Let us talk of the main parts of the automobile AC compressor system. The compressor is the heart of the system and is a belt driven pump that is fastened to the engine and this has the capacity to transfer refrigerant gas after compressing. There are two sides to the AC system. These two sides are known as a high pressure side and a low pressure side. The intake, or suction side, draws in refrigerant gas from the outlet of the evaporator. Once the refrigerant is drawn into the suction side, it is compressed and sent to the condenser. CONDENSER This is the area in which heat dissipation occurs. Heat is transferred by the condenser. Its location is usually in front of the radiator. Condensers must have good air flow everytime the system is in operation. As the gas cools, it condenses and exits the bottom of the condenser as a high pressure liquid. EVAPORATOR Located inside the vehicle, the evaporator serves as the heat absorption component. Its primary duty is to remove heat from the inside of your vehicle. A secondary benefit is dehumidification. Refrigerant enters the bottom of the evaporator as a low pressure liquid. The warm air passing through the evaporator fins causes the refrigerant to boil and as the refrigerant begins to boil, it can absorb large amounts of heat. This heat is then carried off with the refrigerant to the outside of the vehicle. PRESSURE REGULATING DEVICES Controlling the evaporator temperature can be accomplished by controlling refrigerant pressure that flow into the evaporator. ORIFICE TUBE The orifice tube, probably the most commonly used, can be found in most GM and Ford models. It is located in the inlet tube of the evaporator, or in the liquid line, somewhere between the outlet of the condenser and the inlet of the evaporator. It is not uncommon for these tubes to become clogged with small debris. VALVE FOR THERMAL EXPANSION Another common refrigerant regulator is the thermal expansion valve, or TXV. Like orifice tubes these valves can become clogged with debris, but also have small moving parts that may stick and malfunction due to corrosion. RECEIVER-DRIER The receiver-drier is used on the high side of systems that use a thermal expansion valve. This type of metering valve requires liquid refrigerant. To ensure that the valve gets liquid refrigerant, a receiver is used. The primary function of the receiver-drier is to separate gas and liquid. The secondary purpose is to remove moisture and filter out dirt. ACCUMULATOR The chief role of the accumulator is to isolate the compressor from any damaging liquid refrigerant. They remove debris and moisture from a system.
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