MBEYA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY
MECHANICAL AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT
Code: ME6311
Name: Fundamentals of Air Conditioning
Number of Credits: 9
MODULE MASTER:[Link]
Objectives of the module
At the end of this lecture student should
be able to:-
Define air condition
Parts of Air conditioning
Factors affecting air conditioning
Equipment's used in air conditioning
Describe principles of air conditioning
describe types of air conditioning system
INTRODUCTION
Fundamentals of Air
Conditioning
INTRODUCTION
The Air Conditioning is the branch of
engineering science which deals with the
study of conditioning of air, that is
supplying and maintaining desirable
internal atmospheric conditions for
human comfort, irrespective of external
condition.
OR
Definition: Air Conditioning System
Air cooling or air conditioning is the process of
removing heat and moisture from inside the
occupied space, to improve the comfort of
occupants. This process is most commonly used to
achieve a more comfortable interior environment,
typically for humans.
Nowadays the Air conditioning system is widely
used in both domestic and commercial
environments.
PARTS OF AN AC
There are two main types of air
conditioning systems: window systems
and split systems, which are further
divided into mini-split and central
systems. In everyday language, these
are commonly referred to as window ACs
or split ACs.
Regardless of the type of installation, all
air conditioners consist of four main
components, which are listed below:
Evaporator
An evaporator is basically a heat
exchanger coil that is responsible for
collecting heat from the interior of a room
by means of a refrigerating gas. This
component is called an evaporator and is
where the liquid refrigerant absorbs heat
and evaporates into a gas.
Compressor
As the name implies, the gaseous refrigerant
is compressed here. It is located in the outdoor
unit, i.e. in the part that is installed outside the
house.
Condenser
The condenser absorbs the evaporated
refrigerant from the compressor, converts it
back into a liquid and expels the heat to the
outside. Of course, it is also located on the
outside unit of the split AC.
condenser
Expansion valve
The expansion valve, also known as a throttle
device, is located between the two coils, the
cooling coils of the evaporator and the hot
coils of the condenser. It controls the amount
of refrigerant moving towards the evaporator.
Note that in the case of window ACs, the
three components mentioned above are all
located in a small metal box installed in a
window opening.
These are the main components of an air
conditioner. Let’s look at how they work
together to make an air conditioner do what
it does.
FACTORS AFFECTING AIR
CONDITIONING
The four important factors for comfort air
air conditioning are:-
Temperature of air
Humidity of air
Purity of air
Motion of air
Temperature of air
In air conditioning, the control of
temperature means the maintenance of
any desired temperature within an
enclosed space even though the
temperature of the outside air is above
or below the desired room temperature
It may be noted that a human being
feels comfortable when the air is at 21oC
with 56% a relative humidity
Humidity of air
The control of humidity of air means the
increasing or decreasing of moisture
contents of air during summer or winter
respectively in order to produce
comfortable and healthy conditions.
The control of humidity is not only
necessary for human comfort but it also
increase the efficiency of the workers.
Purity of air
It is an important factor for the comfort
of a human [Link] has been noticed
that people do not feel comfortable
when breathing contaminated air, even
if it is within acceptable temperature and
humidity ranges.
It is obvious that proper filtration,
cleaning and purification of air is
essential to keep it free from dust and
other impurities.
Motion of air
The motion or circulation of air is
another important factor which should
be controlled,in order to keep constant
temperature throughout the conditioned
space.
It is therefore,necessary that there
should be equi-distribution of air
throughout the space to be air
conditioned.
EQUIPMENTS USED IN AIR CONTIONING
SYSTEM
The main equipment's or parts used in an air
conditioning system:
Circulation fan-the main function of fan is
to move air to and from the room.
Air conditioning unit-it is a unit, which
consists of cooling and dehumidifying
processes of summer air conditioning or
heating and humidification processes for
winter air conditioning.
Supply duct-it directsthe conditioned air
from the from the circulating fan to the space
air conditioned at proper point.
EQUIPMENTS USED IN AIR CONTIONING
SYSTEM
Supply outlets- these are grills which
distributed the conditioned air evenly in
the room.
Return outlets- these are the openings
in a room surface which allow the room
air to enter the return duct.
Filters- the main function of the filters is
to remove dust, dirt and other harmful
bacteria's from the air.
AC OPERATING PRINCIPLE OF THE AIR
CONDITIONER
An air conditioner collects hot air from a
particular room, processes it into itself
with the help of a refrigerant and a
series of coils, and then releases cool air
into the same room where the hot air
was originally collected. This is basically
how all air conditioners work.
The most common refrigerant gases
used in air conditioning systems include
hydrofluorocarbons or HFCs such as R-
410A, chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs such
as R-22 and hydrocarbons such as R-
290. This gas actually absorbs heat from
the room and passes to the next
component for further processing,
which…
CLASSFICATION OF AIR CONDITIONING
SYSTEMS
The air conditioning systems may be
broadly classified as follows:
[Link] to the purpose
(a)Comfort air conditioning system and
(b)Industrial air conditioning system
[Link] to season of the year
(a)Winter air conditioning system,
(b)Summer air conditioning system ,and
(c)Year-round air conditioning system.
CLASSFICATION OF AIR CONDITIONING
SYSTEMS
[Link] to the arrangement of
equipment
(a)Unitary air conditioning system, and
(b)Central air conditioning system.
Comfort air conditioning
system
In comfort air conditioning, the air is
brought to the required dry bulb
temperature and relative humidity for
the human health, comfort and
efficiency. If sufficient data of the
required condition is not given, then it is
assumed to be 21oC dry bulb
temperature and 50%relative humidity.
There are eight main types of air
conditioning equipment out there in the
market. Each type of air conditioner is
designed for a certain space & fulfills a
certain purpose. The different AC types
are as follows:
[Link] Air Conditioner
[Link] Mini-Split
[Link] Air Conditioner
[Link] Air Conditioner
[Link] Mounted AC
[Link] / Dual Fuel Air Conditioner
[Link] Air Conditioner
[Link] Air Conditioner
A central air conditioning
If you have a large home/offices and
wish to cool multiple rooms at once then
this type of air conditioning is best
suited for you.
A central air conditioning unit uses a
split system that regulates air through
ducts installed in your home. It is also
known as a ducted system.
The split aspect implies that the system is a
combination of two main units. The outdoor
unit packs in the condenser and compressor.
While the indoor unit comprises the
evaporator coils & air handler.
Like any typical air conditioner, central air
conditioning also uses refrigerant in
removing heat from the indoor air. This heat
is pulled outdoors & cool air is pushed in
through the ducts.
Advantages of a central AC
system:
• It cools all the rooms connected to ducts
at once, thus creating a cooler &
regulated environment around the house
in minimum time.
• Since cool air is circulated in all rooms,
humidity is reduced around the house,
making the overall environment more
comfortable.
Disadvantages of a
central air conditioning
system
:
• It consumes a lot of energy resulting in
higher energy bills.
• Such units may lose efficiency &
effectiveness in case a problem arises in
the ducts.
• Some find the outdoor unit to be
unattractive but you can always creatively
hide your air conditioning unit in your
backyard.
Ductless Mini-Split(split
unit)
If you want better efficiency, or you want to
do away with a lot of ducting, or you simply
just want a portion of your home to be
cooled, then opting for ductless mini-split air
conditioners is a great choice. Ductless
systems are a great choice for contemporary
homes.
Such type of an air conditioner is a
combination of an outdoor unit comprising of
a compressor and a condenser that comes
along with one or more indoor units. These
indoor units are mounted on a wall and
The indoor and outdoor units are
connected through tubing and
refrigerant circulates through them in
variation depending on the type of
usage.
Ductless mini-splits come with a remote
control but coupled with a smart AC
controller you can operate them using
your phone, from anywhere
Advantages of ductless mini-splits:
• It can be installed anywhere easily without
a lot of hassle and ductwork.
• It can control the temperature of each
room individually.
Disadvantages of ductless mini-splits:
• A single ductless mini-split unit is not
enough for cooling large homes.
• Since the Indoor unit of a ductless mini-
split is wall-mounted, therefore, it will be
visible to the naked eye.
Window Air Conditioner
Window air conditioners come in
different sizes, they would be suitable if
you’re looking to cool a single room or a
small area.
A window air conditioner is a single unit
with all of its components enclosed
inside. It ejects heat out of its outdoor
side and blows cool air into the room on
the indoor side.
Advantages of Window
ACs:
• Window units are typically less costly
and cheaper to operate
• Simple to install
• Easy to maintain
• Do not take up your floor space
Disadvantages of
Window ACs
• Can be noisy during operation & are
visible from outside the home.
• They obscure the view from a window
and must be located close to a suitable
electrical outlet.
• Not all windows support air conditioners,
some window ACs are not suitable for
casement or irregularly shaped windows.
Portable air conditioners
are similar to window air conditioners.
They are also placed in a single unit with
all its components enclosed inside but
the difference is that it is a free-standing
unit and therefore can be moved from
room to room. All it requires is a power
outlet to power it up and access to a
window where the unit’s air can be
exhausted from using its funnel.
Portable ACs can be single- hose that
takes in air from inside a room and expel
it outdoors. Or, dual-hose which pulls air
from the outdoors using one hose, this
air cools the compressor and is then
exhausted outdoors from the other hose.
Since a portable unit sits indoors, its
evaporator fan runs continuously to
evaporate the condensed moisture that
is collected inside the unit.
Advantages of portable
ACs are
• Quick and simple to set up
• They can be easily moved around the
house
• They do not require any permanent
installation
• An effective option for spot cooling
• Easy to store when not needed
Disadvantages of portable ACs
are
• Such units are noisy during operation
• Cooling larger rooms is a problem
• Portable units that come with a hose
have to be placed near a window and
the hose also obstructs the lower part of
your window
Floor Mounted Air
Conditioner
Floor mounted air conditioners are designed
for convenience if you prefer a mini-split but
lack the required space for a wall mounted
unit.
The indoor unit of floor-mounted AC rests on
the floor, and the outer unit can be installed
without major site preparation or any
ductwork.
The unit can be installed up to 6 inches higher
than the floor, and through a small hole in the
wall it is connected to the outdoor unit.
Easy access to the air filters makes floor-
mounted air conditioners ideal for individuals
with respiratory issues or people who are keen
on keeping their indoor air quality as clean as
possible.
Advantages of floor mounted ACs:
• Perfect for elderly people living in the house
due to accessibility
• Can be installed easily
• An excellent choice for difficult and small
areas as they do not take much space
Disadvantages of floor mounted air
conditioners:
Airflow can be compromised because of
the obstacles in the room, i.e., furniture
Not suitable for big rooms due to uneven
and localized distribution of airflow
INDUSTRIAL AIR CONDITIONING
SYSTEM
Both industrial refrigeration and air-
conditioning are based on the same
mechanism: a fluid, generally water or
air, is cooled by evaporation of another
fluid, called the refrigerant. ... Industrial
air-conditioning usually requires better
precision as regards temperature and
humidity control.
All Air Systems
55
An all-Air System is defined as a system providing
complete sensible and latent cooling capacity in the
cold air supplied by the system.
No additional cooling is required
Can be briefly classified and are discussed here in to
basic categories:
1. Single duct systems, or
2. Dual duct systems
Cont ..
56
The single duct systems can provide either cooling or heating
using the same duct, but not both heating and cooling
simultaneously. These systems can be further classified into:
1. Constant volume, single zone systems
2. Constant volume, multiple zone systems
3. Variable volume systems
The dual duct systems can provide both cooling and heating
simultaneously. These systems can be further classified into:
1. Dual duct, constant volume systems
2. Dual duct variable volume systems
Air Conditionig and Refregeration April 15, 2025
Cont …
57
All-Air System can be adapted to all types of air conditioning
systems for comfort or process work.
It is applied in off, schools, universities ,laboratories,
hospitals, stores, hotels and ships where they require
individual control of conditions.
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Cont …
1. Single zone system: simplest form of the all-air system is a
58
single conditioner serving a single temperature zone.
-applied to small department stores, small individual
shops in shopping center, individual class rooms etc
A schematic of the single zone central unit is shown below:
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Cont …
59
2. Multiple zone systems: for large building it is
usually not economical to provide a separate system
for each zone.
For such cases the basic control system concept is
expanded to meet the cooling and heating
requirements of the multi zone.
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Schematic diagram of terminal reheat zone
60
a. Constant-air Volume Systems
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Cont …
61
b. Variable-air Volume Systems: when air is the medium used to
balance the load, the designer may choose between varying the
supply air temperature constant volume) or varying the volume
(variable volume) as the space load changes.
• Variable air volume system (VAV) may be applied to interior or
perimeter zones with common or separate fan systems, common or
separate air temperature control, and with or without auxiliary heating
devices.
• The variable volume concept may apply to volume variation in the main
system total air stream and/or to the zones of control.
• Variation of flow under control of a space thermostat may be
accomplished by positioning simple damper or a volume regulating
device in a duct, a pressure reducing device, or at the terminal diffuser or
grill.
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Cont …
Cooling or Heating:
62
A single stream of cool air serves all the zones, and a thermostat in
each zone regulates a damper to control the flow rate of cool air into the
zone.
Application : in interior of an office building with no heating loads and
where only cooling loads prevail.
Diagram:
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Cont …
63
ii. Dual Duct : conditions all the air in a central apparatus and
distributes it to the conditioned spaces through two parallel mains
or ducts. One duct carries cold air and the other warm air, thus
providing air sources for both heating and cooling at all times.
In each conditioned space or zone, a mixing value responsive to a
room thermostat mixes the warm and cold air in proper proportions
to satisfy the prevailing heat load of the space.
The dual duct system is very responsive to changes in load of the
zone and can simultaneously accommodate heating in some zones
and cooling in others
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Schematic diagram of dual duct system
64
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Cont …
65
The system experiences a problem at very light cooling loads where the
air flow rate drops off so much that poor air distribution and/or
ventilation results.
The heating only VAV system the same structures that shown above,
but a heating coil is used to provide the source for constant-
temperature warm air.
ii. Cooling –reheat VAV system:
• This system is the same as the above figure except that the branch lines
to each zone contains a reheat coil.
• The control sequence is that as the cooling load drops off, the damper
progressively reduces the flow rate of air until about 25 to 30% ful
flow rate . At this point the air flow rate remains constant and the
reheat coil is activated.
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Cont …
66
• The VAV reheat system overcomes a number of deficiencies of the
cooling only VAV system since it provides a means of obtaining
adequate air distribution and ventilation without paying the energy
penalty incurred in constant volume reheat applications.
• In the VAV dual duct system, the arrangement is similar to the
conventional dual duct system of the above fig. except for the flow
characteristics of the mixing boxes. Instead of providing a constant
flow rate of mixed air , the dampers are arranged so that the warm and
cool air flow rates drop appreciably before the other streams begins to
supply air.
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Cont …
67
The VAV reheat and dual duct system provide all the
flexibilities of the conventional reheat and dual duct systems in
the sense that a zone can be accommodated as it switches from
heating to cooling requirements and that some zones on a
system can be provided with heating at the same that the other
zones need cooling. There is some thermal bucking in both the
VAV reheat and dual-duct systems but the magnitude of
heating and cooling energy cancellation is modest because the
low air flow rates at which the thermal bucking occurs.
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AIR-AND -WATER SYSTEMS
68
Accomplish space conditioning through the use of both air
and water source that are distributed to terminal units installed
in the habitable space.
The air and water are cooled or heated in central mechanical
equipment rooms and distributed to the space in which
comfort conditions are being maintained.
The most common types of terminal used with air and water
systems is the high pressure induction unit. The air supplied to
the induction unit is called primary air. It is distributed from
the central mechanical equipment room at high velocities
between 10 and 24m/sec. the water distributed to the
induction unit is called secondary water.
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Cont …
69
Air-and-Water systems are primarily applicable to multi zone
type exterior spaces of buildings where wide range of sensible
loads exists and where close control of humidity is not
required.
Applications: hospitals, schools, apartment houses , research
laboratories
Components: central air conditioning equipment, duct
distribution and water distribution systems and a room
terminal
The air supply is generally constant volume and provides
outside clean air for ventilation
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Cont…
Cont…
71
Category : Two-pipe, three-pipe , four-pipe systems. They are
basically similar in function and all incorporate both cooling
and heating capabilities for year round air conditioning.
Their name is drive from the water distribution system:
two-pipe: the water distribution consists one supply and one
return pipe
three-pie: a cold water supply and warm water supply are
combined with a single common return pipe to make the water
distribution system
four-pipe : has cold water supply, cold water return, warm
water supply and warm water return
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ALL- WATER SYSTEMS
72
Accomplish both sensible and latent space cooling by
circulating chilled water from ac central refrigeration system
through cooling coils in terminal units located in building
occupied spaces.
Most common terminals: Fan coil units, unit ventilators, and
valence units
The all-water system usually provides individual room
control, with no cross contamination of recalculated air from
one space to another
Air Conditionig and Refregeration April 15, 2025
Cont..
Cont …
74
Advantage:
Reduced need for building space to the elimination or reduction of
central fan room and duct space requirements
The system provides all of the benefits of a central water chilling and
heating plant, while retaining the ability to positively shut off local
terminals in unused areas
Disadvantage :
Requires much more maintenance than central all-air system and work
must be done in the occupied areas
Each unit requires a condensate pan and drain system that must be
cleaned and flushed periodically.
It is difficult to clean coils, should this be required.
Filters are low in efficiency, small, and requires frequent changing
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Duct Design and Fan Performance
75
Commercial and residential and, industrial air duct system
design must consider
1) Space air diffusion
2) Space availability
3) Noise level
4) Duct leakage
5) Duct heat gain and losses
6) Balancing
7) Fire and smoke control
8) Initial investment
9) System operating cost
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Cont …
76
Deficiency in duct design can result in systems that operate
incorrectly or are expensive to own and operate.
Poor air distribution can cause discomfort, less of productivity
and even adverse health effects
Lack of sound attenuators may permit objectionable noise
level.
Poorly designed duct work can result in unbalanced system
Air Conditionig and Refregeration April 15, 2025
According To A Season of The
Year
Winter Air Conditioning System
Air conditioner working principle In
winter air conditioning system, the air
is burnt and heated, which is generally
followed by humidification. Schematic for
the system is arranged.
The outside air flows through a damper
and mixes with the recirculated air. The
mixed air passes through a filter to
remove the dirt, dust, and impurities.
The air now passes through a preheat coil
to prevent the possible freezing of water
and to control the evaporation of water in
the humidities. After that, the air is made
to pass through a reheat coil to bring the
air to the designed dry bulb temperature.
Now, the conditioned air is supplied to
the conditioned space by a fan. From the
conditioned space, a part of the air is
exhausted to the atmosphere by the
exhaust fans. The remaining part of the
used air is again conditioned and this will
repeat again and again.
Summer Air
Conditioning System
Air conditioner working principle in summer
air conditioning system. In this system, the
air is cooled and generally dehumidified. A
Schematic for a typical summer air
conditioning system is arranged.
The outside air flows through the damper
and mixed with recirculated air (which is
obtained from the conditioned space). The
mixed air passes through a filter to remove
the dirt, dust and impurities.
Year-Round Air Conditioning
System
In a year-round air conditioning system, it
should have equipment for both the summer
and winter air conditioning. Schematic for a
modern summer year-round air
conditioning is arranged.
Air conditioner working principle In year-
round air conditioning system. In this, the
outside air flows through the damper and
mixed with the recirculated air. The mixed
air passes through a filter to remove dirt,
dust, and impurities.
In the summer air conditioning system, the
cooling operates to cool the air to the
desired valve. The dehumidification is
obtained by operating the cooling coil at a
lower temperature than the dew point
temperature.
In the winter air conditioning system, the
cooling coil is made inoperative and the
heating coil operates to heat the air. The
spray type humidifier is also used in the dry
season to humidify the air.
According To The Arrangement of
Equipment
Unitary Air Conditioning System
•In the unitary air conditioning system, the
assembled air conditioner is installed in or
adjacent to the space to be conditioned.
•Unitary systems, the common type of one
room conditioners, sit in a window or wall
opening, with interior controls.
•Interior air is cooled as a fan blows it over
the evaporator.
• The exterior air is heated as a second
fan blows it over the conditioner.
• In this process, heat is supplied from the
room and discharge to the environment.
• A large house or building may have
several such units, permitting each room
to be cooled separately.
The unitary air conditioning systems
are of the following two types,
1. Window unit
2. Vertical packed units or PTAC systems
1. Window Unit
These types of conditioners have a
small capacity of 1TR to 3TR and are
mentioned through a window or wall.
They are employed to condition the air of
one room only. If the room is bigger in
size, then two or more units are used.
2. Vertical Packed Units or
PTAC systems
These type of air conditioner are bigger in the
capacity of 5 to 20TR and are adjacent to the
space to be conditioned. This unit is very useful
for conditioning the air of a restaurant, bank or
small office. PTAC systems are also known as
wall split air conditioning systems or ductless
systems.
These PTAC systems which are widely used in
hotels have two separate units, the evaporative
unit on the interior and the condensing unit on
the exterior, with tubing passes through the wall
and connect them together.
This minimizes the interior system footprint and
allows each room to be adjacent independently.
PTAC system may be adapted to provide
heating in cold weather, either directly by using
an electric strip, gas or other heaters, or by
reversing the refrigerant flow to heat the
interior and draw heat from the exterior air,
converting the air into a heat pump.
While room air conditioning provides maximum
flexibility when cooling rooms it is generally
more expensive than a central air conditioning
system.
Central Air Conditioning
System
It is the most important types of air
conditioning system, it uses when the
required cooling capacity 25TR or more.
It uses when the airflow is more than
300 m³/min or different zones in a
building are to be air-conditioned.
Application of Air-
Conditioning
1. Using air-conditioner is common in
food cooking and processing areas. Used in
hospital operating theatres to provide comfortable
conditions to patients. And many more industries
like Textile, Printing, Photographic and much more.
2. Air-conditioning system used as the commercial
purpose for a human being. Example, in Theatres,
Departmental store-room, etc.
3. Many transport vehicles use air-conditioning
systems such as cars, trains, aircraft, ships, etc.
This provides a comfortable condition for the
passengers.
The air-conditioning system used in
Television-centres, Computer centers,
and museums for a special purpose.
