1.

0 INTRODUCTION

Air-conditioning is a process of treating air for the comfort requirements of the

occupants in the conditioned space. The properties of air can be modified by undergoing
certain thermodynamic processes. The most basic of processes involved in the air-
conditioning system are simple heating, steam humidification, simple cooling and
dehumidification. All the processes that involved will give the different properties of air.
Based on the experiment, we need to conduct all the basic process involved in the air-
conditioning system by using the Computer Linked Air Conditioning Laboratory Unit. All
the equipment was set, and we need to follow and understand the experimental procedure for
every process that needs to be done. The properties of treated air can be determined through
the psychrometric chart.

The most basic of processes involved in an air-conditioning system is in the

following:

a) Simple heating and cooling process

The air is heated by circulating through the duct or pipe contains the electric
resistance wires or hot gases tubing. For the cooling process, the air goes through the duct
that contain tubing of refrigerant fluid to cold it down. In this process, the moisture remains
constant since no moisture is added or removed from the air.

b) Heating with humidification

This process is to heat the space and to increase the moisture contained in the
space or room. The air goes through the heating process, and after that, the air goes through a
humidifying section to increase the moisture. In that section, the hot water vapour is sprayed
and instead of using cold water, the hot water vapour use to maintain the temperature from
dropping.
 c) Cooling with dehumidification

The process where the air is cooled sensibly and at the same time, the moisture
is reduced or removed from the air. The air is cooled down below the dew point temperature
to remove the moisture in the air.

The specific humidity and percentage saturation can be obtained in the psychometric
chart which as shown in FIGURE 3.1 below:

Figure 1.1 Psychrometric chart

2.0 THEORY

Air conditioning can be defined as a treatment of air to simultaneously control its

temperature, humidity, cleanliness and distribution to achieve the requirements of a
conditional space. The term “air conditioning” applies it to the cooling of air. Every air
conditioning system uses an assembly of equipment to treat air.

Commonly, the assembly consists of a heating system for modifying winter indoor
temperature and humidity. Most air conditioning system utilises a vapour-compression
refrigeration system to shift the indoor heat to a suitable heat sink such as the outdoors.
Vapour compression refrigeration systems occupy a cycle in which a fluid, the refrigerant, is
vaporised, compressed, liquefied, and expanded continuously in an enclosed system. A
compressor serves as a pump, pressurising the refrigerant and circulating it through the
system. In the condenser, the pressurised refrigerant is liquefied, liberating heat. Liquid
refrigerant passes through an expansion device into an evaporator where it boils and expands
into a vapour, absorbing heat in the process.

Other than that, some air conditioning systems use an absorption refrigerant system.
The system work by evaporating refrigerant in an evaporator, then the refrigerant vapour
absorbed by an absorbent medium, from which it is subsequently expelled by heating in a
generator and changed back into liquid in a condenser. A pump can be used in an absorption
system to help circulate the refrigerant. The most used of absorption system for air
conditioning is use water as an absorbent and ammonia as a refrigerant or lithium bromide
salt as an absorber and water as a refrigerant. There are many air conditioning systems use
simple thermostats to cycle equipment.

However, use of electronics and microprocessors in control system can reduce energy
consumption. In area, such as in Europe, heating systems are converted to provide complete
air conditioning for a home. Normally, both heating device and a cooling device are
combined in one unit. A heat pump is known as a reversible device that does mechanical
work to extract heat from a cooler place and deliver heat to a warmer place.
Most air-conditioning processes can be modelled as steady-flow processes, and thus the mass
balance relation ṁin = ṁout can be expressed for dry air and water as

Mass balance for dry air: ∑𝑖𝑛 ṁ𝑎 = ∑𝑜𝑢𝑡 ṁ𝑎 (kg/s)

Mass balance for water: ∑𝑖𝑛 ṁ𝑤 = ∑𝑜𝑢𝑡 ṁ𝑤 or ∑𝑖𝑛 ṁ𝑎 𝜔 = ∑𝑜𝑢𝑡 ṁ𝑎 𝜔

Disregarding the kinetic and potential energy changes, the steady-flow energy balance
relation Ẻin = Ẻout can be expressed in this case as

Qin + Win + ∑𝑖𝑛 ṁℎ = Qout + Wout + ∑𝑜𝑢𝑡 ṁℎ

The work term usually consists of the fan work input, which is small relative to the other
terms in the energy balance relation. Next, we examine some commonly encountered
processes in air-conditioning.

a) Sensible heating

Conservation of mass:

ma,1 = mw,2 and (1 = 2)

Conservation of energy:

Q = ma (h2 - h1)

q = h2 - h1

b) Steam humidification

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)

c) Cooling dehumidification

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

Circuit layout

Figure 1: Circuit layout

6.0 REFERENCES

1. Cengel & Boles.(2013). MEC 551 Thermal Engineering. Thermodynamics : An

Engineering Approach, Seventh Edition in SI Units. Chapter 14: Gas-Vapor Mixtures
and Air-Conditioning.pg 719-726. McGraw-Hill Education (Asia)
ISBN: 9780071257718.
2. Yunus A.Cengel, Michael A.Boles. (2011). Thermodynamics An Engineering
Approach. 1221 Avenue of Americas, New York, NY10020 : McGraw-Hill.
3. R.S.Khurmi, J.K.Gupta. (2007). Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. Ram Nagar, New
Delhi: Eurasia Publishing House.
4. Yunus A. Cengel. (2006). “Heat and Mass Transfer” 3rd Edition(A Practical Approach):
McGraw Hill (2006). ISBN: 9780073129303
5. Michael J. Moran ,Howard N. Shapiro ,Daisie D. Boettner and Margaret B. Bailey. (16
Jan 2015). “Principles Of Engineering Thermodynamics” 8th Edition: John Wiley &
Sons Inc.
6. T.D. Eastop, A. McConkey,(1993)”Applied Thermodynamics For Engineering
Technologists” 5th Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall:
7. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, October 1). Air conditioning. In Wikipedia, The Free
Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:25, October 2, 2019,
from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Air_conditioning&oldid=919018048
8. https://new-learn.info/packages/clear/thermal/buildings/active_systems/ac/process.html.
Retrieved 07:25, October 2, 2019