Cooling NZ: institutional drivers behind the growth in air-conditioning

Cooling by air-conditioning in buildings has been claimed to be addictive to the occupants. But for every addict there is ‘pusher’ who has introduced and supplies the product. This paper examines the motives of the institutional pushers that promote air-conditioning in the built environment in New Zealand. Compared to many countries, New Zealand has lagged behind in the growth of air-conditioning in the built environment. This makes it an ideal place to observe how various institutions and organisations are either deliberately or unselfconsciously promoting cooling to a population that has, until recently, survived well without it. The paper does not address the air-conditioning industry, as it is self-evident that it will promote its own products. Instead it focuses on those institutions that may ultimately suffer from their own actions. Central government, local government, the electricity supply industry, the Green Building Council, the Property Council, the New Zealand Institute of Architects and others are all ‘pushing’ air-conditioning, even though some may not be aware of it. Behind this is the assumption that there is a never-ending supply of energy and that the narrow band of comfort resulting from air-conditioning is healthy, promotes productivity, reduces complaints, enhances architectural style and is energy efficient. This paper will review the role that each of these institutions plays in the promotion of air-conditioning and discusses the ultimate demise of any building that relies on an uninterrupted supply of grid supplied energy in order to remain habitable. This research into the understanding of how these institutions operate to promote air-conditioning may eventually assist in reversing the process

Heat tube device

The present invention discloses a heat tube device through which a working fluid can be circulated to transfer heat to air in a conventional air conditioning system. The heat tube device is disposable about a conventional cooling coil of the air conditioning system and includes a plurality of substantially U-shaped tubes connected to a support structure. The support structure includes members for allowing the heat tube device to be readily positioned about the cooling coil. An actuatable adjustment device is connected to the U-shaped tubes for allowing, upon actuation thereof, for the heat tubes to be simultaneously rotated relative to the cooling coil for allowing the heat transfer from the heat tube device to air in the air conditioning system to be selectively varied

A study on the intensive use of air conditioning in large retail stores

In addition to an increase in greenhouse effect emissions the intensive use of air conditioning in the retail sector can eventually carry implications on the health of some of those directly exposed to sudden cooling particularly in hot summer days. This paper reports the results of an experimental study conducted in the summer of 2005 in the United Kingdom investigating air conditioning frequency of use and the indoor air temperatures of air conditioned premises. It was found that in some large retail stores indoor air temperatures could be set higher improving thermal comfort and contributing towards the environment

Assessment of Factors Contributing to Refrigerator Cycling Losses

Thermal mass effects, refrigerant dynamics, and interchanger transients are three factors affecting the transient and cycling performance of all refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. The effects of refrigerant dynamics, including refrigerant/oil solubility, off-cycle migration, and charge redistribution, were found to be the most important. These effects are quantified for a refrigerator instrumented with immersion thermocouples, pressure transducers, and microphones. The analytical methods, however, are applicable to other types of refrigeration and air conditioning systems, including those with capillary tube/suction line heat exchangers.Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center Project 3

Refrigerant and Oil Migration and Retention in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Systems

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Project 16

Air conditioning system and component therefore distributing air flow from opposite directions

The air conditioning system comprises a plurality of separate air conditioning units coupled to a common supply duct such that air may be introduced into the supply duct in two opposite flow directions. A plurality of outlets such as registers or auxiliary or branch ducts communicate with the supply duct and valve means are disposed in the supply duct at at least some of the outlets for automatically channelling a controllable amount of air from the supply duct to the associated outlet regardless of the direction of air flow within the supply duct. The valve means comprises an automatic air volume control apparatus for distribution within the air supply duct into which air may be introduced from two opposite directions. The apparatus incorporates a freely swinging movable vane in the supply duct to automatically channel into the associated outlet only the deflected air flow which has the higher relative pressure

Study of Multilouvered Heat Exchangers at Low Reynolds numbers

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Project 13

Investigation of an R134A Refrigerant/Iso 32 Polyol Ester Oil Mixture in Condensation

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Project 12

Cooling panel wall system with difference types of cooling mediums

Global warming has caused worldwide average surface temperature to rise about 0.74oC during the past 100 years, which is partly aggravated by air-conditioning that releases chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and forming a vicious cycle. This paper proposes a cooling house system that can promote thermal comfort in buildings without air-conditioning. The cooling panel wall forms a part of an Integrated Building System (IBS), and is essentially made of tubes filled with either water or glycerin as the coolant. Target strength for the panel wall was designed based on the Malaysian Standard (MS) while the building ventilation system followed the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard. The results are reported based on indoor and outdoor temperature difference together with relative humidity to identify the best performing house model and also coolant. The outcome of this research is expected to add value to heritage house design concepts with a better promotion of air flow and circulation in the building, without over-usage of natural resources and higher building cost to achieve the same objective