Air conditioning Air conditioning is that branch of engineering science which deals with the stu dy of conditioning of air

for human comfort. In broad sense, this subject also d eals with the conditioning of air for industrial purpose, food processing, stora ge of food and other materials. Specification 1. Condensed coils 2. Fan 3. Fan axle 4. Expansion valve 5. Compressor 6. Temperature sensing bulb 7. Cooling coil 8. Blower

Fig: Air conditioning cy cle Operating procedure 1. The outside air flows and mixes up with recirculated air (which is obtai ned from the conditioned space). 2. The mixed air then passes through a condenser coil where it is condensed bac into a liquid state by use of a fan drawing ambient air over it. 3. The air moves through an expansion valve where its pressure is greatly r educed. 4. The air now passes through a cooling coil. The coil has a temperature mu ch below the required dry bulb temperature of the air in the conditioned space. 5. The cooled air passes through a perforated membrane and loses its moistu re in the condensed form which is collected in a sump. 6. After that the air is made to pass through a heating coil which heats up the air slightly. This is done to bring the air to the desired dry bulb tempera ture and relative humidity. 7. Now the conditioned air is supplied to the conditioned space by a blowe r. 8. From the conditioned space a part of the used air is exhausted to the a tmosphere by the exhaust fan. 9. The remaining part of the used air ( nown as recirculated air) is again conditioned. Methods of dehumidifying Air dehumidifying is a process that consists in decreasing the contents of steam contained in the air. Air can be dehumidified in several ways: 1. 2. 3. Dehumidifying by heating and ventilation Condensation dehumidifying Adsorption dehumidifying

Heating and ventilation This method consists in raising air temperature in a room and applying intense v entilation. Its efficiency depends on external conditions that can even ma e it impossible to use the method. The lower external temperature and the higher temp erature of the dehumidified room ma e the method more effective. Thus, the best effects can be achieved in winter, worse in the spring and autumn, and the worst ones in summer. In the case of dehumidifying humid walls, temperature in the room should not exc eed 35C. Higher temperatures can cause excessive increase in pressure of steam con tained in walls which leads to crac ing and damaging of the walls. Lac of prope

r ventilation (air exchange) while dehumidifying causes steam to be absorbed by drier parts of walls and the ceiling. One should also mention that air heating with gas heaters gives the opposite effect as compared to the planned one. This is because burning propane-butane produces carbon dioxide and steam. In result, not only air temperature but also air humidity increases. Dehumidifying by ventilation and heating: 1. Air removed outside 2. Air suc ed from outside 3. Extractor fan 4. Heater 5. Heated air Fig: Dehumidifying by ventilation and heating Using this method is connected to high costs. This is mainly a result of its low effectiveness (long time of dehumidifying) and the fact that the best effects a re achieved at the largest temperature differences (large demand for heating pow er). Condensation dehumidifying The compressor cooling system is the most important part of the condensation deh umidifiers. It allows for condensing the steam and lowering water contents in th e air. At the heart of the cooling system lies a compressor which compresses and pumps the refrigerant, forcing it to circulate around the whole system. The hig her the pressure gets, the more the temperature grows. A compressed refrigerant (in gaseous state) is transferred by a pipe to the condenser, where it is cooled down Condensation dehumidifying: 1. humid air 2. filter 3. evaporator 4. dripping tray 5. condensate tan 6. dehumidified and cooled air 7. condenser 8. extractor fan 9. dehumidified and heated air Fig: Condensation dehumidifying Unli e condensation, evaporation causes a drop in both pressure and temperature. Owing to this phenomenon, the air gives up its heat to the refrigerant (and all ows it to evaporate). The air temperature falls below the dew point, which ma es the excess humidity condense on the walls of the condenser. The expanded refrig erant is suc ed in again by the compressor, and the whole cycle starts over. In case of operating in lower ambient temperatures, the water condensed in the e vaporator may freeze, which increases the resistance of air flow in the exchange r. To avoid this, an electronic control system periodically opens the electromag netic valve. This redirects the hot refrigerant (in its gaseous state) to the ev aporator. This ma es the ice thaw and flow down to the condensate tan .

Fig: Condensation dehumidifier ( MASTER D H 42 device An example of a condensation dryer is the MASTER DH 42 device, which consists of

the following: 1. A compressor cooling unit consisting of the following elements: 2. A centrifugal compressor 3. A bloc of plate fin heat exchangers 4. A capillary 5. A filter 6. An electromagnetic valve 7. Copper pipes 8. An axial fan 9. An electronic controller 10. Air filter The heat of the refrigerant is received by the air around the exchanger (condens er). The refrigerant changes its state from gas to liquid due to its pressure an d the temperature drop. A condensed refrigerant runs through the de-watering fil ter, which absorbs the steam that could find its way into the drier when its man ufactured or maintained. After passing through the filter, the liquid runs throu gh a throttle (a capillary or an expanding valve), whose flow resistance causes a pressure difference, that ma es the refrigerant expand and evaporate. The evap oration process ta es place in the evaporator. Adsorption dehumidifying This method consists in removing humidity from the air by its absorbing by hygro scopic materials. The main devices used in this method are adsorptive dehumidifi ers whose major elements include rotor along with a driving unit, extractor fans , air heater, filter, casing, and fittings. The rotor is most frequently made of properly profiled aluminium sheets (creatin g axial capillaries) whose surface is covered with hygroscopic substance. Such a construction results in a large increase of humidity adsorbing area. The rotor is driven by an electric motor by a transmission (belt type most often). The dev ice is divided into a dehumidifying sector and regeneration sector in result of which dehumidified air is achieved behind the rotor. While turning, the rotor ca uses the humid hygroscopic material gets to the regeneration sector where hot ai r flows through the rotor to remove humidity that is then sent outside.

Adsorption dehumidifying: 1. Filter 2. Humid air 3. Rotor 4. Dehumidified air 5. Extractor fan 6. Regeneration air 7. Heater; 8. Hot regeneration air 9. Humid regeneration air Additional feature of the rotor is its high durability, washability, ability of self-cleaning and preventing development of bacteria. A great advantage of this type of dehumidifying is the possibility to dehumidify air without cooling as we ll as dehumidifying air of sub-zero temperature. Due to a multitude of advantage s of this method, it is widely used in industry, e.g. pharmaceutical, food, and in AC systems.

Fig: Adsorption dehumidifying