Today, most modern cars are equipped with various devices. Air conditioning is no longer a luxury, but only an item that ensures a comfortable stay in the cabin. But, despite the prevalence of this device, not all motorists know how air conditioning works. And this information can be useful to extend the life of the device.
How is the air conditioner arranged?
Someone might wonder why to know this seemingly unnecessary information. But air conditioners in cars sometimes fail, then you have to go to a car service in order to fix this device. It is here that this information is useful to you so that you are not deceived at the dealership.
The car air conditioning device includes:
- compressor;
- refrigerant;
- capacitor;
- evaporator heat collector;
- receiver-dryer;
- tubes, sensors, valves, control unit.
The main element, perhaps, can be called a compressor. This is the unit that causes refrigerant (most often freon) to circulate through the system. The evaporator of the heat collector is necessary so that freon evaporates in it, and heat absorption occurs. A desiccant receiver is required to drain the refrigerant.
How does an air conditioner work?
It will be too late to ask this question when the device fails. Therefore, it is better to know in advance how the air conditioner works. By and large, the principle of its operation is very similar to the operation of a domestic refrigerator.
Initially, freon gas is compressed in the compressor of an automobile air conditioner to 12-20 bar. At the same time, it is heated to a high temperature in the range from 50 to 80 ° C. After that, the gas enters the condenser, where, thanks to a good exchange with the external environment, freon is cooled, turning into a liquid. Liquid Freon builds up inside the condenser.
After this, the refrigerant in the liquid state enters the receiver-dryer. In it, it is filtered from dirt, dried by selicogel from water, and the liquid fraction is separated from the gaseous. Next, the freon from the receiver (in the liquid state) passes through small holes into the evaporator. The pressure decreases sharply and ranges from 1 to 3 bar.
As the name implies, in the evaporator, liquid freon evaporates, turning again into gas. In this case, the evaporator itself is cooled to 0 ° C. Freon in gaseous form again enters the compressor at low pressure. There it contracts - and the cycle repeats again. It is understood that a control unit is used to control the air conditioner.
After reading this brief description, it’s simple enough to understand how air conditioning works in a car. And so it can work for quite some time. However, there are negative factors that can lead to its breakdown:
- temperature changes;
- vibration;
- harmful environment;
- humidity.
The main problems with the car air conditioner
The most common causes of malfunctions in the air conditioner can be called leaks in the system itself. This can happen as a result of corrosion of aluminum parts, wear of rubber tubes, valves, gaskets. In addition, system tightness may result from mechanical damage caused by an accident or unskilled repair.
Also often the compressor may fail. You can determine this by the noise, knock, buzz. If the cause of this is damage to the bearing, it will be necessary to replace it. In the event that the compressor housing is no longer sealed, it can be repaired.
To restore the tightness of the housing by welding. In addition, malfunctions in the operation of an automobile air conditioner can occur when the surfaces of the condenser are very dirty. In this case, it must be replaced. The main thing is for experienced and skilled craftsmen to do this.