Air conditioning From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Air conditioning is the removal of heat from indoor air

for thermal comfort. In another sense, the term can refer to any form of cooling, heating, ventilation, or disinfection that modifies the condition of air.[1] An air conditioner (often referred to as AC or air con.) is an appliance, system, or machine designed to stabilise the air temperature and humidity within an area (used for cooling as well as heating depending on the air properties at a given time), typically using a refrigeration cycle but sometimes using evaporation, commonly for comfort cooling in buildings and motor vehicles. Contents [hide]

1 History 2 Air conditioning applications 3 Humidity control 4 Health issues 5 Environmental issues 6 Energy use 7 Automobile air conditioners 8 Portable air conditioners 9 Heat pumps 10 See also 11 References 12 External links History This section may contain inappropriate or misinterpreted citations that do not verify the text. Please help improve this article by checking for inaccuracies. (help, talk, get involved!)(September 2010) The concept of air conditioning is known to have been applied in Ancient Rome, where aqueduct water was circulated through the walls of certain houses to cool them. Similar techniques in medieval Persia involved the use of cisterns and wind towers to cool buildings during the hot season. Modern air conditioning emerged from advances

in chemistry during the 19th century, and the first large-scale electrical air conditioning was invented and used in 1902 by Willis Haviland Carrier. The 2nd-century Chinese inventor Ding Huane (fl. 180) of the Han Dynasty invented a rotary fan for air conditioning, with seven wheels 3 m (9.8 ft) in diameter and manually powered.[2] In 747, Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712762) of the Tang Dynasty (618907) had the Cool Hall (Liang Tian) built in the imperial palace, which the Tang Yulin describes as having water-powered fan wheels for air conditioning as well as rising jet streams of water from fountains.[3] During the subsequent Song Dynasty (9601279), written sources mentioned the air conditioning rotary fan as even more widely used. [4] In the 17th century, Cornelius Drebbel demonstrated "turning Summer into Winter" for James I of England by adding salt to water.[5] 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 "quicken" the evaporation; they lowered the temperature of the thermometer bulb down to 7F while the ambient temperature was 65F. Franklin noted that soon after they passed the freezing point of water (32F) a thin film of ice formed on the surface of the thermometer's bulb and that the ice mass was about a quarter inch thick when they stopped the experiment upon reaching 7F. Franklin concluded, "From this experiment, one may see the possibility of freezing a man to death on a warm summer's day".[6] In 1820, British 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.[7] He hoped eventually to use his ice-making machine to regulate the temperature of buildings. He even envisioned centralized air conditioning that could cool entire cities.[8] Though his prototype leaked and performed irregularly, Gorrie was granted a patent in 1851 for his ice-making machine. His hopes for its success vanished soon afterwards when his chief financial backer died; 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 idea of air conditioning faded away for 50 years. In 1902, the first modern electrical air conditioning unit was invented by Willis Haviland Carrier in Buffalo, New York. After graduating fromCornell University, Carrier, a native of Angola, New York, found a job at the Buffalo Forge Company. While there, Carrier began experimentation with air conditioning as a way to solve an application problem for the Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing and Publishing Company in Brooklyn, New York, and the first "air conditioner", designed and built in Buffalo by Carrier, began working on 17 July 1902. 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 (ones filled with cold water). The air blowing over the cold coils cooled the air, and one could thereby control the amount of moisture the colder air could hold. In turn, the humidity in the room could be controlled. The low heat and humidity were to help 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, North Carolina 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 wellknown 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. This evaporation of water in air, to provide a cooling effect, is now known as evaporative cooling. The first air conditioners and refrigerators employed toxic or flammable gases, such as ammonia, methyl chloride, and propane, that could result in fatal accidents when they leaked. Thomas Midgley, Jr. created the first chlorofluorocarbon gas, Freon, in 1928. Freon is a trademark name owned by DuPont for any Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), Hydrogenated CFC (HCFC), or Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant, the name of each

including a number indicating molecular composition (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. It is to be phased out for use in new equipment by 2010 and completely discontinued by 2020. R-12 was the most common blend used in automobiles in the US until 1994 when most changed to R-134A. R-11 and R-12 are no longer manufactured in the US for this type of application, the only source for air conditioning purchase being the cleaned and purified gas recovered from other air conditioner systems. Several non-ozone depleting refrigerants have been developed as alternatives, including R-410A, invented by Honeywell (formerly AlliedSignal) in Buffalo, and sold under the Genetron (R) AZ-20 name. It was first commercially used by Carrier under the brand name Puron. Innovation in air conditioning technologies continues, with much recent emphasis placed on energy efficiency, and on improving indoor air quality. Reducing climate change impact is an important area of innovation, because in addition to greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use, CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs are, themselves, potent greenhouse gases when leaked to the atmosphere. For example, R-22 (also known as HCFC-22) has a global warming potential about 1,800 times higher than CO2.[9] As an alternative to conventional refrigerants, natural alternatives like CO2 (R744) have been proposed.[10] Air conditioning applications

An air conditioner. Air conditioning engineers broadly divide air conditioning applications into what they call comfortand process. Comfort applications aim to provide a building indoor environment that remains relatively constant despite changes in external weather conditions or in internal heat loads.

Air conditioning makes deep plan buildings feasible, for otherwise they would have to be built narrower or with light wells so that inner spaces receive sufficient outdoor air via natural ventilation. Air conditioning also allows buildings to be taller since wind speed increases significantly with altitude making natural ventilation impractical for very tall buildings[citation needed]. Comfort applications for various building types are quite different and may be categorized as

Low-Rise Residential buildings, including single family houses, duplexes, and small apartment buildings High-Rise Residential buildings, such as tall dormitories and apartment blocks Commercial buildings, which are built for commerce, including offices, malls, shopping centers, restaurants, etc. Institutional buildings, which includes government buildings, hospitals, schools, etc. Industrial spaces where thermal comfort of workers is desired. Sports Stadiums recently, stadiums have been built with air conditioning, such as University of Phoenix Stadium[11] and in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[12]

In addition to buildings, air conditioning can be used for many types of transportation motor-cars, buses and other land vehicles, trains, ships, aircraft, and spacecraft. Process applications aim to provide a suitable environment for a process being carried out, regardless of internal heat and humidity loads and external weather conditions. It is the needs of the process that determine conditions, not human preference. Process applications include these:

Hospital operating theatres, in which air is filtered to high levels to reduce infection risk and the humidity controlled to limit patient dehydration. Although temperatures are often in the comfort range, some specialist procedures such as open heart surgery require low temperatures (about 18 C, 64 F) and others such as neonatal relatively high temperatures (about 28 C, 82 F). Cleanrooms for the production of integrated circuits, pharmaceuticals, and the like, in which very high levels of air cleanliness and control of temperature and humidity are required for the success of the process. Facilities for breeding laboratory animals. Since many animals normally only reproduce in spring, holding them in rooms at which conditions mirror spring all year can cause them to reproduce year-round. Data centers

Textile manufacturing Physical testing facilities Plants and farm growing areas Nuclear power facilities Chemical and biological laboratories Mining Industrial environments Food cooking and processing areas

In both comfort and process applications, the objective may be to not only control temperature, but also humidity, air quality and air movement from space to space. Humidity control

Air conditioning units outside a classroom building at theUniversity of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina 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), sending the water to a drain and removing water vapor from the cooled space and lowering the relative humidity in the room. 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. In food retailing establishments, large open chiller cabinets act as highly effective air dehumidifying units.

A specific type of air conditioner that is used only for dehumidifying is called adehumidifier. A dehumidifier is different from a regular air conditioner in that both the evaporator and condenser coils are placed in the same air path, and the entire unit is placed in the environment that is intended to be conditioned (in this case dehumidified), rather than requiring the condenser coil to be outdoors. Having the condenser coil in the same air path as the evaporator coil produces warm, dehumidified air. The evaporator (cold) coil is placed first in the air path, dehumidifying the air exactly as a regular air conditioner does. The air next passes over the condenser coil re-warming the now dehumidified air. Note that the terms "condenser coil" and "evaporator coil" do not refer to the behavior of water in the air as it passes over each coil; instead they refer to the phases of the refrigeration cycle. Having the condenser coil in the main air path rather than in a separate, outdoor air path (as in a regular air conditioner) results in two consequencesthe output air is warm rather than cold, and the unit is able to be placed anywhere in the environment to be conditioned, without a need to have the condenser outdoors. Unlike a regular air conditioner, a dehumidifier will actually heat a room just as an electric heater that draws the same amount of power (watts) as the dehumidifier. A regular air conditioner transfers energy out of the room by means of the condenser coil, which is outside the room (outdoors). This is a thermodynamic system where the room serves as the system and energy is transferred out of the system. Conversely, with a dehumidifier no energy is transferred out of the thermodynamic system (room) because the air conditioning unit (dehumidifier) is entirely inside the room. Therefore all of the power consumed by the dehumidifier is energy that is input into the thermodynamic system (the room), and remains in the room (as heat). 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. This is the inverse of adding water to the room with an evaporative cooler. Dehumidifiers are commonly used in cold, damp climates to prevent mold growth indoors, especially in basements. They are also sometimes used in hot, humid climates for comfort because they reduce the humidity which causes discomfort (just as a regular air conditioner, but without cooling the room). They are also used to protect sensitive equipment from the adverse effects of excessive humidity in tropical countries. The engineering of physical and thermodynamic properties of gasvapor mixtures is named psychrometrics.

Health issues Air-conditioning system can promote the growth and spread of microorganisms, such as Legionella pneumophila, the infectious agent responsible for Legionnaires' disease, or thermophilic actinomycetes,[13] however this is only prevalent in 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, disinfection, etc., 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. Air conditioning can have a negative effect on skin, drying it out[14] and a positive effect on sufferers of allergies and asthma.[15] Air conditioning can also causedehydration.[16] Environmental issues As air conditioning require a lot of electricity they have been criticized for their contribution to climate change and to carbon emissions.[17][18][19] Energy use In a thermodynamically closed system, any energy input 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 energy removal rate from 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) this requires the air conditioner to remove that energy.[20] In order to do that the air conditioner must increase its consumption by the inverse of its efficiency times the input of energy. As an example, presume that inside the closed system a 100 watt light bulb is activated, and the air conditioner has an efficiency of 200%. The air conditioner's energy consumption will increase by 50 W to compensate for this, thus making the 100 W light bulb use a total of 150 W of energy. It is typical for air conditioners to operate at "efficiencies" of significantly greater than 100%.[21] However it may be noted that the input (electrical) energy is of higher thermodynamic quality than the output which is basically thermal energy (heat dissipated), See Coefficient of performance. Automobile air conditioners Automobile air conditioning systems cool the occupants in hot weather, and have come into wide use from the late twentieth century. Air conditioners use significant power; on

the other hand the drag of a car with closed windows is less than if the windows are open to cool the occupants evaporatively. There has been much debate on the effect of air conditioning on the fuel efficiency of a vehicle. Factors such as wind resistance, aerodynamics and engine power and weight have to be factored into finding the true variance between using the air conditioning system and not using it when estimating the in actual fuel mileage. Other factors on the impact on the engine and an overall engine heat increase can have an impact on the cooling system of the vehicle.

1953 Chrysler Imperial with factory trunk mounted "Airtemp" A company in New York City, U.S.A., first offered installation of air conditioning for cars in 1933. Most of their customers operated limousines and luxury cars. [22] The Packard Motor Car Company was the first automobile manufacturer to build air conditioners into its cars, beginning in 1939.[23] These air conditioners were optional, and cost US$274 (equivalent to about US$4,000 in 2007).[24] The system took up half of the entire trunk space, was not very efficient, and had no thermostat or independent shut-off mechanism.[25] The option was discontinued after 1941.[26] In 1953 Chrysler Corporation offered air conditioning in their luxury Imperial model as a factory-installed option. In 1954 the Nash Ambassador was the first American automobile to have a front-end, fully integrated heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system.[27] The NashKelvinator corporation used its experience in refrigeration to introduce the automobile industry's first compact and affordable, single-unit heating and air conditioning system optional for its 1954 Nash models.[28][29]This was the first system for the mass market with controls on the dash and an electric clutch.[30] Marketed under the name of "AllWeather Eye", the Nash system was described as "a good and remarkably inexpensive" system.[31] Entirely incorporated within the engine bay, the combined heating and cooling system had cold air for passengers enter through dash-mounted

vents.[29] Nash's exclusive "remarkable advance" was not only the "sophisticated" unified system, but also its $345 price that beat all other systems.[32] Most competing systems used a separate heating system and an engine-mounted compressor, driven off of the crankshaft of the engine via a belt, with an evaporator in the car's trunk to deliver cold air through the rear parcel shelf and overhead vents. General Motors made a front mounted air conditioning system optional in 1954 on Pontiacs with a straight-eight engine that added separate controls and air distribution. The alternative layout pioneered by Nash "became established practice and continues to form the basis of the modern and more sophisticated automatic climate control systems."[33] The innovation was adopted quickly, and by 1960 about 20% of all cars in the U.S. had air-conditioning, with the percentage increasing to 80% in the warm areas of the Southwest.[34] American Motors made air conditioning standard equipment on all AMC Ambassadors starting with the 1968 model year, a first[35] in the mass market with a base price starting at $2,671.[36] By 1969, 54% of the domestic automobiles were equipped with air conditioning, with the feature needed not only for passenger comfort, but also to increase the car's resale value.[24] It is claimed that a new type of air-conditioning, called TIFFE, for automobiles that operates similar to a refrigerator[clarification needed] will come into production in 2015. It is said to reduce gasoline consumption by 15%.[37] Portable air conditioners See also: Portable air conditioners A portable air conditioner is one on wheels that can be easily transported inside a home or office. They are currently available with capacities of about 6,00060,000 BTU/h (1,80018,000 W output) and with and without electric resistance heaters. Portable air conditioners are either evaporative or refrigerative. Portable refrigerative air conditioners come in two forms, split and hose. These compressor-based refrigerant systems are air-cooled, meaning they use air to exchange heat, in the same way as a car or typical household air conditioner. Such a system dehumidifies the air as it cools it. It collects water condensed from the cooled air, and produces hot air which must be vented outside the cooled area; doing so transfers heat from the air in the cooled area to the outside air.

A portable split system has an indoor unit on wheels connected to an outdoor unit via flexible pipes, similar to a permanently fixed installed unit. Hose systems, which can be monoblock or air-to-air, are vented to the outside via air ducts. The monoblock type collects the water in a bucket or tray and stops when full. The air-to-air type re-evaporates the water and discharges it through the ducted hose, and can run continuously. A single-duct unit uses air from within the room to cool its condenser, and then vents it outside. This air is replaced by hot air from outside or other rooms, thus reducing efficiency. Modern units might have a COP (Coefficient Of Performance, sometimes called "efficiency") of approximately 3 i.e., 1 kW of electricity will produce 3 kW of cooling. A dual-duct unit draws air from outside to cool its condenser instead of from inside the room, and thus is more efficient than most single-duct units. Evaporative air coolers, sometimes called "swamp air conditioners", do not have a compressor or condenser. Liquid water is evaporated on the cooling fins, releasing the vapour into the cooled area. Evaporating water absorbs a significant amount of heat, the latent heat of vaporisation, cooling the air humans and other animals use the same mechanism to cool themselves by sweating. They have the advantage of needing no hoses to vent heat outside the cooled area, making them truly portable; and they are very cheap to install and use less energy than refrigerative air conditioners. Disadvantages are that unless ambient humidity is low (as in a dry climate) cooling is limited and the cooled air is very humid and can feel clammy. Also, they use much water, which is often at a premium in the dry climates where they work best. Heat pumps Main article: Heat pump Heat pump is a term for a type of air conditioner in which the refrigeration cycle is able to be reversed, producing heat instead of cold 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 efficient than electric resistance heating. Some home-owners elect to have a heat pump system installed, which is actually simply a central air conditioner with heat pump functionality (the refrigeration cycle is reversed in the winter). When the heat pump is enabled, the indoor evaporator coil switches roles and becomes the condenser coil, producing heat. The

outdoor condensor unit also switches roles to serve as the evaporator, and produces 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 4055F (413C), because heat pumps become inefficient in more extreme cold. This is due to the problem of the outdoor unit's coil forming ice, 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 condensor coil so that it can heat up and de-ice. A heat pump system therefore will 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 air conditioning, which would otherwise generate undesirable cold air in the winter. The icing problem becomes much more prevalent 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 oilfurnace, 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. Absorption heat pumps are actually a kind of air-source heat pumps, 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 isnt used at all in the process. To extract heat, an absorption pump absorbs ammonia into water. Next, the water and ammonia mixture is pressurized to induce boiling, and the ammonia is boiled off.[38] Some more expensive window air conditioning units have the heat pump function. However, a window unit that has a "heat" selection is not necessarily a heat pump because some units use electric resistance heat when heating is desired. A unit that has true heat pump functionality will be indicated in its literature by the term "heat pump".

Air conditioner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For general aspects of air conditioning, see Air conditioning.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008)

A typical home air conditioning unit.

An air conditioner (often referred to as AC) is a home appliance, system, or mechanismdesigned to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simplerefrigeration cycle. In construction, a complete system of heating, ventilation and air conditioning is referred to as "HVAC".
Contents
[hide]

1 History 2 Air conditioning applications 3 Air conditioning system basics and theories

3.1 Refrigeration cycle

3.1.1 Humidity 3.1.2 Refrigerants

3.2 Reverse-cycle

4 Types of air conditioner equipment

4.1 Window and through-wall units

4.1.1 Basic parts

o o

4.1.1.1 Exterior 4.1.1.2 Interior

4.2 Evaporative coolers 4.3 Absorptive chillers

4.4 Portable air conditioners

4.4.1 Single hosed units 4.4.2 Dual hosed units 4.4.3 Split units 4.4.4 Heat and cool units

4.5 Central air conditioning

5 Thermostats

4.5.1 Mini (small) duct, high velocity 4.5.2 Passive ground source-based cooling

6 Equipment capacity

6.1 Seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER)

7 Insulation 8 Home air conditioning systems around the world 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

[edit]History

Main article: Air conditioning#History

In 1758, Benjamin Franklin and John Hadley, professor of chemistry 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 "quicken" the evaporation; they lowered the temperature of the thermometer bulb 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 a quarter inch 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".[1] In 1820, British 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.[2] He hoped eventually to 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. His hopes

for its success vanished soon afterward when his chief financial backer died; 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 idea of air conditioning faded away for 50 years. Early commercial applications of air conditioning were manufactured to cool air for industrial processing rather than personal coolness. In 1902 the first modern electrical air conditioning was invented by Willis Carrier in Syracuse, New York. Designed to improve manufacturing process control in a printing plant, his invention controlled not only temperature but also humidity. The low heat and humidity were to help 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 coolness in homes and automobiles. Residential sales expanded dramatically in the 1950s. In 1906, Stuart W. Cramer of Charlotte, North Carolina, 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 wellknown 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. This evaporation of water in air, to provide a cooling effect, is now known as evaporative cooling. The first air conditioners and refrigerators employed toxic or flammable gases like ammonia, methyl chloride and propane, which could result in fatal accidents when they leaked. Thomas Midgley, Jr. created the first chlorofluorocarbon gas, Freon, in 1928. The refrigerant was much safer for humans but was later identified as being harmful to the atmosphere's ozone layer. Freon is a trademark name of DuPont for any chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), hydrogenated CFC (HCFC), or hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant, the name of each including a number indicating molecular composition (R-11, R-12, R-22, R-134A). The blend most used in directexpansion home and building cooling is an HCFC known as R-22. It is to be phased out for use in new equipment by 2010 and completely discontinued by 2020. R-12 was the most common blend used in automobiles in the United States until 1994 when most changed to R-134A. R-11 and R-12 are no longer manufactured in the United States, the only source for purchase being the cleaned and purified gas recovered from other air conditioner systems. Several non-ozone depleting refrigerants have been developed as alternatives, including R-410A, known by the brand name Puron. The most common ozone-depleting refrigerants are R-22, R-11 and R-123. [edit]Air

conditioning applications

Main article: Air conditioning#Air conditioning applications

This section requires expansion.

[edit]Air

conditioning system basics and theories

[edit]Refrigeration

cycle

A simple stylized diagram of the refrigeration cycle: 1) condensing coil, 2) expansion valve, 3) evaporator coil, 4) compressor.

Capillary expansion valve connection to evaporator inlet. Notice frost formation.

In the refrigeration cycle, a heat pump transfers heat from a lower-temperature heat source into a higher-temperature heat sink. Heat would naturally flow in the opposite direction. This is the most common type of air conditioning. A refrigerator works in much the same way, as it pumps the heat out of the interior and into the room in which it stands. This cycle takes advantage of the way phase changes work, where latent heat is released at a constant temperature during a liquid/gas phase change, and where varying the pressure of a pure substance also varies its condensation/boiling point. The most common refrigeration cycle uses an electric motor to drive a compressor. In an automobile, the compressor is driven by a belt over a pulley, the belt being driven by the engine's crankshaft(similar to the driving of the pulleys for the alternator, power steering, etc.). Whether in a car or building, both use electric fan motors for air circulation. Since evaporation occurs when heat is absorbed, and condensation occurs when heat is released, air conditioners use a compressor to cause pressure changes between

two compartments, and actively condense and pump arefrigerant around. A refrigerant is pumped into the evaporator coil, located in the compartment to be cooled, where the low pressure causes the refrigerant to evaporate into a vapor, taking heat with it. At the opposite side of the cycle is the condenser, which is located outside of the cooled compartment, where the refrigerant vapor is compressed and forced through another heat exchange coil, condensing the refrigerant into a liquid, thus rejecting the heat previously absorbed from the cooled space. By placing the condenser (where the heat is rejected) inside a compartment, and the evaporator (which absorbs heat) in the ambient environment (such as outside), or merely running a normal air conditioner's refrigerant in the opposite direction, the overall effect is the opposite, and the compartment is heated. This is usually called a heat pump, and is capable of heating a home to comfortable temperatures (25 C; 70 F), even when the outside air is below the freezing point of water (0 C; 32 F). Cylinder unloaders are a method of load control used mainly in commercial air conditioning systems. On a semi-hermetic (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. [edit]Humidity Air conditioning equipment usually reduces the humidity of the air processed by the system. The relatively cold (below the dew point) evaporator coil condenses water vapor from the processed air, much as a cold drink will condense water on the outside of a glass. The water is drained, removing water vapor from the cooled space and thereby lowering its relative humidity. Some air conditioning units dry the air without cooling it. These work like a normal air conditioner, except that a heat exchanger is placed between the intake and exhaust. In combination with convection fans, they achieve a similar level of coolness as an air cooler in humidtropical climates, but only consume about one-third the energy. [edit]Refrigerants Main article: Refrigerant

A modern R-134a hermetic refrigerationcompressor

"Freon" is a trade name for a family of haloalkane refrigerants manufactured by DuPont and other companies. These refrigerants were commonly used due to their superior stability and safety properties. However, these chlorine-bearing refrigerants reach the upper atmosphere when they escape.[3] Once the refrigerant reaches the stratosphere, UV radiation from the Sun cleaves the chlorine-carbon bond, yielding a chlorine radical. These chlorine atoms catalyze the breakdown ofozone 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. The use of CFC as a refrigerant was once common, being used in the refrigerants R-11 and R-12. In most countries the manufacture and use of CFCs has been banned or severely restricted due to concerns about ozone depletion.[4] 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; [5] failure to comply may result in criminal and civil sanctions. Newer and more environmentally safe refrigerants such as HCFCs (R-22, used in most homes today) and HFCs (R-134a, used in most cars) have replaced most CFC use. HCFCs, in turn, are being phased out under the Montreal Protocol and replaced by hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) such as R-410A, which lack chlorine. Carbon dioxide (R-744) is being rapidly adopted as a refrigerant in Europe and Japan. R-744 is an effective refrigerant with a global warming potential of 1. It must use higher compression to produce an equivalent cooling effect. [edit]Reverse-cycle
This section requires expansion.

For more details on this topic, see Air conditioning#Heat pumps. [edit]Types

of air conditioner equipment

The external section of a typical single-room air conditioning unit. For ease of installation, these are frequently placed in a window. This one was installed through a hole cut in the wall.

The internal section of the above unit. The front panel swings down to reveal the controls.

[edit]Window

and through-wall units

Room air conditioners come in two forms: unitary and packaged terminal PTAC systems. Unitary systems, the common one room air conditioners, sit in a window or wall opening, with interior controls. Interior air is cooled as a fan blows it over the evaporator. On the exterior the air is heated as a second fan blows it over the condenser. In this process, heat is drawn from the room and discharged to the environment. A large house or building may have several such units, permitting each room be cooled separately. PTAC systems are also known as wall split air conditioning systems or ductless systems. [6] These PTAC systems which are frequently used in hotels have two separate units (terminal packages), the evaporative unit on the interior and the condensing unit on the exterior, with tubing passing through the wall and connecting them. This minimizes the interior system footprint and allows each room to be adjusted independently. PTAC systems may be adapted to provide heating in cold weather, either directly by using an electric strip, gas or other heater, or by reversing the refrigerant flow to heat the interior and draw heat from the exterior air, converting the air conditioner into a heat pump. While room air conditioning provides maximum flexibility, when cooling many rooms it is generally more expensive than central air conditioning. The first practical through the wall air conditioning unit was invented by engineers at Chrysler Motors and offered for sale starting in 1935.[7] [edit]Basic parts The following are the basic parts for a window unit air conditioner. [edit]Exterior

Adjustable louvers Control panel Front grill Thermostat sensor

[edit]Interior

Blower Partition

Fan Compressor Condenser coil Evaporator coil Filter

[edit]Evaporative

coolers

Main article: Evaporative cooler

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 sponge soaked 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 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. [8] 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. [edit]Absorptive

chillers

Main article: Absorption refrigerator [edit]Portable

air conditioners

This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citationsfrom reliable sources. (March 2010)

Portable air conditioners are movable units that can be used to cool a specific region of a building or home in a modular fashion, not requiring permanent installation. They are used for much the same purposes and in much the same ways as traditional "window a/c" units (cooling an overly hot room, cooling rooms in older homes without central a/c, providing a general "boost" in capacity to a home with an undersized central a/c e.g. "a hot upstairs bedroom", cooling a room that never had a/c before but is now being used for living or work space i.e. an attic converted into a play room or a shed converted into a workshop, etc.). Portable a/c units provide a cleaner looking end product (no bulky unit hanging out of the window) which may allow installation in areas with stricter

neighborhood ordinances/association rules, and are generally easier to install (the window design and installation part itself becomes much less of an obstacle for the average person); for this reason they are a popular alternative to traditional "window units" but do have some disadvantages. For example, they generally cost more than for an equally powerful (capacity) window unit e.g. a 10,000 BTU/h (~2.9 kW) portable a/c with a standard feature set may sell for $300 retail versus the same capacity/featured window a/c unit at $150$200 and they are somewhat noisier, since the compressor and condenser fan components are now inside the occupied space (although modern portable a/c units are fairly quiet and unobtrusive). Older portable a/c units also required periodic emptying of a condensate water tank (basically the water/humidity removed from the air) but modern units are designed in such a way that they rarely need to be emptied or maintained other than periodically cleaning the air filter. Most portable air conditioners are refrigeration based rather than evaporative, [citation needed] and it is this type that is described in this section. Another application for portable air conditioner units is for the temporary rental in emergency situations such as power failures at warehouses, offices, or data centers. [edit]Single hosed units A single hosed unit has one hose that runs from the back of the portable air conditioner to the vent kit where hot air can be released. A typical single hosed portable air conditioner can cool a room that is 475 sq ft (44.1 m2) or smaller and has at most a cooling power of 12,000 BTUs/h (3.5 kW). However, single hosed units cool a room less effectively than dual hosed as the air expelled from the room through the single hose creates negative pressure inside the room. Because of this, air (potentially warm air) from neighboring rooms is pulled into the room with the cooling unit to compensate.[9] [edit]Dual hosed units Dual hosed units are typically used in larger rooms. One hose is used as the exhaust hose to vent hot air and the other as the intake hose to draw in additional air (usually from the outside). These units generally have a cooler power of 12,000-14,000 BTUs/h (3.54.1 kW) and cool rooms that are around 500 sq ft (46 m2). The reason an intake hose is needed to draw in extra air is because with higher BTU units, air is cycled in large amounts and hot air is expelled at a faster rate. This would create negative air pressure in the room, so the intake hose eliminates reduction of room air pressure which would draw outside air into the room. [clarification needed] [edit]Split units Portable units are also available in split configuration, often with the compressor and evaporator located in a separate external package and the two units connected via two detachable refrigerant pipes, as is the case with fixed split systems. Split portable units are superior to both single and dual hosed mono-portable units in that interior noise and size of the internal unit can be greatly reduced due to the external location of the compressor, and the water collected can be pumped to the outdoor unit using a pump, avoiding the need to drain water from the indoor unit periodically when running in cooling mode.. A drawback of split portable units compared with mono-portables is that a surface exterior to the building, such as a balcony must be provided for the external compressor unit to be located. Unlike window ACs the split AC does not have an option of exchange of indoor and outdoor air.

[edit]Heat and cool units Some portable air conditioner units are also able to provide heat by reversing the cooling process so that cool air is collected from a room and warm air is released. These units are not meant to replace actual heaters though and should not be used to heat rooms that are below 10 C(50 F). [edit]Central

air conditioning

Central air conditioning, commonly referred to as central air (U.S.) or air-con (UK), is an air conditioning system that uses ducts to distribute cooled and/or dehumidified air to more than one room, or uses pipes to distribute chilled water to heat exchangers in more than one room, and which is not plugged into a standard electrical outlet. With a typical split system, the condenser and compressor are located in an outdoor unit; the evaporator is mounted in the air handler unit. With a package system, all components are located in a single outdoor unit that may be located on the ground or roof. Central air conditioning performs like a regular air conditioner but has several added benefits:

When the air handling unit turns on, room air is drawn in from various parts of the building through return-air ducts. This air is pulled through a filter where airborne particles such as dust and lint are removed. Sophisticated filters may remove microscopic pollutants as well. The filtered air is routed to air supply ductwork that carries it back to rooms. Whenever the air conditioner is running, this cycle repeats continually.

Because the condenser unit (with its fan and the compressor) is located outside the home, it offers a lower level of indoor noise than a free-standing air conditioning unit.

[edit]Mini (small) duct, high velocity A central air conditioning system using high velocity air forced through small ducts (also called mini-ducts), typically round, flexible hoses about 2 inches in diameter. Using the principle of aspiration, the higher velocity air mixes more effectively with the room air, eliminating temperature discrepancies and drafts. A high velocity system often consumes more electricity to pump around air, and can be louder than a conventional system if sound attenuators are not used, though they come standard on most, if not all, systems. The smaller, flexible tubing used for a mini-duct system allows it to be more easily installed in historic buildings, and structures with solid walls, such as log homes. These small ducts are typically longer contiguous pieces, and therefore less prone to leakage. Another added benefit of this type of ducting is the prevention of foreign particle buildup within the ducts, due to a combination of the higher velocity air, as well as the lack of hard corners. [edit]Passive ground source-based cooling This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (June 2011)

If underground conditions are suitable, then by far the most energy-efficient way to chill air, is to pump up the coldness of ground water or from underground soil or rock formations, and use that coldness directly (without a heat pump compressor) to chill indoor air. Unless next to open water, they require a high initial investment: drilling deep holes and fitting them with pipes or a filter and pump. But after that, such systems consume five to twenty times less energy than heat pump-based systems. These systems have the disadvantage that they can not chill below or even near the temperature of the deeper underground, so they only work well if winters or nearby mountains cool groundwater below roughly 16 C (60 F). Also, in the longer run such systems have a tendency to 'deplete' underground coldness, which makes them less efficient. This can be fixed in the winter months, by collecting winter coldness from the air through a roof top heat exchanger and pumping it into the underground cold-source. Unfortunately, such systems are as yet hardly developed[citation needed]. One factor is that some of the world's leading manufacturers of air conditioners also manufacture the boilers and turbines for large electricity plants. Therefore they have little incentive to reduce electricity use of air conditioners[citation needed]. For large buildings, ground source-coldness is successfully used to reduce energy consumption of central air conditioner systems, often in combination with heat pump based heating systems. [edit]Thermostats

Main article: Thermostat

Thermostats control the operation of HVAC systems, turning on the heating or cooling systems to bring the building to the set temperature. Typically the heating and cooling systems have separate control systems (even though they may share a thermostat) so that the temperature is only controlled "one-way." That is, in cold weather, a building that is too hot will not be cooled by the thermostat. Thermostats may also be incorporated into facility energy management systems in which the power utility customer may control the overall energy expenditure. In addition, a growing number of power utilities have made available a device which, when professionally installed, will control or limit the power to an HVAC system during peak use times in order to avoid necessitating the use of rolling blackouts. The customer is given a credit of some sort in exchange, so it is often to the advantage of the consumer to buy the most efficient[citation needed] thermostat possible. [edit]Equipment

capacity

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 BTUper hour, or 3517 watts.[10] Residential central air systems are usually from 1 to 5 tons (3 to 20 kilowatts (kW)) in capacity. The use of electric/compressive air conditioning puts a major demand on the electrical power grid in hot weather, when most units are operating under heavy load. In the aftermath of the 2003 North America blackout locals were asked to keep their air conditioning off. During peak demand, additional power plants must often be brought online, usually expensive peaker plants. A 1995 metaanalysis of various utility studies concluded that the average air conditioner wasted 40% of the input energy. This energy is lost in the form of heat, which must be pumped out. In an automobile, the A/C system will use around 5 horsepower (4 kW) of the engine's power.[citation needed]

[edit]Seasonal

energy efficiency ratio (SEER)

Main article: Seasonal energy efficiency ratio

For residential homes, some countries set minimum requirements for energy efficiency. In the United States, the efficiency of air conditioners is often (but not always) rated by the seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER). The higher the SEER rating, the more energy efficient is the air conditioner. The SEER rating is the BTU of cooling output during its normal annual usage divided by the total electric energy input in watt hours (Wh) during the same period.[11] SEER = BTU (Wh) this can also be rewritten as: SEER = (BTU / h) W, where "W" is the average electrical power in Watts, and (BTU/h) is the rated cooling power. For example, a 5000 BTU/h air-conditioning unit, with a SEER of 10, would consume 5000/10 = 500 Watts of power on average. The electrical energy consumed per year can be calculated as the average power multiplied by the annual operating time: 500 W 1000 h = 500,000 Wh = 500 kWh Assuming 1000 hours of operation during a typical cooling season (i.e., 8 hours per day for 125 days per year). Another method that yields the same result, is to calculate the total annual cooling output: 5000 BTU/h 1000 h = 5,000,000 BTU Then, for a SEER of 10, the annual electrical energy usage would be: 5,000,000 BTU 10 = 500,000 Wh = 500 kWh SEER is related to the coefficient of performance (COP) commonly used in thermodynamics and also to the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER). The EER is the efficiency rating for the equipment at a particular pair of external and internal temperatures, while SEER is calculated over a whole range of external temperatures (i.e., the temperature distribution for the geographical location of the SEER test). SEER is unusual in that it is composed of an Imperial unit divided by an SI unit. The COP is a ratio with the same metric units of energy (joules) in both thenumerator and denominator. They cancel out, leaving a dimensionless quantity. Formulas for the approximate conversion between SEER and EER or COP are available from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company:[12] (1) (2) (3) SEER = EER 0.9 SEER = COP x 3.792 EER = COP x 3.413

From equation (2) above, a SEER of 13 is equivalent to a COP of 3.43, which means that 3.43 units of heat energy are pumped per unit of work energy. Today, it is rare to see systems rated below SEER 9 in the United States, since older units are being replaced with higher-efficiency units. The United States now requires that residential systems manufactured in 2006 have a minimum SEER rating of 13 (although window-box systems are exempt from this law, so their SEER is still around 10).[13] Substantial energy savings can be obtained from more efficient systems. For example by upgrading from SEER 9 to SEER 13, the power consumption is reduced by 30% (equal to 1 - 9/13). It is claimed that this can result in an energy savings valued at up to US$300 per year (depending on the usage rate and the cost of electricity). In many cases, the lifetime energy savings are likely to surpass the higher initial cost of a highefficiency unit. As an example, the annual cost of electric power consumed by a 72,000 BTU/h air conditioning unit operating for 1000 hours per year with a SEER rating of 10 and a power cost of $0.08 per kilowatt hour (kWh) may be calculated as follows: unit size, BTU/h hours per year, h power cost, $/kWh (SEER, BTU/Wh 1000 W/kW) (72,000 BTU/h) (1000 h) ($0.08/kWh) [(10 BTU/Wh) (1000 W/kW)] = $576.00 annual cost A common misconception is that the SEER rating system also applies to heating systems. However, SEER ratings only apply to air conditioning. Air conditioners (for cooling) and heat pumps (for heating) both work similarly in that heat is transferred or "pumped" from a cooler heat source to a warmer "heat sink". Air conditioners and heat pumps usually operate most effectively at temperatures around 10 to 13 degrees Celsius (C) (50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit (F)). A balance point is reached when the heat source temperature falls below about 4 C (40 F), and the system is not able to pull any more heat from the heat source (this point varies from heat pump to heat pump). Similarly, when the heat sink temperature rises to about 49 C (120 F), the system will operate less effectively, and will not be able to "push" out any more heat.Geothermal heat pumps do not have this problem of reaching a balance point because they use the ground as a heat source/heat sink and the ground's thermal inertia prevents it from becoming too cold or too warm when moving heat from or to it. The ground's temperature does not vary nearly as much over a year as that of the air above it.

[edit]Insulation

An air-conditioning unit is only able to cool a building to a given temperature if the cooling capacity of the air-conditioning unit is greater than the rate of heat transfer from the building into the ambient environment. Additional cooling capacity can be supplied by increasing the size, and most likely the energy consumption, of the air-conditioning unit. Restricting the rate of heat transfer is achieved by measures such as increasing structural insulation thickness's and improving air tightness. Since the rate of heat transfer through the building fabric has such a direct influence on airconditioning requirements the level of insulation in the building fabric should be considered when selecting an air-conditioning unit. Pipe insulation is applied to air-conditioning distribution pipework. This is partly to reduce the heat gain to the distribution pipework but also to prevent the formation of condensation on the pipe surface that would otherwise accelerate corrosion. [edit]Home

air conditioning systems around the world

This especially applies to capitals and urbanized areas in hot parts of the world where most of the population lives in small high-rise flats. Japanesemade domestic air conditioners are usually window or split types, the latter being more modern and expensive. In Israel, virtually all residential systems are split types. In the United States of America, home air conditioning is most prevalent in the South/Southwest and on the East Coast.[citation needed]Central air systems are most common in the United States of America, and increasingly a standard design factor.[citation needed] In Canada, home air conditioning is less common than in East Asia and the United States, but it still quite prevalent. This is especially true of the Great Lakes regions of southern Ontario and Quebec, where there are especially high humidity levels. While window and split units are common in these regions, central air systems are the most widespread in Western Canada. Most Western Canadian homes are built with already-compatible central forced air natural gas heating systems, making installing a central air system very simple. In Central Canadaseparate room-based hydro powered heating

is more common, leading to the higher cost of retrofitting a central air system. The majority of modern urban high-rise condominiums built in Canadian cities have air conditioning systems. While energy is comparatively cheap in Canada, the large size of the average Canadian home and cold winters make heating and cooling one of the largest household expenses. Canadian summers are often hot, but rarely reach the dangerous temperatures experienced in the United States or Asia. As such, many Canadians, especially in older homes, simply choose to forgo air conditioning in lieu of simple fans and evaporative coolers. Cost of operation (as a factor of efficiency) of air conditioning is often considered an environmentally unfriendly mitigation to poor thermal design. There have been a number of advances in more environmentally friendly technologies, including insulation advancement, geothermal cooling, and theEnwave deep lake system in Toronto that cools a number of office towers using cold water from Lake Ontario. In Europe, home air conditioning is generally less common. Southern European countries such as Greece have seen a wide proliferation of home air-conditioning units in recent years.[14] In another southern European country, Malta, it is estimated that around 55% of households have an air conditioner installed.[15]

The idea of air conditioning started before a machine was created to produce the cooling effect desired. The first attempt at building an air conditioner was made by Dr. John Gorrie (1803-1855), an American physician, in Apalachicola, Florida. During his practice there in the 1830s, Dr. Gorrie creating an ice-making machine that essentially blew air over a bucket of ice for cooling hospital rooms of patients suffering from malaria and yellow fever. In 1881, when President James Garfield was dying, naval engineers constructed a box-like structure containing cloths saturated with melted ice water, where a fan blew hot air overhead. This contraption was able to lower a room by 20 degrees Fahrenheit but consumed half a million pounds of ice in two months' time. A close ancestor to the modern air conditioner units was first made in 1902 by an American engineer by the name of Willis Carrier. The machine at that time was called "Apparatus for Treating Air" and was built for the Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing and Publishing Co. in Brooklyn, New York. Chilled coils were used in the machine to cool air and lower humidity to

55%, although the apparatus was made with enough precision that the humidity level desired was adjustable. After the invention by Carrier, air conditioners began to bloom. They first hit the industrial buildings such as printing plants, textile mills, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and a few hospitals. The first air-conditioned home was that of Charles Gates, son of gambler John "Bet a Million" Gates, in Minneapolis in 1914. However, during the first wave of their installation, Carrier's air conditioner units were large, expensive, and dangerous due to the toxic ammonia that was used as coolant. In 1922, Carrier had two breakthroughs - he replaced the ammonia with the benign coolant dielene and added a central compressor to reduce the size of the unit. The next advance was when Carrier sold his invention to movie-theater operators, with a notable debut in 1925 at the Rivoli on Broadway in New York City. In a short amount of time, air conditioners were installed in office buildings, department stores and railroad cars. The United States House of Representatives had air conditioners installed in 1928, with the Senate, White House and Supreme Court following suit in the years after. After World War II, window units air conditioners appeared, with sales escalating from 74,000 in 1948 to 1,045,000 in 1953. Today, air conditioners have been said to be a partial cause for the changes in the South, and for most of us who have experienced its cooling benefits in times of searing heat waves, it is an invention that is hard to live without.
Source: Jones Jr., Malcolm. "Air Conditioning". Newsweek. Winter 1997 v130 n24-A p42(2). Home

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ind out who invented the air conditioning. Who really invented the air conditioning? Is Willis Carrier the father of air conditioner? That question is still debatable, but here is a brief article of air conditioning history. Some people consider Willis Haviland Carrier to be the "father of air conditioning" or the "father of cool yet, so many people had already contributed to the invention of air conditioning before his innovations. He was the first to made the air conditioner units. However, the idea of air conditioning existed before the first residential central air conditionerswere even designed. In the beginning they understand the principle of refrigeration and air conditioning (cooling) The basic theory of air conditioning can be obtained from the second law of thermodynamics, which states that heat flows from hot areas to cold, not the other way around. If its energy is to flow from cold to hot, it needs additional energy. It seems an easy notion, but it still took over a century for basic air conditioning units to manufactured and designed. Ancient Greeks, Jews and Persians understands this theory and they invented the ideas of air conditioning. They collected natural ice and snow and used it to cool wine, food and delicacies. They used wood or sawdust to insulate the ice and reduce the transfer of heat to stop the ice from melting. Medieval Persians used an intricate building design that used cisterns and wind towers to cool buildings during the hot season. The cisterns were large open pools in courtyards which collected rainwater.

This rainwater then evaporated, causing the air in the courtyards to become cooler. The wind towers were designed with windows that would catch wind and internal vanes that directed the flow of air down into the building. History of refrigeration begin with? Air conditioning units can trace as far as 1748. At Glasgow University William Cullen demonstrated the first design of artificial refrigeration. He used an air pump to create a partial vacuum. The water inside the evacuated chamber was brought to a boil; in which, the most energetic molecules became vapor. The liquid waters temperature fell rapidly causing it to eventually freeze. According to sources, Cullen used ether instead of water. Despite the core area of Cullens concept, his invention was never use. The history of refrigeration didnt started with William Cullen, Ancient Greeks, Jews or Persians . Some evident indicated that the Chinese understand refrigeration concept and they were the first to used that refrigeration ideas. Although the Chinese, Ancient Greeks, Jew or Persians understood the ideas; William Cullen, Oliver Evans, and Willis Carrier invented the commercial air conditioner units. They were consider the greatest people in air conditioning history. Oliver Evans invented vapor compression system In the late 1700s, Oliver Evans discover air cooling method. Born in 1755 in Delaware, Oliver worked as a wagon maker, and studied math and science. He soon gained a reputation for building all kinds of laborsaving devices, but his attention caught by the latest power source steam. Oliver set about producing his own energy efficient engine, and by 1804; he had accomplished it. Evans Colombian High-pressure Engine was the first step for the Americans journey towards a power based industry. Another of Evans designs was a vapor compression system which included an ac compressor, an ac condenser and a cooling coil, which dramatically altered how air conditioning work and it impact on air conditioning history. Evans died in 1819 without manufacturing the design, but his friend, Jacob Perkins, followed Evans lead and built the prototype of a modern air conditioning system. Air conditioner history greatest doctor It was almost a century later when an American physician, Doctor John Gorrie, who created a device, that would be the first step to modern refrigeration and air conditioning. Gorrie was a doctor in charge of the U.S Marine Hospital in Apalachicola, Florida. He was the first American to make an attempt to cool his hospitals and he created a device that blew air over a bucket of ice, thus creating a cooling breeze. During the 1830s his invention was used for cooling the wards of the patients suffering from malaria and yellow fever. In 1851, John Gorrie was granted a patent for the first commercialized machine used for refrigeration and air conditioner units. Gorries advanced system used a pump to compress air which in turn made the air hot. He removed the compressed air by circulating it with cold water before allowing it to expand. The expansion cooled the air to a temperature lows enough to freeze water. Gorries system is not too different from our Glaswegian professor, William Cullen. Gorrie hoped to eventually put his ice making machine to use by regulating the temperature of entire buildings. He went so far as to manufacturing a device that would cool down entire cities. Although his prototype did not work without leaking, he was still granted a patent in 1851.

Alexander Twining Alexander Twining wasnt considers as the father of air conditioning, but his experiment with vapor-compression refrigeration in 1848 contribute greatly to air conditioning history. He obtained patents in 1850 and 1853 for his contribution. He is credited with having started commercial refrigeration in the United States by 1856. Twining graduated from Yale in 1820, and became a professor of mathematics, civil engineering, and astronomy at Middle bury College from 1839 till 1849. He was employed as a civil engineer on various railways and canals, and discovered the first practical method of producing ice in bulk quantities by artificial means. Michael Faraday contribution to air conditioning history A British scientist, Michael Faraday, was originally recruited as a bookbinder at the age of 14. It was during his employment that he became immersed in the chemical works of the current time. He spent years on scientific work, which dealt mainly with chemicals. He was responsible for liquefying chlorine and some other gases. In 1845, Faraday discovered that intense magnetic fields can take the place of polarized light and this is known today as the Faraday Effect. Faraday set up a series of experiments, mainly based on electricity. During his work, he discovered that if liquefied ammonia evaporated, the air that it evaporated into would chill. Michael Faraday is considered by many as the greatest experimentalism whoever lived, and his pioneering experiments and conclusions are commonly used in modern day science.

tory of Air Conditioning

History of air conditioning part 1 Navel engineers, who attempt to save the president life with air conditioning (cooling) Another notable early attempt at air conditioning came during the brief presidency of James Garfield. In 1881 as he lay on his deathbed, navel engineers concocted a box-like structure which contained melted ice. In the ice he soaked material and used a fan to blow the cold, wet clothes to lower the temperature. The unusual method worked and lowered the temperature by 20 degrees, although the process did consume half of a million pounds of ice in just two month period! Although navel engineers attempt to save the president was not known to some people, but its interesting fact collection to the history of air conditioning. James Harrison role in air conditioning history James Harrison is another pioneer in the topic of refrigeration. His first contributions to history of air conditioning begins in 1851, when he made the first mechanical ice making machine and it began operating on the banks of the Barwon River. Harrisons first commercial ice making machines followed in 1854 and his patented for an ether liquid-vapor compression refrigeration system was granted in 1855. Harrison used a compressor on a refrigerant gas, and the compressed gas passed through the condenser, where it cooled down and liquefied. The liquefied gas then circulated through the refrigeration coils thus vaporizing again and cooling down the surrounding system.

Though he had a commercial success establishing a second ice company in Sydney in 1860, he pondered on how to compete against the American advantage of un-refrigerated beef sales to the United Kingdom. He packed the frozen meat for the voyage and prepared the ship for a trip to Norfolk, England. He chose to use a cold room instead of installing a refrigeration system on the ship, but his experiment failed when the ice melted faster than expected. Harrison continued to work on methods of refrigeration with an emphasis on producing a system that would allow the export of meat from Australia to England. At the Melbourne exhibition of 1872-73, Harrison showed his proposal, where the meat would be frozen in the refrigeration plant and stored in an insulated "cold bank" on board the ship. The ship set sail in July of 1873, but the system failed again when the ice ran out before the journey was completed. The meat defrosted and had to be thrown overboard. Harrisons experiments were not in vain, however, it was not long before meat was successfully being transported through the tropics using similar techniques to his. Greater discovery in the history of air conditioning came from two engineers Two engineers began to construct air conditioning units that would most closely resemble what we use in modern times. In 1889, Alfred Wolff designed a ventilation system for Carnegie Hall in New York. He placed a block of ice in the air duct and as the air passed through the block it cooled the air. Wolffs creation was not, however, successful during the highest heat of the summers. In 1902 his contraption had moved forward and he installed a winter heating system, again in Carnegie Hall. The air conditioning system was a lot more technical than his air duct ice, combining dry and wet bulbs, steam pipe regulators and a temperature control. Wolff moved on to install a 3000 ton air conditioning system in the New York Stock Exchange, which remained in place for the next 20 years. The second engineer, Willis Carrier, built his self-titled apparatus for treating air for a publishing company in New York, in the same year as Wolffs air duct device. Carriers assignment was to use his expertise to solve a problem that was occurring in the Brooklyn Printing Plant. Fluctuation in heat and humidity were causing the dimension of the printing paper to alter and misalign the inks. Carrier installed a system much similarly to Wolff, which blew air over cold coils and through the moisture condenser. An important difference between Wolffs system and Carriers, was that Carrier used two sets of cooling coils in his machine as apposed to Wolff. Carrier took his thoughts on the idea of air conditioning furthers in the field than most of the inventors who had played around with the concepts of air treatment. His greater discovery in history of air conditioning took place in late 1902, while he waited for a train on the platform of Pittsburgh Station. He noticed the mist and fog surrounding him and realized that he needed to create something like this in his ventilating devices to control and adjust humidity. Carrier is known as the Father of air conditioning; although, the phrase air conditioning originated from a textile engineer, Stuart W. Cramer, who came up with the name when he described his system for regulating the temperature and humidity inside a textile factory in 1905. Thomas Midgley Miracle Compound changed history of air conditioning

Before the time of Carrier and Cramer, Ferdinand Carre of France developed a more complex system in 1859. Until then most of the air treatment machines used air as the main cooling ingredient. Carres design contained expanding ammonia. Ammonia liquefies at a much lower temperature than water and is therefore able to absorb more heat. Ammonia, however, is toxic and this prevented the general use of mechanical refrigerators for household use. Several fatalities occurred during the 1920s from leakage of the ammonia from refrigerators but the combined effort among the three American companies Frigidaire, General Motors, and DuPont began to try to eradicate the problem. This miracle compound, that changed the history of air conditioning created by Thomas Midgley with the assistant of Charles Franklin Kettering has invented refrigerant in 1928. Ac refrigerant is not natural but is mass-produced by two companies in the United States. It is made up of chlorofluorocarbons (or CFCs). What Midgley did not know at the time was the effect that these substances would have on the environment. The negative effects on the ozone layers are well documented today, but during their time it was not known that these harmful CFCs would be released from the refrigerators. Even though CFCs are safer than ammonia, they cause harm to ozone. As a result the ozone layer has been thinning dramatically year by year. Around the time of World War I, the beginning of cinemas and movie theaters became the next industry that would discover a need for air conditioning. An engineer named Frederick Wittenmeier manufactured air conditioning systems for Central Park and Riviera Theater. These units used carbon dioxide as the coolant; however, this gas demanded high-pressure equipment, which tended to suffer from leakage. The positive aspect of using carbon dioxide was that it is odorless and only becomes toxic in very high concentrations. It is also non-explosive and nonflammable.

History Of Air Conditioner

History Of Air Conditioner

The development of refrigeration started in the early days with the need to preserve foods. Foods that are kept at room temperature spoil easily due to the growth of bacteria. At temperature below 4 C (40 F), the growth of bacteria is reduced rapidly. As a result of the development in food refrigeration, other applications that follows include air conditioning, humidity control and manufacturing processes.

The discovery of the principles of the absorption type of refrigeration in 1824 showed that liquified ammonia could chill air when it is allowed to evaporate. Ice was created using compressor technology in the year 1842 by a physician named John Gorrie.

The commercially available of air conditioning applications started based on the need to cool air for industrial processes than for personal comfort. The first electrical air conditioning was invented by Willis Haviland Carrier in the year 1902. He was also known as the Father of Modern Air Conditioning. His invention was designed to improve the manufacturing process of a printing plant. By controlling the temperature and humidity of the plant, the processes were made more efficient as the paper size and the ink allignment were consistently maintained. The Carrier Air Conditioning Company of America was established by him to meet the demand of better productivity in the workplace. Today, Carrier Corporation is the biggest air conditioner manufacturer and marketing corporation in the world in central air conditioning. The discovery of Freon in 1928 by Thomas Midgley, Jr., a safer refrigerant to humans compared to the toxic and flammable gases such as ammonia, propane and methyl chloride sparks the invention of air conditioning systems for residential, industrial and commercial applications. Unfortunately, the use of CFC and HCFC refrigerants are causing the depletion of ozone layer in our atmosphere that is causing harmful rays to penetrate our earth. Newer ozone friendly refrigerants have been developed to replace refrigerants such as R-11, R-12 and R-22 to name a few. Non-ozone depletion refrigerant such as R-410a has been used in newer air conditioning systems.

History Of Air Conditioner and Refrigeration

1820 Ice was first artificially made as an experiment. 1824 Michael Faraday discovered the principles for the absorption type of refrigeration.

1834 Jacob Perkins invented the first artificial ice manufacturing machine which led to our modern compression systems. 1902 Willis Haviland Carrier invented the first air conditioner to control the temperature and humidity of a printing company, marking the first time effort taken to control the temperature of the surroundings. This starts the history of air conditioning.

1906 Stuart W. Cramer come out with the term "Air Conditioning." which was later adopted by Carrier. 1913 The first international refrigeration expo is held in Chicago. 1928 The discovery of Freon refrigerant by Thomas Midgley, Jr. 1930 The White House is air-conditioned. 1946 The demand for room air conditioners began to increase with more than 30,000 units produced on this year. 1953 Room air conditioners sale exceed 1 million units. This is another key milestone in the history of air conditioner. 1953 The Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturers Association and The Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Machinery Association are formed. 1957 The first rotary compressor was developed hence making air conditioning units smaller and more efficient compared to the reciprocating type. 1977 Heat Pumps equipments developed that allows cooling and heating cycle using the same machine that can be used to provide cooling during summer and heating during winter. 1987 Montreal Protocol signed to protect the earth's ozone layer is signed in Montreal, Canada. The Protocol establishes international cooperation on the phase out of ozone depleting substances, including the chlorofluorocarbon(CFC) refrigerants used in HVAC equipments.

1990 Microprocessor control systems are used in all areas of refrigeration and air conditioning due to the readily available semiconductor technology. 1992 The R-22 Alternative Refrigeration Evaluation Program (AREP) starts to find alternative refrigerants to R-502 and R-22. 1995 Chloroflourocarbon (CFC) manufacturing in the USA ends on December 31. 1997 Kyoto Protocol signed to protect the earth's climate by reducing greenhouse gases that cause climate change. 1998 Unitary air conditioners and heat pumps set a sale record of more than 6 million units. 2007 A State Council issued a circular to restrict the temperature of air conditioning in public buildings to 26C (78F) or higher during summer and 20C (68&decF) and lower during winter. Sale of low efficiency air conditioning units are also outlawed.

The History of Air Conditioning and Air Conditioners

In 1902, only one year after Willis Haviland Carrier graduated from Cornell University with a Masters in Engineering, the first air (temperature and humidity) conditioning was in operation, making one Brooklyn printing plant owner very happy. Fluctuations in heat and humidity in his plant had caused the dimensions of the printing paper to keep altering slightly, enough to ensure a misalignment of the colored inks. The new air conditioning machine created a stable environment and aligned four-color printing became possible. All thanks to the new employee at the Buffalo Forge Company, who started on a salary of only $10.00 per week. The 'Apparatus for Treating Air' (U.S. Pat# 808897) granted in 1906, was the first of several patents awarded to Willis Haviland Carrier. The recognized 'father of air conditioning' is Carrier, but the term 'air conditioning' actually originated with textile engineer, Stuart H. Cramer. Cramer used the phrase 'air conditioning' in a 1906 patent claim filed for a device that added water vapor to the air in textile plants - to condition the yarn. In 1911, Willis Haviland Carrier disclosed his basic Rational Psychrometric Formulae to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The formula still stands today as the basis in all fundamental calculations for the air conditioning industry. Carrier said he received his 'flash of genius' while waiting for a train. It was a foggy night and he was going over in his mind the problem of temperature and humidity control. By the time the train arrived, Carrier had an understanding of the relationship between temperature, humidity and dew point.

Industries flourished with the new ability to control the temperature and humidity levels during and after production. Film, tobacco, processed meats, medical capsules, textiles and other products acquired significant improvements in quality with air conditioning. Willis and six other engineers formed the Carrier Engineering Corporation in 1915 with a starting capital of $35,000 (1995 sales topped $5 billion). The company was dedicated to improving air conditioning technology. In 1921, Willis Haviland Carrier patented the centrifugal refrigeration machine. The 'centrifugal chiller' was the first practical method of air conditioning large spaces. Previous refrigeration machines used reciprocating-compressors (piston-driven) to pump refrigerant (often toxic and flammable ammonia) throughout the system. Carrier designed a centrifugal-compressor similar to the centrifugal turning-blades of a water pump. The result was a safer and more efficient chiller. This is a timeline of historical facts about the development of the air-conditioning industry and facts that all led up to the modernization of the air conditioning system and all things effecting refrigeration and air conditioning. 1882 - Thanks to Thomas Edison the first electric power plant opens in New York making it possible for the first time to have an inexpensive source of energy for residential and commercial buildings. 1889 - Central station refrigeration is used in large cities to preserve foods and documents. 1902 - Willis Carrier builds the first air conditioner to combat humidity inside a printing company. Controlling the humidity in printing companies and textile mills was the start of managing the inside environments. 1906 - Willis Carrier patents his invention calling it an "Apparatus for Treating Air." 1906 - Stuart W. Cramer coins the term "Air Conditioning." 1913 - The first international exposition devoted exclusively to refrigeration is held in Chicago. 1917 - The first documented theater to use refrigeration is the New Empire Theatre in Montegomery, Alabama. In that same year, the Central Park Theater in Chicago is built to incorporate the new technology: air conditioning. 1928 - The Chamber of the House of Representatives becomes air conditioned. 1929 - The Senate becomes air conditioned. 1930 - The White House, the Executive Office Building, the Department of Commerce are air-conditioned. 1942 - Pepco becomes the nation's first summer peaking utility. 1946 - After World War II, the demand for room air-conditioners begins to increase. Thirty thousand room air-conditioners are produced that year. 1947 - Air conditioning becomes a bargaining issue when textile workers in North Carolina strike because of stressful heat and humidity in the workplace. 1950 - A major study shows that families living in air conditioned homes sleep longer in summer, enjoy their food more and have more leisure time. 1953 - Room air conditioner sales exceed one million units with demand still exceeding supply. 1953 - The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute is formed from two associations: the Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturers Association and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Machinery Association. 1955 - Mass marketing of frozen dinners begins: ads promote "TV dinners." 1957 - The first rotary compressor was introduced, permitting units to be smaller, quieter, weigh less, and more efficient than the reciprocating type. 1969 - Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon in space suits with life support and cooling systems. 1977 - New technology allows heat pumps to operate at lower outdoor temperatures while heating on the reversed refrigeration cycle. 1987 - The United Nations Montreal Protocol for protection of the earth's ozone layer is signed. The Protocol establishes international cooperation on the of stratospheric ozone depleting substances, including the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants used in some refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. 1990 - ARI, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy, initiates the Materials Compatibility Lubricants Research (MCLR) program, which helps manufacturers to accelerate away from CFC refrigerants. 1992 - The R-22 Alternative Refrigeration Evaluation Program (AREP) begins a four-year program to investigate alternatives to R-502 and HCFC-22. 1995 - Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) production in the United States ends December 31. 1997 - North American Technician Excellence (NATE) formed to promote excellence in technicians who install and service air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. The NATE certified logo means the best!

1998 - Research for the 21st Century, a multi-year, million dollar research program for air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment, begins. The objective is to decrease building energy usage while improving indoor air quality. 1998 - Shipments of unitary air conditioners and heat pumps set a record of more than 6.2 million units. 1998 - After receiving five annual awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for contributions to environmental protection, ARI was awarded a Best of the Best award for continued environmental concern. For more information on "The Father of Cool" Willis Haviland Carrier, click here for the full article from About.com Here is the full description for an air conditioning system and component list from wikipedia.com. Ever wondered how an air conditioner functions to keep us cool? This is an article from howstuffworks.com that describes how an air conditioner works.