Refrigeration and air conditioning
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Kit
You step inside on a hot day and you are met with cool air. That is the refrigeration cycle doing its work. There are many ways to heat and cool, but the basic function comes back to one cycle, used across countless industries.
The refrigeration cycle (also called the heat pump cycle) is a way to move heat away from the area you want to cool. It does that by manipulating the pressure of a working refrigerant (air, water, a synthetic refrigerant, etc.) through a loop of compression and expansion.
The kit is built around a real 12,000 Btu/h split AC unit, instrumented with pressure gauges, temperature sensors at the four corners of the cycle, and a flow meter, so students can measure the working state at each stage and plot the actual cycle.
Specifications
| Dimensions | 180 × 180 × 90 cm |
|---|---|
| Split unit | AC AUS-12000HR |
| Cooling power | 12,000 Btu/h |
| Current | 6 A (rated 7.8 A) |
| Power input | 1285 W (rated 1670 W) |
| Indoor air volume | 520 m³/h |
| Maximum pressure | 2.8 MPa discharge, 1.2 MPa suction |
| Noise | 40 dB(A) indoor, 55 dB(A) outdoor |
| Rated voltage | 220 to 240 V, 50 Hz |
| Refrigerant | R22, 0.6 kg |
| Instrumentation | High-pressure gauge, low-pressure gauge, 4 temperature sensors, flow meter |
Learning outcomes
- Understand the principles and applications of refrigeration systems.
- Evaluate the performance of a vapour-compression refrigeration system.
- Understand psychrometrics, air conditioning processes, and the different air conditioning systems.
- Take measurements and draw the refrigeration cycle.
- Calculate the efficiency of the system.