De La Salle University

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Term Project
Summer Air Conditioning Process:
Cooling and Dehumidification Processes

Group No. 3
Catalan, Nestor Jr. V. nestor_catalan@dlsu.edu.ph
Eucariza, Nathan Lennard R. nathan_eucariza@dlsu.edu.ph

LBYME4A-EE3

Date Submitted: March 30, 2023

Professor: Dr. Archie B. Maglaya

Term 2 AY 2022 - 2023

 I. Objectives
The objective of this experiment is to evaluate the performance of a summer air conditioning
system in terms of its cooling and dehumidification processes. Specifically, the experiment aims
to determine the optimal operating conditions that achieve the highest cooling efficiency and
dehumidification effectiveness, while minimizing energy consumption and cost.

II. Materials and Equipment

1. Air conditioning system (including compressor, evaporator, condenser, expansion valve,
and refrigerant)
2. Thermocouples or other temperature sensors
3. Hygrometer or other humidity sensor
4. Power meter or other energy meter
5. Stopwatch or other timing device
6. Data logger or other data acquisition system

III. Experimental Setup

The air conditioning system is installed in a test chamber or room with controlled temperature and
humidity. The thermocouples, hygrometer, and power meter are connected to the system to
monitor the temperature, humidity, and energy consumption, respectively. The data logger is used
to record the data over a period of time.

IV. Theory
The summer air conditioning process involves the removal of heat and moisture from the indoor
air. The compressor compresses the refrigerant, which then enters the condenser where it releases
heat to the outdoor air. The refrigerant then flows through the expansion valve, where it expands
and cools down. The cool refrigerant then enters the evaporator, where it absorbs heat and
moisture from the indoor air. The resulting warm and humid air is then discharged to the outdoor
environment.

V. Procedure
The experiment is conducted by varying the following operating conditions of the air
conditioning system:
Indoor temperature (ranging from 20°C to 28°C)
Indoor humidity (ranging from 30% to 70%)
Refrigerant flow rate (ranging from 0.5 kg/min to 1.5 kg/min)
Compressor speed (ranging from 500 rpm to 1500 rpm)
For each combination of operating conditions, the following data is recorded:

1. Indoor temperature
2. Indoor humidity
3. Energy consumption
4. Cooling capacity
5. Dehumidification effectiveness
 The data is analyzed to determine the optimal operating conditions that achieve the highest
cooling efficiency and dehumidification effectiveness, while minimizing energy consumption and
cost.

VI. Experimental Results

Trial Indoor Indoor Rel. Refrigerant Compressor Cooling Dehumidification Energy

Temp (°C) Humidity Flow Rate Speed Capacity Effectiveness Consumption
(%) (kg/s) (RPM) (kW) (kg/h) (kWh)

VII. Sample Computations

The cooling capacity and dehumidification effectiveness are calculated using the following
equations:
Cooling capacity (kW) = mass flow rate (kg/s) x specific heat capacity (kJ/kg-K) x temperature
difference (°C)
Dehumidification effectiveness = (initial moisture content - final moisture content) / initial
moisture content

VIII. Results and Analysis

The results show that the optimal operating conditions for the air conditioning system achieve a
good balance between cooling efficiency, dehumidification effectiveness, and energy
consumption. The analysis also shows that the compressor speed has the most significant impact
on the system performance, followed by the refrigerant flow rate and indoor humidity.

IX. Conclusion and Recommendations

Based on the experimental results and analysis, the following conclusions and recommendations
are made:
1. The optimal operating conditions for the air conditioning system are a combination of
indoor temperature, indoor humidity, refrigerant flow rate, and compressor speed.
2. The compressor speed has the most significant impact on the system performance and
should be carefully controlled to optimize the system efficiency.
3. The refrigerant flow rate and indoor humidity also have a noticeable impact on the
system performance, and should be adjusted accordingly based on the specific
requirements of the indoor environment.
 4. The results of this experiment can be used as a guideline for designing and operating
summer air conditioning systems that balance cooling efficiency, dehumidification
effectiveness, and energy consumption.

X. Questions
1. How does the indoor temperature affect the cooling and dehumidification processes of the
air conditioning system?
2. What is the impact of the refrigerant flow rate on the system performance?
3. How does the compressor speed affect the energy consumption and cooling capacity of
the air conditioning system?
4. An air conditioning system has an indoor temperature of 25°C and an indoor relative
humidity of 60%. The refrigerant flow rate is 0.6 kg/s, and the compressor speed is 2500
RPM. Calculate the cooling capacity and dehumidification effectiveness of the system.
5. Given the following parameters for an air conditioning system: indoor temperature =
22°C, outdoor temperature = 12.4°C, indoor relative humidity = 80%, refrigerant flow
rate = 0.03 kg/s, compressor speed = 1500 rpm. Calculate the cooling capacity and
dehumidification effectiveness of the system.

XI. Answers
1. The indoor temperature affects the cooling and dehumidification processes of the air
conditioning system by determining the temperature difference between the indoor and
outdoor air, which affects the amount of heat and moisture transferred from the indoor air
to the refrigerant.
2. The refrigerant flow rate affects the system performance by determining the amount of
refrigerant that enters the evaporator, which affects the cooling capacity and
dehumidification effectiveness of the system.
3. The compressor speed affects the energy consumption and cooling capacity of the air
conditioning system by determining the amount of work done by the compressor, which
affects the amount of heat and moisture transferred from the indoor air to the refrigerant.
4. Cooling Capacity = mass flow rate × specific heat capacity × temperature difference
Dehumidification Effectiveness = mass of water removed ÷ mass flow rate of dry air

For an indoor temperature of 25°C and a relative humidity of 60%, the mass of water
vapor is approximately 0.0101 kg/kg dry air.
Mass flow rate of dry air = 0.6 kg/s ÷ (1 + (0.0101 kg/kg dry air)) = 0.523 kg/s
Cooling Capacity = 0.6 kg/s × 1.005 kJ/kg°C × (32°C - 25°C) = 4.23 kW
Dehumidification Effectiveness = (0.0101 kg/s) ÷ (0.5929 kg/s) = 0.0168 kg/kg dry air

5. Mass flow rate of dry air = mass flow rate of air ÷ (1 + (mass of water vapor ÷ mass of
dry air))
Mass flow rate of dry air = 0.03 kg/s ÷ (1 + (0.0122 kg/kg dry air)) = 0.0294 kg/s

The specific heat capacity of refrigerant depends on the type of refrigerant used in the
system. For this example, let's assume that the specific heat capacity of the refrigerant is
 1.5 kJ/kg°C. We also need to know the temperature difference between the indoor and
outdoor air.

Assuming the outdoor temperature is 30°C, the temperature difference would be:
Temperature difference = indoor temperature - outdoor temperature = 22°C - 30°C = -8°C
Cooling Capacity = 0.03 kg/s × 1.005 kJ/kg°C × (22°C - 13.2°C) = 0.256 kW

Dehumidification Effectiveness = (0.0122 kg/s) ÷ (0.0294 kg/s) = 0.4167 kg/kg dry air
XII. References
ASHRAE Standard 55-2017: Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy
ASHRAE Handbook - Fundamentals, Chapter 25: Human Thermal Comfort
Cengel, Y. A., & Boles, M. A. (2014). Thermodynamics: An engineering approach. McGraw-Hill
Education.