Air-conditioning America


Book Description

Cooper demonstrates how the lure of the open air, from rooftop schoolrooms to open-air theaters to the front porch, challenged air conditioning. Americans were slow to give up the social rituals of hot-weather living - the cold drink, the cool clothes, the summer vacation - for the comforts of either the window air conditioner or the central system.




Cool


Book Description

“[A] history of air conditioning, chronicling the numerous gimmicks, failed attempts, con jobs, and eventual successes . . . a surprisingly interesting journey.” —San Francisco Book Review The air conditioner is often hailed as one of the modern world’s greatest inventions—yet nearly as often blamed for global disaster. It has changed everything from architecture to people’s food habits; saved countless lives, and caused countless deaths. First appearing in 1902, when Willis Carrier, an engineer barely out of college, developed the “Apparatus for Treating Air,” everyone assumed it would instantly change the world. But the story of air conditioning and its rise to ubiquity is far from simple. In Cool, Salvatore Basile tracks two fascinating stories: the struggle to perfect an effective cooling device, and the effort to convince people that they actually needed such a thing. With a cast of characters ranging from Leonardo da Vinci to Richard Nixon and Felix the Cat, Cool showcases the myriad reactions to air conditioning as it was developed and introduced to the world. Here is a unique perspective on a common convenience: how we came to rely on it today, and how it might change radically tomorrow.







Air conditioning and Refrigeration Repair Made Easy


Book Description

This comprehensive book has been developed to quickly train an average person for the vast commercial and residential refrigeration and air-conditioning market within a short period of time. It provides all the technical knowledge needed to start a successful refrigeration and air-conditioning business anywhere in the world.




Air-Conditioning in Modern American Architecture, 1890–1970


Book Description

Air-Conditioning in Modern American Architecture, 1890–1970, documents how architects made environmental technologies into resources that helped shape their spatial and formal aesthetic. In doing so, it sheds important new light on the ways in which mechanical engineering has been assimilated into the culture of architecture as one facet of its broader modernist project. Tracing the development and architectural integration of air-conditioning from its origins in the late nineteenth century to the advent of the environmental movement in the early 1970s, Joseph M. Siry shows how the incorporation of mechanical systems into modernism’s discourse of functionality profoundly shaped the work of some of the movement’s leading architects, such as Dankmar Adler, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Gordon Bunshaft, and Louis Kahn. For them, the modernist ideal of functionality was incompletely realized if it did not wholly assimilate heating, cooling, ventilating, and artificial lighting. Bridging the history of technology and the history of architecture, Siry discusses air-conditioning’s technical and social history and provides case studies of buildings by the master architects who brought this technology into the conceptual and formal project of modernism. A monumental work by a renowned expert in American modernist architecture, this book asks us to see canonical modernist buildings through a mechanical engineering–oriented lens. It will be especially valuable to scholars and students of architecture, modernism, the history of technology, and American history.




Automotive Air Conditioning and Climate Control Systems


Book Description

Automotive Air-conditioning and Climate Control Systems is a complete text and reference on the theoretical, practical and legislative aspects of vehicle climate control systems for automotive engineering students and service professionals. It provides the reader with a thorough up-to-date knowledge of current A/C systems, refrigerants and the new possible replacement systems like CO2, and includes unrivalled coverage of electronic and electrical control. Filling the gap in the automotive engineering and servicing market for students and those training on the job, this book will help both newcomers and those with more experience of air-conditioning systems maintenance engineering to keep up with the latest developments and legislation. - Detailed coverage of European and US vehicle HVAC systems - Thorough explanation of current and future systems including CO2 - Meets relevant C&G, IMI, and HND vocational and professional qualifications - IMI recommended reading material - Includes practical cases studies and examples from design and manufacturing companies including Ford, Vauxhall, Toyota, VW, Visteon, Sanden and others, accompanied by over 300 detailed illustrations and photographs




Losing Our Cool


Book Description

Losing Our Cool exposes the surprising ways in which air conditioning changes human experience: giving a boost to global warming that it is designed to help humans endure; enabling an otherwise impossible commuter economy; and altering human migration patterns. Stan Cox argues that by reintroducing traditional cooling methods and putting newer technologies into practice - and by moving beyond industrial definitions of comfort - people can keep themselves comfortable and keep the planet comfortable too.




Handbook of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration


Book Description

* A broad range of disciplines--energy conservation and air quality issues, construction and design, and the manufacture of temperature-sensitive products and materials--is covered in this comprehensive handbook * Provide essential, up-to-date HVAC data, codes, standards, and guidelines, all conveniently located in one volume * A definitive reference source on the design, selection and operation of A/C and refrigeration systems




How to Repair Automotive Air-Conditioning and Heating Systems


Book Description

Technical instructor and HVAC expert Jerry Clemons completely covers both air-conditioning as well as heating systems, so you can save money repairing your own vehicle. Covered is a history of HVAC systems, airflow throughout the system, the principles of refrigerant, diagnosis of common faults in older systems, testing procedures, and finally repair and, in the case of air conditioning, recharging your system. Also included is proper evacuation and disposal of any residual refrigerant in the system. Components such as compressors, condensers, evaporators and heater cores, pressure switches and climate control electrics and switches are also covered. Finally, for people with older cars, converting from the no-longer-available R-12 to R134a is detailed. Automotive climate controls are a complex system and are difficult to repair without proper instruction. Whether you are trying to get your old classic back to its original form or are just looking to save on expensive repairs, author Jerry Clemons and this book provide the knowledge you will need to get your car back on the road and cruising in comfort.




Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps


Book Description

Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps, Fifth Edition, provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles and practice of refrigeration. Clear and comprehensive, it is suitable for both trainee and professional HVAC engineers, with a straightforward approach that also helps inexperienced readers gain a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of the technology. With its concise style and broad scope, the book covers most of the equipment and applications professionals will encounter. The simplicity of the descriptions helps users understand, specify, commission, use, and maintain these systems. It is a must-have text for anyone who needs thorough, foundational information on refrigeration and air conditioning, but without textbook pedagogy. It includes detailed technicalities or product-specific information. New material to this edition includes the latest developments in refrigerants and lubricants, together with updated information on compressors, heat exchangers, liquid chillers, electronic expansion valves, controls, and cold storage. In addition, efficiency, environmental impact, split systems, retail refrigeration (supermarket systems and cold rooms), industrial systems, fans, air infiltration, and noise are also included. - Full theoretical and practical treatment of current issues and trends in refrigeration and air conditioning technology - Meets the needs of industry practitioners and system designers who need a rigorous, but accessible reference to the latest developments in refrigeration and AC that is supported by coverage at a level not found in typical course textbooks - New edition features updated content on refrigerants, microchannel technology, noise, condensers, data centers, and electronic control