Design of the Psychrometric Chamber of a Room Air Conditioner Test Facility

This report summarizes the process of designing the calorimeter chamber of a test facility for assessing the steady-state energy efficiency of room air conditioners. The calorimeter has been designed to produce accurate measurements of the cooling and dehumidifying abilities of room air conditioners rated between 0.5 and 2.5 tons of refrigeration. By designing the system to provide the air conditioners with a wide range of indoor psychrometric conditions, a rich data set can be obtained which will be used for determining the effects of alternative refrigerants and associated design changes on system performance. Operating characteristics of the chamber have been identified and documented. Chamber performance data have quantified the parasitic steady-state heat and moisture losses which must be known in order to acquire accurate performance data. Transient testing of the facility has yielded the response characteristics of the system which are useful for optimal facility operation.Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center Project 2