How does a compressor work in an air conditioning(AC) system?

Question

How does a compressor work in an air conditioning(AC) system?

Answer 1

It's generally a 2 to 4 cylinder reciprocating compressor driven by an electric motor.

The number and size of the cylinders depends on the 'Tons of Refrigeration' required ...i.e. the size of the building being air conditioned.

It works just like the cylinders of a car engine except that, the machine is being driven BY the motor instead of being the driver OF a motor.

It's a 'Closed' system. The inlet gas is a Low Boiling Temperature 'Refrigerant' gas which is compressed to a high pressure, cooled and condensed to a liquid, then expanded to low pressure high volume, very cold, liquid/vapour mixture.

This exchanges heat in the 'Evaporator' (heat exchanger) with the air being circulated around the building. It converts (due to the heat exchange) to a warm, low pressure gas that returns to the compressor and the cycle is repeated until the thermostat of the building shuts down the system.

(Many years in Refrigeration. down to -165°C. (LNG production using 40,000 horsepower, centrifugal refrigerant compressors).

Answer 2

The question is not very clear.

There are  different types  like a) Hermetic (fully sealed) b)semi hermetic (can be dismantled)  c) Open type (motor and compressor are seperate)

Again ther are  (a) Reciprocating (Piston type)  (b)Rorary  (c) Scroll  i)  conventional   ii) Variable speed DC & AC   iii) Digital  By pass (copeland)  (d) s***w type and  (e) Centrifugal type.

The working manner in each is different.

However the basic function is the same ie. to collect the low temperature (and low pressure)   refrigerent gas  and compress it to  a  high pressure gas which is also hot (and pump  up of course).The condenser will cool this hot gas making it a liquid in the process  and sent it to the evaporator through a metering device resulting in  the desired cooling.