Updated at: 31-05-2022 - By: Lucas

Car air conditioning is an important part of a car. Its main job is to cool the air and get rid of humidity. So, how does car air conditioning work? This article tells you about that.

Here is How a Car AC Work

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A car’s air conditioner works the same way that one in a home or office does. It is very important, even more so when it is warm.

In this day and age, it’s hard to find a car that doesn’t have air conditioning. You can ride in comfort and ease with this system, especially in the summer.

Some people don’t know how the air conditioner in a car works. Some people think that the air in the car is cold.

But that’s not true, because the system can’t make cold air. Instead, it gets rid of the heat and humidity that are already in your car.

After this process, your car will be in a calm state, so you can enjoy your drive.

The air conditioner works by controlling the flow of air in the car to keep it at the right temperature. Also, it makes sure that the content is not wet.

Because of this, the system lets you better cool and heat the inside of your car. Also, it clears the windshield of frost, so you can see better.

It is important to know about the different parts of an air conditioning system. It will help you get a better idea of how the process works. You also need to understand how they work.

How Air Conditioning System Components Work

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Because of global warming, the weather has been different in the past few years. Most places on Earth have had both hot and cold times. Because of this, a car needs to have an air conditioning system.

Because of global warming, the weather has been different in the past few years. Most places on Earth have had both very hot and very cold times. Because of this, a car needs to have an air conditioning system.

So, people who make cars came up with an air conditioning system for cars. It helps keep the car cool and warm.

The most useful part of this system is the gas that cools the air. It means a gas that is used to make the air conditioner work.

All air conditioning systems have the same kinds of parts. The compressor, receiver-dryer, thermal expansion valve on the condenser, and evaporator are the four parts.

Find out more about each of the things listed below.

1. Refrigerant

Even though it’s not a part of the car’s air conditioning system, it keeps the whole thing going. Without the refrigerant, your car will not be able to keep you cool.

When it’s cold and the pressure is low, it turns into a gas. Also, it turns into a liquid when put under a lot of pressure and heat.

So, this gas is important and important to the air conditioner. A certain amount of refrigerant is used to fill the order for each vehicle.

Most passenger cars have no more than three or four pounds of a refrigerant.

2. The compressor

The compressor is an important part of the air conditioner in a car. It is a pump that is attached to the crankshaft of the car’s engine and gives it power.

As its name suggests, its main job is to squeeze the refrigerant. When the refrigerant goes into the compressor, it is in the form of a gas and the pressure is low.

When you turn on your air conditioner, you squeeze the refrigerant gas in this part. The point of squeezing is to make sure that there is a lot of pressure on it.

When you turn the pump, the gas goes to the condenser. The compressors can’t compress liquids, only gases.

3. The condenser

In this system, the main job of a capacitor is to cool down the refrigerant coming from the compressor. When warm or hot air cools down quickly, condensation happens.

When water vapour in hot air condenses, it turns into liquid water.

This is the most well-known part of a modern car’s air conditioning system.

At this point, you change the state of the refrigerant from gas to liquid. You make this happen by putting pressure on the refrigerant.

By moving air around the tubes, the condenser cools the refrigerant. As the gas cools down, it changes into a liquid.

So, the refrigerant changes into a fluid that has a lot of pressure. At this point, it is ready to move on to the next part.

4. Receiver-Dryer

This part acts as a storage space. It gets the liquid ready so that it can be moved to the evaporator. Desiccants, which help dry things out, are still in this reservoir. Desiccants are tiny granules that draw water to themselves.

At this stage, it is important to get rid of the water. If you don’t take it away now, it might turn into ice crystals.

The whole air conditioning system could be hurt by these ice crystals. At this stage, the desiccants get rid of all the water, which keeps the whole system safe.

If the air conditioner in your car breaks, it can be uncomfortable to drive. Even though you can open your windows when it’s hot, it’s not a good idea.

When you drive fast, the windows may let in too much wind, making you feel uncomfortable. Also, it might let in things you don’t want, like dust.

5. Thermal Expansion Valve

In this valve, the change from high pressure to low pressure makes the liquid expand. The pressure on the refrigerant is kept to a minimum by the expansion.

So, it does more to prepare the fluid before putting it into the evaporator.

The way the valve is made makes it able to sense pressure and control the flow of the refrigerant. It also makes it possible for the system to run smoothly.

Some of the valve’s moving parts may wear out over time and need to be changed.

You can also use an orifice tube instead of the valve in question. It still does the same thing, which is to let the refrigerant expand.

Before the refrigerant goes to the next part, it also lowers the force.

Also, there are no moving parts in the orifice tube. It keeps the flow of the refrigerant steady.

But over time, things get stuck in it. An orifice tube is used to turn the system on and off. This is how it controls the flow of the coolant.

6. The Evaporator

The air conditioner’s most important part is the evaporator. It is in the cabin, on the side where the passengers sit.

All of the other parts of the AC are in the engine bay. The evaporator is made the same way as a radiator.

But it is smaller and has tubes and fins instead of scales. The way these tubes and fins are made helps to take in heat.

As soon as the refrigerant gets into the evaporator coil, it freezes at 0°C. Because of how cold it is, you need to get rid of all the water. Also, the fluid form of the refrigerant gets into the evaporator coil.

However, this refrigerant does not freeze at zero degrees. But it boils at a low temperature. The heat inside the car is enough to make the R-134a in this part boil.

R-134a changes from a solid to a gas when it boils, which helps it absorb heat.

It works differently for vehicles that use the orifice tube system. Between the compressor and the evaporator, there is a part of the system called an accumulator.

Sometimes, this tube lets the evaporator get extra refrigerant.

Gas is the only thing that the compressor can squeeze, not liquid. So, the accumulator collects fluid that isn’t needed before it goes into the compressor.

Also, the evaporator soaks up moisture in the car, making you feel cool and dry.

The coil of the evaporator collects dirt, water, and pollen. The AC evaporator is to blame if water starts to drip from under your car after you stop.

You shouldn’t worry about this kind of dripping, and your car is in good shape.

The Process of Cooling Air in an AC System

This starts with the air conditioning compressor in the car. It is where the refrigerant is squeezed into a state of high pressure.

Because of the pressure, the refrigerant turns into a liquid. Then, it goes to the condenser through lines with high pressure.

The liquid can mix with the air outside through the condenser. Mixing causes the heat from the liquid to be taken up by the air.

The liquid then goes into either the orifice tube or the expansion valve. Here, it changes into a gas on the low-pressure side of the air conditioner.

The water then goes into the accumulator, which has a desiccant bag in it. The bag gets rid of unwanted moisture and other dirt.

The clean refrigerant then flows through the tubes and into the evaporator. It can then get heat from the air passing through the fins. This leaves the cooler air behind.

Conclusion

Now you know the answer to the question “How does car AC work?” All of the parts work together because each does its part.

But all of the parts are important. If one part fails, the entire process collapses. So, you need to make sure that each piece is in good shape.

The air conditioning system in a car needs to do three things. First, it’s very important to keep the car’s interior cool, especially when it’s hot outside. It makes sure that the temperature in your car is cool.

Also, heating the inside of the house during the winter is important. When it’s cold outside, your car needs to be warm.

Last but not least, the most important thing the AC does is defrost the windshield. When you keep having trouble seeing through your windshield, it can be frustrating.

So, it can affect how you drive, which can lead to an accident.