1.

0 Introduction
Air conditioning is the conditioning of air within a defined space, usually a residence or a
place of business. Conditioning usually involves heating or cooling, humidifying or
dehumidifying, and filtering or cleaning air and controlling its moisture level:
conditioning it to provide maximum indoor comfort. An air conditioner transfers heat
from the inside of a building, where it is not wanted, to the outside. Refrigerant in the
system absorbs the excess heat and is pumped through a closed system of piping to an
outside coil. A fan blows outside air over the hot coil, transferring heat from the
refrigerant to the outdoor air. It is because the heat is removed from the indoor air, the
indoor area is cooled. Air-conditioning is a system giving automatic control of the
required environmental conditions, by method of heating, cooling, humidification,
dehumidification, cleaning and movement of air in the building, vehicles and others.
These control conditions may be desirable to maintain the health and comfort of the
occupants or to meet the requirements of industrial process irrespective of the external
climatic conditions. According to the experiment, heating process was carried out with
using of preheater in the system. The cooling process was also being examined to
investigate the temperature change of air at the outlet without using a preheater. The
heating and cooling process, water vapor present in the air due to humidify effect was
noted whenever there was a change in speed in the blower. For every change in the air
pressure, the refrigerant temperature at each step of the cycle was noted through the
experiment.

2.0 Objective
The objective of this experiment to study the heating and cooling effects in an airconditioning system by controlling the speed of the blower and also to determine the
heating power of the heater and the cooling power of the cooling coil in the evaporator.

3.0 Theory
The air conditioning unit consists of an air system and a refrigeration system. The fluid
flowing in the refrigeration system was refrigerant 134A whereas the fluid in the air
system was air alone itself. The refrigeration system consists of a compressor, condenser,
expansion valve and an evaporator. All of these engineering devices are able to operate
for a long period of time under steady condition. A compressor takes low temperature,
low pressure fluid and compresses it. Upon compression, the temperature and pressure of
the fluid increases. Expansion valve takes high temperature, high pressure fluid and
extracts energy from it so that the fluid leaves in lower temperature, lower pressure state.
Evaporators and condensers are special cases of heat exchangers. Instead of heat transfer
changing the temperature of the fluid, it changes the state of the fluid (quality) which
usually lies in the liquid-vapor mixture region. The evaporator adds heat into the fluid
where the temperature remains constant and the enthalpy increases. On the other hand, a
condenser extracts heat from the fluid, keeping the temperature constant but decreasing
the enthalpy.

The sketch shows how the refrigeration system works

The air system in the air conditioning unit consists of a blower, pre-heater, re-heater and
humidifier. These components are arranged in sequential order to heat or cool, humidify
or dehumidify, clean and purify and recirculate the air to the conditioned space. The
blower draws in the air across the orifice form the environment. The pre-heater is
essential due to the possibility of the entering air temperature being below 0 and
could possibly freeze the refrigerant in the cooling coil. Reheater helps in controlling the
humidity. It warms up the air as warm air has the capacity to hold water vapor more than
cold air. The simplified diagram below helps in understanding the concept of
conditioning air. When the blower draws in warm air, a pre-heater is not necessary.
Hence, the warm air is allowed to pass through the evaporator. The cooling coil in the
evaporator takes in heat from the warm air, thus it creates a cooling effect and the
temperature of warm air drops. The cooled air is passed through a reheater to rise the
temperature of air a little to increase its ability to absorb water vapor from the water tube
as it passes through the humidifier.
When the blower draws in cold air, it must be bought to a minimal temperature where it
doesnt affect the coolant in the evaporator and the temperature is increased by few
degrees. However, as air reaches the reheater, it is heated to higher temperature and more
energy is used in warming a cold air than increasing the temperature of warm air. Hence,
warmer the air, the more water vaporizes from the humidifier which was carried by the
air through the outlet.
Therefore, a heating process in an air conditioning is the one where the air is conditioned
using the preheater and reheater switched on and a cooling process is one where the air
being drawn by the blower is unaffected by a conditioning element. It simply passes by
the evaporator, releases heat and creates the cooling effect and ejects form the other end
of the tube.
The heating power of the heater and the cooling power of the coil were determined using
the psychometric chart which was used for tracking the changes of state of the air in air
conditioning systems. The psychometric chart shows the following constants as lines or
curve,
tp : relative air humidity in %
t : temperature in
h : enthalpy in kJ/kg
x : Absolutely humidity in kg/kg

Graph shows the psychometric chart

4.0 Apparatus

Pressure gauge
Manometer
Compressor
Evaporator
Condenser and Blower

5.0 Experimental Procedures

Cooling process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.

8.

9.

The solenoid valve with receiver was selected.

Solenoid valve selector was set to expansion valve (SV3).
The condensing unit was switched on.
The blowers was switched on and regulated at a lower speed.
The temperature and relative humidity at the inlet (AT1, AH1) and outlet (AT2,
AH2) of the cooling coil was reached once steady state was reached. A steady state
condition was reached when the digital readings for AT1 AND AH1 had stopped
fluctuating.
Reading for the pressure differential was recorded from the manometer.
All four refrigerant temperatures were recorded by turning the nob each time (TT1,
TT2, TT3, and TT4) followed by analogue readings from the pressure gauges (P1,
P2).
The blower speed regulator was rotated again to gradually increase the speed and
step 5,6,7 and 8 were repeated 3 more times each time the blower speed was
increased to acquire a total of 5 sets of readings of temperature, pressure and
humidity while keeping the initial setting unchanged. However, once the blower
speed was increased, the system took 15 minutes to reach a stable state.
All the switches were closed once the readings were acquired.

Heating process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

The solenoid valve with receiver was selected.

Solenoid valve selector was kept on expansion valve (SV3).
The condensing unit was switched on.
The preheater was switch on.
The blower was switched on and the lowest speed was selected.
The temperature and relative humidity at the inlet (AT1, AH1) and (AT2, AH2) of
the preheater were recorded once the process was stabilized in approximately 15
minutes.
7. The blower regulator speed was changed gradually (increasing it) and step 6 was
repeated.
8. Step 7 was repeated 2 more times to acquire 5 sets of reading in total, while
waiting 15 minutes after each regulation to stabilize the system.

6.0 Results
5

Cooling process

Manometer

P, N/

Air
temperature

Refrigerant temperature

Relative
humidity %

Pressure
gauge (psi)

AT1

AT2

TT1

TT2

TT3

TT4

AH1

AH2

P1

P2

28.7
29.0
29.2
29.3
29.3

15.1
15.8
16.6
16.2
16.4

11.4
13.2
13.4
13.7
13.9

38.1
39.1
38.9
39.1
39.2

39.2
40.0
39.7
39.9
40.5

8.7
9.8
9.9
10.4
10.6

50.7
48.5
45.7
45.0
45.1

81.2
89.9
92.2
93.0
93.6

138.0
142.2
142.2
142.2
142.2

35.5
41.2
34.1
34.1
34.1

m2
50
100
150
200
250

P, N/m2

50
100
150
200
250

h, kJ/kg

23
25
15
18
18

v, m/s

m
, kg

H, kJ

5.472
7.74
9.48
10.94
12.23

0.065
0.092
0.113
0.131
0.1461

1.5
2.3
1.7
2.36
2.36

7.0 Calculation

h1 =

h2 =

Simple calculation
When AT1 = 28.7

and AH1 = 50.7, the h1 = 59 kJ/kg

When AT2 = 15.1

and AH12= 81.2, the h2 = 36 kJ/kg

To calculate the velocity of the air across the orifice

v 0.598

2 P

3
The density of air at 1 atom pressure is equal to 1.1945 kg / m

v = 0.598

2(50)
1.1945

= 5.472 m/s

When

m
= V, V is the volumetric flow rate of air, V = v. A

Diameter of the air duct = 12cm = 0.12m

2
Air duct cross sectional area, A = x (0.006)

0.01 m 2

m
= 1.1945 5.472 0.01 = 0.065 kg/s

( h),
The enthalpy, H = m

H = 0.065

(59-36) = 1.5 kJ

Heating process

Manomet
er

Air
temperatur
e

Relative
humidity
%

AT1

AT2

AH
1

AH
2

50

26.6

22.3

100

26.4

22.2

150

26.2

22.5

200

26.1

22.8

250

26.1

22.9

50.
5
50.
6
50.
9
51.
2
51.
7

73.
5
70.
4
67.
8
66.
7
68.
9

P, N/
m2

P, N/m2
50
100
150
200
250

h, kJ/kg
3
3
3
3
3

v, m/s

m
, kg

5.5
7.77
9.52
11.0
12.29

0.065
0.092
0.113
0.130
0.146

H, kJ
0.195
0.276
0.34
0.4
0.438

h1 = 55

h2 =

Sample calculation
When AT1 = 26.6

and AH1 = 50.5, the h1 = 55 kJ/kg

When AT2 = 22.3

and AH12= 73.5, the h2 = 52 kJ/kg

3
The density of air at 1 atom pressure is equal to 1.184 kg / m

v = 0.598

When

2(50)
1.184

= 5.5 m/s

m
= V, V is the volumetric flow rate of air, V = v. A

Diameter of the air duct = 12cm = 0.12m

2
Air duct cross sectional area, A = x (0.006)
m
= 1.184 5.5 0.01 = 0.065 kg/s
9

0.01 m 2

The enthalpy, H =

m
( h), H = 0.065 ( 5552 ) = 0.195 kJ

8.0 Discussion
The experiment was done to study the heating and cooling effects in an air
conditioning system by controlling the speed of the blower and also to determine the
heating power of the heater and the cooling power of the cooling coil in the evaporator.
From the results are obtained, in cooling process at 50 N/m2 of air pressure, the air
temperature started to be in the inlet 28.7

and then it decreased after the air passed

through the cooling coil in the evaporator to be 15.1

which is the outlet

temperature. In heating process at 50 N/m2 of air pressure, the air temperature started to
be in the inlet 26.6

and then it increased after the air passed through the preheater

and then it decreased when the air is allowed to pass the evaporator, The evaporator is
acting as the heat sink takes away heat from the hot air and cools the air temperature to be
22.3

which is the outlet temperature. So, generally, the air temperature decreases

after it goes through the process of the air conditioning system. Also, the pressure was
decreased after it exits from the expansion valve which helps the evaporator to change the
situation of the working fluid to vapor.
In cooling process, at 50 N/m2 of air pressure, the air humidity was to be 0.507 which is
in the inlet before getting to the evaporator, and then it increased to be 0.812 which is in
the outlet as the air passes the humidifier and holds water vapor along with it. In heating
process, at 50 N/m2 of air pressure, the air humidity was to be 0.505 which is in the inlet
before getting to the evaporator, and then it increased to be 0.735 which is in the outlet as
the air passes the humidifier and holds water vapor along with it. So, generally, the
humidity is increased in the reheat process which it can control and adjust the humidity.

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From the results are obtained, as long as the air pressure increases the velocity will
increase as well as the mass flow rate will increase. In heating process when the air
pressure increases the enthalpy will increase gradually.
The enthalpy in the heating process must be more than in cooling process. So, the more
enthalpy means more water vapor which leads more humidity. There are some errors
occurred due to some mistakes happened during the experiment, and the possible errors
might be like a sufficient time was not allowed for a steady state condition to be achieved
before recording the readings and that affected the results, the readings of the humidity
were taken from the humidity selector gauge were not accurate due to the environmental
impacts which play the major role in changing the temperature continuously so that will
make the readings inaccurate,
The experiment can be improved, for example, a sufficient time must be allowed for a
steady state condition to be achieved before recording the readings, the room should be
insulated avoiding the environmental impacts. So, the readings of the experiment can be
very accurate.

9.0 Conclusion
In conclusion, cooling process is carried out by passing the air over the coil. These coils
are cooled by the refrigerant passing through them and are also called evaporator coils. In
certain cases the coil is also cooled by the some gas passing inside it. Heating process of
the air is important when the air conditioner is used as the heat pump to heat the air. In
the heat pump the air is heated by passing it over the heating coil that carry the high
temperature refrigerant. In some cases the heating of air is also done to suit different
industrial and comfort air-conditioning applications where large air conditioning systems
are used. In heating process the humidity was noted during the experiment. The
experiment is achieved with errors due to mistakes happened during the experiment. The
experiment can be considering as acceptable.
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10. References
1. Frank Kreith (Editor), Shan K. Wang (December 6, 1999). Air Conditioning and
Refrigeration Engineering. London: CRC Press. p33-60.
2. Boles, Dr. Michael A., and Dr. Yunus A. Cengel, Thermodynamics, An Engineering
Approach, McGraw-Hill Inc., New York, 1994.
3. Dewitt, David P., and Frank P. Incropera, Introduction to Heat Transfer, Third Edition,
John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1985, pp. 351-360, 757.
4. Jan F. Kreider. Handbook of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. CRC press.
5. MATHEWS, D. 2013, Using Your Air Conditioner To Control Humidity. Available:
http://blog.ccacac.com/2013/02/05/humidity/. last accessed on 30 April 2015.
6. theMechy . (2012). Air conditioning system. Available:
http://infomechy.blogspot.com/2012/11/lab-report-sand-testing-preparation-gfn_4.html.
Last accessed 30th Apr 2015.

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