HVAC

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC):- is the

technology of indoor and vehicular environmental comfort. Its goal is to
provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HVAC system
design is a subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the
principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer.
"Refrigeration" is sometimes added to the field's abbreviation,
as HVAC&R or HVACR or "ventilation" is dropped, as in HACR (as in
the designation of HACR-rated circuit breakers).
HVAC is an important part of residential structures such as single family
homes, apartment buildings, hotels and senior living facilities, medium to
large industrial and office buildings such as skyscrapers and hospitals,
on ships and submarines, and in marine environments, where safe
and healthy building conditions are regulated with respect to
temperature and humidity, using fresh air from outdoors.
History: -
HVAC is based on inventions and discoveries made by Nikolay
Lvov, Michael Faraday, Willis Carrier, Edwin Ruud, Reuben
Trane, James Joule, William Rankine, Sadi Carnot, and many others.
Multiple inventions within this time frame preceded the beginnings of first
comfort air conditioning system, which was designed in 1902 by Alfred
Wolff (Cooper, 2003) for the New York Stock Exchange, while Willis
Carrier equipped the Sacketts-Willems Printing Company with the
process AC unit the same year. Coyne College was the first school to
offer HVAC training in 1899. The invention of the components of HVAC
systems went hand-in-hand with the industrial revolution, and new
methods of modernization, higher efficiency, and system control are
constantly being introduced by companies and inventors worldwide

Heating: -
Heaters are appliances whose purpose is to generate heat (i.e. warmth)
for the building. This can be done via central heating. Such a system
contains a boiler, furnace, or heat pumpto heat water, steam, or air in a
central location such as a furnace room in a home, or a mechanical
room in a large building. The heat can be transferred by convection,
conduction, or radiation.

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Heat Generation in HAVC system
Heaters exist for various types of fuel, including solid fuels, liquids,
and gases. Another type of heat source is electricity, normally heating
ribbons composed of high resistance wire (see Nichrome). This principle
is also used for baseboard heaters and portable heaters. Electrical
heaters are often used as backup or supplemental heat for heat pump
systems.
The heat pump gained popularity in the 1950s in Japan and the United
States.[13] Heat pumps can extract heat from various sources, such as
environmental air, exhaust air from a building, or from the ground.
Initially, heat pump HVAC systems were only used in moderate climates,
but with improvements in low temperature operation and reduced loads
due to more efficient homes, they are increasing in popularity in cooler
climates.
Distribution: -
In the case of heated water or steam, piping is used to transport the heat
to the rooms. Most modern hot water boiler heating systems have a
circulator, which is a pump, to move hot water through the distribution
system (as opposed to older gravity-fed systems). The heat can be
transferred to the surrounding air using radiators, hot water coils (hydro-
air), or other heat exchangers. The radiators may be mounted on walls
or installed within the floor to produce floor heat.
The use of water as the heat transfer medium is known as hydronics.
The heated water can also supply an auxiliary heat exchanger to supply
hot water for bathing and washing.
Air: -
Warm air systems distribute heated air through duct work systems of
supply and return air through metal or fiberglass ducts. Many systems
use the same ducts to distribute air cooled by an evaporator coil for air
conditioning. The air supply is normally filtered through air cleaners to
remove dust and pollen particles.
Danger: -
The use of furnaces, space heaters, and boilers as a method of indoor
heating could result in incomplete combustion and the emission
of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, formaldehyde, volatile organic
compounds, and other combustion byproducts. Incomplete combustion
occurs when there is insufficient oxygen; the inputs are fuels containing
various contaminants and the outputs are harmful byproducts, most

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dangerously carbon monoxide, which is a tasteless and odorless gas
with serious adverse health effects.[14]
Without proper ventilation, carbon monoxide can be lethal at
concentrations of 1000 ppm (0.1%). However, at several hundred ppm,
carbon monoxide exposure induces headaches, fatigue, nausea, and
vomiting. Carbon monoxide binds with hemoglobin in the blood, forming
carboxyhemoglobin, reducing the blood's ability to transport oxygen. The
primary health concerns associated with carbon monoxide exposure are
its cardiovascular and neurobehavioral effects. Carbon monoxide can
cause atherosclerosis (the hardening of arteries) and can also trigger
heart attacks. Neurologically, carbon monoxide exposure reduces hand
to eye coordination, vigilance, and continuous performance. It can also
affect time discrimination.[15]

Ventilation: -
Ventilation is the process of changing or replacing air in any space to
control temperature or remove any combination of moisture, odors,
smoke, heat, dust, airborne bacteria, or carbon dioxide, and to replenish
oxygen. Ventilation includes both the exchange of air with the outside as
well as circulation of air within the building. It is one of the most
important factors for maintaining acceptable indoor air quality in
buildings.

Methods for ventilating a may be divided

into mechanical/forced and natural types.
(1) Mechanical or forced ventilation: -

HVAC ventilation exhaust for a 12-story building

Mechanical, or forced, ventilation is provided by an air handler (AHU)
and used to control indoor air quality. Excess humidity, odors, and
contaminants can often be controlled via dilution or replacement with
outside air. However, in humid climates more energy is required to
remove excess moisture from ventilation air.
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Kitchens and bathrooms typically have mechanical exhausts to control
odors and sometimes humidity. Factors in the design of such systems
include the flow rate (which is a function of the fan speed and exhaust
vent size) and noise level. Direct drive fans are available for many
applications, and can reduce maintenance needs.
Ceiling fans and table/floor fans circulate air within a room for the
purpose of reducing the perceived temperature by increasing
evaporation of perspiration on the skin of the occupants. Because hot air
rises, ceiling fans may be used to keep a room warmer in the winter by
circulating the warm stratified air from the ceiling to the floor.
(2) Natural ventilation:-
Natural ventilation is the ventilation of a building with outside air without
using fans or other mechanical systems. It can be via operable windows,
louvers, or trickle vents when spaces are small and the architecture
permits. In more complex schemes, warm air is allowed to rise and flow
out high building openings to the outside (stack effect), causing cool
outside air to be drawn into low building openings. Natural ventilation
schemes can use very little energy, but care must be taken to ensure
comfort. In warm or humid climates, maintaining thermal comfort solely
via natural ventilation might not be possible. Air conditioning systems are
used, either as backups or supplements. Air-side economizers also use
outside air to condition spaces, but do so using fans, ducts, dampers,
and control systems to introduce and distribute cool outdoor air when
appropriate.
An important component of natural ventilation is air change rate or air
changes per hour: the hourly rate of ventilation divided by the volume of
the space. For example, six air changes per hour means an amount of
new air, equal to the volume of the space, is added every ten minutes.
For human comfort, a minimum of four air changes per hour is typical,
though warehouses might have only two. Too high of an air change rate
may be uncomfortable, akin to a wind tunnel which have thousands of
changes per hour. The highest air change rates are for crowded spaces,
bars, night clubs, commercial kitchens at around 30 to 50 air changes
per hour.
Room pressure can be either positive or negative with respect to outside
the room. Positive pressure occurs when there is more air being
supplied than exhausted and is common to reduce the infiltration of
outside contaminants.

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Air conditioning: -
History:-
A company in New York City in the United States first offered installation
of air conditioning for cars in 1933. Most of their customers operated
limousines and luxury cars.
In 1939, Packard became the first automobile manufacturer to offer an
air conditioning unit in its cars. These were manufactured by Bishop and
Babcock Co, of Cleveland, Ohio. The "Bishop and Babcock Weather
Conditioner" also incorporated a heater. Cars ordered with the new
"Weather Conditioner" were shipped from Packard's East Grand
Boulevard facility to the B&B factory where the conversion was
performed. Once complete, the car was shipped to a local dealer where
the customer would take delivery.
Packard fully warranted and supported this conversion, and marketed it
well. However, it was not commercially successful for a number of
reasons:

 The main evaporator and blower system took up half of the trunk
space (though this became less of a problem as trunks became
larger in the post-war period).
 It was superseded by more efficient systems in the post-war years.
 It had no temperature thermostat or shut-off mechanism other than
switching the blower off. (Cold air would still sometimes enter the car
with any movement as the drive belt was continuously connected to
the compressor—later systems would use electrically operated
clutches to remedy this problem.)
 The several feet of plumbing going back and forth between the
engine compartment and trunk proved unreliable in service.
 The price, at US $274 ($4,692.12 in 2014 US dollars), was
\unaffordable to most people in post-depression/pre-war America.
The option was discontinued after 1941.

Definition :-
An air conditioning system, or a standalone air conditioner, provides
cooling and humidity control for all or part of a building. Air conditioned
buildings often have sealed windows, because open windows would
work against the system intended to maintain constant indoor air
conditions. Outside, fresh air is generally drawn into the system by a

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vent into the indoor heat exchanger section, creating positive air
pressure. The percentage of return air made up of fresh air can usually
be manipulated by adjusting the opening of this vent. Typical fresh air
intake is about 10%.
Air conditioning and refrigeration are provided through the removal of
heat. Heat can be removed through radiation, convection, or conduction.
Refrigeration conduction media such as water, air, ice, and chemicals
are referred to as refrigerants. A refrigerant is employed either in a heat
pump system in which a compressor is used to drive
thermodynamic refrigeration cycle, or in a free cooling system which
uses pumps to circulate a cool refrigerant (typically water or a glycol
COMPONENTS: -

(1) COMPRESSOR: -Air conditioner compressor is used to remove the

heat-laden vapor refrigerant from the evaporator of the air conditioning
systems. In layman term, the compressor compresses or squeezes the
vapor into a smaller volume at high temperature. The external-drive
compressor has a crankshaft that is driven by a pulley and belt system.

An electric motor can also be used to drive it directly. The hermetic

compressor has a motor which is sealed inside a housing with the
compressor, hence a crankshaft seal is not required. The motor rotor is
located either at the top or bottom of the unit.

There are basically 5 types of air conditioner compressor that are

commonly used in the HVAC industry:

 Reciprocating
 Scroll
 Screw
 Rotary
 Centrifugal

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 A Compressor
Reciprocating Air Conditioner Compressor: -

The reciprocating compressor uses piston to compressor the refrigerant

driven by a crankshaft in a straight line back and forth motion. This
rotary motion is achieved by the use of an electric motor and the
construction is quite similar to that of an automobile engine.

The piston moves up and down inside a cylinder. Vapor from the suction
line is moved through the intake valve as the piston move downward. As
the piston moves upward, it compresses the vapor refrigerant which is
then pushed through the exhaust valve into the condenser.
The compressor may has more than one cylinder which is also known as
multicylinder compressor. The common ones are the two-cylinder, four-
cylinder and eight-cylinder compressors

Scroll

A scroll compressor has one fixed scroll which remains stationary and
another moving or orbiting scroll that rotates through the use of swing
link. When this happens, the pockets of refrigerant between the two
scrolls are slowly pushed to the center of the two scrolls causing the
reduction of the volume of the gas. It is then discharged though the
center port to the condenser.

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The advantage of scroll compressor is that it has fewer moving parts and
less torque variation compared to the reciprocating compressor. This
advantage is translated to a smooth and quiet operation.

The scroll compressor is also known as scroll pump or scrolls vacuum

pump.

Screw

The screw compressor uses a pair of helical rotors where it traps and
compresses the gas as the rotors revolve in the cylinder. In HVAC, they
are usually used in systems with 20-ton capacity and above. The male
rotor and the female rotor are built inside the cylinder. The low-pressure
refrigerant enters one end of the compressor and the resultant high-
pressure refrigerant is discharged into the opposite end to the
condenser.

Rotary

The rotary compressor can be divided into two types. One has blades or
vanes that rotate with the shaft. The other type has the blade which
remains stationary and is part of the compressor housing assembly. In
both types, the vapor from the suction line is drawn into the cylinder
through the suction port.

As the blade rotates, trapped vapor in the space ahead of the blade is
compressed into high pressure gas after which it is discharged to the
condenser through the exhaust port. The number of blades can range
from two to eight in a single system.

Centrifugal
Centrifugal compressor is usually used in large capacity refrigerating
system. In this compressor, the vapor is moved in a circular motion
known as centrifugal force. An impeller which is a disk with radial blades
spins rapidly inside this housing causing the gas to gain velocity.
A diffuser converts this energy into pressure energy and is then
discharged into the condenser. The pumping efficiency increases with
speed, hence this type of compressors are designed to operate at high
speed.

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The main advantage of centrifugal compressor is that there are no
valves, pistons or cylinders. The wearing parts that need attention are
the main bearings.

(2) CONDENSER:-

The condenser coil of a refrigerator

In systems involving heat transfer, a condenser is a device or unit used
to condense a substance from its gaseous to its liquid state, by cooling
it. In so doing, the latent heat is given up by the substance and
transferred to the surrounding environment. Condensers can be made
according to numerous designs, and come in many sizes ranging from
rather small (hand-held) to very large (industrial-scale units used in plant
processes). For example, a refrigerator uses a condenser to get rid
of heat extracted from the interior of the unit to the outside air.
Condensers are used in air conditioning, industrial chemical
processes such as distillation, steam power plants and other heat-
exchange systems. Use of cooling water or surrounding air as the
coolant is common in many condensers. A condenser unit used
in central air conditioning systems typically has a heat exchanger section
to cool down and condense incoming refrigerant vapor into liquid,
a compressor to raise the pressure of the refrigerant and move it along,
and a fan for blowing outside air through the heat exchanger section to
cool the refrigerant inside. A typical configuration of such a condenser
unit is as follows: The heat exchanger section wraps around the sides of
the unit with the compressor inside. In this heat exchanger section, the
refrigerant goes through multiple tube passes, which are surrounded by
heat transfer fins through which cooling air can move from outside to
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inside the unit. There is a motorized fan inside the condenser unit near
the top, which is covered by some grating to keep any objects from
accidentally falling inside on the fan. The fan is used to blow the outside
cooling air in through the heat exchange section at the sides and out the
top through the grating. These condenser units are located on the
outside of the building they are trying to cool, with tubing between the
unit and building, one for vapor refrigerant entering and another for liquid
refrigerant leaving the unit. Of course, an electric power supply is
needed for the compressor and fan inside the unit.

(i)Direct-contact condenser: -

 In this , hot vapor and cool liquid are introduced into a vessel and
allowed to mix directly, rather than being separated by a barrier such
as the wall of a heat exchanger tube. The vapor gives up its latent
heat and condenses to a liquid, while the liquid absorbs this heat and
undergoes a temperature rise. The entering vapor and liquid typically
contain a single condensable substance, such as a water spray being
used to cool air and adjust its humidity.
Other Types of Condensers:-
There are three other condensers used in HVAC systems

 Water-cooled
 Air-cooled
 Evaporative
Applications:

(ii)Air cooled: - If the condenser is located on the outside of the

unit, the air-cooled condenser can provide the easiest arrangement.
These types of condensers eject heat to the outdoors and are simple
to install.
Most common uses for this condenser are domestic refrigerators,
upright freezers and in residential packaged air conditioning units. A
great feature of the air-cooled condenser is they are very easy to clean.
Since dirt can cause serious issues with the condenser’s performance, it
is highly recommended that these be kept clear of dirt.

(iii) Water cooled: - Although a little more pricey to install, these

condensers are the more efficient type. Commonly used for swimming
pools and condensers piped for city water flow, these condensers
require regular service and maintenance.

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 They also require a cooling tower to conserve water. To prevent
corrosion and the forming of algae, water cooled condensers require a
constant supply of makeup water along with water treatment.
Depending on the application you can choose from tube in tube, shell
and coil or shell and tube condensers. All are essentially made to
produce the same outcome, but each in a different way.
(iv) Evaporative :- While these remain the least popular choice, they
are used when either water supply is inadequate to operate water cooled
condenser or condensation temperature is lower that can achieved by
air cooled condenser. Evaporative condensers can be used inside or
outside of a building and under typical conditions, operate at a low
condensing temperature.
Typically these are used in large commercial air-conditioning units.
Although effective, they are not necessarily the most efficient.
the vacuum or pump provides pressure to increase circulation.
(3) EVAPORATOR :-An evaporator is a device in a process used to
turn the liquid form of a chemical substance such as water into its
gaseous-form/vapor. The liquid is evaporated, or vaporized, into a gas
form of the targeted substance in that process.

Types of evaporators used today

(i)Natural/forced circulation evaporator
Natural circulation evaporators are based on the natural circulation of
the product caused by the density differences that arise from heating. In
an evaporator using tubing, after the water begins to boil, bubbles will
rise and cause circulation, facilitating the separation of the liquid and the
vapor at the top of the heating tubes. The amount of evaporation that
takes place depends on the temperature difference between the steam
and the solution.
Problems can arise if the tubes are not well-immersed in the solution. If
this occurs, the system will be dried out and circulation compromised. In
order to avoid this, forced circulation can be used by inserting a pump to
increase pressure and circulation. Forced circulation occurs when
hydrostatic head prevents boiling at the heating surface. Common uses
of forced circulation evaporators include waste streams, crystallizers,
viscous fluids, and other difficult process fluids as suppressed boiling
can reduce scaling and fouling.[5] A pump can also be used to avoid
fouling that is caused by the boiling of liquid on the tubes; the pump

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suppresses bubble formation. Other problems are that the residing time
is undefined and the consumption of steam is very high, but at high
temperatures, good circulation is easily achieved.
(ii))Falling film evaporator
This type of evaporator is generally made of 4–8 m (13–26 ft) tubes
enclosed by steam jackets. The uniform distribution of the solution is
important when using this type of evaporator. The solution enters and
gains velocity as it flows downward. This gain in velocity is attributed to
the vapor being evolved against the heating medium, which flows
downward as well. This evaporator is usually applied to
highly viscous solutions, so it is frequently used in the chemical,sugar,
food, and fermentation industries.
(iii)Rising film (Long Tube Vertical) evaporator
In this type of evaporator, boiling takes place inside the tubes, due to
heating made (usually by steam) outside the same. Submergence is
therefore not desired; the creation of water vapor bubbles inside the tube
creates an ascensional flow enhancing the heat transfer coefficient. This
type of evaporator is therefore quite efficient, the disadvantage being to
be prone to quick scaling of the internal surface of the tubes. This design
is then usually applied to clear, non-salting solutions. Tubes are usually
quite long, typically 4+ meters (13+ ft). Sometimes a small recycle is
provided. Sizing this type of evaporator is usually a delicate task, since it
requires a precise evaluation of the actual level of the process liquor
inside the tubes. Recent applications tend to favor the falling-film pattern
rather than rising-film.and also it is very useful.
Climbing and falling-film plate evaporator
Climbing and falling-film plate evaporators have a relatively large
surface area. The plates are usually corrugated and are supported by
frame. During evaporation, steam flows through the channels formed by
the free spaces between the plates. The steam alternately climbs and
falls parallel to the concentrated liquid. The steam follows a co-current,
counter-current path in relation to the liquid. The concentrate and the
vapor are both fed into the separation stage where the vapor is sent to a
condenser. This type of plate evaporator is frequently applied in the
dairy and fermentation industries since they have spatial flexibility. A
negative point of this type of evaporator is that it is limited in its ability to
treat viscous or solid-containing products. There are other types of plate
evaporators, which work with only climbing film.

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Multiple-effect evaporators
Unlike single-stage evaporators, these evaporators can be composed of
up to seven evaporator stages (effects). The energy consumption for
single-effect evaporators is very high and is most of the cost for an
evaporation system. Putting together evaporators saves heat and thus
requires less energy. Adding one evaporator to the original decreases
energy consumption to 50%. Adding another effect reduces it to 33%
and so on. A heat-saving-percent equation can be used to estimate how
much one will save by adding a certain number of effects.
The number of effects in a multiple-effect evaporator is usually restricted
to seven because after that, the equipment cost approaches the cost
savings of the energy-requirement drop.
There are two types of feeding that can be used when dealing with
multiple-effect evaporators. Forward feeding takes place when the
product enters the system through the first effect, which is at the highest
temperature. The product is then partially concentrated as some of the
water is transformed into vapor and carried away. It is then fed into the
second effect which is slightly lower in temperature. The second effect
uses the heated vapor created in the first stage as its heat source
(hence the saving in energy expenditure). The combination of lower
temperatures and higher viscosities in subsequent effects provides good
conditions for treating heat-sensitive products, such as enzymes and
proteins. In this system, an increase in the heating surface area of
subsequent effects is required.
Another method is using backward feeding. In this process, the dilute
products are fed into the last effect which has the lowest temperature
and are transferred from effect to effect, with the temperature increasing.
The final concentrate is collected in the hottest effect, which provides an
advantage in that the product is highly viscous in the last stages, and so
the heat transfer is better. Since some years there are also in operation
multiple-effect vacuum evaporators with heat pump, well known to be
energetically and technically more effective than systems
with mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) because due to the lower
boiling temperature they can handle highly corrosive liquids or which
may form incrustations.

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Agitated thin film evaporators
Agitated thin-film evaporation has been very successful with difficult-to-
handle products. Simply stated, the method quickly separates the
volatile from the less volatile components using indirect heat transfer
and mechanical agitation of the flowing product film under controlled
conditions. The separation is normally made under vacuum conditions to
maximize ∆T while maintaining the most favorable product temperature
so that the product only sees equilibrium conditions inside the
evaporator and can maximize volatile stripping and recovery.[7]

How an evaporator works:-

The solution containing the desired product is fed into the evaporator
and passes across a heat source. The applied heat converts the water in
the solution into vapor. The vapor is removed from the rest of the
solution and is condensed while the now-concentrated solution is either
fed into a second evaporator or is removed. The evaporator, as a
machine, generally consists of four sections. The heating section
contains the heating medium, which can vary. Steam is fed into this
section. The most common medium consists of parallel tubes but others
have plates or coils typically made from copper or aluminium. The
concentrating and separating section removes the vapor being produced
from the solution. The condenser condenses the separated vapor, then
the vacuum or pump provides pressure to increase circulation.[4]

PRESSURE REGULATORS:- is a control valve that reduces the

input pressure of a fluid to a desired value at its output. Regulators are
used for gases and liquids, and can be an integral device with an output
pressure setting, a restrictor and a sensor all in the one body, or consist
of a separate pressure sensor, controller and flow valve.
PRESSURE REGULATING DEVICES:-
Orifice Tube :-
An orifice tube is similar to an expansion valve, with both performing an
important function in a vehicle’s A/C system. The valve helps control the
flow of refrigerant through the evaporator, which is the main cooling
component of the system. An expansion valve controls this flow directly
through a modulating rod, which opens and closes to various levels
depending on cooling demand. It also contains a sensing bulb which
detects temperature within the evaporator. An orifice tube has no moving
parts and contains a permanent restriction within the system. The orifice
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tube systems control the refrigerant flow through other means, such as
cycling the compressor on and off, or the use of a refrigerant regulating
valve within the compressor itself.
The orifice tube allows for a higher flow of R-134 refrigerant during times
when more cooling is needed, and a smaller flow of refrigerant when
less cooling is needed. This balance of cooling flow is critical for the A/C
to operate effectively.
Too much refrigerant flow results in the evaporator running too cold,
which causes moisture to freeze on the evaporator coils. This freezing
restricts airflow through the coils and eventually results in a loss of
cooling for the vehicle. The evaporator and refrigerant lines should be
cold to the touch when running properly, but they should not be frozen. If
freezing does occur, it may indicate a problem with the orifice tube, or
even too much refrigerant in the system. Many vehicles come with a
“sight glass” which can be used to see if there are air bubbles present in
the refrigerant stream. A sight glass can help determine whether the
problem is within the orifice tube, or the refrigerant itself.
Faulty orifice tubes can also result in too little refrigerant flow through the
evaporator. If this is the case, the flow of refrigerant will not be enough to
absorb the heat that is coming from the condenser. When this occurs,
the A/C simply will not be performing well enough to allow the system to
cool. If either the evaporator or the refrigerant hose coming from the
evaporator are warm or hot to the touch, this could indicate that the
orifice tube isn’t doing its job. However, there could be many other
causes for this problem, as well.
The diameter of the passage inside the orifice tube is very small
compared to those inside the evaporator. This dynamic allows the
refrigerant to expand when it passes from the orifice tube into the
evaporator. An orifice tube and expansion valve both function as the
dividing point between the high pressure and low pressure sections of
the A/C system. The small diameter of the passage, while critical for the
cooling system, makes an orifice tube susceptible to becoming clogged
from debris within the system. An orifice tube becoming stopped up is
just about the only way that it can ever fail, as it is a relatively simple
component by design.

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Thermal expansion valve:-

Thermostatic expansion valve

A thermal expansion valve (often abbreviated as TEV, TXV, or TX valve)

is a component in refrigeration and air conditioningsystems that controls
the amount of refrigerant released into the evaporator thereby controlling
superheat. Thermal expansion valves are often referred to generi
Description:-
Flow control, or metering, of the refrigerant is accomplished by use of a
temperature sensing bulb, filled with a similar gas as in the system, that
causes the valve to open against the spring pressure in the valve body
as the temperature on the bulb increases. As the suction line
temperature decreases, so does the pressure in the bulb and therefore
on the spring causing the valve to close. An air conditioning system with
a TX valve is often more efficient than other designs that do not use one.
A thermal expansion valve is a key element to a heat pump; this is the
cycle that makes air conditioning, or air cooling, possible. A basic
refrigeration cycle consists of four major elements: a compressor,
a condenser, a metering device and an evaporator. As a refrigerant
passes through a circuit containing these four elements, air conditioning
occurs. The cycle starts when refrigerant enters the compressor in a low-
pressure, moderate-temperature, gaseous form. The refrigerant is
compressed by the compressor to a high-pressure and high-temperature
gaseous state. The high-pressure and high-temperature gas then enters
the condenser. The condenser cools the high-pressure and high-

16
temperature gas to a high-pressure liquid by transferring heat to a lower
temperature medium, usually ambient air.
The high pressure liquid then enters the expansion valve where the TX
valve allows a portion of the refrigerant to enter the evaporator. In order
for the higher temperature fluid to cool, the flow must be limited into the
evaporator to keep the pressure low and allow expansion back into the
gas phase. The TXV has sensing bulbs connected to the suction line of
the refrigerant piping. The gas pressure in the sensing bulbs provides
the force to open the TXV, therefore adjusting the flow of refrigerant and
the superheat.
Receiver driers

For reasons we just can’t figure out the number one internet search for
mobile A/C components and the number one blog post consistently read
is about the function of the system’s receiver drier. With that in mind
here is more information on this popular part.

Receiver-driers (also referred to as receiver-dehydrators) look like small

sealed metal cans with an inlet and outlet. Receiver-driers are only used
on systems that contain expansion valves.

Receiver-driers are comparable to accumulators, although they serve a

slightly different function. A receiver-dryer differs from an accumulator in
these two ways:

• A receiver-drier is considerably smaller than an accumulator, usually

around half the volume.

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• Receiver-driers are always located in the high-pressure side of the
system, usually between the condenser outlet and the expansion valve
inlet.The receiver-drier’s primary function is to receive and store some
liquid refrigerant from the condenser. The liquid refrigerant enters at the
top of the receiver and falls to the bottom. A pickup tube with a filter
screen extends to the bottom of the receiver-drier. This pickup tube
draws liquid refrigerant from the bottom of the receiver-drier. The liquid
refrigerant then passes on to the inlet of the thermostatic expansion
valve.

Also like an accumulator, a 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. The receiver-drier also
contains the system desiccant. This is the “drier” function of the receiver-
drier.

Important functions of the receiver/drier in your car’s

A/C system:-
Receiver/driers (also sometimes called “filter/driers” or
“receiver/dehydrators”) look like small metal cans with an inlet and
outlet. They are only used in A/C systems that use expansion valves

Receiver/driers are located in the high-pressure section of the system,

usually in the plumbing between the condenser outlet and the expansion
valve inlet, although some may be connected directly to the condenser.

Receiver/driers serve three very important functions:-

(i)They act as a temporary storage containers for oil and refrigerant
when neither are needed for system operation (such as during periods of
low cooling demand). This is the “receiver” function of the receiver/drier.

(ii)Most receiver/driers contain a filter that can trap debris that may be
inside the A/C system.

(iii)Receiver/driers contain a material called desiccant. The desiccant is

used to absorb moisture (water) that may have gotten inside the A/C
system during manufacture, assembly or service. Moisture can get into

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the A/C components from humidity in the air. This is the “drier” function
of the receiver/drier.

Damage can occur if there’s excessive moisture inside an A/C system. It

can cause corrosion, as well as possibly degrade the performance of the
compressor’s lubricating oil.

The receiver/drier should be replaced any time the system is opened for
service, and most compressor warranties require it. The desiccant is
only capable of absorbing a certain amount of moisture, and when the
inside of the system and/or the receiver/drier are exposed to the
atmosphere, the desiccant can become very quickly saturated from
humidity in the air. If this occurs, the desiccant is no longer effective, and
will not provide future protection. Additionally, the filter inside the
receiver/drier could be restricted by debris that may have been inside
the system. This could diminish refrigerant and oil flow.

Accumulators:-
An accumulator is comparable in purpose to a receiver/drier. It serves
similar, but slightly different functions. An accumulator is also a metal
cylinder, but differs from a receiver/drier in these three ways:

1. An accumulator is considerably larger than a receiver/drier, usually

around twice the volume.

2. The accumulator is connected to the evaporator outlet, in the low-

pressure section of the system.
3.The accumulator’s primary function is to store liquid refrigerant that is
exiting the evaporator, to prevent it from reaching the compressor. If
liquid refrigerant were to enter the compressor, it could cause damage,
as the compressor is not designed to pump liquid, only vapor.

Accumulators are only used on systems that contain orifice tubes. It is a

characteristic of orifice tube systems to have large amounts of liquid
refrigerant leaving the evaporator. In other words, unlike in expansion
valve systems, where all or most of the refrigerant turned into a vapor
while passing through the evaporator, in orifice tube systems, the
refrigerant leaves the evaporator still as a liquid. The accumulator is the
component in which the refrigerant gets the opportunity to warm up and
change from a liquid to a vapor before being drawn back into the
compressor

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Like receiver/driers, accumulators also serve as a temporary storage
containers for oil when the oil is not needed by the system.

Lastly, accumulators also contain the system desiccant and a small filter,
so compared to receiver/driers, the same “rules of replacement” apply.

How Air Conditioning Works:-

You might have pondered (while stuck on the M60) how the air
conditioning actually works, or perhaps you have never given it a
moment's thought. Just in case you are curious, let us explain it to you.Air
conditioning like it says 'conditions' the air. It not only cools it down, but
also reduces the moisture content, or humidity. All air conditioners work
the same way whether they are installed in a building, or in a car. The
fridge or freezer is in a way an air conditioner as well. Air conditioning is a
field in it's own right, but we'll stick to the main points or a car's air
conditioning and the main parts used and a few hints to keep the air-con
system running properly. A number of people don't realise that turning on
the air conditioning actually reduces the number of miles per gallon of your
car. There is energy used in removing the heat and moisture from the air
in the car, and this consumes petrol because of the extra engine load.
Air conditioning's main principles are Evaporation and Condensation,
then Compression and Expansion. To the engineer and physicists they
talk of thermodynamics - but we'll explain it in our own way here:

Evaporation:-You may have noticed that if you rub a little surgical

spirits on the back of your hand, then your hand will feel cold. Why is that?
It's evaporation. It is because the spirits on the back of your hand start to
evaporate. As the spirit evaporates, it takes away heat from the surface of
your skin.

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Condensation:- Have you ever noticed when somebody walks in from
the cold into a take-away wearing glasses, their glasses steam up? Why
is that? It's condensation. The moist air of the take-away cools as it
contacts the cold surface of the glasses and the air has less capacity to
hold moisture, so it condenses into water on the glasses.
Heat of Compression:- Have you ever noticed when you pump up a
bicycle tyre with a hand pump, that the end of the pump gets hot? This is
because the energy that you have put into the air by pumping it has not
only compressed it, but has also caused the air molecules to push closer
together so giving off heat with the friction.

Compression:- At some point all gases will eventually become liquid. An

example of that would be a can of deodorant - it's liquid inside the can
(because you can hear it when you shake it) but is a gas when it comes
out and hits your underarm. The pressure inside the can is higher, so the
propellant inside is liquid.

Cooling by Expansion:- Going back to the deodorant, you will notice

also how cold it feels that's because the propellant has just expanded in
volume quickly.

Anyway, enough about takeaways, armpits and surgical spirits, but

those are the basic ideas that are easy enough to explain. The important
question is how does all this fit into making your car's vents blow cold?

Hard tubing and flexible hoses connect all the actual components of the
air conditioning in your car. Evaporation and condensation, expansion
and compression are the physics of why it works. There are five main
components to the whole system, namely the Compressor, Condenser,
Receiver-dryer, Expansion valve, and the Evaporator.
The fluid that passes around the whole system is the refrigerant. The
refrigerant can evaporate at a low temperature, and then condense
again at a higher pressure. In the bad old days, R-12 was the refrigerant
used in almost all cars. It was widely available, however it was found to
be a contributor to the hole in the earth's ozone layer as it was a

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chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). These refrigerants were discontinued, and all
cars after 1996 use a non-CFC fluid called R-134A which is kinder to the
environment.

So, here is how all the various parts of a car's air conditioning works:

Compressor:-The compressor is the work horse of the air conditioning

system, powered by a drive belt connected to the crankshaft of the
engine. When the aircon system is turned on, the compressor pumps
refrigerant vapour under high pressure to the condenser.

Condenser:- The condenser is a device used to change the high-

pressure refrigerant vapor to a liquid. It is mounted in front of the
engine's radiator, and it looks very similar to a radiator. The vapour is
condensed to a liquid because of the high pressure that is driving it in,
and this generates a great deal of heat. The heat is then in turn removed
from the condenser by air flowing through the condenser on the outside.

Receiver:- The now liquid refrigerant moves to the receiver-dryer. This

is a small reservoir vessel for the liquid refrigerant, and removes any
moisture that may have leaked into the refrigerant. Moisture in the
system causes havoc, with ice crystals causing blockages and
mechanical damage.

Expansion Valve:- The pressurized refrigerant flows from the receiver-

drier to the expansion valve. The valve removes pressure from the liquid
refrigerant so that it can expand and become refrigerant vapour in the
evaporator.

Evaporator:- The evaporator is another device that looks similar to a car

radiator. It has tubes and fins and is usually mounted inside the
passenger compartment behind the fascia above the footwell. As the
cold low-pressure refrigerant is passed into the evaporator, it vaporises
and absorbs heat from the air in the passenger compartment. The
blower fan inside the passenger compartment pushes air over the
outside of the evaporator, so cold air is circulated inside the car. On the
'air-side' of the evaporator, the moisture in the air is reduced, and the
'condensate' is collected and drained away.

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Advantages of air conditioning system:-
The UK isn’t well known for its tropical heatwaves. We may enjoy
relatively warm summers but the temperature gauge rarely gets close to
30 degrees once upon a time air conditioning was regarded as a luxury
rather than a necessity. Yet now the majority of new cars have air
conditioning fitted as standard. A lot of this is down to people’s ever-
increasing expectations – if you’re spending thousands on a new
vehicle, you’re going to want as many mod cons as possible. And you
may be surprised at just how many benefits air conditioning in your car
provides.

1 Comfort

Yes it’s obvious, but with air conditioning you can reduce the
temperature in your car without having to open the windows. Driving
slowly through town with the windows down is fun but we don’t
recommend trying it on a motorway. You’ll end up being buffeted about
by what feels like gale force winds, and there’s no chance of hearing the
radio or your passengers (although if you have children, this isn’t
necessarily the worst thing!

2 Better air conditioning

It’s called air because that’s exactly what it does – conditions the air.
This means that excess moisture is removed from the air, which is
exactly what you want on hot, muggy days.

3 Demisted windscreen

It is vital that you are able to see through your windscreen and other
glass – a film of mist is going to seriously impair your vision. You can
use the AC button to evaporate any moisture far quicker than it takes for
your screen-heater to warm up.

This is particularly beneficial if you have a people carrier that is often

filled with damp children (i.e. after football practice) as most air
conditioning units can de-mist your windscreen, side glass and rear
screen highly effectively.

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4 Safe drive

Too many traffic accidents are caused by over-tiredness. Turning your

air conditioning on will result in cleaner, fresher air. This in turn, helps to
prevent drowsiness, meaning you are able to remain fresh and alert.

5 More fun in traffic jams

Traffic jams and a hot day – without air conditioning, this is a pretty
painful scenario, particularly if you’re stuck in the car with young children
or if you’re dressed for business. Sweaty armpits, hot, irritable family
members, exhaust fumes seeping in through the open window – they
are a distant memory with AC.

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