Despite the fact that there are air conditioners in almost every home, only a few users correctly imagine the scheme of such a device and how it works, connects. This article will try to expand on this topic.
The general scheme of the air conditioner
The whole system is built on the ability of substances to absorb heat during evaporation and to release it during condensation. Such a scheme of the air conditioner is embedded in the work of a modern split system. The main substance inside the closed system of the device is freon. Having the ability to change its state of aggregation by changing the temperature and pressure, we can cool the radiator and drive air from it through it from the street.
But first, let's get acquainted with the basic elements of a split system. The scheme and principle of operation of the air conditioner involves the use of two units: external and internal. What are they needed for?
Outdoor unit
This unit is installed on the street and mainly serves to cool superheated freon (it does not take air from the street, the air conditioner serves to cool the air in the room. Ventilation units are used to extract street air). It consists of the following nodes:
- Fan.
- Capacitor. In this part, freon is cooled and condensed. The air that passes through the condenser is heated and discharged into the street.
- Compressor. The main element of the air conditioner, which compresses the freon and ensures its circulation throughout the circuit.
- Control block. It is usually used in outdoor units of inverter systems. In conventional air conditioners, all the electronics are most often located in the indoor unit.
- 4 way valve. It is used in models that can work for heating (most modern air conditioners). This element, when the heating function is activated, changes the direction of movement of the refrigerant. As a result, the outdoor and indoor units are interchanged: the indoor unit works for heating, the outdoor unit for cooling.
- Various nipple connections through which copper pipes are connected between the indoor and outdoor units.
- Refrigerant filter. It is installed in front of the compressor in order to protect the latter from dirt, which during installation can get into the system.
Indoor unit
It includes elements:
- Front panel through which air enters. It is easily removed so that the user can get to the filters.
- The coarse filter is a common plastic mesh that traps coarse dust (e.g. animal hair, fluff, etc.). This mesh needs to be cleaned once a month.
- Filter system consisting of carbon, antibacterial, electrostatic filters. Depending on the model of the air conditioner, some filters may not exist at all.
- A fan for circulating clean indoor air - cold or warm.
- Evaporator. It is a radiator where ice refrigerant enters. This radiator is strongly cooled by freon, and the fan drives air through it, which instantly becomes cold.
- Blinds to adjust the direction of air flow.
- The indicator panel shows in which mode the air conditioner is operating.
- Control board. On it are the central processor and the electronics unit.
- Fitting connections - pipes connecting the indoor and outdoor units are connected to them.
The air conditioner circuit is simple and logical, but some users do not understand why two units are needed? After all, you can take warm air from the room and drive it through the air conditioner, cooling it. But not everything is so simple: you cannot produce cold without producing heat. And heat needs to be taken outside. A two-block system is ideally suited for this purpose. There are also other systems, for example single-block. There, heat is removed outside through a special duct removed outside the apartment.
Detailed scheme of the air conditioner
Now that you know the basic elements, you can consider in more detail the scheme of this system. So, when the cooling mode is activated from the control panel, the compressor is turned on in the system. It pumps up pressure and drives gas through a radiator. Having passed the radiator (in the outdoor unit), the gas becomes liquid and hot (if you remember, it emits heat during condensation).
Now the hot liquid freon (which was gas before the radiator) enters the thermostatic valve, where the pressure of the freon decreases. As a result, the evaporation of freon occurs, and a gas-liquid cold mixture enters the evaporator (freon becomes cold upon evaporation). The evaporator cools and the fan blows off the cold from it into the room. Then gaseous freon again enters the condenser, and at this stage the circle closes.
This air conditioning concept is valid for all types. Regardless of the model, capacity and functionality of the system, all air conditioners are built on this principle, including automotive, industrial and domestic.
Air conditioner connection
The installation scheme of the air conditioner is simple, but the installation itself is quite complicated. Only specialists who have the appropriate equipment can produce it. All the complexity lies in the installation of the outdoor unit and the injection of freon inside. You also need to make a huge hole in the wall, and if the house is panel, then the complexity of the work increases.
As for the connection to the mains, it’s enough to simply connect the device’s internal unit to a power outlet, nothing more. But the power supply air conditioner connection diagram is a document that displays the location of various components and information for service centers. He is more interested in engineers who are engaged in the repair and connection of equipment. In the context of this article, it is impossible to give a single scheme for connecting an air conditioner, since it can be different for different models.
Block connection
After the external and internal units of the air conditioner have been installed, they must be interconnected. This is done using a four-core copper cable. The cores must have a cross section of at least 2.5 mm 2 . The connection diagram of the air conditioner, which comes with the device itself, is to some extent an instruction. Usually, the connecting cable is laid along with the freon line, although it can also be laid in a separate plastic box.
Leased line connection
After connecting the two units together, you must connect the indoor unit to the network. You can use the nearest outlet, however, given the rather high power of the installation, experts recommend allocating a separate power line for it, which will go directly to the meter. This will allow to remove a large load from the general line of the electrical system of the apartment. Laying the cable to the shield can be done by a special trench groove or in a plastic box. Do not leave the wire open.
The shield, into which the power supply line of the air conditioner (and the general line of the electrical system of the apartment) will go, must be grounded. In this case, the cable power must be connected through an automatic machine of a certain power. It is calculated according to a special formula: the power of the air conditioner divided by the voltage (220 or 230 V). To the obtained value you need to add 30% for the power margin.
Connection to the apartment’s common power system
Connecting the device to a conventional outlet, which belongs to a common power line, is possible only if your air conditioner is not powerful and does not create a large load on the network. When the power consumption of the air conditioner is 1 kW or less, it can be connected to a conventional outlet. Typically, such a capacity have models designed to cool 20 square meters.