Information & explanations, latest texts & monographs on
Air_conditioning (including recent related patents.)
Air conditioningNote: "air conditioning" can refer to any form of indoor climate control. This article is specifically about the use of refrigeration via heat pump for this purpose.An air conditioner (A/C) is an appliance or mechanism designed to modify air temperature, generally cooling it down. It was invented by Willis Haviland Carrier (1876 - 1950) around 1902. Air conditioning units may also reduce the humidity of the air processed by the system. Since drier air aids evaporative cooling of people, this improves the comfort provided. From a mechanical engineering viewpoint, a modern air conditioner is a specialized form of a heat engine. It is designed for maximum efficiency when work is being applied to cool a living or storage volume by pumping heat from a low temperature heat source to a higher temperature heat sink. In electric units this is typically done by using an electric motor to drive a compressor. The compressor compresses a working fluid. During compression the working fluid is heated to a higher temperature than the higher temperature heat sink. The working fluid is circulated to outside coils where it cools to ambient air temperature. The working fluid is then expanded (which lowers the temperature of the fluid via adiabatic cooling) and circulated through an interior coil. The interior coil absorbs heat energy from the interior air and transfers it to the working fluid which then proceeds to the compressor to repeat the cycle. In the past, "swamp cooling" was popular for improving comfort during hot weather. It is a simpler system where air is blown over a moist mesh to cool the air evaporatively, and it worked best in hot, dry climates. Freon was commonly used as a working fluid due to its superior heat conducting and capacitance properties. Unfortunately, it has become very controversial as evidence has accumulated that it reachs the upper atmosphere when it escapes. The chemistry is poorly understood but consensus seems to have been growing that chlorofluorocarbons act as a catalyst in the presence of ultraviolet radiation and may be doing severe damage to the ozone layer. Air conditioner power in the U.S. is often described in terms of "tons". A "ton" refers to the cooling power of one ton (2000 pounds or 909 kilograms) of ice, which is considered to be 12,000 BTU per hour, or 3.5 kilowatts. Residential central air conditioners can be 1 to 5 tons (3.5 to 17.5 kW). The sale of the appliance depends on seasons and weather. The sale usually lifts a little or a lot in summer and particularly during heat waves. The use of compressive AC is a major draw on electrical supplies in warm climates where there are many units installed. See also: External Links This article is adapted from from Wikipedia All Wikipedia article text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling by Daniel D. Chiras Code Check: HVAC: A Field Guide to Heating and Cooling by Redwood Kardon The Passive Solar House (Real Goods Independent Living Books) by James Kachadorian Energy-Efficient Building: The Best of Fine Homebuilding (The Best of Fine Homebuilding) by Fine Homebuilding Series Power With Nature: Solar and Wind Energy Demystified by Rex A. Ewing Modern Hydronic Heating for Residential and Light Commercial Buildings, 2E by John Siegenthaler Arco Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Toolbox Manual by David Tenenbaum Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Technology by Bill Whitman Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Repair by Roger A. Fischer Troubleshooting and Servicing Modern Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Systems by John Tomczyk Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (Modern Refridgeration and Air Conditioning, 2000) by Andrew Daniel Althouse The Solar Electric House: Energy for the Environmentally-Responsive, Energy-Independent Home by Steven J. Strong Home Heating and Air Conditioning System by James L. Kittle Heating and Cooling of Buildings with CD-ROM by Jan F. Kreider Industrial Automation and Process Control by Jon Stenerson Recent Air_conditioning related patents From USPTO: 6721689: System and method for hosted facilities management 6721672: Method and apparatus for preventing overloads of power distribution networks 6721181: Elongated heat sink for use in converter assemblies 6721080: Optimum switching of a reversible electrochemical mirror device 6720852: Methods and apparatus for actuating and deactuating a switching device using magnets 6720712: Piezoelectric identification device and applications thereof 6720536: Electric heating device 6719820: Air filter system and method of installation 6719780: Warming methods and apparatus 6719625: Method and apparatus for controlling variable air volume supply fans in heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems 6719624: Vehicle air conditioning system with seat air conditioner 6719623: Remote controlled air conditioning nozzle 6719534: Vehicle seat blower unit with a motor mounted within a scroll housing and a cooling motor attachment bracket 6719458: Ball bearing 6719247: J-shaped flexible duct hanger 6719207: Microprocessor controlled two stage furnace 6719003: Charge valve for an air conditioning system 6718860: Method and apparatus for making holes in pipe 6718791: Heat pump air conditioning system for vehicles 6718790: Cooling device, condenser, and air conditioning system 6718788: Method for producing a drain pan and drain pan produced thereby 6718787: Supply air blower design in bus air conditioning units 6718786: Coil housing design for a bus air conditioning unit 6718784: Evaporator air system for rooftop bus air conditioner 6718783: Vehicle air conditioner with automatic air-conditioning control 6718782: Functional combined equipment for a motor vehicle 6718771: Gas turbine operative at high ambient temperatures 6718650: Personal dryer 6718279: Vehicle stability regulating system 6718277: Atmospheric control within a building 6718251: System for controlling exhaust emissions produced by an internal combustion engine 6718213: Variable base load energy management system and method 6717919: Imprinting method for automated registration and configuration of network devices 6717513: Electronic message delivery system utilizable in the monitoring of remote equipment and method of same 6717376: Automotive information systems 6717299: Isolation system for a motor 6717288: Multiple-voltage power supply circuitry for motor vehicles 6717228: Infrared image sensor with temperature compensation element 6717150: Solid-state CT detector modules with improved scintillator/diode coupling 6716547: Air condition assisted water recovery device integrated with cell stack assembly 6716520: Structural reflective insulating material for ducts and other purposes 6716406: Control system for a photocatalytic air purifier 6716267: Multi-position, spring loaded filter rack 6716266: Dust filter 6716106: Real-scene tour simulation system and method of the same 6716100: Air conditioning unit for vehicle 6716009: Scroll type compressor 6715999: Variable-capacity scroll-type compressor 6715995: Hybrid compressor control method |