How does an inverter air conditioner work?

It can be explained in many different ways. Everyone is not same to understand  same paragraphs. So we decided to give you different definitions from around the world. Read and understand. 

Ok Let's start.. 

We need to separate the question into two parts:

1. How does and conditioner work?
2. How does and inverter aircon work?

An airconditoner works by compressing a gas. When you do that it gets hot. If you then let that gas cool (by a radiator and fan on the back) it has less energy than before. Now if you let the gas expand again, it gets colder than before.

Older aircons work by using a simple thermostat which simply turns it on when the temperature gets above a set point and then turns it off when it gets below that. However inverter aircons control the speed of the compressor to adjust their output. This makes them more efficient and quieter.

The word inverter to an electrical engineer means a method of producing AC from a DC source. In an aircon the mains frequency AC is first rectified to produce DC. Then the DC is switched to produce variable frequency AC, controlling the speed of the motor.

                                     OR

2. An inverter air conditioner has a compressor whose speed may be varied according to the quantity of heat which it is desired to remove from the air.

This is in contrast to more conventional older air conditioners which switch the compressor of when the set temperature is achieved and turn it on again when the temperature has changed sufficiently.

The change is due to the difference in the switch on and off sensitivity / setting of the thermostat (differential) and the ability or otherwise of the compressor to stop and rapidly restart.

So in theory and to a great extent in practice, inverter air conditioners - albeit with far more complex systems may achieve a better level of temperature stability than fixed speed units and eliminate the high - though BRIEF - starting current of electric motors.

Since generally most compressors operate at their optimum efficiency when running at a particular speed I wonder how efficient an inverter air conditioner is when the compressor is operating at a lower speed - i.e. is the cooling effect proportional to its electrical consumption at lower speed ?. 

 

                                  OR

The conventional approach to a refrigerative air conditioner is to have a thermostat that merely turns the compressor on and off. That is not ideal.

An inverter air conditioner works the same as any other refrigerative air conditioner, except that the compressor (and possibly the indoor fan) is powered by a device that automatically varies the speed of rotation to suit the heat or cooling required.

If you know more than this please comment. 

Thanks

G4TecVlog Team