Air conditioning: scheme and operation principle

Despite the fact that there are air-conditioners in almost every house, only a few users correctly imagine the scheme of such a device and how it works is connected. In this article, we will try to expand this topic.

General scheme of the air conditioner operation

The entire system is based on the ability of substances to absorb heat during evaporation and to separate it during condensation. This scheme of the air conditioner is incorporated in the work of a modern split-system. The main substance inside the closed system of the device is freon. Having the ability to change its aggregate state by changing the temperature and pressure, we can cool the radiator and drive air through it from the street.

But first, let's get acquainted with the basic elements of the split-system. The scheme and operating principle of the air conditioner assume the use of two units: outdoor and indoor. What are they needed for?

Outdoor unit

This unit is installed on the street and mainly serves for intake of fresh air. It consists of the following nodes:

• Fan.
• Capacitor. In this part, freon is cooled and condensed. The air that passes through the condenser is heated and discharged to the street.
• Compressor. The main element of the air conditioner, which compresses freon and ensures its circulation throughout the circuit.
• Control block. Usually it is used in outdoor units of inverter systems. In conventional air conditioners, all electronics are most often located in the indoor unit.

• 4-way valve. It is used in models that can work for heating (most modern air conditioners). This element, when the heating function is activated, changes the direction of the coolant movement. As a result, the outdoor and indoor units change places: the internal one works for heating, the outdoor unit - for cooling.
• Various chimney connections through which copper pipes are connected between the indoor and outdoor units.
• Refrigerant filter. Installed in front of the compressor in order to protect the latter from dirt, which during installation can get into the system.

Indoor unit

It includes the following elements:

• The front panel, through which air enters. It is easily removed so that the user can get to the filters.
• The coarse filter is an ordinary plastic mesh that deters large dust (for example, animal fur, fluff, etc.). This net should be cleaned once a month.
• The system of filters, consisting of coal, antibacterial, electrostatic filters. Depending on the model of the air conditioner, some filters may not be at all.

• A fan for circulating clean air in the room - cold or heated.
• Evaporator. It is a radiator, where the ice coolant gets to. This radiator is strongly cooled by freon, and the fan blows air through it, which instantly becomes cold.
• Blinds for adjusting the direction of air flow.
• The display panel shows the operating mode of the air conditioner.
• Control board. On it are the central processor and the electronics unit.
• Pipe connections - they connect the pipes connecting the indoor and outdoor units.

The air conditioner circuit is simple and logical, but some users do not understand why two blocks are needed? After all, you can take warm air from the room and drive it through the air conditioner, cooling it. But not everything is so simple: you can not produce cold without producing heat. And the heat must be taken outside. For this purpose, a two-unit system is ideally suited. There are also other systems, for example single-block systems. There, heat is diverted to the outside through a special air duct that is outside the apartment.

Detailed scheme of the air conditioner

Now that you know the basic elements, you can consider in more detail the scheme of this system. So, when the cooling mode is activated from the control panel, the compressor is turned on in the system. It pumps up the pressure and drives the gas through the radiator. Passing the radiator (in the outdoor unit), the gas becomes liquid and hot (if you remember, during condensation, it releases heat).

Now the hot liquid freon (which was a gas before the radiator) enters the thermostatic valve, where the Freon pressure is lowered. As a result, Freon evaporates, and a gas-liquid cold mixture enters the evaporator (Freon becomes cold upon evaporation). The evaporator cools and the fan blows the cold out of the room. Then the gaseous freon again enters the condenser, and at this stage the circle closes.

This air conditioner concept is valid for all types. Regardless of the model, power and functionality of the system, all air conditioners are built precisely on this principle, including automobile, industrial and household.

Connecting the air conditioner

The installation of the air conditioner is simple, but the installation itself is quite complicated. It can only be done by specialists who have appropriate equipment. The whole difficulty lies in installing the outdoor unit and pumping Freon inside. It also requires a huge hole in the wall, and if the house is paneled, then the complexity of the work increases.

As for the connection to the mains, simply connect the internal unit of the device to the outlet, no more. But the scheme for connecting the air conditioner to power is a document that shows the location of various components and information for service centers. He is more interested in engineers who repair and connect equipment. In the context of this article, it is impossible to give a single scheme for connecting the air conditioner, since it can be different for different models.

Blocks connection

After the external and internal units of the air conditioner have been installed, they must be connected together. This is done with a copper four-wire cable. The cores must have a cross section of at least 2.5 mm ² . The connection diagram of the air conditioner, which goes with the device itself, is somewhat of an instruction. Usually the connecting cable is laid with the Freon line, although it can also be laid in a separate plastic box.

Connection over a dedicated line

After connecting the two units together, you must connect the indoor unit to the network. You can use the nearest outlet, however, given the rather high power of the installation, experts recommend allocating a separate power line for it, which will go directly to the meter. This will relieve a large load from the general line of the electrical system of the apartment. The cable can be laid to the shield by a special shunt groove or in a plastic box. Do not leave the wire open.

The shield, which will enter the power supply line of the air conditioner (and the general line of the electrical system of the apartment), must be grounded. At the same time, the power supply of the cable must be connected through a machine of a certain power. It is calculated by a special formula: the power of the air conditioner divided by the voltage (220 or 230 V). To the obtained value, you need to add 30% for the power reserve.

Connection to the general power supply system of an apartment

Connecting the device to a standard outlet that belongs to a common power line is only possible if your air conditioner is not powerful and does not create a big load on the network. If the power consumption of the air conditioner is 1 kW or less, it can be connected to an ordinary outlet. Typically, such a power model is designed to cool 20 square meters.