Thursday, May 01, 2008

Volkswagen AC Condenser

by Katherine Hooper

The Key to Volkswagen's Efficient Air Conditioning System
A high level of comfort is what the German car brand Volkswagen offers in every model it makes. Pleasant seating and entertainment features, as well as adequate storage space are just some of those equipped in many Volkswagen models to ensure a smooth ride quality. Aside from those, the air conditioning system of Volkswagen that cools the vehicle's interior is indispensable in providing a pleasant and comfortable ride.
The air conditioning system of a Volkswagen works like the cooling system in the engine. Both systems get rid of heat and release it into the outside air. The engine's cooling system has a coolant, which is a liquid mixture of water and anti-freeze, tasked to absorb heat from various engine parts. Similar to the coolant's role, the air conditioning system's refrigerant is a tasteless and odorless gas that changes to liquid and vice versa as it travels throughout the air conditioning system.

Volkswagen's air conditioning system consists of vital components that are connected by hoses and tubes to move heat from inside the vehicle to the atmosphere. The Volkswagen A/C condenser is similar in appearance and function to the radiator of the engine's cooling system. A large device situated right at the back of the grille and radiator, the Volkswagen A/C condenser allows heat to pass from the warm refrigerant to the colder air outside. Its series of tubes covered by thin fins give a big area for heat to be dispelled. The hot and compressed refrigerant coming from the compressor goes to the top of the condenser, where it is cooled off. Then the refrigerant, which is in a gaseous state, condenses and leaves through the bottom of the condenser as a high-pressure liquid.
There are two types of A/C condenser used for air conditioning systems, depending on the design. The A/C condenser with a serpentine design is composed of a long tube with cooling fins between the tubes. On the other hand, the A/C condenser with a parallel flow design is where the refrigerant flows across multiple passages, giving a bigger surface area for the cooler air to contact.

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