Air conditioning (from the Latin sondicio - condition, condition) is a process in which automatically in production workshops, car interiors, residential buildings, etc., the parameters of the air environment are created and maintained, which are comfortable for people to work and rest, the safety of furniture, household appliances, cultural values, etc.
The term "air conditioning" was first coined by Stuart Kremer (USA), who used it in 1906 when filing a patent application for a device that increased humidity in rooms. The first electric air conditioner was invented 4 years earlier by the American engineer Willis Haviland Carrier.
Types and characteristics of air conditioners
The main task of any air conditioner is air cooling. The process in all models is provided as follows: heated air masses pass through the tubular evaporator, the refrigerant circulating through its tubes removes heat from the air. The compressor plays a major role in the cooling process.
For more than 100 years, enterprises have been constantly investing material and financial resources in the development, manufacture and development of climatic technology. There is a large selection of air conditioners on the market that use the same method of air cooling, but differ from each other in control system, design, etc. All of them are classified according to the following criteria:
- application area;
- compressor control method;
- additional functionality.
Compressor control methods
All types of air conditioners are divided into two main groups - inverter and non-inverter.
Non-inverter air conditioners are devices that maintain a predetermined air temperature by alternately turning the compressor on and off. This management method has been widely used in past years. It is difficult to set up and allows for fluctuations in air temperature. The main advantage of such air conditioners is their low cost. Among the shortcomings, consumers note high power consumption and noise during the operation of the product.
With surges in the supply voltage, a malfunction may occur in the operation of the electronic systems that control the operation of the device - this is one of the main disadvantages of the inverter.
Classification by purpose
In accordance with their purpose, air conditioners are:
- industrial (Unitary);
- commercial or semi-industrial (PAC - Packages air conditions);
- for home use or household (RAC - Room air conditions).
Household air conditioners
All types of air conditioners for an apartment have a capacity of 1.5 to 8 kW.Products of this class are distinguished by their attractive appearance and low noise level. They are installed in rooms with an area of no more than 100 square meters. m. The service life of household air conditioners is from 7 to 10 years.
Household air conditioners and air conditioning systems are presented on the market in several design options for the type of installation:
- Window - budget monoblock models up to 6 kW. They are mounted in the window opening: the main part of the housing with the compressor protrudes into the street, and only the control panel is inside the room.
- Floor standing - are mobile monoblocks that can be easily moved from room to room and connected without inviting specialists. To do this, it is only necessary to bring out into the street through a window or an opening in the wall a flexible one and a half meter hose through which warm air will be removed from the room. Simple installation is particularly attractive to consumers, but the proliferation of such devices is constrained by their high cost. Among the shortcomings, one can note a fairly strong noise level and low power (up to 3 kW). If you need to increase the capacity of the floor-standing air conditioner, an additional outdoor unit with a fan can be connected to it.
- Wall-mounted - this type of air conditioner includes split and multisplit systems. The first of them is a structure consisting of two blocks: a small internal and a massive external one, which contains highly noisy components. The second system is a combination of one outdoor unit and several indoor units installed in different rooms. In this case, the internal hinged blocks can be made both in the ceiling and in the wall or column version.
Industrial air conditioners
Industrial air conditioners are complex air conditioning systems with a capacity of more than 25 kW, in which the requirements for ensuring a comfortable microclimate at industrial facilities (workshops, galvanic and paint and varnish areas) come first. With the help of these systems, it is possible to set a certain temperature in each room. To do this, use:
- multi-zone systems such as VRF or VRV - allow you to regulate the air temperature with an accuracy of 0.5 ° C;
- central air conditioning systems;
- chiller-fan coil systems provide not only air conditioning, but also its heating in each separate room.
Commercial air conditioners
Commercial air conditioning systems are air conditioning systems presented on the market by devices:
- channel structures:
- cassette type;
- ceiling-mounted;
- having the form of a column.
Air conditioners, structurally made in the form of columns, are equipped with powerful centrifugal fans, which supply an air flow from 5 to 12 m long into the room. They have an attractive appearance and do not spoil the interior of a shopping or entertainment establishment. They are used, as a rule, to cool the air in large exhibition pavilions, restaurant halls, etc.
Ducted air conditioning systems are structurally a system of two blocks. Usually their power does not exceed 25 kW. In this case, the indoor units are installed in the under-ceiling space of the premises and are interconnected by a network of air ducts. After completion of the installation, the entire structure is covered with a suspended ceiling. The outdoor unit can be installed on the wall of the building in any convenient place.
Channel-type systems are used when it is necessary to hide climatic equipment from prying eyes. It can be used to serve one or more premises.
Climatic equipment of cassette type is a kind of duct air conditioner.Its internal blocks (cassettes) are covered with a decorative grille with distribution shutters. The grille is the size of a ceiling tile and fits well into the interior of any room. They are installed in sales areas of large stores and other premises where it is necessary to ensure the distribution of cooled air in 4 different directions.
Ceiling air conditioners with a capacity of up to 15 kW are installed in large rooms where, for one reason or another, there is no suspended ceiling. They differ from other types of commercial climatic technology in that they distribute air only along the ceiling. At the same time, the cooled air flow does not affect people in the room.
Functional capabilities of air conditioners
In addition to their main purpose related to air cooling, many modern air conditioners are equipped with additional options that significantly expand their functionality:
- heating the air entering the room from the street in the cold season;
- filtration of outdoor and indoor air;
- dehumidification and disinfection of air;
- humidification, ionization.
- antibacterial - cleanse the air from allergens and inhibit the growth of bacteria;
- plasma - carry out deep air filtration, destroying mold, viruses and bacteria;
- deodorant - cleanse the air from the pungent odors of cosmetics and perfumery, tobacco smoke, etc.;
- universal - equipped with multi-stage filters.
The presence of the “Ionization” function in the devices significantly improves the air quality. The air saturated with negatively charged ions becomes fresh and invigorating, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the respiratory system.
Air conditioners with heating function
Air conditioners with air heating function are the most demanded type of climatic equipment on the domestic market. Models of this category effectively operate in the "cold-heat" mode, provided that the air temperature outside the window is not lower than -10 ° C. At lower temperatures, air conditioners are turned off or fail.
However, there are air conditioning systems that can operate at temperatures as low as -35 ° C. These are chiller-fan coil systems in which non-freezing liquids are used as the heat carrier. Such devices can be equipped with an additional gas boiler, which works instead of a chiller in winter, and, if necessary, with electric heaters built into each fan coil unit. They provide full heating and air conditioning in rooms, but the cost of such systems is much higher compared to conventional air conditioners. Therefore, they are installed in shopping malls, office buildings and hotels.
