Analysis of an Air Conditioner using both Water Mist and Air for Cooling in Condenser

Dr.Suwarna Torgal, Kuldeep pawar

Thermal performance, water mist, air cooled condenser, air conditioner.

This paper considers how the performance can be improved, when the water mist system is coupled with the air cooled conditioner as a pre-cool for condenser inlet air to increase the cooling capacity, and decrease the compressor power consumption .A theoretical investigation has been carried out to study the thermal performance of a water mist assisted air conditioner under ambient temperatures ranging from 25℃ to 45℃. The influence of condenser and evaporator inlet air temperatures on the cooling capacity and power consumption has been investigated and presented. A mathematical model of the existing system was developed. The model was validated using experimental data recorded from the system. Subsequently, the model served as a tool to evaluate alternative system design and operating strategies that lead to optimum system performance. Evaporative cooling can reduce the air temperature from its dry bulb to wet bulb temperature. Therefore, it is possible to improve the energy efficiency of air-cooled Air conditioners by installing water mist system to pre-cool the outdoor air before entering condensers. In very dry climates, evaporative coolers, sometimes referred to as swamp coolers or desert coolers, are popular for improving coolness during hot weather. An evaporative cooler is a device that draws outside air through a wet pad, such as a large sponge soaked with water. The sensible heat of the incoming air, as measured by a dry bulb thermometer, is reduced. The temperature of the incoming air is reduced, but it is also more humid, so the total heat (sensible heat plus latent heat) is unchanged. Some of the sensible heat of the entering air is converted to latent heat by the evaporation of water in the wet cooler pads. If the entering air is dry enough, the results can be quite substantial.The influence of condenser and evaporator inlet air temperatures on the cooling capacity and power consumption has been investigated and presented. It has been found that due to the coupling of water mist with air cooled condenser, the cooling capacity of the air-cooled,air conditioner can be increased up to 17.5%, and the compressor power consumption can be reduced up to 15.5%. Thus, it is concluded that the application of water mist condenser, inlet air pre-cooling could increase the COP by up to 37%, especially when the ambient relative humidity is low[10].