Kristian Ferrell
Marine air conditioners use a refrigerant with a high specific heat capacitance and a relatively low boiling point. The refrigerant is compressed into a liquid form in the condensing unit, which raises its temperature. This high-pressure, high-temperature liquid is what gives the system its cooling power. The liquid is then released in gaseous form in the evaporator coils, which cools the boat by pushing the cold out.
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What You'll Learn
The role of the compressor
The compressor is the engine that drives every boat's air conditioner. It is essential to the cooling process. The compressor pressurises the refrigerant gas, which dramatically raises its temperature. This high-pressure, high-temperature gas is what gives the system its cooling power. The compressor is an important element because it is what gives the air conditioner its cooling power.
The refrigerant is compressed into a liquid form in the condensing unit. This liquid is then cooled through a heat exchange with seawater. The seawater is sucked from under the waterline, through a strainer that removes debris, and back into the AC unit. The cooler the water, the more efficient the cooling process. The compressor is what makes this process possible, by pressurising the refrigerant and raising its temperature.
The high-pressure liquid then enters the evaporator coils, where the pressure is released and the refrigerant returns to a gaseous form. This gas is then pumped out of the AC unit and back into the surrounding air. The compressor is what enables this process to take place, by pressurising the refrigerant and raising its temperature.
The compressor is an essential component of a boat's air conditioner. It is what gives the system its cooling power, by pressurising the refrigerant and raising its temperature. The compressor also enables the heat exchange process to take place, by pressurising the refrigerant and raising its temperature.
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The refrigerant and its properties
The refrigerant is a vital component of the air conditioning system. It has a very high specific heat capacitance and a relatively low boiling point. The refrigerant is compressed into a liquid form in the condensing unit, which dramatically raises its temperature. This high-pressure, high-temperature gas is what gives the system its cooling power. The condenser then receives the compressed refrigerant gas, and heat is released to the surrounding air as the refrigerant moves through the coils of the condenser. This process results in the gas condensing into a high-pressure liquid.
The refrigerant then moves to the evaporator, where the pressure is released, and it returns to a gaseous form. The evaporator coils run cold seawater through the system, which cools the refrigerant. This process pumps the heat from the seawater into the boat and pushes the cold from the boat back out to the sea.
The refrigerant goes through extreme pressure, phase, and temperature changes, so the system loses efficiency very quickly if there is not enough refrigerant. The refrigerant must also not be replaced with air, as air makes a terrible refrigerant.
The marine air conditioning unit brings in cool water from the sea and heats it with the energy from the compression process before returning it to the sea. The cooler the water, the more efficient the cooling process.
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The condensing unit
The reverse cycle runs the air over the condenser coils (hot) and runs seawater through the evaporator (cold) to push the cold out. This process pumps the heat from the seawater into the boat and the cold from the boat back out.
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The evaporator coils
The reverse cycle runs the air over the condenser coils (hot) and runs seawater through the evaporator (cold) to push the cold out. This cycle pumps the heat from the seawater into the boat and the cold from the boat back out. This is similar to how a heat pump air conditioner works in a home, except that a marine heat pump takes heat from seawater rather than outside air.
It is important to note that the system's efficiency can be significantly impacted if there is not enough refrigerant or if the refrigerant is replaced with air, which is a poor substitute for the refrigerant.
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The role of seawater
Boat air conditioners work by using seawater to cool the refrigerant gas inside the air conditioning unit. The seawater is sucked in from under the waterline, passes through a strainer that removes debris, and then enters the AC unit. The hot liquid inside the unit is then cooled through a heat exchange with the seawater. The cooler the water, the more efficient the cooling process.
The seawater pump, also known as the circulation pump or raw pump, provides the energy to move the seawater through the system. The seawater enters the boat through a water intake in the hull and leaves through an above-waterline discharge. This process is similar to the mechanism used in other air conditioning environments, but instead of using outside air, a marine heat pump takes heat from seawater.
The refrigerant gas has a very high specific heat capacitance and a relatively low boiling point. It is compressed into a liquid form in the condensing unit, which raises its temperature. This high-pressure, high-temperature gas is what gives the system its cooling power. The condenser receives the compressed refrigerant gas, and as the refrigerant moves through the coils, heat is released to the surrounding air. The gas then condenses into a high-pressure liquid.
The expansion valve controls how much of this high-pressure liquid enters the evaporator, where the pressure is released and the refrigerant returns to a gaseous form. In the reverse cycle, the air is run over the condenser coils (hot) and seawater is run through the evaporator (cold) to push the cold out. This process pumps the heat from the seawater into the boat and the cold from the boat back out into the seawater.
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Frequently asked questions
The compressor is the engine that drives the air conditioner. It pressurises the refrigerant gas, which raises its temperature. The high-pressure, high-temperature gas is what gives the system its cooling power. The condenser then receives the compressed refrigerant gas, and heat is released to the surrounding air when the refrigerant moves through the coils of the condenser.
The compressor is the engine that drives the air conditioner. It pressurises the refrigerant gas, which dramatically raises its temperature.
The condenser receives the compressed refrigerant gas from the compressor. Heat is released to the surrounding air when the refrigerant moves through the coils of the condenser, and the gas is condensed into a high-pressure liquid.
The evaporator receives the refrigerant from the condenser in a gaseous form. The evaporator cools the refrigerant and pushes the cold air out.
A boat air conditioner uses seawater to cool the air, whereas a home heat pump takes heat from the outside air.
