AIR CONDITIONING TEST RIG

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Aim:

 To demonstrate the working of air conditioning system.

 To demonstrate cooling, heating and humidification processes and

to determine COP. HP/Ton of refrigeration, Ton of refrigeration and
heat rejected by air.

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Apparatus:
1) Cooling coil of vapour compression
refrigeration system.
2) Digital pressure and temperature
indicators.
3) Energy meters.
4) Air heaters.
5) Suction fans.
6) Valve system to change system to
perform in both closed and open
cycle models.
7) Duct system with a window
8) Anemometer.
9) Pressure switches.
10)Thermostat.
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Theory:

The science of air conditioning deals with maintaining a desirable air conditions irrespective of external atmospheric
conditions. The factors involved in any air conditioning installation are:

Temperature
Humidity
Air movement and circulation
Air filtering, cleaning and purification.

The simultaneous control of these factors within the required limits is essential for human comfort or for any industrial
application of the air conditioning system.

In any air conditioning system, temperature and humidity are controlled by thermodynamic processes depending on the
season, the air conditioning processes involve cooling, heating, humidification and dehumidification of air. Other aspects
such as air movements, circulation, purification etc. are obtained by installing suitable fans, blowers, ducting and filter.

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Important definitions:

i. Dry air: Mechanical mixture of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, etc.

ii. Moist air: Mixture of dry air and water vapour.
iii. Saturated air: is a mixture of dry air and water vapour when air has diffused the maximum amount of water vapour into it.
iv. Degree of saturation: is the ratio of actual mass of water vapour in a unit mass of dry air to the mass of water vapour in the
same mass of dry air when it is saturated at the same temperature and pressure.
v. Humidity: In the mass of water vapour present in one kg of dry air expressed in gm/kg of dry air.
vi. Absolute humidity: Is the mass of water vapour present in 1m3 of dry air expressed in gm/m3 of dry air.
vii.Relative humidity: Is the ratio of actual mass of water vapour in a given volume of moist air to the mass of water vapour in the
same volume of saturated area of saturated air at the same temperature and pressure.
viii.Dry bulb temperature: Is the temperature of air recorded by a thermometer when it is not affected by moisture present in air.
ix. Wet bulb temperature: Is the temperature of air recorded by a thermometer when its bulb is surrounded by a wet cloth exposed
to the air.
x. Psychrometer: Is an instrument containing dry bulb thermometer and wet bulb thermometer. The difference in the readings of
these two thermometers gives the relative humidity of air surrounding the psychrometer.

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Procedure:
Open cycle – Cooling
a) Switch on the mains and console.
b) Open the window and set the valve to work the air conditioning system in the open cycle operation.
c) Switch on the thermostat and keep it at maximum.
d) Switch on all MCBs.
e) Switch on the compressor of refrigeration unit, the cooling coil temperature begins to fall.
f) Switch on the suction fans.
g) Switch on the pre heater.
h) Observe temperature (T5 and T6) at the inlet and outlet of air conditioning unit till fairly steady state is reached.

i) Note all the temperatures, pressures, velocity, power input to compressor and heater and relative humidity of air
at inlet and outlet.

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Closed cycle – Cooling
Repeat the procedure of open cycle – cooling with the following.
a) Close the window.
b) Valve in different position to facilitate the circulation of air inside the duct system.
c) Additional fan switched off.
d) Note all the parameters as mentioned under the procedure of open cycle – cooling.

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Humidification – Open cycle operation
Repeat the procedure of open cycle – cooling with the following.

a) Open the window, position the valve accordingly.

b) Switch on both fans.
c) Switch on both pre-heater and post-heater.
d) Switch on steam generator.
e) Note all the parameters as mentioned under open cycle - cooling.

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Simulation of winter air conditioning in open cycle operation:
Repeat the above procedure of open cycle - cooling with the following

a) Open the window, position the valve accordingly.

b) Switch on both fans.
c) Switch on post-heater only. (switch off pre-heater and steam generator)
d) Note all the parameters as mentioned under open cycle – cooling.

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Result:

1. Co – efficient of performance ‘COP’ = _______

2. HP per ton of refrigeration = _______

3. Ton of refrigeration = _______

4. Heat rejected by air = _______kJ/kg

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Observation:

T1 = Temperature of refrigerant after evaporator or inlet to compressor = _______ °C

T2 = Temperature of refrigerant after compression = _______ °C

T3 = Temperature of refrigerant after condensation = _______ °C

T4= Temperature of refrigerant after throttle or capillary tube= _________ °C

T5= Air inlet temperature before cooling coil= ________ °C

T6= Air outlet temperature after cooling coil and post heater= ________°C

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 Observation:

HP= High pressure side pressure P2=_______Kg/cm2

LP= low pressure side pressure P1=________Kg/cm2

V= Air velocity from wind anemometer =________m/s

Pc= Power input to the compressor =________ watts

Ph= Power input to the heater = _________ watts

Øi= relative humidity of air at inlet =________%

Øo=relative humidity of air at outlet =________%

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Co-efficient of performance:

COP = Cooling effect

Work done

= H1-H4

H2-H1

Enthalpy(H) values are obtained from P-H chart for Freon-22

H.P per ton of refrigeration = 4.715

COP
Where 4.715 is constant

Ton of refrigeration = HP per ton of refrigeration x Power input to compressor in HP

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From Psychrometric Chart

At inlet for T5 and Øi

Enthalpy (H1) = _______kj/kg

Moisture content = _______kj/kg of dry air
Specific Volume = _______m3/kg
Wet bulb temperature = _______ °C
At outlet for T6 and Øo

Enthalpy (Ho) = _______kj/kg

Moisture content = _______kj/kg of dry air

Specific Volume = _______m3/kg
Wet bulb temperature = _______ °C
Heat rejected by air = Hi – Ho = __________ kj/kg of dry air.
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