TEAM MEMBER: BLOSE BANELE

DUBE SIPHELELE
KHUMALO SIYAMTHANDA
MZIMELA KWENZA
NKOSI PHIWOKUHLE

POWER SAVING
DEVICE FOR AIR
CONDITIONERS
BY THE CONQUEROR
 POWER SAVING DEVICE FOR AIR CONDITIONERS

South Africa is currently facing one of the most crucial problems which is power outage or load
shedding. soon. This is caused by the enormous power consumption of appliances in our
homes. One common power consumer is air conditioners. Research on the energy
consumption of air conditioners in South Africa is an important topic of study due to the
country’s reliance on air conditioning for comfort in both residential and commercial settings.
With rising temperatures and increasing demand for cooling, understanding how much energy
these systems consume is crucial for developing strategies to reduce energy use and decrease
carbon emissions. According to recent studies, air conditioners in South Africa consume a
significant amount of electricity, with estimates suggesting that they account for up to 60% of
peak electricity demand during the summer months. One of the key factors influencing the
energy consumption of air conditioners in South Africa is the efficiency of the units themselves.
Older, less efficient models tend to consume more energy than newer, more energy-efficient
models. Additionally, factors such as the size of the unit, building insulation, and ambient
temperature can all impact energy consumption. The air conditioner is forced to work hard to
create condensational water which leads to a large power consumption.

Diagram of air conditioner components

Condensation process

A solution to this problem is to design a power-saving device for air conditioners. This will
reduce the temperature of the refrigerant in the condenser (condensation temperature),
increase the amount of sub-cooling without adding additional energy consumption, and reduce
the work done by the compressor, to achieve energy saving.
Science: We would use the principles of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics to
understand how the refrigeration cycle works and how the temperature, pressure, and
enthalpy of the refrigerant change at different points in the system. I would also use the
concepts of sub-cooling and superheating to optimize the performance and efficiency of the
system.
Technology: would use a smart electronic control unit that can sense the ambient temperature
the evaporator temperature, and the condenser temperature, and adjust the flow rate of the
refrigerant accordingly. I would also use a variable-speed compressor that can modulate the
power input based on the cooling demand.

Engineering: We would design a device that can be easily installed on existing air conditioning
units without requiring major modifications or additional components. We would also ensure
that the device is compatible with different types of refrigerants and Air conditioning systems.
Mathematics: would use mathematical models and equations to calculate the energy
consumption, cooling capacity and power saving potential of the device. We would also use
statistical methods and data analysis to compare the results.

Anticipated improvement

Power outages are a common occurrence in many regions of South Africa, especially urban and
peri-urban areas. Power outages beyond causing inconvenience and disrupting productivity are
associated with numerous health effects. The most significant health effect is associated with
the extreme temperatures that are experienced during power outages. However, even without
considering power outages, power consumption by air conditioners is of particular concern in
South Africa. South African communities are faced with the challenge of coping with the ever-
increasing demand for electricity for the cooling of indoor spaces. It has been observed that air
conditioners aggravate the high energy demands during the daytime in South Africa. There is a
consensus that use of power-saving air conditioners can reduce the amount of energy used for
space heating. This may help reduce indoor humidity and hence levels of pollution as well as
greenhouse emissions by reducing the use of traditional heating systems in some parts of South
Africa. This research will focus on assessing the potential impact of power-saving air
conditioners on the overall energy consumption in our community. However, collecting data for
this research is not only challenging but the methods and approach could vary greatly in their
accuracy and usefulness.

Objectives

The objective of the research is to design and produce a low cost but reliable device that does
not use extra electricity and water to increase efficiency of the air conditioners. This will help to
lessen the burden on South Africa's largest power supplier since we are still facing power
outages in the country. Day by day, there are reports of power generators or units failing since
they could not supply the large number of people in the country with power. We need to act as
a country and meet the power provider or supplier halfway by saving power and switching off
appliances at our homes. This could help reduce the power demand. Air conditioners are one of
the largest power consumers, so finding a smart and efficient solution to make air conditioners
save power would make a significant impact in our country.
Activities to participate in

• There students will first collect background information on the air conditioners and their
impacts in our country.

• The team will meet with a team of experts from recognised institutions in the local
community such as colleges and engineering sites to prepare the designs of the prototypes we
aim to build.

• The experts will prove to be vital since they have enough experience on how to tackle
such particular problems

• The team will evaluate different materials needed to build the project. A proper
research will also need to be done on which materials are needed to make the prototypes rigid
and able to withstand different weather conditions.

• A first prototype will be built and proper tests will be conducted to analyse if

Time frames

In this section there will be discussions and explanations on how the methods will be utilized
while conducting the energy assessment for the air conditioners. Before we embark on the real
work of checking the efficiency of the power saving devices, it will be necessary to establish the
energy consumption trend for air conditioners at a specific site. A pre-assessment will be
important in understanding the operating schedule as well as the energy consumption pattern
of the devices. There will several methods used to establish the energy consumption of the air
conditioner and this involves checking the parameters of the air conditioners and doing a direct
energy consumption measurement. However, the rated power (W) and the current (A)
parameters of the air conditioners will be first determined. This will involve switching ON the
air conditioners and allowing them to operate for about 30 minutes to check the current and
the voltage which is usually indicated on the name plate. When the rated power is calculated as
the product of the voltage, current and power factor. The measured power will be compared
with the manufacturer's rated power and a good agreement which will be an indication that
power factor in alternating current circuits and the direct energy consumption measurement
will be adopted. This will involve the use of a power meter connected between the air
conditioner and the socket outlet. The refrigerant pressure of the air conditioning systems will
also be checked as part of this pre-assessment package. To establish the refrigerant pressure,
high and low side readings were obtained and compared with the manufacturer's specification.