What is the structure of a car air conditioning system?
2 Answers
The car air conditioning system is a device that cools, heats, ventilates, and purifies the air inside the vehicle. Here is an introduction to the car air conditioning system: 1. Air conditioning principle: When heating, the car air conditioning utilizes the residual heat of the coolant, while cooling relies on the phase change of the refrigerant. When the heating function of the car air conditioning is activated, the high-temperature coolant from the engine flows through the heater core, behind which there is a blower, allowing warm air to be blown out from the air vents. 2. Refrigerant: The refrigerant commonly used in car air conditioning systems is R134a, also known as Freon. The refrigerant needs to be replaced after prolonged use, and it is recommended to seek professional service or visit a 4S shop for replacement. 3. Condenser: There is a condenser in front of the car radiator, which is used to dissipate heat from the refrigerant. If the cooling effect is poor or the cooling speed slows down, cleaning the dust or debris on the condenser can improve the cooling performance. If the cooling effect remains poor after cleaning the condenser, it indicates that the refrigerant needs to be replaced.
I've tinkered with quite a few car AC systems, which mainly consist of several key components. The core is the compressor, which acts like a heart to pressurize and circulate the refrigerant, usually driven by the engine belt. The refrigerant then flows to the condenser, hidden behind the radiator grille in the front of the car, where it cools down when the fan blows. Next, it passes through the receiver-drier to filter out impurities before reaching the expansion valve, where it's depressurized and sprayed into the evaporator inside the dashboard. The evaporator works like ice cubes—the blower pushes hot air through it, turning it into cold air that finally blows out from the vents. The whole system is connected by high and low-pressure pipes, and if there's a refrigerant leak, cooling performance drops. I remember one time my car's AC wasn't cooling well, and upon inspection, it turned out the condenser was completely clogged with leaves.
