Gaming

Air Conditioning Systems – Primitive to Sophisticated

The Romans had water therapy. They knew the pleasures of sitting by a cool fountain, but it was the ancient Egyptians who began to refine the first air conditioning system.

For the Egyptians, the Nile River was the river of life in many ways. It not only provided water for drinking and bathing, but made agriculture possible in an arid landscape. On top of that, the Nile provided water for the first large-scale evaporative cooling.

For eons, people have known that putting water inside a semi-porous container, such as an unglazed clay pot, results in a cold drink due to evaporative cooling. The Egyptians improved it a bit when they built parapets over which sheets of water cascaded down. Slaves equipped with huge fans stood nearby and kept the air circulating over the moving water. The result: evaporative cooling.

Various ancient cultures also used “wet mats”. We know that the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks used damp mats to cool the air inside houses and other buildings. When a thick, damp cloth was hung over doors and/or windows, the movement of air effectively promoted evaporative cooling and could reduce interior temperatures to as low as 66° Fahrenheit. The Egyptians even figured out how to make ice!

In the early days of air conditioning, especially in arid parts of the United States, evaporative cooling was still used on a large scale. Southwestern box adobe homes often have a roof structure designed to support the considerable weight of a shallow pond. When the roof is flooded, fans blow dry air over the liquid, speeding up evaporation. The cooled air is then directed through the building, a welcome relief in the hot summer months. These coolers, sometimes called “swamp coolers,” are inexpensive to operate and are still used in some areas.

Modern air conditioning systems no longer rely on water for evaporative cooling. Gases like Freon or Puron are the modern refrigerants that lower the temperature of the air. The actual air conditioning unit is usually placed outside the building because it is a harmless and more efficient way to remove heat inside (into the atmosphere).

An important function of today’s air conditioning system is to reduce humidity levels within the structure. Keeping humidity levels low (around 30%) reduces mold and mildew problems and helps alleviate serious health problems for allergy sufferers. Also, dust mites find it difficult to survive in low humidity conditions.

When an air conditioning unit is running, it works to maintain a level of pressure throughout the structure. To help the unit run efficiently, doors and windows should be closed so the pressure remains as constant as possible. For spot cooling, consider adding a small fan to move air right where you need it to increase your comfort level.

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