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Air Conditioning
The Components
AC System is comprised of 3 primary components
The Evaporator
The evaporator unit is filled with a liquid refrigerant that turns to gas to absorb heat from the air. Located between the engine and passenger compartments, the evaporator is comprised of a series of metal tubes that circulate refrigerant. Surrounding the tubes are metal fins that increase the surface area for the cooling process to take place.
Transforming liquid to vapor and back again.
Operating under low pressure, the ice cold refrigerant circulates through the evaporator tubes where the fins absorb the cold being transferred from the refrigerant and become very cold. A fan draws warm air over the fins and evaporator tubing. The warm air cools as it moves over the cold evaporator tubing. The circulating refrigerant absorbs heat from the warm air and begins to boil, turning into a vapor.
A variable speed fan increases or decreases the rate of air flow over the evaporator tubing and fins and in so doing increases or decreases the rate of heat exchange.
The Compressor: The Flow Regulator
From the evaporator, the warmed refrigerant vapor moves to the compressor. The compressor is belt driven and controlled by an electromagnetic clutch. The clutch engages and disengages the compressor pulley. While the compressor pulley always turns when the engine is turning, but the compressor only runs when the pulley is engaged to the compressor drive shaft. By turning the clutch on and off, the compressor is able to regulate the flow of refrigerant through the air conditioning system. Once the refrigerant vapor enters the compressor, it is forced into the condenser. |
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