Contents

1.0) INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 2

2.0) OBJECTIVE ......................................................................................................................... 3

3.0) EQUIPMENT ........................................................................................................................ 3

4.0) THEORY ............................................................................................................................... 5

5.0 EXPERIMENTAL .............................................................................................................. 10

6.0 RESULTS ............................................................................................................................ 11

7.0 DISCUSSION ...................................................................................................................... 15

8.0 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................ 20

9.0) REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 21

10.0 APPENDIX ............................................................................................................................. 22

1
1.0) INTRODUCTION

Air-conditioning is a process of treating air by removing heat and moisture from

the interior of an occupied space to improve the comfort of occupant. Conditioning
usually involves heating or cooling, humidifying or dehumidifying, and filtering or
cleaning air and controlling its moisture level. The properties of air can be modified by
undergoing certain thermodynamic process. The most basic of processes involved in an
air-conditioning system are simple heating, steam humidification, simple cooling and
dehumidification.

In this modern era, we can see the demand usage of air conditioning system
increasing day by day whether in our own house or office. Its show that human desire
to live in a good surrounding in their area. So, it is important for us to study about air-
conditioning system to keep improving air conditioning system. Theoretically, analysis
of air conditioning processes is required for maintaining proper temperature and
humidity in living space such as residential, commercial, and industrial facilities.

Air conditioning system can maintain temperature and humidity of the

surrounding which is around 20°C to 25°C. For normal air-condition is only one
function which is to cool the atmosphere or the surrounding. But in some country, there
are two functions where there can cool the surrounding during the summer and supply
heat during winter. This kind of situation usually happens to countries that have summer
and winter such as in Japan. But our focus is to observe and understand the changes in
air properties as it is treated in basic air-conditioning.

2
2.0) OBJECTIVE

To observe and understand the changes in air properties as it is treated in a basic air-
conditioning unit.

3.0) EQUIPMENT

Figure 1 : Computer Linked Air Conditioning Laboratory Unit (P.A HILTON)

Figure 2 : Control panel

3
Figure 3 : System Schematic Diagram

4
4.0) THEORY

Air conditioning process consist of five processes. In this experiment, we only focus four types
of process:

1. Simple Heating (raising the temperature)

2. Simple Cooling (lowering the temperature)

3. Humidifying (adding moisture)

4. Dehumidifying (removing moisture)

5. Adiabatic Mixing of Air Streams (increase fresh air circulation)

Air conditioning processes can be modeled as steady flow processes:

Mass conservation:
Dry air : ma,i = mw,e

Water : mw,i= mw,e or maii = ma,ee

Energy conservation:
Disregard kinetic and potential energy changes
Steady Flow Energy Balance
Ei = E o

Qi + Wi + mihi = Qe + We + mehe

5
Simple heating and cooling:

1.0) The amount of moisture for simple heating and cooling remains constant because no
moisture is added or removed into the air stream. Therefore, the specific humidity at
the inlet and the exit remains equal (i= e).

2.0) Heating method: the air stream flow inside a duct and passes resistance wires (heaters).
Heat is added to the air stream, so the dry bulb temperature increases (Te> Ti).

Heating Element

1 2
Q

3.0) Cooling method: the air stream passes through cooling coil (evaporator tubes of a
refrigeration system). Heat transfer occurs from the hotter air stream to the cooler
refrigerant of chilled water flow, and the dry bulb temperatures decreases ( Te< Ti)

Conservation of mass:
ma,1 = mw,2 and (1 = 2)
Conservation of energy:
Q = ma (h2 - h1)
q = h2 - h1

Cooling Element

1 2
Q

6
Heating with humidification
1. Simple heating processes produced low relative humidity (air is dry), because the
moisture amount is constant (mv and constant) but the maximum moisture
absorption capacity (mg) increases with temperature rise.

2. If the humidifying agent used is steam, this will result in additional heating (T3 > T2).

3. If water is sprayed, the stream will be partially cooled (T3 < T2)

Mass conservation
Dry air mass balance: ma1 = ma2 =ma3 =ma

Water mass balance: ma11 = ma22, (1 = 2) (heating section)

ma22 + mw = ma33 (humidifying section)

mw =ma (3 - 2)

Energy Balance: Qin + mah1= ma h2(heating section)

Qin= ma (h2 - h1)

Cooling with dehumidification:

1. Dehumidification is processing to remove excess water in the dry air by
condensation. It is achieved by altering the cooling process.

2. The air can cool at a longer period until it reaches its dew point
(saturation state). Further cooling along the saturation state (100%
relative humidity 0 will result in condensation of part of the moisture in
the air.

7
 Heating Element

1 2
Q

Dry air mass balance: ma1 = ma2 = ma

ma22 + mw =ma3
mw =ma(1 - 2)

Energy Balance: mhin= Qout+mhout

Qout = m (h2 - h1) - mwhw

8
Adiabatic mixing of air streams.

1. The mixing process is assuming adiabatic (no heat transfer with the
surrounding).

2. Two streams of air (treated air from air conditioning processing and
fresh outside air) is merging and exists as one single stream with
combined properties.

Dry air mass balance: ma1 + ma2 = ma3

Water mass balance : ma11 + ma22 =ma33
Energy balance : ma1h1 +ma2h2 = ma3h3

m a1 2  h h2  h3
 
Eliminating ma3 :
ma 2 3  2 h3  h1

9
5.0 EXPERIMENTAL

The programme is started by turn on the suction fan and the computer will display the
master menu. Programme 1 will show the process data displayed on a schematic layout
of the system, while Programme 2 displays the properties of the treated air on the
psychrometric chart.

a) No process – initial properties of the air enter the air-conditioning unit is

obtained by print the data and psychrometric chart
b) Sensible Heating –
I. Switch on 1 kW pre-heated and allow 5 minutes. Data and
psychrometric chart are printed
II. Switch on the 0.5 kW re-heated and allow 5 minutes. Data and
psychrometric chart are printed

c) Steam Humidification – All water heater was switched on to boil the water.
When steam is produced, switch only 3 kW of heat to maintain the steam and
allow 5 minutes. Data and psychrometric chart are printed

10
6.0 RESULTS

Reading No Process Sensible Heating Steam Cooling and

Experient Humidification Dehumidification
1kW 1.5kW
T1 (TA d) 27.6 27.7 27.4 28.2 28.7 28.7
T2(TA w) 23.6 23.9 28.5 24.5 24.1 23.7
T3(TB d) 27.9 38.9 39.9 33.9 28.9 29.0
T4(TB w) 29.0 30.1 29.1 30.4 33..3 30.2
T5(TC d) 27.4 37.1 39.4 33.3 17.0 16.6
T6(TC w) 23.4 26.6 26.9 33.8 19.2 18.2
T7(TD d) 27.1 35.2 44.0 33.6 17.1 16.8
T8(TD w) 29.8 29.7 37.5 31.1 29.5 29.9
T9(T1) X X X X 18.2 18.0
T10(T2) X X X X 73.0 81.3
T11(T3) X X X X 41.5 42.2
T12(T4) X X X X 4.1 4.0
Qp x 1036.2 1029.3 x x X
Qr x 0.0 584.4 x x X
Qb x x x 2780.3 x X
Pevap (P1) X X X X 178.1 178.6
Pcond (P3) X X X X 967.7 990.1
ma 76.0 76.4 74.3 74.5 107.5 219.4
mr x x x x - -
Time x x x x 5 min 18 min
Drain Water (ml) x x x x x 100 ml

11
CALCULATION

a) No process:

IN OUT
TAdry : 27.6°C TDdry : 27.9°C
TAwet : 23.6°C TDwet : 29.0°C

b) Sensible Heating

For 1 kW pre-heater

STATE 1 STATE 2
TAdry : 27.7°C TDdry : 35.2°C
TAwet : 23.9°C TDwet : 29.7°C

Temperature rises at exit:

∆Tdry = 35.2 °C – 27.7 °C = 7.5°C

∆Twet = 29.7°C – 23.9°C = 5.8°C

For 0.5 kW pre-heater

STATE 1 STATE 2
TAdry : 27.4°C TDdry : 44.0°C
TAwet : 23.5°C TDwet : 37.5°C

Temperature rises at exit:

∆Tdry = 44.0°C – 27.4°C = 16.6°C

∆Twet = 37.5°C – 23.5°C = 14.0°C

12
c) Steam Humidification

Heating Element
From water tank

Humidifier

1 2 3
Q

STATE 2 STATE 3
TAdry : 28.2°C TDdry : 33.9°C
TAwet : 24.5°C TDwet : 30.4°C
Ma : 0.0745 kg/s Ma : 0.0745 kg/s

From the psychrometric chart:

Ø2 : 74.0% Ø3 : 78.0%
ω 2= ω1 : 0.018 kgv/kga ω3 : 0.0263 kgv/kga

Amount of steam:

mw = ma (ω3- ω2)
= 0.0745 kg/s (0.0263- 0.018) kgv/kga
= 6.184 x 10-4 kg/s

Change in relative humidity:

∆Ø = Ø2 - Ø1
= 0.78 – 0.74
= 0.04 @ 4.0%
Temperature rise at the exit:

∆Tdry = 33.9°C – 28.2°C = 5.7°C

∆Twet = 30.4°C - 24.5°C = 5.9°C

13
d) Cooling and Dehumidification

STATE 1 STATE 2
TAdry : 28.9 °C TDdry : 17.0°C
TAwet : 33.3°C TDwet : 19.2°C
Ma1 : 0.1075 kg/s Ma2 : 0.1075 kg/s

From the psychrometric chart:

Ø1 : 74.0 % Ø2 : 120.05 %
ω1 : 0.035 kgv/kga ω2 : 0.0148 kgv/kga
h1 : 118.522 KJ/kg h2 : 54.80 KJ/kg

Amount of moisture:

mw = ma (ω1- ω2)
= 0.1075kg/s (0.035 – 0.0148) kgv/kga
= 2.172x 10-3 kg/s

Amount of heat rate:

hw = hf @ T2 = 17.0 from table A-4, therefore hw =?

hf (kJ/kG) Temperature(°C)
62.982 15
hw 17.0
83.915 20

ℎ𝑤 −62.982 17.0−15
83.915−62.982
= 20−15

hw = 71.355 kJ/kg

Q out = ma (h1 – h2) - mwhw

= 0.1075 (118.522–54.80) - (2.172x 10-3) (71.355)
= 1.326 kJ/s

Rate of Condensation:

Rate of condensation = 0.1 liter/ 1080 sec

= 9.259 x 10-05 ℓ/s

14
7.0 DISCUSSION

1. No Process
In this process, there is no different temperature recorded in the system. The initial
temperature for this experiment is 27.6 °C. At this moment there are no process involve
or changes of air properties because it does not require the usage of components.
Therefore, the temperature supposedly be constant either temperature of dry bulb or
wet bulb at range of room temperature.

2. Sensible Heating
For 1 Kw pre-heater, the temperature inlet for dry bulb is TAd=27.7°C, meanwhile for
wet bulb is TAw=23.9°C. The temperature outlet for dry bulb is TWD=38.9°C. The
temperature is increasing about 11.2°C. While the temperature outlet for wet bulb is
TBW=30.1°C. The outlet temperature is increasing about 6.2°C. when 1.5 KW pre
heated applied. The temperature increased when the air is heated. During the Sensible
Heating process, the heat exchanged by thermodynamics system that has effect the
change of temperature air. Besides that, the temperature change is highest on
temperature dry compare with temperature wet due to density of air. The moist air is
less than dry air. For 1.5 kW pre-heater, TAd=27.4°C and wet bulb is TAw=23.5°C.
The temperature outlet for dry bulb is TWD=39.9°C cause increasing temperature
around 12.5°C. The temperature outlet for wet bulb is TBW=29.1°C cause the
temperature increasing about 5.6°C.

3. Steam Humidification
In this process, the amount of steam is 6.184 x 10-4 kg/s. The change in relative
humidity is 0.04 @ 4.0%. The temperature rises at the exit is 5.7°C for temperature dry
and 5.9°C for temperature wet. The air property changes due to steam produces give a
pressure on this system and also changing the amount of moisture. Steam is the
humidifying agent used in this experiment that increased the average air temperature to
31.5°C.

15
4. Cooling and Dehumidification
The amount of moisture is 2.172x 10-3 kg/s, amount of heat rate is 71.355 kJ/kg and
the rate of condensation is 9.259 x 10-05 ℓ/s. Dehumidification is processing to remove
excess water in the dry air by condensation process. It is achieved by altering the
cooling process. The factor that contributes to the air changes are relative humidity,
specific humidity, heat transfer between the surrounding.

16
b) Find the schematic of a modem air-conditioning system with advanced air treatment
processes and explain the function of the main devices.

The function of main device:

No Devices Functions

1 Compressor To circulate the refrigerant in the system under pressure, this concentrates
the heat it contains. The low-pressure gas is changed to high pressure gas.
This pressure builds up can only be accomplished by having a restriction
in the high-pressure side of the system.

2 Condenser To receive the high-pressure gas from the compressor and convert this gas
to a liquid. It does it by heat transfer, or the principle that heat will always
move from a warmer to a cooler substance. Air passing over the condenser
coils carries off the heat and the gas condenses.

3 Evaporator Refrigerant liquid is converted to gas, absorbing heat from the air in the
compartment. When the liquid refrigerant reaches the evaporator, its
pressure has been reduced, dissipating its heat content and making it much
cooler than the fan air flowing around it. This causes the refrigerant to
absorb heat from the warm air and reach its low boiling point rapidly. The
refrigerant then vaporizes, absorbing the maximum amount of heat.

17
c) Explain with suitable diagrams the operation and arrangement in an automotive air-
conditioning unit.

Schematic diagram for automotive air-conditioning system

The major components of the automotive air conditioning system are a compressor, an
evaporator, a condenser, and an expansion valve. Below are the operation and arrangements in
an automotive air-conditioning unit.

1. Compressor: The compressor is the heart of the air conditioning system. The
compressor continuously cycles on and off to meet the cooling requirements of the
passenger compartment and is mounted to the engine and is belt driven and its cycling
rate is directly related to the automobile vehicle speed. At the front of the compressor
is the magnetic clutch which when given power engages the compressor.
2. Condenser: The condenser is a series of coils that outside air passes over to remove
the heat from the compressed gas. It is usually in front of the radiator which has its
own electric cooling fan. The hot, compressed air passes through the condenser and
gets lots cooler. As it cools, it becomes a liquid.

18
3. Receiver dryer: The drier or accumulator, also known as the receiver-drier are always
located in the high-pressure side of the system, usually between the condenser outlet
and the expansion valve inlet. Receiver-drier serves as a temporary storage container
for oil and refrigerant when not needed for system operation, such as during periods of
low cooling demand which is the temperature inside the car was already cool enough.
As the compressor is only supposed to compress the gas form of our refrigerant. But,
there's always a chance that some liquid could make it back that far. The drier catches
this liquid before it can damage your compressor. Since even the tiniest leak or careless
installation can introduce water moisture to the system, the drier absorbs this
chemically, using what's called a dessicant. The drier also has a filter that catches any
gunk that might be in there.
4. Expansion valve: The expansion valve controls the flow of refrigerant into the
evaporator. The expansion valve has a capillary tube with a thermal bulb that controls
how far open or closed it is. The thermal bulb and the internal pressure of the refrigerant
balance to control just the exact amount of refrigerant needed. The thermal bulb is
clamped to the output of the evaporator. If not enough refrigerant is flowing to cool the
evaporator, this bulb is sense it and open more or vice versa.
5. Evaporator: The evaporator is the heat exchanger that removes heat from the inside of
the vehicle. It is located in or adjacent to the passenger compartment, usually mounted
on the fire wall. A blower motor pushes air across the cold tubes of the evaporator to
deliver cooled air into the passenger compartment of the automobile. The airflow across
the evaporator is either re-circulated air from the passenger compartment or fresh air
drawn from the outside, or some combination of the two.

19
8.0 CONCLUSION
As a conclusion, the Recirculating Air conditioning unit may use to demonstrate and
evaluate most of the processes found in practical air conditioning plant, such as heating,
cooling, humidification, dehumidification air stream. Sometime two or more of these
processes are needed to bring air to a desired temperature and humidity level. Various air
conditioning processes in psychrometric chart. Notice that simple heating and cooling
processes appear as horizontal line on this chart since moisture content of the air remains
constant (ω = constant) during this process. Air is commonly heated and humidified in winter
and cooled and dehumidified in summer. Notice how these processes appear on the
psychrometric.

20
9.0) REFERENCES

1.0. Basic Refrigeration Cycle

https://www.swtc.edu/Ag_Power/air_conditioning/lecture/basic_cycle.htm

2.0. Psychrometric chart use

http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/NE-127/NewFiles/Psychrometric.html

3.0. How does air conditioner work?

https://howardair.com/how-does-air-conditioning-work/

4.0. Air conditioning process

https://new-learn.info/packages/clear/thermal/buildings/active_systems/ac/process.html

5.0. Defining air conditioning process

https://www.chegg.com/homework-help/definitions/air-conditioning-process-5

6.0. Thermal expansion valve

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_expansion_valve

7.0. Automobile ac operation

https://www.autozone.com/landing/page.jsp?name=how-auto-ac-works

8.0. Automotive Air Conditioning Study

file:///E:/Degree/Semester%205/Mec%20554%20Thermal%20lab/Air%20conditioning%20st
udy%20for%20automotive%20application%20-%20Chapter%201.pdf

9.0. Basic Operation Receiver Drier

https://macsworldwide.wordpress.com/2010/10/13/what-is-a-receiver-drier/

21
10.0 APPENDIX

22