Most cars on the road today have some form of air conditioning, and many newer vehicles have climate control systems that allow the diver and passengers to choose the temperature of the cabin, but what exactly is air conditioning, and how does it works?
Air conditioning is the process of removing heat and moisture from the interior of an occupied space to improve the comfort of the occupants. A car air conditioner is a system that pulls warm air from the cabin of the car and uses a refrigerant to cool it before circulating it back into the cabin. The refrigerant used in most car air conditioning is Freon, which is a trade name for a group of chemicals that are used as refrigerants and are also known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). When Freon is used as a refrigerant, it absorbs heat from the air inside the car and then releases that heat outside the car. The Freon is circulated through the car air conditioner by a compressor.
If you have ever been in a car on a hot day, you know how important the air conditioning can be. Most people know air conditioning as the process of cooling and humidifying the air in your home or office. But There is much more to air conditioning than just making the air inside your car comfortable. In fact, air conditioning plays a vital part of our daily lives which allows the driver or passengers to derive comfort while driving on a very hot day.
Most cars on the road today have some form of air conditioning, whether it is basic system that cools the air or a more complex system that also dehumidifies and filters the air. Air conditioning systems work by circulating a refrigerant through a closed loop system of evaporator and condenser coils. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the air inside the car, and the cooled air is then circulated back into the cabin. While air conditioning is a great way to keep the cabin of your car cool and comfortable, it is important to remember that it can also put a strain on your car engine.
HOW AIR CONDITIONING WORKS IN A CAR
In order to understand how air conditioning works, you must fist understand the principle of thermodynamics. Air conditioners uses a fluid, called refrigerant, that absorbs heat when in a liquid state and in the process becomes a gas (evaporate). For example, when alcohol is rubbed on the skin, it feels cool. This is because the alcohol absorbs heat from the area of contact and evaporates. It is well known that heat is necessary to change a liquid to a gas. Heat is absorbed from the area in contact with the liquid, thereby cooling it.
The fluids boil at different temperatures depending on the pressure that it is under. To increase or decrease the boiling point of a substance, we must alter the pressure on the substance. Increasing the pressure increases the boiling point. To decreases the boiling point, decrease the pressure. This extremely simple principle is the basis of all air conditioning and refrigeration systems, from home refrigerators and window A/C units to the largest industrial applications.
