Air condensers are used in air conditioning systems to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the outside atmosphere. The refrigerant changes phase from gas to liquid, releasing heat. An air compressor creates a pressure differential and a fan ensures fresh outside air passes over the pipe filled with refrigerant. The air condenser condenses the refrigerant vapor into liquid, releasing heat. The evaporator absorbs heat from the air, making it feel cold.
An air condenser is a component used in many air conditioning systems. More generally, it is a phase of the heat pump and refrigeration cycles that exchange heat. In a typical air conditioner, a fluid called a refrigerant circulates between the interior space and the outside air. The air condenser is a part of this pathway and serves to transfer the heat from the refrigerant to the outside atmosphere. It is called a condenser because the refrigerant condenses, or changes phase from gas to liquid, during this phase.
All matter, including liquids and gases, carries some amount of thermal energy internally. Whenever heat is used to raise the temperature of a substance, heat is stored within the substance. Similarly, whenever a substance changes phase, such as from a gas to a liquid, heat is either released or absorbed. Therefore, the internal heat of a refrigerant can be used to transport heat away from an internal space and to the external environment. Converting the refrigerant from gas to liquid can allow internal heat to be transferred from the refrigerant to the outside air.
Air conditioners use a pressure difference between different parts of the refrigerant circulation path to keep the fluid moving and allow it to change phase. This pressure differential is created using an air compressor powered by electricity or, in a vehicle, a combustion engine. The high-pressure coolant, which is primarily vapor at this point in the cycle, is then forced through a pipe into thermal contact with the outside environment. A fan can be used to ensure that fresh outside air passes over the pipe filled with refrigerant.
At this point the refrigerant enters the air condenser. Fluids at higher pressures tend to boil/condense at lower temperatures. Air conditioners use this property to transfer the heat of the refrigerant to the outside environment, even if the outside air is already very hot. The air condenser, therefore, works to condense the refrigerant vapor into liquid, thereby releasing heat. The heat released during gas-liquid phase changes is called the enthalpy of vaporization.
To complete the air conditioning cycle, mostly liquid refrigerant passes through a choke point called an expansion valve. This valve contains the high pressure of the air condenser and allows for a new low pressure region. The low pressure region has an analogous component to the air condenser, except that the refrigerant evaporates instead of condensing. Consequently, this evaporation absorbs, rather than releases, heat. The evaporator that absorbs heat from the air is what makes the air coming from an air conditioner feel cold.
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