CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

Introduction noise requiring additional sound attenuating (reducing) devices as part

 A typical person in modern society may spend upto 90% of each day of the equipment.
indoors.  The above description does not imply that every HVAC (heating,
 It is not surprising, therefore, that providing a healthy, comfortable ventilation and air conditioning) system regulates all of the conditions
indoor environment has become a major factor in our economy. described.
 To an average person, air conditioning simply means “the cooling of  A hot water or steam heating system consisting of a boiler, piping, and
air”. radiation devices (and perhaps a pump) only controls air temperature
 This definition is neither sufficiently useful nor accurate. To be more and only during the heating season.
precise, air conditioning is the process of treating air in an internal  These types of systems are common in many individual homes
environment to establish and maintain required standards of (residences), apartment houses, and industrial buildings.
temperature, humidity, cleanliness, and motion.  A warm air system, consisting of a furnace, ducts, and air outlet
 Most air conditioning systems are used for either human comfort or for registers, also controls air temperature in winter only.
process control.  However, by the addition of a humidifier in the ducts, it may also
AIR CONDITIONING control humidity in winter.
 Air conditioning is the process of treating air in an internal  Warm air systems are popular in residences.
environment to establish and maintain required standards of  Some residences have combination of air heating and air cooling
temperature, humidity, cleanliness, and motion. equipment that provides control of temperature and humidity
 This is how each of these conditions is controlled: in both winter and summer. Some degree of control of air quality and
1. Temperature: Air temperature is controlled by heating or cooling motion is provided in air-type heating and cooling systems.
the air. Cooling technically means the removal of heat, in contrast to  Air conditioning systems used for newer commercial and institutional
heating, the addition of heat. buildings and luxury apartment houses usually provide year round
2. Humidity: Air humidity, the water vapour content of the air, is control of most or all of the air conditions described. For this reason, it
controlled by adding (humidification) or removing is becoming increasingly popular to call complete HVAC
(dehumidification) water vapour from the air. systems environmental control systems.
3. Cleanliness: Air cleanliness or air quality is controlled by  Most air conditioning systems are used for either human comfort or
either filtration, the removal of undesirable contaminants using for process control.
filters or other devices or by ventilation, the introduction of outside  Air conditioning enhances our comfort. Certain ranges of air
air into the space which dilutes the concentration of contaminants. temperature, humidity, cleanliness, and motion are comfortable; others
Often both filtration and ventilation are used in an installation. are not.
4. Motion: Air motion refers to air velocity and to where the air  Air conditioning is also used to provide conditions that some processes
is distributed. It is controlled by appropriate air distributing require.
equipment.  For example, textile printing, and photographic processing facilities as
 Sound control can be considered an auxiliary function of an air well as computer rooms and medical facilities, require certain air
conditioning system even though the system itself may be the cause of temperature and humidity for successful operation.
the problem. The air conditioning equipment may produce excessive

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 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
COMPONENTS OF AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS
 Heat always travels from a warmer to a cooler area.
 In winter, there is a continual heat loss from within a building to the
outdoors.
 If the air in the building is to be maintained at a comfortable
temperature, heat must be continually supplied to the air in the rooms.
The equipment that furnishes the heat required is called a heating
system.
 In summer heat continually enters the building from the outside.
 In order to maintain the room air at a comfortable temperature, this Fig. 1 Arrangement of basic components of a (hydronic) hot water
excess heat must be continually removed from the room. The equipment heating system
that removes the excess heat is called a cooling system.  If steam is used in a heating system, the components still work in the
 An air conditioning system may provide heating, cooling, or both. same manner, with the exception that a pump is not necessary to move
 Its size and complexity may range from a single space heater or window the steam; the pressure of steam accomplishes this.
unit for a small room to a huge system for a building complex.  However, when the steam cools at the terminal unit, it condenses into
 Most heating and cooling systems must have the following basic water and may require a condensate pump to return the water to the
components: boiler.
1. A heating source that adds heat to a fluid (air, water, or steam).  A hydronic cooling system Fig. 2, functions in a similar manner to the
2. A cooling source that removes heat from a fluid (air or water). hydronic heating system.
3. A distribution system (a network of ducts or piping) to carry the  Water is cooled in refrigeration equipment called a water chiller (1).
fluid to the rooms to be heated or cooled.  The chilled water is circulated by a pump (2) and travels to each room
4. Equipment (fans or pumps) for moving the air or water. through piping (3) and enters a terminal unit (4).
5. Devices (e.g., radiation) for transferring heat between the fluid and  The warmer room air loses its heat to the cold water in the terminal unit.
the room. Since the water is now warmed, it must return to the water chiller to
be recooled.
ALL-WATER AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS
 A typical hydronic (all water) heating system is shown in Fig. 1.
 Water is heated at the heat source (1) usually a hot water boiler.
 The heated water is circulated by a pump (2) and travels to each room
through piping (3) and enters a terminal unit (4).
 The room air is heated by bringing it into contact with the terminal unit.
 Since the water loses some of its heat to the rooms, it must return to the
heat source to be reheated.

Fig. 2 Arrangement of basic components of (hydronic) chilled water

cooling system

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 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
 Hydronic systems are popular for HVAC systems that
require both heating and cooling.
 This is because it is possible to use the same piping system for both by
connecting a hot water boiler and water chiller in parallel, Fig. 3, using
each when needed.

Fig. 4 Arrangement of basic components of an all-air heating and cooling

system
 In summer, air is cooled when it flows over a cooling source (5),
usually a coil of tubing containing a fluid cooled by refrigeration
equipments.
 When the cooled supply air enters the room, the room is cooled.
 Because a room’s size is fixed, the same volume of air that enters the
room must also exit. T
Fig. 3 Arrangement of basic components of a hydronic heating and  his is usually accomplished by return air ducts (6).
cooling system  The air is then heated or cooled again and recirculated.
 An outdoor air intake duct (7) may be provided for introducing fresh
ALL-AIR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS outdoor air for increased air quality.
 All-air systems use air to heat or cool rooms.  Similarly, the same volume of air must be exhausted (8).
 They may also have the added capability of controlling humidity and  Provision may be made for cleaning the air with air filters (9) and
furnishing outdoor ventilation, which hydronic systems cannot do. for humidifying the air (10).
 A typical all-air heating and cooling system is shown in Fig. 4.  The outdoor unit has the other parts of the system like the compressor,
 Air is heated at the heat source (1), such as a furnace. air-cooled condenser, condenser fan and its own motor and is installed
 It may also be a coil circulating hot water, or steam, heated by a boiler. outside.
 The heated air is circulated by a fan (2) and travels to each room  The liquid and suction lines of the system have to be laid at site after the
through supply air ducts (3). outdoor and indoor units are installed in position.
 The supply air enters the room through outlets called air  The distance between the indoor and outdoor units has to be as small as
diffusers or registers (4) that are designed to provide proper air possible.
distribution in the room.  As this distance increases, the pressure drop in the suction and liquid
 When the warmed supply air enters the room, the room is heated. lines also increases, resulting in reduction of the unit capacity.
 A humidifier (10) may also be included to maintain a comfortable room  Since the compressor (inside the outdoor unit) is remotely installed from
humidity in winter. the room to be air conditioned, the noise level will be appreciably lower
than in the case of a room air conditioner.

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 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
 This is the advantage and the reason for opting for the split. UNITARY AND CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS
 Both room and split air conditioners and a typical remote control are  A unitary or package air conditioning system uses equipment where
shown in Fig. 5. most or all of the basic components have been assembled in the factory
e.g., room air conditioner (Fig. 6 and Fig. 7).
 A central or built-up air conditioning system uses equipment centrally
located in mechanical equipment rooms.
 Each piece of equipment is installed separately and connected on the
job, rather than manufactured as a package.

Fig. 5 Remote Control

COMBINATION SYSTEMS Fig. 6 A unitary window type room air conditioner Control and features
 It is frequently desirable to combine water and air systems.
 For example, there may be instances when certain parts of a building
may need cooling while others require heating simultaneously for
providing comfort conditions in all areas.
 A typical application of this type is the air conditioning system for a big
hotel.
 The heat removed from areas requiring cooling is transferred to the
areas requiring heating. Such a system is called a heat recovery system,
as distinguished from the heat pump.

Fig. 7 A unitary window type room air conditioner

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 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
SPLIT AIR CONDITIONERS
 In split units the indoor and outdoor sections of the room air conditioner
are separated out into two casings or units as shown in fig 8.
 The indoor unit, consists of the evaporator coil, evaporator blower with
its own separate motor, capillary tube, control panel, air filter, supply
and return grills, etc.
 It is installed inside the room to be conditioned.
 It can be ceiling suspended, wall mounted, or kept on the floor as a
console unit and is generally known as fan coil unit.

Fig. 10 Condenser

Fig. 8 Split AC units (indoor and outdoor)

REFRIGERATION
 A refrigeration system extracts heat from a substance at a temperature
lower than the ambient and transfers the extracted heat to the
atmosphere at a temperature higher than the ambient.
 A refrigeration system is termed as :
1. A heat recovery system when its refrigeration effect is utilised for
cooling an area or a fluid and the heat rejection is put to some
beneficial use.

Fig. 9 Steps of Refrigerant works

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 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
2. A heat pump when it is used for cooling during summer and heating 13. Differentiate between an all-air and an all-water air conditioning
in winter by incorporating suitable accessories for the change system.
over from the cooling to heating modes and vice versa. 14. Mention any three refrigerants used in air conditioning systems.
REFRIGERANTS 15. Air conditioning units are normally rated in tons like 1 ton, etc., what is
 Refrigerants are heat carrying mediums which during their cycle in the the meaning of “ton” in an air conditioner?
refrigeration system absorb heat at a low temperature level 16. Give the advantages of central air conditioning over distributed air
and discard the heat so absorbed at a higher level. conditioning.
 These refrigerants have been used since the 1930s because of their
excellent characteristics. PART B
 They have good physical properties for performance temperatures, 1. Discuss the working of air conditioner.
pressure, oil mixing feature, heat transfer, specific, etc. 2. Describe briefly about the all-air air conditioning systems.
 They are non-toxic, stable, and inexpensive. 3. Narrate a brief note on split air conditioners.
 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are composed of chlorine, fluorine, and 4. Describe all water air conditioning system.
carbon atoms. 5. Discuss in brief : Unitary and central air conditioning system.
 Some in this group are R11, R12, and 6. What is unitary air conditioning system? Explain.
R114. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are composed of hydrogen, 7. What are the components of air conditioning system?
chlorine, fluorine, and carbon atoms. 8. Describe the operation and working principle of a all water air
 Some in this group are R122 and R123. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are conditioning system.
composed of hydrogen, fluorine and carbon atoms. 9. How does a split air conditioner differ from a unitary air conditioning
 Some of these are R134a and R125. system? Discuss in detail.

QUESTIONS PART C
PART A 1. Briefly describe the components of air conditioning systems?
1. How do AC units work? 2. Discuss in detail about the unitary and central air conditioning systems.
2. Write the disadvantage of air conditioner 3. Discuss in detail about central AC and split AC with required diagram
3. What are the components of air conditioning system? 4. Explicate the working of split air conditioners.
4. Mention the uses of air conditioning. 5. Describe the components of air conditioning system and their functions.
5. How do refrigeration systems work? 6. Explain all - water air conditioning systems in detail.
6. What are the parts of split AC? 7. Give the organization and design of a central air conditioning system.
7. Which gas is used in AC? How does one evaluate the thermal load on the air conditioner?
8. What is meant by unitary air conditioning system?
9. What is meant by Central air conditioning system?
10. Define split air conditioners.
11. What are the advantages of central air conditioning?
12. What are the different types of refrigeration system?

UNIT 3 – Air Contioners and Refrigerators 6