What is thermodynamics and how does it relate to how the air conditioner works?
Thermodynamics is basically the study of heat transfer. An air conditioner is a heat pump. It uses a compressor to `compress a working fluid (usually freon). This compression (work) causes the fluid to heat up. The fluid is then chilled to just above the outdoors ambient temperature using a large fan and cooling surfaces. All of this is done in the outside of your home. The compressed fluid is then allowed to expand to ambient pressure. This expansion chills the fluid to a COLD temperature. This cold fluid is next passed across coils and fins on the inside of your home. Air is blown across these coils and fins into your house, chilling the home. The cycle then starts over again by compressing the fluid as it leaves these coils. As work is performed on the fluid, more heat (energy) is added than is removed by chilling your home. Thus, the outdoor cooling coils must be sized larger to cool the heated fluid than the ones inside your home. The same principle is used in a refrigerator, larg
