A window air conditioner unit removes heat from a room using a refrigeration cycle. The basic process involves the following steps:
The unit pulls in warm air from the room through a vent and blows it over evaporator coils containing a refrigerant. The refrigerant is a chemical compound that has a low boiling point.
As the warm air passes over the cold evaporator coils, the refrigerant absorbs the heat from the air. This heat causes the refrigerant to evaporate and turn into a gas.
The refrigerant gas is then compressed by a compressor located within the unit. Compressing the gas increases its temperature and pressure.
The hot, high-pressure refrigerant gas is then passed through a condenser coil located on the outside part of the air conditioner unit, where it releases the heat to the outdoor air. This causes the refrigerant to condense back into a liquid state.
The condensed liquid refrigerant then flows back to the evaporator coils, and the process repeats.
By continuously cycling the refrigerant between the evaporator and condenser coils, the window air conditioner removes heat from the indoor air and transfers it to the outdoor environment. This cools down the room and reduces its temperature. The process also dehumidifies the air since moisture condenses on the cold evaporator coils and is collected and drained outside the unit.
Overall, the window air conditioner unit utilizes the principles of refrigeration and heat transfer to extract heat from the room, providing a cooling effect.