenses into water droplets. This condensation is collected and directed outside.
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The article How does air conditioning actually work? by Beatrice Bode first appeared on BASIC thinking. Follow us too Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
As a tech industry expert, I can explain that air conditioning works by removing heat and moisture from the air inside a building, creating a more comfortable environment for occupants.
The process starts with a compressor that pressurizes a refrigerant gas, causing it to become hot. The hot gas is then pumped through a condenser coil located outside the building, where it releases heat and condenses into a liquid.
The liquid refrigerant is then passed through an expansion valve, which causes it to evaporate and cool down. This cool gas is then circulated through an evaporator coil inside the building, where it absorbs heat and moisture from the air.
Finally, the now warm refrigerant gas is pumped back to the compressor to start the cycle over again. This continuous cycle of compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation allows air conditioners to effectively cool and dehumidify indoor spaces.
Overall, air conditioning systems are complex machines that rely on the principles of thermodynamics and fluid dynamics to regulate temperature and humidity levels within buildings.
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