AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS

CENTRAL PLANT AIR CONDITIONING

Central air conditioning plants are used for applications like big hotels, large
buildings having multiple floors, hospitals, etc, where very high cooling loads are
required. The article describes various possible arrangements of central air
conditioning plants.

The central air conditioning plants or the systems are used when large buildings,
hotels, theaters, airports, shopping malls etc are to be air conditioned completely.
The window and split air conditioners are used for single rooms or small office
spaces. If the whole building is to be cooled it is not economically viable to put
window or split air conditioner in each and every room. Further, these small units
cannot satisfactorily cool the large halls, auditoriums, receptions areas etc.

In the central air conditioning systems there is a plant room where large
compressor, condenser, thermostatic expansion valve and the evaporator are kept
in the large plant room. They perform all the functions as usual similar to a typical
refrigeration system. However, all these parts are larger in size and have higher
capacities. The compressor is of open reciprocating type with multiple cylinders
and is cooled by the water just like the automobile engine. The compressor and the
condenser are of shell and tube type. While in the small air conditioning system
capillary is used as the expansion valve, in the central air conditioning systems
thermostatic expansion valve is used.

The chilled is passed via the ducts to all the rooms, halls and other spaces that are
to be air conditioned. Thus in all the rooms there is only the duct passing the
chilled air and there are no individual cooling coils, and other parts of the
refrigeration system in the rooms. What is we get in each room is the completely
silent and highly effective air conditions system in the room. Further, the amount
of chilled air that is needed in the room can be controlled by the openings
depending on the total heat load inside the room.

The central air conditioning systems are highly sophisticated applications of the air
conditioning systems and many a times they tend to be complicated. It is due to
this reason that there are very few companies in the world that specialize in these
systems. In the modern era of computerization a number of additional electronic
utilities have been added to the central conditioning systems.

There are two types of central air conditioning plants or systems:

Direct expansion or DX central air conditioning plant: In this system the huge
compressor , and the condenser are housed in the plant room, while the expansion
valve and the evaporator or the cooling coil and the air handling unit are housed in
separate room. The cooling coil is fixed in the air handling unit, which also has
large blower housed in it. The blower sucks the hot return air from the room via
ducts and blows it over the cooling coil. The cooled air is then supplied through
various ducts and into the spaces which are to be cooled. This type of system is
useful for small buildings.

2) Chilled water central air conditioning plant: This type of system is more
useful for large buildings comprising of a number of floors. It has the plant room
where all the important units like the compressor, condenser, throttling valve and
the evaporator are housed. The evaporator is a shell and tube. On the tube side the
Freon fluid passes at extremely low temperature, while on the shell side the brine
solution is passed. After passing through the evaporator, the brine solution gets
chilled and is pumped to the various air handling units installed at different floors
of the building. The air handling units contain the cooling coil through which the
chilled brine flows, and the blower. The blower sucks hot return air from the room
via ducts and blows it over the cooling coil. The cool air is then supplied to the
space to be cooled through the ducts. The brine solution which has absorbed the
room heat comes back to the evaporator, gets chilled and is again pumped back to
the air handling unit.

To operate and maintain central air conditioning systems you need to have good
operators, technicians and engineers. Proper preventative and breakdown
maintenance of these plants is vital.
SPLIT AIR CONDITIONER
The split air conditioner comprises of two parts: the outdoor unit and the indoor
unit. The outdoor unit, fitted outside the room, houses components like the
compressor, condenser and expansion valve. The indoor unit comprises the
evaporator or cooling coil and the cooling fan. For this unit you don’t have to make
any slot in the wall of the room. Further, present day split units have aesthetic
appeal and do not take up as much space as a window unit. A split air conditioner
can be used to cool one or two rooms.
The indoor unit of the split air conditioner is a box type housing in which all the
important parts of the air conditioner are enclosed. The most common type of the
indoor unit is the wall mounted type though other types like ceiling mounted and
floor mounted are also used. We shall discuss all these types in separate articles,
here we shall discuss the wall mounted type of the indoor unit.

These days the companies give utmost importance to the looks and aesthetics of
the indoor unit. In the last couple few years the purpose of the indoor unit has
changed from being a mere cooling effect producing devise to a beautiful looking
cooling devise adding to the overall aesthetics of the room. This is one of the major
 reasons that the popularity of the split units has increased tremendously in the last
few years. Let us see the various parts enclosed inside the indoor unit of the split
air conditioner:

Indoor unit

1) Evaporator Coil or the Cooling Coil:

The cooling coil is a copper coil made of number turns of the copper tubing with
one or more rows depending on the capacity of the air conditioning system. The
cooling coil is covered with the aluminum fins so that the maximum amount of
heat can be transferred from the coil to the air inside the room.

The refrigerant from the tubing at very low temperature and very low pressure
enters the cooling coil. The blower absorbs the hot room air or the atmospheric air
and in doing so the air passes over the cooling coil which leads to the cooling of
the air. This air is then blown to the room where the cooling effect has to be
produced. The air, after producing the cooling effect is again sucked by the blower
and the process of cooling the room continues.

After absorbing the heat from the room air, the temperature of the refrigerant
inside the cooling coil becomes high and it flows back through the return copper
tubing to the compressor inside the outdoor unit. The refrigerant tubing supplying
the refrigerant from the outdoor unit to the indoor unit and that supplying the
refrigerant from indoor unit to the outdoor unit are both covered with the insulation
tape.

 2) Air Filter:
The air filter is very important part of the indoor unit. It removes all the dirt
particles from the room air and helps supplying clean air to the room. The air filter
in the wall mounted type of the indoor unit is placed just before the cooling coil.
 When the blower sucks the hot room air, it is first passed through the air filter and
then though the cooling coil. Thus the clean air at low temperature is supplied into
the room by the blower.

 One of the most popular types split air conditioners is the wall mounted type of
split AC. In these ACs the indoor unit is mounted on wall inside the room or the
office.
 3) Cooling Fan or Blower:
Inside the indoor unit there is also a long blower that sucks the room air or the
atmospheric air. It is an induced type of blower and while is sucks the room air it is
passed over the cooling coil and the filter due to which the temperature of the air
reduces and all the dirt from it is removed. The blower sucks the hot and unclean
air from the room and supplies cool and clean air back. The shaft of the blower
rotates inside the bushes and it is connected to a small multiple speed motor, thus
the speed of the blower can be changed. When the fan speed is changed with the
remote it is the speed of the blower that changes.

 4) Drain Pipe:
Due to the low temperature refrigerant inside the cooling coil, its temperature is
very low, usually much below the dew point temperature of the room air. When the
room air is passed over the cooling due the suction force of the blower, the
temperature of the air becomes very low and reaches levels below its dew point
temperature. Due to this the water vapor present in the air gets condensed and dew
or water drops are formed on the surface of the cooling coil. These water drops fall
off the cooling coil and are collected in a small space inside the indoor unit. To
remove the water from this space the drain pipe is connected from this space
extending to the some external place outside the room where water can be disposed
off. Thus the drain pipe helps removing dew water collected inside the indoor unit.
Outdoor Unit

1) Compressor:
The compressor is most important part of the any air conditioner. It compresses the
refrigerant and increases its pressure before sending it to the condenser. The size of
the compressor varies depending on the desired air conditioning load. In most of
the domestic split air conditioners hermetically sealed type of compressor is used.
In such compressors the motor used for driving the shaft is located inside the
sealed unit and it is not visible externally. External power has to be supplied to the
compressor, which is utilized for compressing the refrigerant and during this
process lots of heat is generated in the compressor, which has to be removed by
some means.

2) Condenser:
The condenser used in the outdoor unit of split air conditioners is the coiled copper
tubing with one or more rows depending on the size of the air conditioning unit
and the compressor. Greater the tonnage of the air conditioner and the compressor
more are the coil turns and rows. The high temperature and high pressure
refrigerant from the compressor comes in the condenser where it has to give up the
heat. The tubing is made up of copper since it rate of conduction of heat is high.
The condenser is also covered with the aluminum fins so that the heat from the
refrigerant can be removed at more faster rate.

3) Expansion Valve:
The expansion valve is usually a copper capillary tubing with several rounds of
coils. The high pressure and medium temperature refrigerant leaves the condenser
and enters the expansion valve, where its temperature and pressure drops suddenly.
WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER

Window air conditioners are one of the most commonly used and cheapest type of
air conditioners. To install one of these units, you need the space to make a slot in
the wall, and there should also be some open space behind the wall. Window air
conditioners are one of the most popular being used. Whether it’s your study room,
bedroom, or hall, the window air conditioner can be used for almost all types of
spaces.

To fit the window air conditioner in your room, you need to make a slot in one of
the walls of the room that is to be cooled. This system extends around two feet
beyond the wall in the back side; hence behind the wall some free space should be
available so that the hot air can be thrown easily from the condenser. The dew
collected from the room is also thrown from the back of the air conditioner. Thus
window air conditioners can be used only if there is place available in the wall to
make the slot, and there is free space behind the wall for dissipating the heat and
dripping water.

Window air conditioners are comprised of components like the compressor,

condenser, expansion valve or expansion coil, and the evaporator or the cooling
coil, all housed in a single box. There is also a motor which has shafts on both
sides. On one side of the shaft the blower is connected, which sucks hot air from
the room and blows it over the cooling coil, thus cooling it and sending it to the
room. On the other shaft the fan is connected, which blows the air over Freon gas
passing through the condenser

One of the complaints that window air conditioners have had is that they tend to
make noise inside the room. But this problem has been greatly overcome by the
present day efficient and less noisy rotary compressors, which also consume less
electricity. Today a number of fancy and elegant looking models of window air
conditioners are available that enhance the beauty of your rooms.

PACKAGED AIR CONDITIONERS

The window and split air conditioners are usually used for the small air
conditioning capacities up to 5 tons. The central air conditioning systems are used
for where the cooling loads extend beyond 20 tons. The packaged air conditioners
are used for the cooling capacities in between these two extremes. The packaged
air conditioners are available in the fixed rated capacities of 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15 tons.
These units are used commonly in places like restaurants, telephone exchanges,
homes, small halls, etc.

As the name implies, in the packaged air conditioners all the important
components of the air conditioners are enclosed in a single casing like window AC.
Thus the compressor, cooling coil, air handling unit and the air filter are all housed
in a single casing and assembled at the factory location.
Depending on the type of the cooling system used in these systems, the packaged
air conditioners are divided into two types: ones with water cooled condenser and
the ones with air cooled condensers. Both these systems have been described
below:

Packaged Air Conditioners with Water Cooled Condenser

In these packaged air conditions the condenser is cooled by the water. The
condenser is of shell and tube type, with refrigerant flowing along the tube side and
the cooling water flowing along the shell side. The water has to be supplied
continuously in these systems to maintain functioning of the air conditioning
system.

The shell and tube type of condenser is compact in shape and it is enclosed in a
single casing along with the compressor, expansion valve, and the air handling unit
including the cooling coil or the evaporator. This whole packaged air conditioning
unit externally looks like a box with the control panel located externally.
In the packaged units with the water cooled condenser, the compressor is located at
the bottom along with the condenser .Above these components the evaporator or
the cooling coil is located. The air handling unit comprising of the centrifugal
blower and the air filter is located above the cooling coil. The centrifugal blower
has the capacity to handle large volume of air required for cooling a number of
rooms. From the top of the package air conditioners the duct comes out that
extends to the various rooms that are to be cooled

Packaged Air Conditioners with Air Cooled Condensers

In this packaged air conditioners the condenser of the refrigeration system is
cooled by the atmospheric air. There is an outdoor unit that comprises of the
important components like the compressor, condenser and in some cases the
expansion valve (refer the figure below). The outdoor unit can be kept on the
terrace or any other open place where the free flow of the atmospheric air is
available. The fan located inside this unit sucks the outside air and blows it over
the condenser coil cooling it in the process. The condenser coil is made up of
several turns of the copper tubing and it is finned externally. The packaged ACs
with the air cooled condensers are used more commonly than the ones with water
cooled condensers since air is freely available it is difficult maintain continuous
flow of the water.

The cooling unit comprising of the expansion valve, evaporator, the air handling
blower and the filter are located on the floor or hanged to the ceiling. The ducts
coming from the cooling unit are connected to the various rooms that are to be
cooled.
ALL-AIR-SYSTEMS
All-air systems transfer cooled or heated air from a central plant via ducting, distributing
air through a series of grilles or diffusers to the room or rooms being served. It normally
comprises the cheapest equipment cost, but is not necessarily easy or cheap to install in a
building due to the size of ducting required and the cost to install. It can be a problem to
control temperature properly, and the system may be energy inefficient. All-air is generally
rated in second place compared to other systems in relation to the amount of energy used to
achieve the desired result.

CHILLED WATER AIR CONDITIONING

Chilled water air conditioning systems are commonly used in applications that
need large cooling capacity such as hypermarket, industrial process, commercial
air conditioning such as offices and factories. More and more homes are using this
system to air conditioned their entire house because of its cost-effectiveness and no
hazard of having refrigerant piped all over the house.

As its name suggest, this system makes use of water as its secondary refrigerant.
The chiller is the section of the system where an exchange of heat occurred
between the water that goes to the building and the evaporator. The water leaves
the chilled water evaporator at 45°F or 7°C. This chilled-water is then circulated
through the entire building by the use of a pump.

Air Conditioners work to cool or warm your home, creating a comfortable living
environment by filtering the air and removing the moisture which causes humidity.
Back in the day, a central air conditioning unit was used to cool or heat the house,
which meant each and every room had the same temperature and amount of air
flow. During this time, the temperature throughout a house was controlled by just
one thermostat and to expect a single thermostat to control temperature variations
throughout a home was almost impossible.

As time went by and individual family members had different comfort levels,
zoned temperature control was introduced whereby a system ductwork was used to
control heating and cooling in each zone. Conditioned air is distributed where and
when you need it, making you and your family more comfortable whilst saving
you money by using less energy.
Traditional zoning requires a large common zone which remains open at all times
to prevent air pressure build-up and damage to the ductwork. The common zone
can occupy up to 25% or more of a home, and you will pay to heat or cool it
regardless of whether you use that area which creates wastage.

We believe that having total control of your home air conditioning system should
be a necessity and not an option. We go on the basis that different areas of your
home have different air flow needs, as do individual family members. Having the
ability to monitor and adjust the amount of air going into each room shouldn’t be a
herculean task. By having the right system, you will be able to adjust the airflow in
each room and increase your comfort level whilst at the same time decrease cost.
And so we took all this into consideration and designed three different systems to
adapt and adjust to all your air-conditioning needs.