With the onset of the sultry summer season, owners of cars without air conditioning begin to experience serious discomfort. Opened windows in the car not only do not solve the problem, but can also lead to a cold. But even if the mentioned equipment is not included in the vehicle equipment, the portable device will help to solve the problem.
What is a portable air conditioner?
Any modern automobile portable air conditioning is a relatively small plastic monolithic block, inside of which all the parts are placed. It usually works from the on-board network of the vehicle. This design allows you to simplify the installation procedure of the device.
The principle of operation of a portable air conditioner does not fundamentally differ from the action of a classic split system. The cooling process occurs due to the circulation inside the closed circuit of the refrigerant. It absorbs heat, evaporates and simultaneously reduces the temperature of the air inside the cabin. When the refrigerant reaches the condensate point, it goes into a liquid state and the cycle is duplicated. In order to accelerate the described process, the equipment has built-in fans.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantages of a portable car air conditioner include:
- high mobility;
- ease of installation;
- simplicity of operation;
- applicability on all types of vehicles;
- relatively low cost
- the ability to work with the engine off.
In addition to the above, the device can be operated not only for its intended purpose for air cooling. The portable air conditioner can be used for heating in the cold season, for ventilation, or for drying humid air.
The simplicity of the device allows you to make an elementary model in-house. To work, you will need any container with a tight-fitting lid, an elbow from a plastic pipe and a fan that operates from the cigarette lighter. The role of the refrigerant will be played by ice, previously placed inside the tank. This elementary device operates as follows. The fan pumps warm air into the tank, ice cools it, and the cooled air comes out through a plastic pipe.
Speaking about the shortcomings, the following points should be noted:
- the need for regular cleaning (in the absence of one, a fungus may appear);
- low power.
Otherwise, portable air conditioning is an excellent solution for motorists whose cars are not equipped with an integrated split system.
Is there any benefit from him
It would be an exaggeration to say that such a device is able to completely replace a stationary air conditioning system. But if you approach the choice of the device wisely and pay attention to power, voltage, current consumption and a type of refrigerant, then the alternative will turn out to be quite worthy. The most important thing is not to save on air conditioning equipment. Otherwise, after a very short period of time, the equipment will require expensive repairs or it will completely fail, and the question will arise of acquiring a new one.
