| How air conditioning works |
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| Inside a refrigerator cooling is created by a series of pipes carrying compressed (chilled) refrigerant. The refrigerant flows to a radiator behind the fridge where it expands. As it expands it gets warmer than the outside air and so is cooled by the air. The refrigerant is then compressed (by a compressor) which chills it further ready to flow back inside the refrigerator. |
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An air conditioning system is essentially a larger version of the domestic refrigerator. Inside the building cooling is created as air is fanned over a ‘chilled’ radiator filled with compressed refrigerant. The refrigerant flows to an outdoor unit where it expands and gets warmer than the outside air. The refrigerant in the outdoor unit is cooled by the air and then chilled further as it is compressed ready to flow back to the indoor unit.
In a heat pump system the process can be reversed to make the outdoor unit cooler than the surrounding air and the indoor unit give heat into the room. |
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