Author(s)

Abdullah M. Al-Shaalan

Al-Zamil Chair for Electricity Conservation, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This paper demonstrates the possibility of achieving a higher Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) for Room Air Conditioners (RACs) that complies with the Saudi energy efficiency standards and satisfies the energy conservation requirements for the Saudi Building Code (SBC). This study considers several design options for improving the performance and efficiency of the RAC in comparison with a baseline RAC unit manufactured by Al-Zamil Company of Saudi Arabia. These design options include the number of condenser and evaporator rows, fins density, frontal area, compressor types, and refrigerant types. The experimental data obtained is through testing the units in Calorimeter according to standard ASHRAE-16. Also, the uncertainty in measurements and its propagation are included in this study. This paper reports the results of a set of measurements carried out on a modified RAC and compares them with the tested baseline RAC unit at similar load conditions. The experimental results indicate the effectiveness of increasing the number of condenser rows in comparison with other design options considered for achieving higher EER for RACs.

EER; RAC; Evaporator; Condenser

A. Al-Shaalan, "EER Improvement for Room Air-Conditioners in Saudi Arabia," Energy and Power Engineering, Vol. 4 No. 6, 2012, pp. 439-446. doi: 10.4236/epe.2012.46058.