ARUSHA TECHNICAL COLLEGE

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

REFRIGERATION AND AIR CONDITIONING (EET 06203)

AIR CONDITIONING NOTES I

INTRODUCTION

Air conditioning is treating of air in such a way that temperature; humidity and contamination
by dust particles are adjusted to levels suitable for the purpose for which air conditioning is
intended. Air can be conditioned to provide comfort for people at home or at work or it can be
conditioned for commercial purposes to supply the best environment for machinery or technical
equipments. Computer rooms, for example work best in an atmosphere of properly conditioned
air. Of course, in many cases, as with computer rooms, the air conditioning system may serve
two purposes, that of prolonging the life of the equipment and of comfort.

In all types of Air conditioning, the room or building which is air conditioned is called the air
conditioned space. The conditioned air supplied to the air conditioned space is the supply air. Air
which has passed through the air conditioned space is called exhaust air and the exhaust air
returned to the air conditioning system is return air. Air taken in from outside the building is
outside air or fresh air. The capacity of air conditioning is measured by BTU- Stands for British
thermal unit, is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one
degree Fahrenheit

Most air conditioning systems perform the following functions:

1. Provide the cooling and heating energy required
2. Condition the supply air, that is, heat or cool, humidify or dehumidify, clean and purify, and
Attenuate any objectionable noise produced by the HVAC equipment
3. Distribute the conditioned air, containing sufficient outdoor air, to the conditioned space
4. Control and maintain the indoor environmental parameters–such as temperature, humidity,
Cleanliness, air movement, sound level, and pressure differential between the conditioned space
and surroundings—within predetermined limits

Types of Air conditioning

1. Split type air conditioning

2. Window type air conditioning
3. Central unit air conditioning
4. Packaged air conditioning.

Split Type Air Conditioning

A split air conditioning imply means that the condenser (or sometimes referred to as the ―outdoor
unit‖) is separated from the ―indoor unit‖, thus the term ―split‖. The split air conditioning has at
least one unit that sits inside your room. The compressor sits outside of the room, sometimes on
the ground or on brackets hung to the wall. Some models come with multiple indoor units that
will use one single compressor; this is known as the multi split air conditioning system.

A copper connection pipe and electrical wiring connects the indoor unit to the outdoor unit of the
split air conditioning. Gas refrigerant is pumped from the outdoor condenser coil and compressor
through the connection pipe to the indoor unit or units. A fan then quietly distributes cool air
drawn across the unit's evaporator coil.

In a split air conditioning, the amount of cold air entering the room can he controlled by a
thermostat or it can be regulated by an infra-red remote control, like a TV remote. One room or
one area of a building can maintain a different temperature from another room or area in the
same building. In a central air-conditioning system, refrigerant is pumped from the outdoor
condenser coil indoors to a single indoor coil from which cooled air is distributed to each room
through a system of ducts. The amount of cold air in one room is regulated by changing the
temperature of every room in the building.

Split air conditionings are the perfect solution for spot cooling - for example, in residential
houses where only certain rooms are required to be cooled at certain times, for example, living
room during the day and bedroom at night but also in large structures like retail stores and
supermarkets, where spot cooling is essential, for example areas can be either too hot or too cold.

Space demands on modern buildings make it necessary for some to install modular and special-
purpose offices within existing spaces. Split air conditioning units are perfect for these uses. The
condenser can be placed outside the office, and connection pipes and wiring can be run into the
room. Inside wall or ceiling units can distribute the cooled air with precision and more cost
effectively. Since no ductwork or air distribution system is needed with a split air conditioning
system, there are few places where these systems cannot be installed. Split air conditioning
systems have been installed all over the world - in small and large offices, shops, motels and
hotels, schools and universities, telephone equipment rooms, computer rooms, churches,
hospitals and laboratories.
The benefits of split air conditioning :

 Heat Pump System

 Energy Efficient
 Easy installation
 Easy maintenance
 Quiet operation
 Simple control
 Attractive and efficient design.

An easy installation for your contractor means less mess, or disruption, for your home or
downtime for your business. Split air conditionings are easy to maintain. They have washable
filters and require only periodical cleaning. Outdoor units are designed for easy access for your
contractor for those routine maintenance calls.

Both the indoor and outdoor units are designed for quiet operation. Indoor units are typically
quiet enough for libraries, classrooms, boardrooms, and the most sensitive room in the house, the
bedroom. Outdoor units are generally quiet enough to be installed under a window or near a
patio so sleeping or the entertaining of guests is not disrupted. Indoor units blend well into
interior spaces and you don't have to sacrifice a window as window type air conditioning units.

Most split air conditioning units provide ―climate control‖ with additional heating as well, so you
can live and work comfortably year-round.

Window type air conditioning.

Window type air conditioning is the most commonly used air conditioner for single rooms. In
this air conditioner all the components, namely the compressor, condenser, expansion valve or
coil, evaporator and cooling coil are enclosed in a single box. This unit is fitted in a slot made in
the wall of the room, or more commonly a window sill.

Parts of the Window Air Conditioners:

Windows air conditioners are one of the most widely used types of air conditioners because they
are the simplest form of the air conditioning systems. Window air conditioner comprises of the
rigid base on which all the parts of the window air conditioner are assembled. The base is
assembled inside the casing which is fitted into the wall or the window of the room in which the
air conditioner is fitted.

The whole assembly of the window air conditioner can be divided into two compartments: the
room side, which is also the cooling side and the outdoor side from where the heat absorbed by
the room air is liberated to the atmosphere. The room side and outdoor side are separated from
each other by an insulated partition enclosed inside the window air conditioner assembly.
In the front of the window air conditioner on the room side there is beautifully decorated front
panel on which the supply and return air grills are fitted (the whole front panel itself is
commonly called as front grill). The louvers fitted in the supply air grills are adjustable so as to
supply the air in desired direction. There is also one opening in the grill that allows access to the
control panel or operating panel in front of the window air conditioner.
The various parts of the window air conditioner can be divided into following categories: the
refrigeration system, air circulation system, ventilation system, control system, and the electrical
protection system. All these have been discussed in details below along with the front panel and
other parts. The refrigeration system of the window air conditioner comprises of all the important
parts of the refrigeration cycle. These include the compressor, condenser, expansion valve and
the evaporator. All these components have been shown in fig 3 above. The refrigerant used in
most of the window air conditioners is R22.

The compressor used in the window air conditioners is hermetically sealed type, which is
portable one. This compressor has long life and it carries long warranty periods. In case of the
maintenance problems it can be replaced easily from the company. The condenser is made up of
copper tubing and it is cooled by the atmospheric air. The condenser is covered with the fins to
enable faster heat transfer rate from it.

Central unit air conditioning

In a central air-conditioning system, refrigerant is pumped from the outdoor condenser coil
indoors to a single indoor coil from which cooled air is distributed to each room through a
system of ducts. The amount of cold air in one room is regulated by changing the temperature of
every room in the building.

How the Central Air Conditioner Works:

Internal air-cooling and circulation system:

An impeller blower draws air from the interior of the coach through the air filter and then
through the interior (evaporator) coils. The interior coils absorb heat out of the air and transfer it
to exterior coils (condenser) via the refrigerant in the coolant lines. The cooled interior air is then
routed through the plenum in the ceiling for even distribution throughout the coach.
External heat removal system:
The second impeller blower is used to draw exterior air through the exterior coils and exhaust it
under the rear of the motor home after it has absorbed heat from the refrigerant. This operation is
completed outside of the motor home, so no exterior air is drawn into the coach. The cooled fluid
then travels through coolant lines to the interior evaporator coils – completing the cycle.

Refrigerant cycle
The refrigerant cycle starts at the compressor. Its function is to take low-pressure vapor and
discharge it as high-pressure vapor. The high-pressure vapor leaves the compressor through the
discharge line and enters the reversing valve. The reversing valve routes the high-pressure vapor
to the outside coil (in the cooling mode, the outside coil is a condenser coil) where it is cooled
and condensed into liquid. Heat removed from the refrigerant is expelled to the outside air. The
refrigerant leaves the outside coil as high-pressure liquid.
The high-pressure liquid then enters the inside coil (evaporator). When the liquid enters the low-
pressure atmosphere of the inside coil, it returns to the vapor state. From the inside coil
(evaporator), the low-pressure refrigerant vapor returns to the reversing valve. The reversing
valve routes the low-pressure vapor to the compressor through the suction line to start the
cooling process again.
Packaged Air Conditioning Systems
Unitary packaged air conditioning systems can be called, in brief, packaged air conditioning
systems or packaged systems. These systems employ either a single, self-contained packaged
unit or two split units. A single packaged unit contains fans, filters, DX coils, compressors,
condensers, and other accessories. In the split system, the indoor air handler comprises controls
and the air system, containing mainly fans, filters, and DX coils; and the outdoor condensing unit
is the refrigeration system, composed of compressors and condensers. Rooftop packaged systems
are most widely used.
Packaged air conditioning systems can be used to serve either a single room or multiple rooms.
A supply duct is often installed for the distribution of conditioned air, and a DX coil is used to
cool it. Other components can be added to these systems for operation of a heat pump system;
i.e., a centralized system is used to reject heat during the cooling season and to condense heat for
heating during the heating season. Sometimes perimeter baseboard heaters or unit heaters are
added as a part of a unitary packaged system to provide heating required in the perimeter zone.
Packaged air conditioning systems that employ large unitary packaged units are central systems
by nature because of the centralized air distributing ductwork or centralized heat rejection
systems.
Packaged air conditioning systems are characterized by the use of integrated, factory-assembled,
and ready-to-use packaged units as the primary equipment as well as DX coils for cooling,
compared to chilled water in central hydronic air conditioning systems. Modern large rooftop
packaged units have many complicated components and controls which can perform similar
functions to the Central hydronic systems in many applications.

Components of Air Conditioning:

1. Compressor
2. Condenser
3. Evaporator
4. Refrigerant Receiver
5. Expansion Valve/ Throttling valve
7. Fan or Blower.

Compressor
The compressors are one of the most important parts of the refrigeration cycle. The compressor
compresses the refrigerant, which flows to the condenser, where it gets cooled. It then moves to
the expansion valve, and the evaporator and it is finally sucked by the compressor again. For the
proper functioning of the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant must be compressed to the pressure
corresponding to the saturation temperature higher than the temperature of the naturally available
air or water. It is the crucial function that is performed by the compressor. Compression of the
refrigerant to the suitable pressure ensures its proper condensation and circulation throughout the
cycle. The capacity of the refrigeration or air conditioning depends entirely on the capacity of the
compressor.

Types of Air Conditioning Compressors.

There are various types of compressors used in the refrigeration and air conditioning machines,
these are: reciprocating, rotary, screw, centrifugal. All these have been described below briefly:

1) Reciprocating Compressors:
The reciprocating compressors are one of the most widely used types of the refrigerating
compressors. They have piston and cylinder arrangement like the automotive engine. The
reciprocating motion of the piston due to external power compresses the refrigerant inside the
cylinder. There are three types of reciprocating compressors: hermetically sealed semi-
hermetically sealed and open type. The open of reciprocating compressors can be of single
cylinder type or multi-cylinder type.

2) Screw Compressors:
The screw compressors comprise of the pair of meshing screws between which the refrigerant
gets compressed. They can produce high pressure for small quantity of gas. They consume less
power than the reciprocating compressors and are being used widely. It can be used with
refrigerants like R12, R22, and others.

3) Rotary Compressors:
The rotary compressors have two rotating elements, like gears, between which the refrigerant is
compressed. These compressors can pump the refrigerant to lower or moderate condensing
pressures. Since they can handle small volume of the gas and produce lesser pressure, they are
used in fewer applications.

4) Centrifugal Compressor:
The centrifugal compressors comprise of the impeller or the blower that can handle large
quantities of gas but at relatively lower condensing pressure. It is suitable for working with
refrigerants like R-11, R-113 etc.
Condenser

The condenser is that part of a air conditioning system in which superheated vapour travelling
along the discharge line from the compressor is condensed (or liquefied). Inside the condenser
the hot refrigerant vapour cools as heat transfers by conduction through the metal walls. Outside
the walls is condensing medium, which can be either air or water. Condensers fall into three
main groups: air cooled, water cooled and evaporative. In air cooled types, the air – condensing
medium removes heat from the outside of the condenser walls by convection. This convection
can be either of natural type in which air in contact with the walls is heated, rises and replaced by
cold air, or else it can be forced by fan.

Evaporator

The evaporator is that part of refrigeration system in which the refrigerant reaches its saturation
temperature and vaporizes, taking its latent heat of vaporization from the surrounding
refrigerated space. Usually the refrigerated space is filled with air but in some air conditioning
system it is water or brine.

The three important types of construction of Evaporator are: bare tube, plate surface and finned.

1. Bare tube evaporator

These are the simplest types and they consist of a straight forward copper tube or pipe through
which heat is conducted.

2. Plate surface evaporators

One type of evaporator consists of two corrugated metal plates which are welded together in
such a way that the corrugated surfaces form a pipe for refrigerant to flow along. The large
surface area of the metal provides a good conducting path for heat to be conducted.

3. Finned evaporators

Fins are metal plates, made of either copper or steel, which are fitted over the tube containing the
refrigerant. Evaporator fitted with fins are said to be finned. Fins have the effect of increasing the
area of the evaporator in contact with the air so that heat is conducted into refrigerant more
efficiently. However the fins must be fitted tightly over the evaporator tube otherwise the
efficiency of heat transfer will be lost. One method is to fix them by soldering and another is to
place the fins over the tube and then expand the tube. Finned evaporators are smaller than other
types for the same cooling capacity.

Expansion valve/ throttling valve

The liquid refrigerant is pushed through a throttling valve, which causes it to expand. As a result,
the refrigerant now has low pressure and lower temperature, while still in the mixed phase. (The
throttling valve can be either a thin slit or some sort of plug with holes in it.
When the refrigerant is forced through the throttle, its pressure is reduced, causing the liquid to
expand.) A refrigerant is chemical used in cooling systems for mechanical devices such as
refrigerators and air conditioners. It can readily absorb heat at one temperature, and then
compressed by a heat pump to a higher temperature and pressure where it changes phase and
discharges the absorbed heat. The type of refrigerant used in air conditioning system is R 22.

Refrigerant Receiver
If not all the refrigerant in the system can be condensed and stored in the condenser during the
shutdown period, a high-pressure-side liquid receiver is needed to provide auxiliary refrigerant
storage space. Consequently, if a shell-and-tube water cooled condenser is equipped in a
refrigeration system, a liquid receiver is not necessary. When an evaporative condenser is used, a
liquid receiver is often installed to supplement its small storage capacity.
There are two types of receivers: through-type and surge-type receivers. In a through-type
receiver, the liquid flows from the condenser to the receiver, and the pressure in the receiver is
always lower than that at the condenser outlet. For a surge-type receiver, its purpose is to allow
liquid to flow directly to the expansion valve and remain sub cooled. The liquid receiver is
usually a cylindrical tank made of steel sheets. The top of the tank is connected to the liquid line
from the condenser. It often has a liquid discharge line connected to the evaporator by a shutoff
valve. A vent pipe combined with a fusible plug is mounted on the receiver to prevent the liquid
receiver from bursting when exposed to high temperatures. In most installations, it is common to
charge the refrigerant in the receiver 80 percent full during the shutdown period, and the
remaining 20 percent is used to allow for liquid expansion. To provide space for refrigerant
storage during shutdown and for liquid expansion, saturated pressure exists at the interface of the
vapor and liquid refrigerant inside a through-type liquid receiver. No sub cooling occurs at the
outlet of the through-type liquid receiver unless a sub cooling coil is provided after the receiver
or a surge-type receiver is used. Because the sub cooling liquid is not exposed to gaseous
refrigerant in a surge-type liquid receiver, the liquid remains sub cooled after flowing through it.

Fan or Blower

A fan is kind of pump which is used for pumping air circulating through the entire duct system
and air conditioned space. I t is usually located at inlet of air condition; the air may be moved by
either creating above atmospheric pressure (positive pressure) or below atmospheric pressure
(Negative pressure). The fan irrespective of air type of construction may function as BLOWER
or EXHAUST, Blower for air supply and Exhaust for removing air from the room.

The different between fan and Blower, A fan develops a pressure head usually below 0.7 bar
(low pressure) while a blower develops a pressure head usually more than 0.7 bar.

In mathematically;

Whereby; P – Pressure

T – Total

F – Fan

S – Statically

V – Dynamically

The power of fan P =

= Unit less compressibility coefficient

Example:
A centrifugal fan has a circular in let duct of 0.45 m diameter and rectangular outlet duct of 0.45
m x 0.375 m. Static pressure at the fan inlet is – 12.5 mm of water and static pressure of fan

outlet is 25 mm of water, when fan derives 115 of air to room. Assuming standard air

density in both ducts ( ₰ = 1.2 ⁄ and compressibility factor of Kp = 1). Find

a) Total pressure at a fan inlet and outlet.

b) Power of fan

Solution:

Data given:

a = 0.45 m, b = 0.375 m

Ṽ = 115 , ₰ = 1.2 ⁄

PS1 = -12.5 mm

PS2 = 25 mm

At the inlet of duct, A1 = =

A1 = 0.16

Ṽ = A1 C 1

C1 = = = 718 ⁄

C1 = 11.98 ⁄

Dynamic pressure, = =
 = 7.315 m

= -12.5 + 7315 mm

= 7302.5 mm

At the inlet of duct.

A2 = a x b = 0.45 m x 0.375 m

A2 = 0.17

Ṽ = A2C2

= 0.17 x C2

⁄
C2 = = = 11.3 ⁄

C2 = 11.3 ⁄

Dynamic pressure,

Pv2 = = 16.5 x mm

PS1 = -12.5 mm

PS2 = 25 mm

= 25mm + 6510 mm

= 6535 mm.
 = +

= 6535 – 7302.5

= - 767.5 mm

Note, Negative pressure indicates Fan

Positive pressure indicates Blower.

b) Power of fan

̇ ̇
P=

P = - 1.2 ⁄ x 9.81 ⁄ x ⁄ x 0.767 x 1

P = - 17. 31 W

Fan parameters

The fan has three important parameters

1) Diameter of fan.

2) The density of air.

3) The speed of fan.

Ventilation
Ventilation is the process of changing or replacing air in any given space to provide high indoor
air quality that means (controlling temperature) replacement oxygen, remove moisture, odors,
smoke, heat, dust, bacteria and carbon dioxide.

Method of ventilation:

There are two types of ventilation methods.

a) Natural ventilation

b) Forced ventilation (Mechanical ventilation).

a) Natural ventilation

Is the ventilation of a building with outside air without the use of fan or blower or other
mechanical (forced) system it’s achieved with opening windows, doors and vents. The natural
ventilation can be done if there is different in densities between outdoor air and indoor air (air
velocity).

b) Mechanical ventilation.

It is done by the application of fan or blower to replace the air in the room. In Mechanical
ventilation there are three methods which are used; Extraction system, Supply system and
Combination of extraction system and supply system.

i) Extraction system

The extraction system is widely used; the interior air is renewed from the occupied space which
causes fresh outside air to enter. The amount of ventilation produced depends on where the fresh
air enters and how much of it flows across the occupied space. This can be controlled through
proper design of the extractor fan.

ii) Supply system

Supply system is the opposite to the extraction method. Supply system is the method of
introducing fresh air into the room in a positive manner by means of fan or blower it can be
controlled over the distribution, volume and velocity.

iii) Combined system

The fullest control of ventilation is achieved by using both supply and extraction method,
uniformly of distribution of fresh air can be ensured.

Ventilation rate

Is normally expressed by volumetric flow rate of outside air being introduced in the building ,
the ventilation rate is expressed on as per person or per unit area.

Necessity of ventilation

When the people or animals are present in the building ventilation is necessary to dilute odors
and limit concentration of carbon dioxide and air borne pollutants such dust, smoke and volatile
organic compound.

Ventilation equipment:

i) Fume hood; used to limit exposure of hazardous or tonic fumes, vapor or dust. It can be used
in Industries and domestic.

ii) Room air distribution

Ducts

The conditioned air (cooled or heated) from air conditioning equipment must be properly
distributed to the room or space to be conditioned in order to provide comfort conditions when
the mentioned air cannot be supplied directly from air conditioning equipment to proper air
distribution points or supply outlets in the room and carry the return from the room back to air
conditioning equipment for conditioning and recirculation.
It may be noted that the duct system for proper distribution of conditioned air cost is vary 20% to
30% of total cost of air conditioning equipment is required and proper required by fan and
blower forms the substantial part of running cost.

Classification of duct:

i) Supply air duct

The ducts which supply the air conditioned from the air conditioning equipment to room to be air
conditioned.

ii) Return air duct:

The duct which carry the recirculation air from the room back to the air conditioning equipment.

Duct Materials:

The duct materials are normally made of galvanized iron sheet metal, aluminum sheet metal or
black sheet metal. Mostly common used duct in air conditioning system is galvanized metal
because the zinc coating prevents rusting and avoids the cost of painting, thickness of sheet
metals ranges from 2.6 gauges (0.55mm) to 16 gauges (1.6mm).

Copper pipes/Tube

Copper tubing is most often used for supply of hot and cold tap water and as refrigerant line in
HVAC systems. There are two basic types of copper tubing, soft copper and rigid copper.
Copper tubing is joined using flare connection, compression connection, or solder. Copper offers
a high level of corrosion resistance.

Size of copper pipe used in air conditioning

S/N Inch Mm
1 ⁄ 6.35

2 ⁄ 12.7
3 ⁄ 9.53

4 ⁄ 15.88

5 ⁄ 19.05

6 ⁄ 22.23

7 ⁄ 34.93

8 ⁄ 44.45

9 ⁄ 42.86