| How air conditioning works |
| The temperature in the passenger compartment depends on the amount of heat radiated through the windows and conducted by the metal parts of the body. In order to maintain comfortable temperatures for the occupants on very warm days, part of the available heat must be pumped away. |
| Since heat spreads towards cooler bodies, a unit that can create low temperatures is fitted in the vehicle interior. Refrigerant is constantly being evaporated in it. The latent heat of evaporation is taken from the air passing through the evaporator. |
| The refrigerant, with the absorbed heat, is pumped away by the compressor. Due to compression by the compressor, the heat content and temperature of the refrigerant is increased. It is now higher than the ambient air temperature. |
| The hot refrigerant flows with its heat content to the condenser. There the refrigerant looses its heat through the condenser to the surrounding air due to the temperature gradient between the refrigerant and the surrounding air. |
| Thus, the refrigerant is a means of heat transport. Because it will be needed again, it returns to the evaporator. |
| All air conditioning systems basically depend on the circulation of refrigerant. However, there are differences in the construction of the system. |
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