Engineering Mechanics

Proceedings Vol. 20 (2014)

ENGINEERING MECHANICS 2014

Copyright © 2014 Brno University of Technology Institute of Solid Mechanics, Mechatronics and Biomechanics

 

Fenech G., Farrugia M.
pages 188 - 191, full text

A conventional air conditioning system is designed to satisfy the maximum load, and cycles on/off to match part load demand. A variable-speed or inverter driven system has the ability to regulate its cooling capacity by using a variable-frequency drive which continuously changes the speed of the motor and thus of the compressor. Variable-speed air conditioners are advertised as typically consuming 30 per cent less energy than conventional systems. This investigation is a continuation to a previous experimental investigation by Grech and Farrugia (2012) who used a belt driven open-type reciprocating compressor in both fixed and variable speed operation. In this experimental investigation a series of experiments on a conventional and an off-the-shelf inverter driven air conditioning system were performed. The aim of these experiments was to quantify the advertised part-load efficiency and reduced energy consumption of the offthe- shelf inverter driven air conditioner. The experimental results showed that the cooling coefficient of performance (based on refrigerant cooling effect) is higher for the inverter driven system at all refrigerant condenser out temperatures except at the highest temperatures at which the cooling coefficient of performance for the conventional system was better. This is to be expected since conventional systems are designed to satisfy the maximum load.

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