Air conditioning controls temperature, humidity, cleanliness, and air movement. The earliest known form was in ancient Rome, while medieval Persia used pools and fans. Willis H. Carrier invented the modern system in 1902. Air conditioning systems are designed for comfort or industry, offering benefits such as allergy relief and improved worker efficiency.
Air conditioning is a term that refers to any process or system that controls temperature, humidity, cleanliness, and the movement of indoor air. When it’s hot, it cools the air. When it’s cold, it warms the air. It also adds or removes moisture to and from the air as needed. By controlling the movement of air, air conditioning is able to remove dust and dirt by bringing fresh air into a space and expelling stale air. An air conditioning system is any mechanism designed to stabilize and control air conditions in a given space, most commonly in buildings, automobiles, and other forms of public and private transportation.
The earliest known form of air conditioning is said to have been developed in ancient Rome. Water from the aqueduct was circulated within the walls of luxurious Roman estates to keep them cool.
A different system was used in medieval Persia, which involved the use of pools and fans. Cisterns, or large artificial pools, were placed in central locations such as courtyards to collect rainwater. As the water evaporated, it cooled the surrounding air. The wind towers were then used to blow the fresh air and circulate it to the surrounding buildings. The first fans were purportedly invented in medieval Egypt, with some historians claiming that at one time nearly every house in Cairo had one.
The type of air conditioning system found in most homes today comes from a model invented in 1902 by a man named Willis H. Carrier. A research engineer, Carrier developed the system as a means of regulating temperature and humidity in a printing plant in order to provide the best possible atmosphere in which to process paper and ink.
The idea soon spread elsewhere, finding a profitable use in the private sector as well as in the industrial world. In 1906, a textile engineer named Stuart W. Cramer first used the term “air conditioning.” It wasn’t long before Carrier applied the term to his invention. Thus was born the first modern air conditioning system. Or at least baptized.
Every air conditioning system is designed to operate in one of two capacities: comfort or industry. Those designed for comfort can be found in homes, restaurants, cars, airplanes, trains, ships, buses, and hospitals. It is also worth mentioning that pleasant temperatures are not the only comfort these systems offer. They can ease the discomfort of allergies by removing pollen from the air, make long commutes less burdensome for both drivers and passengers, and even help keep patients healthy in hospitals.
In business and industry, air conditioning systems can improve worker efficiency, ensure uniformity in metal processing, prevent too much or too little humidity from damaging fragile paper products during production, and maintain the fresh food during long periods of shipping and storage.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
