Imagine a hot summer day, where outdoor temperatures are scorching. However, you’re lounging on the sofa, enjoying the cool indoor temperature. Have you ever thought about why we’re able to enjoy this privilege? This article will dive into the great invention of air conditioners and its science and engineering principles.
Who invented the air conditioner?
The idea of artificial cooling sounded splendid but was stagnant for numerous years, because no one could actually achieve it. This was until an engineer called Willis Carrier, who was working for the Buffalo Forge Company in 1902, was tasked with solving the humidity problem that caused magazine pages to wrinkle.
Carrier thought about using artificial cooling, but there weren’t any technologies that could carry out this concept. Through a series of experiments, Carrier finally designed a system that could control humidity using cooling coils. He called his invention “apparatus for treating air”, which could humidify and dehumidify air.
How do air conditioners work?
Air conditioners have a chemical composition called refrigerants that can convert gas to liquid at low temperatures. These compounds evaporate and condense within the coils of the unit, where refrigerants then move and transfer air from the inside to the outside.
All air conditioners have three components: a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator. First, the compressor pumps and compresses gas, which has closely packed molecules, high energy, and hot temperature. Then, the heated gas moves into the condenser that cools the gas into liquids of low temperature. Finally, the liquid flows into the evaporator, which contains refrigerants and transforms the liquid back to gas, but this time at a low temperature. This process shows the extraction of heat from the air and the production of cool gas.
The process above is only one circulation of how cool gas is formed through air conditioners. Other processes include the fans in the invention that blow air from the inside to the outside, and vents that draw the air down into ducts. Air conditioners will repeat these processes until the room is filled with cool air.
Conclusion
Air conditioners are a result of meticulous engineering and scientific principles, which use a series of processes to convert hot air into cool air. Now, when you enjoy the comfort of your air-conditioned environment, remember to appreciate all the systems working together to make this possible.
Works Cited
National Geographic Society (2022). Natural Selection | National Geographic Society. [online] education.nationalgeographic.org. Available at: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/natural-selection/ [Accessed 27 Feb. 2024].
Pratt, J. (2015). The Science Behind How Air Conditioners Work. [online] ACS Air Conditioning Systems. Available at: https://www.acsystemsinc.com/blog/ce2-air-conditioning/the-science-behind-how-air-conditioners-work/.
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