DEVELOPMENT OF SPRAY TYPE CONDENSER COOLING SYSTEM

ATTACHMENT FOR WINDOW TYPE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT

A Research Project

Presented to the Faculty of the

Engineering Programs

Technological University of the Philippines Visayas

Talisay City, Negros Occidental

By

Fernandel L. Bellin

Justine Marie S. Buenaflor

Joelen M. Lacuarta

Angelica S. Oliver

Althea U. Penado

Marlowe L. Villarias

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

September 2019
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

As the energy need globally constantly increases, the energy supply is be going

uptight. From the breakdown of resource consumption in the world, 1/6 of it is related

directly to construction industry, 27.6% is accounted to the total energy consumption. In

the construction energy consumption, 30%-50% is credited to the use of Heating

Ventilation and Air Conditioning to the total energy consumption (Zhu et al., 2015). The

results of industrialization and population growth across the globe resulted the buildings

especially in humid regions to increase its demand of air conditioning systems and

consequently energy consumption. Human comfort and living standards are increasing

and so its energy consumption. The rapid increase of the amount of energy used by

refrigerators, air conditioners, and water heater occupies about a total of 30% on power

consumption. The estimation for residential and commercial building’s energy

consumption has been around 45% (Ibrahim, Al-Farayedhi, & Gandhidasan, 2017).

Harby et al. stated that (as cited in Wimolsiri P., 2005) the worlds’ total energy

consumption is expected to inflate by about 71% from 2003 to 2030 due to the

advancement in technology and the rapid increase in population. On the global scale for

space cooling, the main technology applied is the air conditioning systems. Air cooling or

air conditioning is the process of removing heat and moisture from inside the occupied

space, to improve the comfort of the applicants. This technology is applicable in multiple

sectors like transport, building, industry, and homes. The current trends for cooling

systems are namely Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pump, Room Air Conditioner
(Window or Split type), Evaporative Coolers, Ductless Mini-Split Air Conditioners, and

State of the Art Cooling.

The most applied system is the Room Air Conditioners that are used to cool a

specific room, rather than an entire building or floor. Room air conditioners are available

for mounting in windows or through walls, but in each case they work the same way,

with the compressor located outside. Window air conditioners are the most commonly

used as conditioner for single rooms. The components in this air conditioner, namely the

condenser, compressor, expansion valve, and evaporator are enclosed in a single box.

This unit is fitted in a slot constructed on the wall of the room, or more commonly a

window sill. Another type of a room air conditioner is the split-type system which is

made up of two primary parts: evaporator and the condenser. The difference between the

two types of room air conditioners is that the split type system is separated into two

different distance components, one being outdoors and the other is indoors. The outdoor

section is the compressor that initiates the cooling process, while the indoor is consist of

an evaporator and a fan. These two sections are connected with a set of electrical wires

and tubing, also called lines that transport air between sections. There are three

conventional types of condenser, the air cooled condenser, water cooled condenser, and

evaporative condenser. Window type conditioners uses air-cooled condensers which

depends on the heat transfer between the ambient air flow and condenser coils. It has low

capital and running cost as compared to the other condensers. On the other hand, the

power requirement of an air-cooled condenser is greater than the required for other types.

This can be attributed to the fact that the air-cooled condensers requires condensing

temperatures of about 15-20 ℃ above the temperature of the ambient temperature. Water
cooled condensers are more efficient but more expensive. This type of condenser requires

a cooling tower to conserve water and a constant supply of make-up water along with

water treatment to prevent corrosion and forming of algae. Evaporative type condensers

are used either, when condensation temperature is lower and can’t achieved by air cooled

condensers or the water supply is inadequate to operate water cooled condensers.

Although effective, evaporative condensers are not efficient, and usually used in large

commercial air conditioning units. As the world becomes hotter due to climate change,

several problems have arises.

In line with the ventilation and human comfort, the annual energy consumption

of window-mounted air conditioners has increased as they become a reliable means for

providing zoned space cooling of residential and commercial buildings. Other problems

that comes with ventilation, specifically with the use of window-type air conditioners, are

how to increase the Coefficient of Performance (COP) of the system, and how to enhance

the heat rejection on the condenser.

Hajidavalloo stated ( as cited on Cengel, 1998) on his research in the Application

of evaporative cooling on the condenser of window air conditioner in 2007 that it is

generally believed that the coefficient of performance (COP) of an air conditioner

decreased about 2-4% by increasing each ℃ in condenser temperature. Countries like in

the Middle East, air temperature is reported to approach to 50℃ or higher. Given the

tropical climate of the Philippines with temperatures soaring up to 42℃ during summer

season, the monthly payment for energy consumption also soars high. The increase in the

energy consumption with the use of air conditioners are caused by the overheating of the

system that leads to degradation in performance. Another problem reported in using the
application of air conditioner in hot weather area is related to the high stories buildings.

In these buildings the hot air from air conditioners of lower stories rise up and provide a

hot flow field around the conditioners of higher stories (Ebrahim Hajidavalloo, 2007).

In line with this, the researchers are inclined to develop a spray-type condenser

cooling system for window type air conditioning unit that could enhance the heat

rejection of the system. Any attempt to decrease the energy consumption of cooling

systems as a whole will contribute to large-scale energy savings at the international level

(Harby, Gebaly, Koura, & Hassan, 2016). The cooling system is consists of a water

storage tank, a peristaltic pump, water pipe, sprayer, and a high and low level sensor.

Initially, an amount of water will be introduced to the tank to be used as the source for

the start-up spraying process. During the process, when enough amount of condensate is

collected, this will be the main source for spraying. The water level is employed with

high and low level sensors to monitor the maximum and minimum level of water. The

pump will then lift the water to the sprayer which will be sprayed on the condenser tubes

to enhance the heat rejection in the system. As soon as the tank is full, the sensor will

trigger the pump to start the spraying process. On the other hand, when the lower sensor

is triggered the pump will automatically stop the process of spraying on the tubes.

Objectives of the Study

General Objectives

To develop a SPRAY TYPE CONDENSER COOLING SYSTEM FOR A

WINDOW TYPE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT that could enhance the heat rejection
process on the condenser thereby decreasing the power consumption and enhancing the

COP of the AC unit.

Specific Objectives

Specifically this study aims to answer the following:

1. To determine the spray nozzle pattern and angular orientation of the spray

nozzle that could maximize the heat rejection of the air conditioning system.

2. To increase the coefficient of performance by 15% of the air conditioning

system at 32°C and higher ambient temperature.

3. To decrease the power consumption of the air conditioning unit by 10%.

Scopes and Limitations

This research is primarily about the development of a spray-type condenser

cooling system on a window type air conditioning unit to reduce the energy consumption

by utilizing the condensate from the evaporator and enhance the heat exchange on the

system.

An initial amount of water to be sprayed will be first stored in a reservoir to serve

as the start-up source of water for the spraying process. Then, during operation, the

condensate accumulated is stored in a tank and will be sprayed to the condenser tubes

enabling heat exchange.

This study will greatly benefit the consumers using a window-type air

conditioning unit with air-cooled condenser system to enhance the heat rejection of the

system leading to higher COP and lower energy consumption. Also, as the temperature in
the system decreases, the pressure ratio will also decrease which will lengthen the

lifespan of the air conditioning unit due to the reduce work on the compressor.

Hot weather conditions, specifically the summer season is the most preferred and

more effective condition to use the spray-type condenser cooling system due to the

reason that the ambient temperature of the air that the fan suctioned to cool the condenser

coils is hot. Moreover, the evaporator withdraws further heat from the room resulting to

the need of a better cooling system to reject the heat.

 CHAPTER 2

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Review of Related Literature

Refrigeration

Refrigeration is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space, or from a

substance, and rejecting it elsewhere for the primary purpose of lowering the temperature

of the enclosed space or substance and then maintaining that lower temperature.

It is usually done with the aid of a mechanical device (e.g. pump/compressor)

using a substance (called a refrigerant) which absorbs heat from low temperature

(objects/space) and releases heat to elsewhere at high temperature. A refrigerant usually

works in two phase conditions, i.e., liquid and gas, e.g., vapor compression refrigeration

system. In some cases, refrigerants remain in single-phase, e.g. air cycle refrigeration.

Air conditioning

An air conditioning system, or a standalone air conditioner, provides cooling,

heating, humidity control, filtering and ventilation (oxygen supply) for all or part of a

house or building. On the other hand, an air cooler only cools the air (may do some

filtering too).

Air conditioners are basically refrigerators whose refrigerated space is a room or a

building instead of the food compartment. A window air conditioning unit cools a room

by absorbing heat from the room air and discharging it to the outside. The same air-
conditioning unit can be used as a heat pump in winter by installing it backwards. In this

mode, the unit absorbs heat from the cold outside and delivers it to the room. Air-

conditioning systems that are equipped with proper controls and a reversing valve operate

as air conditioners in summer and as heat pumps in winter.

The performance of refrigerators and air conditioners in the United States is often

expressed in terms of the energy efficiency rating (EER), which is the amount of heat

removed from the cooled space in Btu’s for 1 W-hr (watt-hour) of electricity consumed.

Considering that 1 kW-hr =3412 Btu and thus 1 W-hr= 3.412 Btu, a unit that removes 1

kW-hr of heat from the cooled space for each kWh of electricity it consumes (COP=1)

will have an EER of 3.412. Therefore, the relation between EER and COP is EER =3.412

COPR.

There are three types of A/C System: (1) Window type, (2) Split Type and (3)

Chiller Type (Central A/C).

Window Type A/C System consists of a compressor, an expansion valve, a hot coil,

i.e., condenser (on the outside), a chilled coil i.e., evaporator (on the inside), two fans and

a control unit. Refrigerant such as R-12 or R-22 are used to provide refrigeration effect. It

actually is a vapor compression refrigeration system whose evaporator cools only the air.

Most residential window type air conditioning units range in capacity from about 1 to 2.5

tons of refrigeration.

Split-system AC Units consists of a split-system air conditioner which splits the

hot side from the cold side of the system. Cold side (Fan-coil unit) is placed inside which

consists of an expansion valve and a chilled coil placed in air handler unit. Hot side

(Condensing Unit) is placed outside/rooftop which consists of a weather-resistant

compressor, a hot coil (on the outside), two fans and some control logic. Most residential

split type air conditioning units range in capacity from about 1.5 to 7 tons of

refrigeration.

Chilled-water and Cooling-tower A/C Units (Central A/C System) consists of a

chiller (a complete vapor compression or absorption refrigeration system), an air handling

unit (AHU), and a cooling tower. In a chilled-water system, the entire air conditioner

(chiller) lives on the roof or behind the building. The chiller cools water to between 4 to

7o C. This chilled water is then piped throughout the building and connected to air

handling units (AHUs) as needed. The AHU cools the air by using this chilled water and

supply the cooled air through ducts to the conditioned space. Central air conditioning

units range in capacity from about 15 to 3500 tons of refrigeration.

Nozzle

Flat spray nozzle has a tapered-edge and a rectangular or even spray pattern. It

has a small to medium size of drops and is commonly used in narrow or rectangular

enclosed spaces. It is widely used for dust prevention.

Full cone nozzle has a round spray pattern with high velocity over a distance. It

has a medium to large drop size. Normally it is used when the nozzles must be located at

a good distance away from the area where dust suppression is needed or to clear

mechanical obstructions.

Commonly used Materials for spray nozzles are nylon, brass, stainless steel, and

hardened stainless steel. Chemical corrosion and abrasive wear should be considered

when selecting the type of nozzle to be used.

Review of Related Studies

Experimental investigation of a vapor compression system with condenser air pre-

cooling by condensate

Experimental investigation has been carried out to improve the performance of an

air-cooled vapor compression system by pre-cooling air entering the condenser using

condensate (Ibrahim et al., 2017). A pre-cooler is incorporated on a 1.5 ton-cooling

capacity split-type air conditioning system to lower the air temperature entering the

condenser sensibly. The experimental set-up consists of a base air conditioning system,

climate chamber, insulated condensate storage tank and air pre-cooler as shown in Fig. 1.

The basic components of the conventional vapor compression system are shown in Fig. 2.

The climate chamber is used to simultaneously generate and control the air temperature

and relative humidity before entering the evaporator. It consists of a water pump, an air

blower, air heater, water heater, and humidifying pads. The air heater is located at the

inlet of the climate chamber to control the desired air temperature. Three humidifying

pads, each of 10 cm thickness are fixed after the heater. A 100-L humidifier water tank is

connected to a pump which sprays the water on the pads. The desired humidity of the air

is obtained by regulating the flow rate of the water. In order to compensate for the

decrease of air temperature due to water spray, a water heater is installed inside the water

tank to warm up the water. The air and water heaters are connected to separate
temperature controllers. The temperature controllers are digital-switch setting type,

model: T4L-B3RK4C. Condensate dripping from the evaporator is collected into the

storage tank before the commencement of the experiment. The storage tank is connected

to a pump which circulates the condensate through the pre-cooler. The pre-cooler is a

finned-tube cross flow heat exchanger consisting of copper tube and aluminum fins,

shown in Fig. 3. The two ends of the pre-cooler tube are connected to the pipe where

condensate is circulating. Air and condensate temperatures at the inlet and exit of the pre-

cooler are measured using thermocouples as also shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 1. Schematic of the experimental set-up

Fig. 2. Basic components of conventional vapor compression system

Fig. 3. Photograph of the condenser and pre-cooler during

the construction of experimental rig.
 Fig. 4. 3-D sketch of condenser-pre-cooler arrangements
showing positions of the thermocouples.

Experiments are conducted in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia during high ambient

temperatures (40–46 °C). Condensate was collected from the air conditioning system and

stored in the insulated storage tank before the start of the experiment. The first

experiment is conducted without operating the pre-cooler (baseline) while the second

with the pre-cooler under the same conditions for comparison. It is found that the

compressor power consumption is decreased by 6.1% on average as a result of the

decrease in discharge pressure when the air temperature entering the condenser is

lowered by circulating the condensate through a pre-cooler. The coefficient of

performance (COP) is increased by 21.4% and the second law efficiency by 20.5%, on

average. The temperature of the circulating condensate was effective for air pre-cooling

until about 5.5 h when the air temperatures at the pre-cooler inlet and exit became equal.

This is a clear indication that the pre-cooling technique can be used to improve the

system performance, particularly for large capacity cooling systems which produces
reasonable amount of condensate. The technical advantage of the decrease in the

discharge pressure in addition to lower compressor power consumption is the tendency of

the compressor to have better life expectancy due to reduced thermal stresses on the

compressor parts.

Performance improvement of air-cooled refrigeration system by using evaporatively

cooled air condenser

Application of evaporatively cooled air condenser instead of air-cooled condenser

is proposed in this paper as an efficient way to solve the problem (E. Hajidavalloo &

Eghtedari, 2010). An evaporative cooler was built and coupled to the existing air-cooled

condenser of a split-air-conditioner in order to measure its effect on the cycle

performance under various ambient air temperatures up to 49 °C. An existing split-air

conditioner (1.5 ton) made by Mitsubishi Electric was used in the experiments.

Consistent with the shape of the condenser, a frame was built and filled by cellulous

media pad (corrugated packing) with 5 cm thickness and installed in front of the air

condenser. A water circulation system including a small pump (15 W), a tank, and

connecting pipes were assembled on the system to inject water on the top of the media

pad. Water circulation rate was constant for all tests. Hot ambient air passes over the

evaporative media pad and gets cool and then passes over the condenser and finally exits

from back side of the condenser.

 Fig. 5. Schematic view of the retrofitted condenser.

In order to estimate the effect of evaporative cooler on the system and compare

the results of two different types of air conditioners, experimental tests were performed in

two consequent stages. In the first stage, air-cooled condenser were used and after getting

the data, in the second stage evaporatively cooled condenser were used. Data were

recorded after steady state condition was established in the system and the properties of

refrigerant and air remained constant (after 20 min). Many experimental tests were

performed at different ambient temperatures.

Effective use of energy sources needs more efficient use of air conditioners.

Evaporative cooler coupled to the air condenser is an efficient, reliable and cost-effective

method to increase the performance of any air-cooled refrigeration system such as split

type air conditioners which have wide spread application in the market. Experimental

tests showed that power consumption and performance of evaporatively cooled air

condenser improved significantly compared to the air-cooled condenser and the

improvements are increased as ambient temperature increases. It was found that

increasing ambient air temperature decreases the coefficient of performance of air-cooled

condenser considerably but it has much less adverse effect on the performance of

evaporatively cooled air condenser. Power consumption can be decreased up to 20% and

total performance can be improved around 50%. The potential of commercialization of

the proposed system is very high since it can be easily coupled to the existing system

with low cost. Application of evaporatively cooled air condenser will reduce the peak

load of the power network in hot weather area because vapor compression air

conditioners are usually responsible for the peak load. It is also found that the

performance of this system can be more improved if a more efficient evaporating system

is installed.

Application of evaporative cooling on the condenser of window-air-conditioner

In this article, a new design with high commercialization potential for

incorporating of evaporative cooling in the condenser of window-air-conditioner is

introduced and experimentally investigated (Ebrahim Hajidavalloo, 2007). A real air

conditioner is used to test the innovation by putting two cooling pads in both sides of the

air conditioner and injecting water on them in order to cool down the air before it passing

over the condenser. In this work an experimental investigation was performed to evaluate

the application of media pad evaporative cooling system in a 1.5 ton window-air

conditioning system in very hot weather condition. The place where the media pad should

be installed is an important aspect of the design. The media pad should be placed where it

gives the best cooling performance and also takes minimum space from air conditioner.
Since the window-air-conditioners are designed to have minimum space, therefore the

limitation of space should be considered in the design. In this work two evaporative

media pads, each with 3 cm thickness were installed in both sides of air conditioner to

give the largest area available for cooling without increasing the total volume of the air

conditioner. Hot ambient air passes over the evaporative media pads and after cooling

down passes over the condenser and finally exits from back side of the condenser. A

water circulation system was built to spray water on the top of the media pad. It includes

a small pump, tank and water injection pipe.

Fig. 6. Schematic diagram of the retrofitted air conditioner.

Many preliminary experiments were performed to prepare the set up for getting

reliable data. In order to have a basis for comparison and also to specify the effect of

evaporative cooling on the air conditioner, each experiment was performed in two

consequent stages. In the first stage, conventional air conditioner was used in the

experiment without using media pad and the data were recorded after steady state
condition was established. Then, the air conditioner was turned off and the condenser of

air conditioner was retrofitted by evaporative cooling very fast and the second stage of

the experiment was performed. The time difference between two stages was small (about

15 min.), so the weather condition for two experiments was the same. In all experiments

the data were recorded after steady state condition was established and the properties of

refrigerant and air remained constant.

The experimental results show that thermodynamic characteristics of new system

are considerably improved and power consumption decreases by about 16% and the

coefficient of performance increases by about 55%. The potential of commercialization

of this design is very high and it could also be easily applied on existing air conditioners.

The performance of air conditioner was experimentally investigated with and without

media pad evaporative cooling on the condenser. The experimental result revealed that

with evaporative cooling system the power consumption decreased and cooling capacity

and coefficient of performance increased considerably. It was recommended to use

indirect evaporative condenser in very hot weather condition instead of conventional air

condenser to save electric power and increase cooling capacity.

Conceptual Model

Independent Variable

Angular
Orientation of
the Nozzle
Dependent Variable

Types of Spray
Pattern Heat Rejected, QR

Coefficient of
Performance
Control Variable

Volume Flow
Power
Rate
Consumption

Test Time

The independent variables are the angular orientation of the spray nozzle and the

type of spray nozzle pattern. For the angular orientation of the nozzle three angles will be

tested which are 30°, 60°, and 90°. Flat and circular nozzles will be tested. The heat

rejected on the condenser, coefficient of performance, and power consumption are the
dependent variable in which their increase or decrease depends on the spray nozzle and

the angular orientation. Ambient temperature should be 32°C and up to start the test.

Volume flow rate and test time are controlled variables. Test time for each angular

orientation of the sprayer and the spray nozzle pattern is 30 minutes at steady state

condition.

Theoretical Framework

The system in the study will make use of the Second Law of Thermodynamics

which states that processes occur in a certain direction, not in any direction. A process

does not occur unless it satisfies both the first and the second laws of thermodynamics.

The following formulas are given to calculate for the heat rejection and

coefficient of performance of the system(Çengel & Boles, 2005). Mass of refrigerant can

be calculated using equation (1). The formula for the heat rejection of the system is given

in equation (2).Coefficient of performance can be solved using equation (3). Wherein the

subscripts in the equations represents the: 1- exit conditions from evaporator; 2- exit

conditions from compressor; 3- exit conditions from condenser; and 4- exit conditions

from capillary tube.

m= Wc/ (h2-h1) (1)

QR= m (h2-h3) (2)

COP= (h1-h4)/ (h2-h1) (3)

Definition of Terms

Ambient Temperature – is the air temperature of an environment or object.

Coefficient of Performance (COP) - the COP is determined by the ratio between

energy usage of the compressor and the amount of useful cooling at the

evaporator or useful heat extracted from the condenser. A high COP value

represents a high efficiency.

Condensate – the dripping liquid at the back of the AC unit

Condenser – is a device or unit used to condense a gaseous substance into a

liquid

state through cooling.

Energy consumption – is the amount of energy or power used.

Float switch / float sensor – a device used to detect the level of liquid within a

tank. The switch may be used to control a pump, an indicator, an alarm, or

to control other devices.

Mist – is defined as the large mass of water vapor in the air consisting of fine

drops

of water, or a fine spray of liquid.

Air Cooled Condenser - cooling of AC unit condenser by fan suctioning ambient

air
 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

Design Conceptualization

1.1. Casing / Housing

Figure 7. Casing / Housing dimensions

Material Used: Galvanized Iron Plain Sheet, 1/8 Ø Rivets, Spray Paint

1.1.1. Cut the G.I. plain sheet based on the pattern and dimension shown on

figure.
 1.1.2. Bend / fold the sides based on figure.

1.1.3. Drill holes with 1/8’’ Ø drill bit.

1.1.4. Rivet the sides to form the case.

1.1.5. Grind the edges to remove sharp edges.

1.1.6. Apply spray paint to make it presentable.

1.2. Water Tank

TOP VIEW

FRONT VIEW SIDE VIEW

Figure 8. Water tank dimensions

Material Used: 1/8 inches transparent fiberglass, clear aquarium silicone

sealant

1.2.1. Cut the fiberglass of (4) four pieces of 300mm x 100mm and (2) two

pieces of 100mm x 100mm.

1.2.2. Soften the edges with the use of sand paper.

1.2.3. Form the tank with the use of silicone glue.

1.2.4. Apply sealant to ensure that there is no leakage.

 1.2.5. Cut a 2x2 inches square hole on the piece of fiberglass.

1.2.6. Drill a 1/2” hole for hose, wire and sensor.

1.2.7. Soften the drilled portion.

1.3. Sprayer Assembly

Figure 9. Sprayer Assembly

Material Used: Stainless Steel Pipe, stainless steel electrode, spray nozzle.

1.3.1. Cut a stainless steel pipe with a length of 685mm.

1.3.2. Cut a (6) six pieces Stainless steel pipe with a length of 47mm.

1.3.3. Machine the threaded part.

1.3.4. Drill a (6) six holes with equal distance to the longer pipe.

1.3.5. Weld the (6) six pieces pipe to the drilled pipe.

1.3.6. Grind the excess welds and soften the surface.

1.3.7. Attached the spray nozzle to the threaded part.

Prototype Development

Construction and Fabrication Procedure

The first course of action in construction and fabrication to begin with is the

gathering of information, ideas, and concepts regarding refrigeration and air conditioning

system. Then draw a suitable pattern and design to increase heat rejection in the

condenser of the window type air conditioning unit. Canvassing and purchasing of all

needed materials in fabrication of the study. It should be noted that at the beginning of

every activity, materials and preparation are undertaken including the proper use of

personal protective equipment. After all materials and tools are prepared, first, measure

and cut the fiber glass to its desired dimension. Assemble all cut sides to form a tank with

the aid of glue and sealant to secure that there is no leakage. Cut another piece of fiber

glass to serve as a cover which has an opening where the filter is placed. Then, cut the

desired length of the hose and connect it to the pump with the aid of hose clip. Fabricate

the tube with junctions where nozzles will be attached, then connect the valve on the inlet

and put a plug on the other side, and connect all nozzles on the threaded junctions. After
that, connect the nozzle assembly on the other side of the hose. Fasten the tank with the

aid of stopper, bolts, and nuts. Place the pump inside of the tank and harness the hose

with cable ties. Place the nozzle assembly to its desired angle and orientation then fasten

it with stopper, bolts, and nuts.

Pilot Testing and Revisions

All components, materials, and parts of the model are properly tested according to

its function before it was acquired and used. If the pump delivered the proper pressure of

water but the nozzle somehow failed to operate its function, check the conduit if there is a

leakage or if the valve is close. If the submersible pump fails to deliver water, check the

power source. If there is no problem regarding with the source, check the continuity of

the wiring.

Design of Experiment

Experimental Set-Up

The experimental set-up consists of a base 2HP window type air

conditioner and a condenser cooling system which will be retrofitted to the base AC unit.

The condenser cooling system is composed of a water tank, float sensor, filter, motor,

hose, and spray nozzles. The water tank is responsible for the storage of the collected

condensate and water, and is equipped with float sensor to monitor the water level. The

water tank has a filter to make sure that the water or condensate collected is free from

dirt. A motor is responsible to deliver the water to the spray nozzle via hose which serves

as the passage of water. The spray nozzle sprays the water to the condenser coils of the
air conditioner. Two stages of the experiment will be performed in order to determine the

effect of evaporative cooling in the air conditioning system. In the first stage, the

conventional window type air conditioner will be used in the experiment without the aid

of the spray type condenser cooling system and data will be collected after steady state

condition. Then, the spray type condenser cooling system is used in the second stage of

the experiment and data will be collected, provided that the weather condition for the two

stages is the same.

The research design used in this study is experimental and quantitative data will

be collected. Three angular orientation of the spray nozzle will be tested which are 30°,

60°, and 90°. Two spray nozzle patterns will be tested namely the flat and circular spray

nozzles. Experiments will be conducted to determine the angular orientation and pattern

of the spray nozzle that will maximize the heat rejection. Temperatures at different points

and current in the circuit will be measured and recorded. In all experiments, the data

should be collected and recorded after steady state condition is established and the

properties of refrigerant and air remained constant.

Materials and Instruments

In this study, the main parameters to be measured are the temperatures of

refrigerant at different points and the power consumption. Temperatures of refrigerant at

the outlet of the evaporator, outlet of the compressor, outlet of the condenser and outlet of

the expansion valve will be measured with the use of T-type thermocouple. To measure

the temperature, the surface of the coils should be polished to remove any rust or dust and

then the thermocouple probe should be attached to the surface of the coil. Thermal grease

will be used in the point of contact to reduce the thermal resistance between the
thermocouple and the coil. The thermocouple will be pushed against the coils by the use

of insulating tape to prevent any convection effect of the ambient air thus having more

accurate temperature readings. To determine the power consumption of the two stages, a

power meter will be used and the readings will be recorded. Heat rejection and

coefficient of performance of the system will be calculated using equations (2) and (3)

respectively.

There will be a total of six treatments for the air conditioner with attachment of

the spray type condenser cooling system comparing the performance of each angular

orientation and spray nozzle pattern. Then the performance of the air conditioner with

attachment will be compared to the performance of the AC unit without attachment.

There will be a total of 14 replications for each treatment (Melike Kaya Bahçecitapar,

Özge Karadağ, 2016). Analysis of variance is the statistical method to be used to

determine if the angular orientation and type of spray nozzle pattern has a significant

effect on the heat rejection of the AC system. Data collected will then be analyzed using

Minitab.

Validity and Reliability Measures

In this experiment, all treatments will be conducted by simple random sampling

method.

Test Procedures

1. Determining the spray nozzle pattern and angular orientation of the spray nozzle

that could maximize the heat rejection of the air conditioning unit.

PROCEDURE:
 a. Open the back cover of the AC unit.

b. Attach the terminal of thermocouple to the four (4) points namely:

evaporator in and out, and condenser in and out.

c. Choose the desired spray nozzle pattern. ( conical or flat type)

d. Set the angular orientation of the spray nozzle assembly. (30 , 60 , 90

degrees)

e. Make sure that the water tank of the attachment has enough amount of

water to be supplied to the condenser of AC unit.

f. Turn on the AC unit (wait until the room condition become stable)

g. Turn on the measuring device (thermocouple)

h. Measure the ambient temperature and relative humidity.

i. Make sure that the ambient temp is 32 degrees Celsius and above.

j. Measure the temperature at four (4) points and record the data.

k. Turn on the sprayer attachment.

l. Wait for about 15 minutes of test duration.

m. Measure the temperature at four points.

n. Record all data gathered.

o. Repeat the procedure 14 times.

p. Compare and determine the most effective spray nozzle pattern and

angular orientation of the spray nozzle.

2. To increase the coefficient of performance by of the AC unit at 32 degrees Celsius

and higher ambient temperature.

PROCEDURE:

(without attachment)

a. Open the back cover of the AC unit.

b. Attach the terminal of thermocouple to the four (4) points: evaporator in

and out, condenser in and out.

c. Turn on the AC unit (wait until the condition become stable)

d. Turn on the measuring device (thermocouple)

e. Measure if the ambient temperature is 32 degrees Celsius and above.

f. Measure the initial temperature at four (4) points and record the data.

g. Wait for 15 minutes test duration.

h. Measure the final temperature at four (4) points and record the data.

i. Repeat the procedure 14 times.

(with attachment)
a. After determining the most effective spray nozzle pattern and angular

orientation of the spray nozzle.

b. Set the spray nozzle pattern and angular orientation of spray nozzle

assembly.

c. Make sure that the water tank of the attachment has enough amount of

water to be supplied to the condenser of AC unit.

d. Terminals of thermocouple are still attached to the four (4) points,

(evaporator in and out, condenser in and out).

e. Turn on the AC unit (wait until the condition become stable).

 f. Turn on the measuring device (thermocouple).

g. Measure if the ambient temperature is 32 degrees Celsius and above.

h. Measure the initial temperature at four points and record the data.

i. Turn on the sprayer attachment.

j. Wait for 15 minutes test duration.

k. Measure the final temperature at four points and record the data.

l. Repeat the procedure 14 times.

m. After gathering all the data, compare and differentiate the information

from test on AC unit with attachment and without attachment.

n. Compute for the increase in the COP.

o. Determine the percentage.

3. To decrease the power consumption in the air conditioning unit.

PROCEDURE:

(without attachment)

a. Connect the AC unit to a power meter.

b. Perform simultaneously with test procedure number 2.

c. Measure the initial power reading.

d. After 15 minutes of test duration, measure the final power reading.

e. Record all data.

(with attachment)
a. Connect the AC unit to a power meter.
 b. Perform simultaneously with test procedure number 2.

c. Measure the initial power reading.

d. After 15 minutes, measure the final power reading.

e. Record all data.

f. After gathering all the required data, differentiate and determine the

percent decrease in the power consumption from AC unit with attachment

and without attachment.

Treatment of Data

Every trial shall cover a 15-minute interval. The inlet and outlet temperature of

the condenser tubes will be measured using a thermocouple and will be converted to the

QR value using the formula QR = m (h2 – h3); Coefficient of Performance using the

formula

COP= (h1-h4) / (h2 – h1) and the current will be directly measured using a wattmeter to

determine the power consumption, with and without the attachment prototype. The

results will be then presented in the tables below:

Table for the gathered data for Window-Type Air conditioner without the

attachment.

Trial Temperature Power

COP QR
No. Consumption
1 2 3 4

1
 ↓

Table for the Window Type Air-Conditioner of the temperatures of the inlet and

outlet of condenser tubes with the attachment. Wherein 1, 2, 3 and 4 are the temperatures

at the inlet of compressor, outlet of compressor, outlet of condenser and inlet of the

evaporator.

Angle
Type of
Table 1: Table for the Window-Type Air conditioner without the attachment
Nozzle 30⁰ 60⁰ 90⁰

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Flat

Circular

QR
Type of
Angle
Nozzle
30⁰ 60⁰ 90⁰
Table 2: Table for the Window Type Air-Conditioner of the temperatures of the
Flat inlet and outlet of condenser tubes with the attachment
Circular
 Table 3: Table for the computed Heat rejection (QR) with the attachment

Air Conditioning COP QR Power

Unit Consumption
Without Attachment

With Attachment

Table 4: Table for the comparison of computed and measured COP, QR and Power
consumption reading of the air conditioning unit with and without the attachment.

The data gathered will be reflected on a graph and also be evaluated by using a

Two-Way ANOVA statistical method.

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