Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

of SINGAPORE

Chemical Engineering Process Lab

Experiment T4

Air Conditioning Study

Name :

Matric No. :

Group :

Date of Expt. :

GRADE :
Objectives:

• To examine the refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner.

• To evaluate the cooling capacity and power consumption under different operating conditions.

Apparatus:

Computer linked air conditioner unit, stopwatch and measuring cylinder.

Theory

The basic configuration of the air conditioner unit is shown in Figure1. Air is drawn into a variable
speed centrifugal fan. Steam can be added to provide humidification. The air flows through the
evaporator of the refrigeration unit and finally passes over two finned electric heating coils for
reheating. Water condensate can be collected and measured. Air conditions at different stages are
determined and the mass flow rate or velocity is measured.

The steam is provided by an atmospheric boiler with heating elements that can be switched to
create various rates of steam production. The water level is controlled by a float switch and
solenoid valve and observed through a sight glass.

The refrigerator unit consists essentially of a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and a thermal
expansion valve. A propeller fan blows air across the condenser coil. The air is cooled and
dehumidified at the evaporator, where the refrigerant R-134a is allowed to evaporate creating a
cooling effect. An amount of heat equivalent to the heat absorbed by the evaporator and the work
supplied to the compressor is rejected at the condenser to the atmosphere. The process undergone
by the refrigerant is as follows (Figure 2):

High pressure liquid refrigerant flows from the condenser to the evaporator through the thermal
expansion valve. The low pressure refrigerant then evaporates in the evaporator providing the
required cooling effect. The vapour refrigerant thus generated is received by the compressor where,
the vapour pressure is raised and superheated vapour is delivered to the condenser. The vapour is
air cooled at the condenser and liquefied for the beginning of the next cycle.

The saturation temperature of the refrigerant in the evaporator is below the dew point of the air.
When air is forced to flow across the evaporator coil, heat is transferred from the air to the
refrigerant which then evaporates. This causes the air temperature and the humidity to be reduced.
The heat absorbed by the evaporator can be calculated as follows:
Sensible heat transfer Q s = m a C pa (T ai - T ao )
and Latent heat transfer Q l = m a h fg (W ai - W ao )
The sum Q s + Q l is known as the capacity of the air conditioner.
The performance of an air conditioner is measured by
Capacity
Coefficient of Performance (C.O.P.) =
Power consumed
When capacity is expressed Btu/h and the power in kW, this ratio is called the Energy Efficiency
Ratio (EER)
Experimental Procedure (Model A660)

Check the wet bulb reservoir is filled to the level mark. Switch on the main supply to the system
and turn on the main switch on the panel. Set the fan speed to a moderate speed. Switch on the
compressor on the panel and start the data logging program. Take the following readings when
system has reached steady state.
(i) Evaporator outlet pressure P 1 , condenser inlet pressure P 2 and condenser outlet
pressure P 3 .
(ii) Temperatures of the refrigerant at evaporator outlet t 13 , condenser inlet t 14 and
condenser outlet t 15 .
(iii) Dry and wet bulb temperatures of air before and after the evaporator coil.
(iv) Supply voltage and current of the compressor.
(v) Refrigerant and air flow rates.
(vi) Flow rate of water condensate from the evaporator using stopwatch and measuring
cylinder.
Note: an appreciable time elapses before condensate is discharged from the drain at a
constant rate due to the large surface area of the evaporator.

Repeat above procedures for another fan speed setting. Switch off the computer and air
conditioning unit at the end of the experiment.

(When boiler and air heaters are used in the experiment, set the fan to the maximum speed and
allow it to run for at least 5 minutes before switching off and turn off the water supply to the boiler.)

For each measurement (temperature, pressure, power input) note down carefully the accuracy of the
readings e.g. for thermocouple read-out ∆T = ± 1oC.

Experimental Procedure (Model BCC/EV)

Switch on the main supply to the system and turn on the main switch on the panel. Invoke BCC/EV
control software. Set the Controller to “Manual” mode and turn on the compressor and fan. (Note:
DO NOT TURN ON THE HEATER OR HUMIDIFIER). Set the fan speed to a moderate speed.
Press the “Normal” button to monitor the air velocity and the state of the plant actuators. Take the
following readings when system has reached steady state.
(i) Compressor outlet pressure (from the high pressure gauge) and compressor inlet
pressure (from the low pressure gauge).
(ii) Temperatures of the refrigerant at compressor inlet, compressor outlet and
condenser outlet.
(iii) Temperature and relative humidity of air before and after the evaporator coil.
(iv) Compressor power on the wattmeter.
(v) Refrigerant flow rate and air velocity.
(vi) Flow rate of water condensate from the evaporator using stopwatch and measuring
cylinder.
Note: an appreciable time elapses before condensate is discharged from the drain at a
constant rate due to the large surface area of the evaporator.

Repeat above procedures for another fan speed setting. Switch off the computer and air
conditioning unit at the end of the experiment.
(When boiler and air heaters are used in the experiment, set the fan to the maximum speed and
allow it to run for at least 5 minutes before switching off and turn off the water supply to the boiler.)

For each measurement (temperature, pressure, power input) note down carefully the accuracy of the
readings e.g. for temperature reading ∆T = ± 0.2 oC.

Tabulation and Calculations

1) To determine the capacity, the coefficient of performance and EER at each fan speed.
(The properties of moist air can be determined from the psychrometric chart attached).
2) For each of the derived quantities, estimate the uncertainty in the calculated quantity by a
simple error analysis using the instrument's reading accuracies.
e.g. Q s = m a C pa (T ai - T ao )
∆Qs ∆ma ∆C pa ∆[Tai − Tao ]
= + +
Qs ma C pa [Tai − Tao ]
where ∆Q s is the uncertainty in Q s when those in m a , C pa and (T ai - T ao ) are ∆m a , ∆C pa and
∆[T ai - T ao ] respectively.
3) Indicate the measured pressures and temperatures on a P-h Chart for the refrigerant R134a.
4) Check the energy and mass balance for the air and refrigerant flowing through the evaporator.

Results and Discussions:

References:

1. Smith, J. M., Van Ness, H. C., & Abbott, M. M. (2001). Introduction to chemical
engineering thermodynamics (6th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.

2. Van Wylen, G. J., Sonntag, R. E., & Borgnakke, C. (1994). Fundamentals of classical
thermodynamics (4th ed.). New York: Wiley.
LIST OF DEFINITIONS AND SYMBOLS

ma air flow rate kg dry air/s

o
T Temperature C
W absolute humidity of air kg moisture/kg dry air
C pa specific heat of moist air kJ/kg dry air oC
h fg latent heat of water kJ/kg (= 2465 kJ/kg)
v specific volume m3 /kg

Subscripts:
ai air inlet
ao air outlet
 1 Air Inlet 21 Water Heater
2 Wed and Dry Temperature Stations 22 Overflow Drain
3 Steam Injector 23 Condensate Measurement
4 Pre-Heater 24 Compressor
5 Evaporator 25 Air Condenser
6 Re-Heater 26 Liquid Receiver
7 Orifice 27 Condenser Inlet Pressure
8 Treated Air 28 Refrigerant Flowmeter
9 Fan 29 Condenser Outlet Pressure
10 Fan Speed Control 30 Filter/Dryer
11 Evaporator Pressure 31 Steam Generator Tank Drain Valve
12 Thermostatic Expansion Valve 32 15 Way Selector Switch
13 Stope Valve 33 Digital Temperature Indicator
14 Inclined Manometer 34 RS232 Serial Link to PC
15 Steam Generator 35 Datalogger
16 Water level Control 36 Transducer Inputs
17 Solenoid Valve 37 Refrigerant Pressure Transducer
18 Water Inlet 38 Refrigerant Flow Transducer
19 Sight Glass 39 Differential Air Pressure Transducer
20 Vent

Figure 1. Schematic diagram of air conditioner unit (A660)

1 Control Board 9 Test Room
2 Refrigeration Unit 10 Humidity Sensor
3 Air Duct 11 Temperature Sensor
4 Manual Air Lock 12 Air Velocity Sensor
5 Cooling and Dehumidifying Coil 13 Water Intake Valve
6 Humidifier 14 Room Air Temperature/Humanity Sensor
7 Heating Unit 15 External Air Temperature/Humidity Sensor
8 Fan

Figure 1. System Schematic Diagram（BCC/EV）

 Condenser
Expansion Compressor
valve
Heat rejected

high pressure
low pressure Work
Heat absorbed

Evaporator

Figure 2. Refrigeration cycle