| When you are in the market for an air conditioner, | | | | The modern history of air conditioning is founded on |
| such as window air conditioner, or central air | | | | refrigerants other than water. |
| conditioner, and especially split unit air conditioning | | | | The quick cool |
| systems, you will definitely want to know what kind of | | | | Remarkably, the modern history of air conditioning |
| air conditioning refrigerant is used in your system. This | | | | refrigerant starts with Benjamin Franklin in 1758 who, |
| in part to comply with the state regulations and in part | | | | together with John Hadley used quick evaporation of |
| to make sure you are not polluting the environment we | | | | alcohol and ether to cool down objects below the |
| all live in. We'll first quickly review the history of air | | | | freezing temperature of water. |
| conditioner refrigerant and end by explaining why AC | | | | The cooling cycle |
| refrigerant 410A is dominating the marketplace today. | | | | Sixty years later, Michael Faraday introduced a cycle |
| The ancient Rome | | | | of evaporation and compression of the ammonia liquid. |
| The ancient history of air conditioning refrigerant takes | | | | Twenty years later, John Gorie used this compressor |
| us to Rome, where elaborate waterways or | | | | technology to create ice which was used to cool the |
| aqueducts were constructed to bring fresh water to | | | | air of his patients in a hospital in Apalachicola, Florida. |
| the cities. The Romans have successfully used water | | | | The first commercial applications |
| as refrigerant in their homes and social places. They | | | | Willis Carrier of Syracuse, New York invented the first |
| led cold water through an elaborate system of water | | | | modern, electrical air conditioner. It was first designed |
| ducts in the walls of their homes, chilling the place | | | | to improve the humidity and the air temperature in a |
| down. As you can imagine, only the wealthiest citizens | | | | printing shop so printed material would always come |
| could afford water air conditioning. In part because of | | | | out right no matter what the temperature outside. |
| the complicated set up and in part because water in | | | | The refrigerators that were used in these first |
| itself is not such a great air conditioning refrigerant liquid | | | | commercial air conditioners were ammonia, methyl |
| to begin with. But the Romans didn't know that. | | | | chloride, and propane, all combustible or toxic when |
| The modern history of air conditioning refrigerant | | | | leaked in the air. |