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ir conditioners for residential pplication

maithilee shah
Project guide : mr.chandrashekhar nadgouda final year product design c.a.n.s.

AIM: To design a mini-split air-conditioner for residential purpose. OBJECTIVE: To study the entire refrigeration cycle and system. To conduct a user research, comprising of outlets like croma,ezone,next, reliance digital,etc. in METRO cities. To conduct a survey with the architects and interior designers on the current and emerging trends. GOAL: To design an air-conditioner i.e. the indoor unit while addressing to the voice of customer and the emerging trends. The design has to be unique in terms of form and trend. DELIMITATIONS: Not focusing more on the end user research and focusing only on the cities mentioned above.

THE SYSTEMS APPROACH A systems approach analyzes ALL sides of the system and how they interact, essentially shifting the focus from individual components to total system performance. It has been defined as an approach to problem solving, by viewing "problems" as parts of an overall system, rather than reacting to specific part, outcomes or events and potentially contributing to further development of unintended consequences. Systems thinking is not one thing but a set of habits or practices within a framework that is based on the belief that the component parts of a system can best be understood in the context of relationships with each other and with other systems, rather than in isolation. Systems thinking focuses on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect. It is the process of defining the architecture, components, modules, interfaces, and data for a system to satisfy specified requirements In my thesis, Ive tried to understand the basics of the system and experiment with it on a platform level. For this, interaction with experts, studying air-conditioning technology and conducting a product-tear-down to study the various components of the unit was undertaken. Understanding how the major components, Compressor Condenser Evaporator Refrigerant The fans, work in accordance and how changes can be made at a system level to enhance their efficiency and performance. The chief contents of this book are divided into 3 parts, The basic understanding of refrigeration and air conditioning Understanding the target customer and his requirements also parallely benchmarking the competition. And finally my intervention with ideation and concepts.

Certificate Acknowledgement Synopsis Approach Refrigeration and air-conditioning System understanding Introduction History The working principle Air conditioning Industrial and comfort cooling Residential application Product study Parallel products User and market survey competitor analysis and benchmarking Internet survey User survey Findings Brainstorming, Ideation Concepts

One of the greatest engineering achievements of the 20th century was the development of air conditioning and refrigeration. Air conditioning is the heating, cooling, dehumidification, humidification, ventilation, and sterilization of air. INDIAN SCENARIO In India also air conditioners have a huge demand. The Indian air conditioning industry is on a high growth trajectory with an overall volume growth rate of 2025 percent per annum. In 2010, air conditioner sales were `7,200 crores at 3.88 million units, up from 2.8 million units in 2009. This growth rate is expected to be maintained in 2011 too. In fact, LG Electronics is targeting India as its largest air-conditioner market by next year, ahead of the current leader US. In 2010, India contributed 18 percent to the companys global air conditioner revenues in 2010, while the US contribution was over 30 percent. The new range of ACs are spread across window, split, multi-split, inverter ACs, floor standing, cassette, and tower ACs, albeit the split segment dominates with 70 percent market share. GLOBAL SCENARIO While mans desire to control the indoor environment led to the invention of air conditioning systems, growth in population, sturdy economic progress, industrialization, rising standards of living, affordability of technology, and increase in commercial applications have led to its rapid proliferation across the globe. Hitherto a luxury proposition limited to wealthy and prosperous layer of the society, comfort conditioning is fast becoming a necessity in most of the nations. This metamorphosis has opened a completely new world of opportunities for the air conditioning market. Global warming continues to remain a major factor propelling market demand, especially in the residential segment. Depletion of ozone layer, El Nino effect, and global warming make up for the primary reasons that create the need for air conditioning systems. The global market is expected to recover poise and reach 78.8 million units in volume sales by 2015. As stated by the new market research report on the global air conditioning systems market, Asia-Pacific continues to be the largest regional market. Growth in Asia-Pacific is fuelled by factors such as rise in urban population, cushioned impact of the global recession on regional economies, favourable job market, and resulting high income levels, increased household gains and rising per capita incomes in countries such as China and India.

REFRIGERATION: The process of cooling bodies or fluids to temperatures lower than those available in the surroundings at a particular time and place. It is a process in which work is done to move heat from one place to another. e.g. cooling water by adding ice.

Natural heat transfer COOLING: It can be spontaneous and the final temperature than the surroundings. e.g. cooling of a hot coffee.

Refrigeration

Refrigeration has many applications, including, but not limited to: household refrigerators, industrial freezers, cryogenics, air conditioning, and heat pumps. AIR CONDITIONING: It is the treatment of air so as to simultaneously control its temperature, moisture content, quality and circulation as required. The largest application of refrigeration which is the process of cooling, is for air-conditioning. The fields of refrigeration and air-conditioning are interconnected, but each has its own province which can be schematized as in the figure below: Air-conditioning Refrigeration Industrial refrigeration, including food preservation,che mical,and process industries Air conditioning is the removal of heat from indoor air for thermal comfort. In another sense, the term can refer to any form of cooling, heating, ventilation, or disinfection that modifies the condition of air. An air conditioner (often referred to as AC or air con.) is an appliance, system, or machine designed to change the air temperature and humidity within an area (used for cooling as well as heating depending on the air properties at a given time), typically using a refrigeration cycle but sometimes using evaporation, commonly for comfort cooling in buildings and motor vehicles.

Heating,humd ifying and control of air quality

Cooling and dehumidifying operations in airconditioning

Refrigeration can be broadly divided into:

1.Natural Refrigeration
(from pre-historic times to the beginning of 19th century.) Before the development of modern refrigeration,ice,cooling,ice-cream,etc was a luxury and reserved for the few rich. Many farmers and plantation owners, including U.S. Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Ice houses allowed a trade in ice that was a major part of the early economy of the New England region of the United States, which saw fortunes made by people who shipped ice in straw-packed ships to the southern U.S. and throughout the Caribbean Sea. In winter months, ice was chopped from a lake surface and often dragged by sledge to the ice house, and in summer months, was delivered from local ice houses to residences in ice wagons or ice trucks, Some were underground chambers, usually man-made, close to natural sources of winter ice such as freshwater lakes, but many were buildings with various types of insulation. The main application of the ice was the storage of perishable foods, but it could also be used simply to cool drinks, or allow ice-cream and sorbet desserts to be prepared. ." In China, archaeologists have found remains of ice pits from the seventh century BC, and references suggest they were in use before 1100 BC. Alexander the Great around 300 BC stored snow in pits dug for that purpose. In Rome in the third century AD, snow was imported from the mountains, stored in straw-covered pits, and sold from snow shops. Thus we categorize into:
1. Use of natural ice - Transported from region where it is available to where it is not available. - Harvested in winter and stored in for the use in summers and store them in ice- houses. - Produced by Nocturnal cooling. In India before the invention of artificial refrigeration technology, ice making by nocturnal cooling was common. The apparatus consisted of a shallow ceramic tray with a thin layer of water, placed outdoors with a clear exposure to the night sky. The bottom and sides were insulated with a thick layer of hay. On a clear night the water would lose heat by radiation to the stratosphere, which has a temperature around -55C.

Evaporative cooling. When water evaporates it produces a cooling effect. For e.g. In your coffee, the most energetic coffee molecules escape from the cup and come off as steam. When they do this, they take away more than their share of heat, and the atoms left behind in the cup are colder because they have lost energy. Examples of evaporative cooling ;

Natural cooling of a cup of coffee

Perspiration

Evaporative cooling system

Cooling by salt solutions. Adding different salts to ice, decreases its temperature.

The limitations of natural methods of refrigeration, Dependent on local conditions Uncertainty due to dependence on weather Difficulty to produce large amount of refrigeration Not available to everybody.

Basic principle ; Heat flows from a hotter source This is the 2nd law of thermodynamics.

cooler sink. Also phase change occurs as, Heat given SOLID LIQUID Heat removed GAS

E.g. How does your cup of coffee cool after some time?? Ans. ATMOSPHERE=COOLER SINK

HEAT TRANSFER

Making the tea cooler

Natural heat transfer

TEA = HOT SOURCE

For heat to flow from cooler sink hotter source work has to be done. In refrigeration/air-conditioning work is done to move heat from the room to the environment. COOLER SINK HOT SOURCE Forced heat transfer

2.Artificial refrigeration
1756 The first known artificial refrigeration was demonstrated by William Cullen at the University of Glasgow Cullen used a pump to create a partial vacuum over a container of diethyl ether, which then boiled, absorbing heat from the surrounding air. The experiment even created a small amount of ice, but had no practical application at that time. PRINCIPLE : Absorption of large quantity of heat ( latent heat )when a liquid boils at low temperature under the action of vacuum. 1758 Benjamin Franklin and John Hadley, conducted an experiment to explore the principle of evaporation as a means to rapidly cool an object. Franklin and Hadley confirmed evaporation of highly volatile liquids, such as alcohol and ether, could be used to drive down the temperature of an object past the freezing point of water. They conducted their experiment with the bulb of a mercury thermometer as their object and with a bellows used to "quicken" the evaporation; they lowered the temperature of the thermometer bulb down to 7 F(14 C), while the ambient temperature was 65 F (18 C). Franklin noted that soon after they passed the freezing point of water (32 F), a thin film of ice formed on the surface of the thermometer's bulb and that the ice mass was about a quarter inch thick when they stopped the experiment upon reaching 7 F (14 C). 1805 - American inventor Oliver Evans designed, but never built, a refrigeration system based on the vapour-compression refrigeration cycle rather than chemical solutions or volatile liquids such as ethyl ether. 1834 - Jacob Perkins, obtained the first patent for a vapour-compression refrigeration system. Perkins built a prototype system and it actually worked, although it did not succeed commercially.

1842 - John Gorrie, designed the first system to refrigerate water to produce ice. He also conceived the idea of using his refrigeration system to cool the air for comfort in homes and hospitals (i.e., air conditioning). His system compressed air, then partly cooled the hot compressed air with water before allowing it to expand while doing part of the work needed to drive the air compressor.

1848 - Alexander Twining began experimenting with vapour-compression refrigeration in 1848, and obtained patents in 1850 and 1853. He is credited with having initiated commercial refrigeration in the United States by 1856.

1854 James Harrison his first commercial ice-making machine followed in 1854, and his patent for an ether liquid-vapour compression refrigeration system was granted in 1855. Harrison introduced commercial vapour-compression refrigeration to breweries and meat packing houses.

1859 - The first gas absorption refrigeration system using gaseous ammonia dissolved in water (referred to as "aqua ammonia") was developed by Ferdinand Carr of France. 1871

Carl von Linde built his first ammonia compression machine.

1906 Willis Carrier patents the basis for modern air conditioning. 1906 - Stuart W. Cramer coined the term "air conditioning", He combined moisture with ventilation to "condition" and change the air in the factories, controlling the humidity so necessary in textile plants.

The pace of development was slow in the beginning when steam engines were the only prime movers known to run compressors. With the advent of electric motors and consequent higher speeds of the compressors, the scope of refrigeration widened. The development of air-conditioning is closely intertwined with the development of electricity. The principal methods of artificial refrigeration are; 1. Vapor-compression 2. Vapor absorption 3. Thermoelectric 4. Magnetic 5. Solar.

1. Vapor-compression : The vapor compression is the most widely used in refrigeration cycle in practice. In this cycle a vapor is compressed, then condensed to a liquid, following which the pressure is dropped so that fluid can evaporate at a low temperature. These systems have 4 major components: 1.Compressor 2.Condensor 3.Evaporator 4.Expansion valve And the working fluid refrigerant.

In this cycle, a circulating refrigerant such as Freon enters the compressor as a vapor. From point 1 to point 2, the vapor is compressed at constant entropy and exits the compressor as a vapor at a higher temperature, but still below the vapor pressure at that temperature. From point 2 to point 3 and on to point 4, the vapor travels through the condenser which cools the vapor until it starts condensing, and then condenses the vapor into a liquid by removing additional heat at constant pressure and temperature. Between points 4 and 5, the liquid refrigerant goes through the expansion valve (also called a throttle valve) where its pressure abruptly decreases, causing flash evaporation and autorefrigeration of, typically, less than half of the liquid. That results in a mixture of liquid and vapor at a lower temperature and pressure as shown at point 5.

The cold liquid-vapor mixture then travels through the evaporator coil or tubes and is completely vaporized by cooling the warm air (from the space being refrigerated) being blown by a fan across the evaporator coil or tubes. The resulting refrigerant vapor returns to the compressor inlet at point 1 to complete the thermodynamic cycle. It is a completely closed cycle. APPLICATIONS : Domestic refrigeration, commercial refrigeration, food processing and cold storage, industrial refrigeration, chemical processing, cold storage, food processing, building and district heating an cooling ,transport refrigeration, electronic cooling (Low-temperature cooling of CMOS circuitry and other components in large computers and servers),medical and cryogenic refrigeration

2.Vapor Absorption :In the early years of the twentieth century, the vapor absorption cycle using water-ammonia systems was popular and widely used. After the development of the vapor compression cycle, the vapor absorption cycle lost much of its importance because of its low coefficient of performance (about one fifth of that of the vapor compression cycle). Today, the vapor absorption cycle is used mainly where fuel for heating is available but electricity is not, such as in recreational vehicles that carry LP gas. It is also used in industrial environments where plentiful waste heat overcomes its inefficiency. The absorption cycle is similar to the compression cycle, except for the method of raising the pressure of the refrigerant vapor. In the absorption system, the compressor is replaced by an absorber which dissolves the refrigerant in a suitable liquid, a liquid pump which raises the pressure and a generator which, on heat addition, drives off the refrigerant vapor from the high-pressure liquid. Some work is needed by the liquid pump but, for a given quantity of refrigerant, it is much smaller than needed by the compressor in the vapor compression cycle. In an absorption refrigerator, a suitable combination of refrigerant and absorbent is used. The most common combinations are ammonia (refrigerant) and water (absorbent), and water (refrigerant) and lithium bromide[absorbent].

APPLICATIONS Air conditioning, Absorption refrigerators are a popular alternative to regular compressor refrigerators where electricity is unreliable, costly, or unavailable, where noise from the compressor is problematic, or where surplus heat is available (e.g., from turbine exhausts or industrial processes, or from solar plants).

3.Thermoelectric Cooling : Thermoelectric cooling uses the Peltier effect to create a heat flux between the junction of two different types of materials. A Peltier cooler, heater, or thermoelectric heat pump is a solid-state active heat pump which transfers heat from one side of the device to the other, with consumption of electrical energy, depending on the direction of the current. Such an instrument is also called a Peltier device, Peltier heat pump, solid state refrigerator, or thermoelectric cooler (TEC). The Peltier device is a heat pump: when direct current runs through it, heat is moved from one side to the other. Therefore it can be used either for heating or for cooling (refrigeration), although in practice the main application is cooling. It can also be used as a temperature controller that either heats or cools. APPLICATIONS : Used in camping and portable coolers and for cooling electronic components and small instruments. Some electronic equipment intended for military use in the field is thermoelectrically cooled. The cooling effect of Peltier heat pumps can also be used to extract water from the air in dehumidifiers. Photon detectors such as CCDs in astronomical telescopes or very highend digital cameras are often cooled down with Peltier elements. This reduces dark counts due to thermal noise. Thermoelectric coolers can be used to cool computer components to keep temperatures within design limits,

4.Gas Cycle:When the working fluid is a gas that is compressed and expanded but doesn't change phase, the refrigeration cycle is called a gas cycle. Air is most often this working fluid. As there is no condensation and evaporation intended in a gas cycle, components corresponding to the condenser and evaporator in a vapor compression cycle are the hot and cold gas-to-gas heat exchangers in gas cycles.

The gas cycle is less efficient than the vapor compression cycle because the gas cycle works on the reverse Brayton cycle instead of the reverse Rankine cycle. As such the working fluid does not receive and reject heat at constant temperature. In the gas cycle, the refrigeration effect is equal to the product of the specific heat of the gas and the rise in temperature of the gas in the low temperature side. Therefore, for the same cooling load, a gas refrigeration cycle needs a large mass flow rate and is bulky. Because of their lower efficiency and larger bulk, air cycle coolers are not often used nowadays in terrestrial cooling devices. However, the air cycle machine is very common on gas turbine-powered jet aircraft as cooling and ventilation units, because compressed air is readily available from the engines' compressor sections. Such units also serve the purpose of pressurizing the aircraft. APPLICATION: Aircraft cabin cooling Liquefaction of various gases.

The human body is an amazingly adaptable organism. With long term conditioning the body can function under quite extreme conditions. Variation in out door temperature and humidity, however, often go beyond the normal limits of adaptability. And it becomes necessary to provide modified conditions indoors in order to maintain a healthy and comfortable environment. Thermal Comfort is defined as the state of mind in humans that expresses satisfaction with the surrounding environment. Thermal comfort is maintained when the heat generated by human metabolism is allowed to dissipate, thus maintaining thermal equilibrium with the surroundings. It has been long recognized that the sensation of feeling hot or cold is not just dependent on air temperature alone. It can be achieved only when the air temperature, humidity and air movement are within the specified range often referred to as the "comfort zone". The temperature be held constant in the range of 2425C and relative humidity at 50%.In summertime when outdoor temperatures are higher it is advisable to keep air-conditioned spaces slightly warmer to minimize the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors. In physiological terms, thermal comfort is what we experience when the body functions well, with a core temperature of around 37C and skin temperature of 32-33C.

Factors affecting thermal comfort : ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS : Air temperature Surface temperature Air velocity Relative humidity PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS : Activity Age Health INSULATING FACTORS: Clothing/insulation. Metabolism

Thermal Comfort

Static model It that the indoor temperature should not change as the seasons do. Rather, there should be one set temperature year-round. This is taking a more passive stand that humans do not have to adapt to different temperatures since it will always be constant.

Adaptive model that there is an optimal temperature for a given indoor environment depending on the outdoor air temperature. It takes into account that humans can adapt and tolerate different temperatures during different times of the year. The optimal temperature for a given time is determined by looking at the mean outdoor temperatures of each month of the year. Also, field studies are performed in these areas to see what the majority of people would prefer as their set-point temperature indoors at different times of the year.

Thermal stress, heat stress or cold stress, is where the thermal environment will cause clearly defined potentially harmful medical conditions, such as dehydration or heat exhaustion in hot environments or frost bite in coldones. Respiratory problems can occur and there can also be the risk of hypothermia or hyperthermia, where there is a fall or rise in body core temperature which can be harmful, and could potentially prove fatal EFFECTS OF THERMAL STRESS HEAT STRESS : Heat cramps Sunburn Heat stroke Heat rash Heat Exhaustion Reduces work performance, reproductive problems, heat and lung strain. COLD STRESS : Just as high temperatures have far-reaching problems, cold temperatures present their own challenges to the thermal regulation of the human body. Problems caused are : Hyperthermia Frostbite Frostnip Immersion foot.

Peoples performances under thermal stress is about 11% lower than their performance at normal thermal conditions

The concept of air conditioning is known to have been applied in Ancient Rome, where aqueduct water was circulated through the walls of certain houses to cool them down. Other techniques in medieval Persia involved the use of cisterns and wind catcher to cool buildings during the hot season.

A punkah is a type of fan used in the early 500 B.C. It was a portable fan made from the leaf of the Palmyra

A hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself. Any broad, flat surface waved back-and-forth will create a small airflow and therefore can be considered a rudimentary fan. Generally, hand-held fans are shaped like a sector of a circle and made of a thin material (such as paper or feathers) mounted on slats which revolve around a pivot so that it can be closed when not in use.

The first ceiling fans appeared in the early 1860s and 1870s, in the United States. At that time, they were not powered by any form of electric motor. Instead, a stream of running water was used, in conjunction with a turbine, to drive a system of belts which would turn the blades of two-blade fan units.

The air conditioners

APPLICATIONS

INDUSTRIAL -Textile manufacturing -Printing -Laboratories -Clean rooms -Nuclear power stations -cooking and processing areas,etc

COMFORT

TRANSPORTATION -cars -buses -airplanes -ships,etc

RESIDENTIAL -Homes

COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS -Hospitals -Multiplexes -Offices -Hotels -Institutes

Split systems have 2 units : Indoor Unit-IDU It consists of the evaporator coils and the fan. Outdoor Unit-ODU It consists of the compressor ,condensing coil and fan. They are also called as ductless air-conditioners. There is a condensate collection and discharge system for the interior component. There are two refrigerant lines, often in a conduit, joining the outdoor condenser unit to the evaporator inside the home. Split systems, also called mini-splits, are easy to install and only require a 3-inch-diameter hole through the house wall. The indoor components can be wall or ceiling mounted and dont take up much space. Some are sold with remote controls so they can be mounted out of the way, high on walls or on ceilings. These have the advantage of a remote compressor so the home is quieter. Some interior fans are multi-speed to minimize noise. There are also quieter condenser fans in some systems that operate at very low rpm (less than 900 rpm). Multi-Zone Systems Split systems can be multi-zone, with one condenser unit serving up to four evaporators in four different parts of the home. Large Capacity Split systems are available with cooling capacities up to 60,000 BTU/hr (5 tons). Each of the 4 components of a vapor-compression system-the compressor, the capillary, the condeser,the capillary, and the evaporator has its own peculiar behavior. At the same time ,each component is influenced by water temperature, for example, may change the rate of refrigerant the compressor pumps which in turn may require the expansion valve/capillary to readjust and the refrigerant in the evaporator to change pressure. The main components; Compressor Condenser Fan Capillary Evaporator Fan And the refrigerant.

OUTDOOR UNIT

The outdoor unit comprises of the compressor, Condenser coils, and the fan

A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. The type of compressor used for air conditioners for residential application are rotary type. Rotary screw compressor

Condenser coils

Inlet outlet

A cross-sectional view of the two principal rotating elements of the screw compressor is shown. The male rotor with 4 lobes, drives the female rotor in a stationary. The refrigerant vapor enters one end of the compressor at the top and leaves the other end at the bottom. At the suction position of the compressor a void is created into which the inlet vapor flows. Just before the point where interlobe spaces leaves the inlet port, the entire length of the cavity or gully is filled with gas. As the rotation continues the trapped gas is moved circumferentially around the housing of the compressor. Further rotation results in meshing of the male lobe with the female gully, decreasing the volume in the cavity and compressing the gas. At a certain point into the compression process the discharge port is uncovered and the compressed gas is discharged by further meshing of the lobe and the gully.

A condenser is a device or unit used to condense a substance from its gaseous to its liquid state, typically by cooling it. In so doing, the latent heat is given up by the substance, and will transfer to the condenser coolant. An air-conditioner uses a condenser to get rid of heat extracted from the interior of the unit to the outside air. Use of cooling water or surrounding air as the coolant is common in many condensers.

In this heat exchanger section, the refrigerant goes through multiple tube passes, which are surrounded by heat transfer fins through which cooling air can move from outside to inside the unit. There is a motorized fan inside the condenser unit near the top, which is covered by some grating.

All that is necessary is to pass the gas through a long tube (usually arranged in a coil or other compact shape) to permit heat to escape into the surrounding air. A heat-conductive metal, such as copper, is commonly used to transport the vapour. A condensers efficiency is often enhanced by attaching fins (i.e., flat sheets of conductive metal) to the tubing to accelerate heat removal. Commonly, such condensers employ fans to force air through the fins and carry the heat away. In many cases, large condensers for industrial applications use water or some other liquid in place of air to achieve heat removal.

Evaporator is a device used to turn (or allow to turn) the liquid form of a chemical into its gaseous form.Since both the condenser and evaporator are heat exchangers, they have certain features in common. They most widely used are the finned-coil heat exchangers which are used in the indoor and outdoor unit both.

The overall heat transfer coefficient for an evaporator or condenser is the proportionality constant,which,when multiplied by the heat transfer area and the mean temperature difference between the fluids, yields the rate of heat transfer. A finned-tube evaporator is a bare-tube evaporator which has thin metal plates tightly attached to its tubes. The fins can be rectangular, as shown in the diagram. It is called plate-finned. The fins provide a means of improving the heat transfer efficiency of the coil and have the effect of increasing the coil's overall area. A fin is a surface that extends from an object to increase the rate of heat transfer to or from the environment by increasing convection. Increasing the surface area of the object increases the heat transfer. Just as the capacity of a coil is increased by adding fins to its tubes, so is its capacity increased by forcing air over it.

INDOOR UNIT FAN A centrifugal fan is a mechanical device for moving air or other gases with a very low increase in pressure. These fans increase the speed of air stream with the rotating impellers. They use the kinetic energy of the impellers or the rotating blade to increase the pressure of the air/gas stream which in turn moves them against the resistance caused by ducts, dampers and other components. Centrifugal fans accelerate air radially, changing the direction (typically by 90 o) of the airflow. They are sturdy, quiet, reliable, and capable of operating over a wide range of conditions OUTDOOR UNIT FAN Axial fans help to move air and it is fitted with propellers to draw air inside the axial fan which is discharged in the same axial direction. he axial-flow fans have blades that force air to move parallel to the shaft about which the blades rotate. Axial fans blow air along the axis of the fan, linearly,

A refrigerant is a substance used in a heat cycle usually including, for enhanced efficiency, a reversible phase change from a liquid to a gas. Primary refrigerant These are so called because they act upon the area/substance, although it may be enclosed within a system. E.g.: CFCs,HCFCs,Freon,Puron Secondary refrigerant These are cooled by the primary refrigeration system as they pass over and around the substances to be cooled. E.g.: air,water,brine. Due to the environmental concerns of ozone depletion, air-conditions today use Puron instead of Freon. R-410A is a near-a zeotropic blend of R-32 and R-125. The US Environmental Protection Agency recognizes it as an acceptable substitute for R-22 in household and light commercial air conditioning systems. It appears to have gained widespread market acceptance under several trade names.

MATERIALS USED : Air conditioners are made of different types of metal. Plastic and other nontraditional materials are used to reduce weight and cost. Copper or aluminum tubing, critical ingredients in many air conditioner components, provide superior thermal properties and a positive influence on system efficiency. Various components in an air conditioner will differ with the application, but usually they are comprised of stainless steel and other corrosion-resistant metals. Self-contained units that house the refrigeration system will usually be encased in sheet metal that is protected from environmental conditions by a paint or powder coating. The working fluid, the fluid that circulates through the air-conditioning system, is typically a liquid with strong thermodynamic characteristics like Freon, hydrocarbons, ammonia, or water.

For the user survey I focused on segmenting and profiling the target high end residential population from the metros and urban cities, to understand how design matters to consumers in this segment, I analyzed the new trend patterns for the lead user by tracking various ongoing trends in lifestyle,socio-cultural,technology,competition and environmental trends. The nuances of the Indian market are tricky and have to be taken into consideration.

Personal accessory ; Handbags Entertainment

Household appliance ; Refrigerators

Personal accessory ; Cell phone

Transparency v/s opaque

KNOBS ; Ergonomics

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Identified Potential User : Premium/High-end residential population Context: Indian metros Urban cities Attributes of this bracket : Trend-setters Early adaptors Conscious and thoughtful Dynamic Customisation as their key differentiator Celebration Professional and workaholics Strong communication by the products they use. Individualism THE USER BRACKET - DYNAMIC!!! Lot of variation in their way of selecting products!! The choice of their products has no specific genre. Includes retro, organic, contemporary, classic, ornamental ,futuristic, but at the same time very Indian. The user looks for customizable products. PRODUCT + ME-ELEMENT = USERS STYLE = TREND Variation in materials makes a product stylish. The user is experimental , wouldn't mind paying for a stand-out product! Multi-tasker Process-oriented.

16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Qua EXPECTATIONS,DESIRES,AS PIRATIONS , 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 STYLE 4 2 0 LIFESTYLE Bisleri ENVIRONMENTAL The user is cost-conscious and style-conscious. He chooses to buy the Qua when in a certain context. However would prefer buying the bisleri in most contexts. A mix of status and cost consciousness!! 18 16 14

12
10 8 6 4 2 0 LG Silver LG LG Screen Double TREND door LG red Samsung LG Silver TRENDBlack Floral FOLLWE RS Haier

TECHNOLOGY

MOST USED/LIKED SOCIO-CULTURAL FEATURE

18 25 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 EXPECTATIONS,DESIRES,A SPIRATIONS , LIFESTYLE 0 10 5 20 15

ENVIRONMENTAL

STYLE TECHNOLOGY Functionality meets style. The user chooses the most ergonomically comfortable to operate and the most aesthetically appealing option.

TRENDFOLLWE TREND The wrist watch is a product thatRS user uses all the the time. He uses it in his workplace. Thus from the given palette he chooses the very minimal and contemporary design of the lot. He has to communicate his sense of style through the product he uses.

SOCIO-CULTURAL

Aim: To understand the stakeholder i.e. dealers and shopkeepers perspective while selling/recommending the air conditioner. He is the link between the end-user and the company. Understanding the recommendation criteria. The 2nd stakeholder can be influential in the end-users buying decision. A survey in the from of interviewing the sales personnel was undertaken. Visits to the electronic retail chains, individual shops company outlets,etc was taken upon. 25

Most Sold
20 15 10 5 0

MARKET STRUCTURE

The household appliances industry (comprising televisions, refrigerators, washing machines and room air conditioners) grew over 15 per cent in 2009-10 to Rs 26,400 crore from Rs 22,900 crore in 200809. The industry is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18 per cent to touch Rs 60,000 crore by 2014-15. Of this booming household appliances market, 24 per cent will be accounted by the room air conditioner. Anticipating de-growth in the window AC segment, Samsung had announced it decision to completely phase out window ACs from its portfolio. Samsung Electronics India today launched 39 new split AC models to their 2012 split Air Conditioner range in India, whose 2012 BEE Star ratings range from 1 star to 5 stars rating and price ranges from Rs.19,000 to 39,000.

Key players
LG Samsung Voltas Blue star Carrier Daikin Onida Hitachi Ken star Panasonic

Panasonic : Ideas for life Brand-Ambassador : Katrina Kaif Katrina has a huge mass appeal and connects well with all cross-sections of the Indian society. Young and contemporary Indian woman 29th December 2011 launched 65 new air conditioner models priced between Rs 17,000 and Rs 60,000. The company said the new range of split ACs are equipped with the ECONAVI intelligent sensors technology that detects human location, activity level, absence and sunlight intensity in the room, thereby providing energy saving without sacrificing the comfort. ECON,Worlds first CUBE split air conditioners. LIFESTYLE Use R-410A refrigerant. CUBE AC : A common ground between split ac and window ac. EXPECTATIONS,DESIRES,AS PIRATIONS , Panasonic uses a robot as an ENVIRONMENTAL ECON ACs launched with inverter technology image to connote their technological efficiency. TREND TECHNOLOGY TRENDFOLLWE RS

STYLE

ECON : environment friendly air con. Panasonic is more of energy saving and efficient cooling. It has a sufficient air con envelope, for the customers to select from!! SOCIO-CULTURAL

LG air-conditioners : Lifes Good

Brand Ambassador : Abhishek Bachchan,Akshaye Kumar Air cons : no ambassador, instead a family is shown. In India for a decade, LG has earned a premium brand positioning and is the acknowledged trendsetter for the industry. It is one of the most formidable brands in consumer electronics, home appliances, IT hardware and mobile communications space. 48models

Launched in 2010 Very experimental in terms of the aesthetics and graphics. The air cons apart from cooling have other good features like neoplasma,i.e. keeping the air clean and healthy. A constant update is seen in their product in terms of energy saving and TRENDaesthetics. FOLLWE TREND RS

LIFESTYLE EXPECTATIONS,DESIRES,AS PIRATIONS ,

ENVIRONMENTAL

STYLE

TECHNOLOGY LG has the maximum number of AC models that are aesthetically appealing and technologically sound.

SOCIO-CULTURAL

Onida : Designed with you in mind Apart from cooling has fancy features like SMS gone AC on!

EXPECTATIONS,DESIRES,AS PIRATIONS ,

The product is not very aesthetically appealing but has the new pre-cool technology. Onida has categories depending on the type of usage : LIFESTYLE -Window ACs -Techno range : For heavy-duty cooling -icool range : For faster cooling ENVIRONMENTAL -Twin cool : multi-split -Pre-cool : Innovative SMS technology -Lifestyle Range : aesthetically appealing and efficient functions. TREND TECHNOLOGY STYLE

TRENDFOLLWE RS Other features include, Moving display, Large display, follow me,autoclean,turbo cooling,etc.

Not a very wide portfolio as compared to LG,Godrej,Samsung,etc The air cons are pretty economical. SOCIO-CULTURAL

Voltas : India ka AC Indianness and energy saving For Voltas, that sold about 7.5 lakh pieces last year, about 40 per cent of the contribution comes from North India, while the southern region contributes about 26 per cent, the West about 23 per cent and the East about 11 per cent. About 65 per cent of the sales comes from split air-conditioners and the rest from window ACs. Ecotron launched in 2010 has the DC inverter technology. Has mini-split ACs ranging from 17000-35000/-

Daikin :

EXPECTATIONS,DESIRES,AS PIRATIONS ,

MARCH 2011: Blue Star has launched Inverter Split ACs in 1, 1.5 & 2 ton capacities. Inverter ACs are smart and intelligent ACs that provide comfortable cooling. These are incorporated with Inverter technology in which the compressor changes its frequency according to the ambient load and delivers adequate cooling as per the requirement. For instance a 1.5 ton Inverter AC can decrease its capacity to 1 ton or increase its capacityLIFESTYLE Blue Star Inverter Split ACs are available in two designs - S Series and C to 1.75 tons. Series, in the price range of Rs. 45,000 to Rs. 60,000. ENVIRONMENTAL

TREND TECHNOLOGY

STYLE

TRENDFOLLWE RS

Daikins air con emura won the red dot design award 2010.

SOCIO-CULTURAL

Available air cons in the 5-star rating

Contemporary

Sleek

Bulky

Classic

Contemporary
Colors used : Deep reds,plums,greys Minimal patterns Matt finished.

Sleek

Colors used : Ivory,white,off-white,cream Finishes used : Gloss and matt

Classic

Contemporary

Bulky

Classic

Contemporary
LG LG LG Lloyd Samsung

Haier

Blue star

Voltas

Sleek

Panasonic

Samsung

Bulky
Hitachi

Haier

Lloyd

LG

Lloyd

Carrier

Voltas

Panasonic

Lloyd

Haier

Classic

FEATURES FOR 5STAR RATED MINI-SPLIT AC Company Interesting All-Have (Must-have)


Auto-restart Hot and cold function Off-timer Jet cool Inverter technology Auto-cleaning Silent operation Sleep mode

Aesthetics

Technical

Price Range

LG

Aero-comfort system (The unique remote control operates /regulates both AC and fan) Chaos mode(provides multiangle wind like natural breeze)

Night glow buttons on remote. Digital display Large selection portfolio

Patent gold fins anti-corrosion Specially platinum coated evaporator fins to reduce tension on the coils surface, thereby leaving no water on the coil. Hence no freezing of coil at lower ambient temperatures. Filters ,neoplasma,deodorising,a nti-bacteria, triplefilter, virus and allergy safe,plasmaster mode.
Stabilizer free operation Virus doctor, eliminates H1N1 Wide air flow blade.

Rs 30,990-77,990 Lowest : 21,190

Samsung

Auto-restart Inverter Auto-clean Quiet mode Biosleep Smart saver Turbo-cooling Self-Diagnosis and auto-protect function Auto-restart Sleep mode Auto-clean

Mood lamp Large range of color availability

Rs.30,000-41,500 Lowest : 21,700

Lloyd

LED display Auto-slide feature

Multi-channel condenser Filter.antidust,active carbon.

Rs.19,500-29,550 Lowest : 15,900

Company

Interesting

All-Have (Must-have)
Auto-restart Heat pump Jet cool Inverter technology Sleep mode

Aesthetics

Technical

Price Range

Daikin

Powerful ventilation refreshes your room within 2hours. 3D air flow, moisturizing operation mode. Breeze cooling air flow Self diagnosis by indicating system faults or operating anomalies. ECONO mode, decreases power consumption, so that other appliances that need large power consumption can be used.
All weather AC

Movement sensor Weekly timer Home-leave operation Titanium apatite photo catalytic air purification filter. Prevents direct blowing of hot/cold air Lower sound levels for both IDU and ODU.

Rs 24,346-72,030 Lowest:20,860

Voltas

Auto-restart Inverter Auto-clean Sleep mode Smart saver Turbo mode Auto-restart Sleep mode Auto-clean On-off timer

Glow light on remote.

Rs.31,090-39,990 Lowest : 21,190

Carrier

LED display

Lock Advanced filter Hydrophilic coated coil, Follow me, Scroll compressors

Rs.33,000-39,000 Lowest : 21,000

Company

Interesting

All-Have (Must-have)
Auto-restart Powerful mode Inverter technology Silent operation Kaimin: Sleep mode

Aesthetics

Technical

Price Range

Hitachi

Auto-climate technology ( Super advanced feature that has temperature and humidity data of over 100 cities fed into it. The Ac recognizes which city you are in; the time of your day and your individual metabolic rates ( to be chosen by you).Based on these factors, it continuously changes the settings of the AC to provide you the most comfortable environment. Logiclean after 24hours,it thinks and automatically goes to stand-by mode and starts cleaning the filter. Slide panel

LED remocon

Asymmetrical louver movement Conventional ACs have preset modes, Hitachi allows you the flexibility of 3 programmable comfort modes, customized cooling. Cleans filter after completion of 10cumulative fan running hours, will clean during standby mode. Digilock

Rs 33,190-60,990 Lowest : 21,900

Haier

Auto-restart Inverter Auto-clean Smart saver Turbo-cooling

LED display

Child lock Intelligent air flow

Rs.23,500-35,990 Lowest : 15,000

Company

Interesting

All-Have (Must-have)
Auto-restart Heat pump Turbo operation Inverter technology Sleep mode On-Off timer Energy saver mode.

Aesthetics

Technical

Price Range

Bluestar

Self-diagnosis

Hydrophilic fins I feel,mini sensor on indoor unit ensuring an appropriate temperature around the user and not the unit,optimising user comfort. Long distance piping flexibility Multiple filters Glow light on remote. Large display Glossy panel Mirror panel Follow me Gold fin Large coil area APM technology

Rs 27,900-44,200 Lowest : 23,200

Onida

SMS technology AC and fan work in tandem to provide cooling effort. Savings display meter.

Auto-restart Inverter Auto-clean Sleep mode High savings Instant cooling

Rs.21,340-38,090 Lowest : 19,890

Panasonic

Auto-restart Sleep mode Auto-clean On-off timer Inverter Heat pump.

Multiple filters Econavi-dual sensors Auto comfort

Rs.32,490-49,150 Lowest : 20,900

DESIGN BRIEF: AIM To design an air conditioner for residential application for 2014 TARGET AUDIENCE Premium/High-end population Age group: 25-40years Professionals from IT, HR, business executives, managing directors, etc.This user bracket is experimental and willing to spend for new products Context: Indian metros,2nd tier cities. CONSTANTS To design an air conditioning solution so as to serve as a common ground between -mini-split AC -tower AC -cassette AC Emphasizing on, -technology -product architecture. The features would include, for comfort for health and hygiene for energy efficiency and for the users sense of expectation. The air conditioner should gel with the appliances/electronics family in the room(Fan, music player,TV,phones,etc) Should have a me-element. Should be in sync with the forecasted design trends. VARIABLES Portability in the house Connected-me -internet -other appliances.

COMPACT SMALL HANDY FUTURISTIC ENERGY-SAVING : APPEARS TO BE! CONTEMPORARY NOT EDGY, SMOOTH FINISHES APPEARS TO CONSUME LESSER SPACE VERTICAL PLACEMENT BREAKS THE CONVENTIONAL IMAGERY!

THANKYOU

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