What year were air conditioners introduced? Where and when did the first air conditioner appear?

04.03.2020

The widespread use of air conditioning systems (allowing not only to cool it, but also to clean it from moisture and odors) began in the 30s of the XX century. At first, air conditioners were installed en masse in business and administrative buildings in the United States, in particular in the famous New York skyscrapers.

In the mid-30s, "kondei" migrated to transport. And by no means private. In those years, road trains were a very popular type of passenger intercity communication in the Middle East: trucks with semi-trailers equipped for a passenger compartment. On such road trains, which ran along the route Baghdad - Damascus, the first automobile air conditioners appeared. It is quite logical: in a desert area, the air cooling system in the cabin is almost an essential thing!

Failure in the thirties and forties

The very first mass-produced passenger car with air conditioning was presented to the general public in 1939 at the Chicago Auto Show. They became the Packard 12 Sedan. This model, however, did not cause a furore and did not provoke the mass distribution of air conditioners on cars. For three reasons.

Firstly, the "condo" on that Packard was offered exclusively as an option. And not just expensive, but very expensive: its price was 274 dollars. At that time, it was a third of the price of a new middle-class passenger car in the USA!

Secondly, as they say, there was no smell of any automation in the management of the first car air conditioner. In order to cool the cabin a little in hot weather, the driver had to stop, turn off the engine, and then open the hood and manually install the air conditioning drive belt.

Thirdly, this system itself was very cumbersome. The units necessary for its operation were not only under the hood and in the cabin, but also "ate" almost half of the useful volume of the trunk.

In general, this option did not become any popular, and literally two years after the premiere of Packard with air conditioning, they stopped offering it. The idea, however, was picked up by Packard's rivals Cadillac and Chrysler, and in 1941-1942 air conditioning was listed as optional equipment on the top models of both brands.

During the Second World War, the process of improving car air conditioners stopped (manufacturers, for obvious reasons, had no time for that).

The rebirth of the air conditioner

It was not until the mid-1950s that a breakthrough occurred in this area. The first systems similar to modern ones appeared: they combined an air conditioner and a heater, much more compact; units were located only under the hood. And the price of such an option became more and more reasonable.

Accordingly, the popularity of "condos" in the economically developed United States began to grow at an impressive pace. By the end of the 80s in the United States, almost 90% of cars were equipped with air conditioning. But in Europe, which suffered greatly during the Second World War, they, on the contrary, were not very popular until the end of the 70s.

When did we get air conditioning?

In the USSR, air conditioning systems were the lot of exclusively government cars. The "pioneer" was the ZIL-111A, launched into mass production in 1959. The car was equipped with a Soviet-designed air conditioner. But the "Seagull" of the second generation (GAZ-14), released in 1977, has already received a foreign air conditioning system.

Air conditioning became available to the mass buyer of domestic cars after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the 2000s, "kondei" appeared in price lists for various modifications of the "Volga" 3110, and the first model of the Lada brand with a factory-installed air conditioner was the Priora, which appeared in 2007.

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How is it arranged?

The principle diagram of the operation of a car air conditioner has not changed since about the 50s (when compact under-hood installations appeared). There were only all sorts of additional filters, automated control systems, the efficiency and durability of "kondeevs" improved.

One of the main components of the system is the compressor, which, in fact, “drives” the refrigerant through it. As a rule, freon acts as the latter. The compressor works from the engine: through a belt drive. That is why the air conditioner takes power from the engine, and also increases fuel consumption.

The compressor compresses the freon, causing it to heat up, and sends it to the condenser. There, the freon is cooled by the fan, passes through the condenser tubes, passes into a liquid state, and the heat given off by it is removed to the atmosphere.

After that, the refrigerant passes through the purification system and is fed into the evaporator, where it begins to boil, goes into a gaseous state and is then strongly cooled. It is this cold from the evaporator that is supplied to the cabin with the help of a fan, and the cooled freon enters the compressor again, and the described cycle is repeated.

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Photo: classicandperformancecar.com

What is the difference between air conditioning and climate control?

Air conditioning differs from climate control in that the latter is controlled mechanically and "knows" only air cooling. While the "climate" is controlled automatically (electronics) and not only cools, but also warms up the air, and also mixes its warm and cold flows in certain proportions.

That is why, in the presence of climate control, the driver only needs to set the desired temperature in the cabin. The owner of a car with a simple air conditioner needs to constantly turn it on and off manually.

Where is it and where is it not?

Nowadays, "kondei" are installed even on "budget" sedans and hatchbacks, including domestic ones. However, the air conditioner goes into the category of mandatory basic equipment only on models of class D and above. In cars of a class and two below, you either need to pay extra for a "condo" or buy a car in a more expensive configuration, in which it is already included.

Among the golf-class models popular with us, the air conditioner in the "base" does not have, in particular, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, Skoda Octavia; Class B models include Renault Logan, Volkswagen Polo Sedan, Hyundai Solaris.

About the fact that our distant ancestors can and should fight against the debilitating heat
guessed thousands of years ago. Probably the first refrigerator can be considered
Neanderthal who discovered that even on the hottest days, a pleasant atmosphere reigns in the cave
cool.
When, bowing their heads, tourists pass through narrow corridors carved into the rocks
Valley of the Kings in Egypt, and find themselves in the burial chamber of the pharaoh, their only
salvation from the stuffiness of the dungeon is a small piece of cardboard, prudently issued
servant of the underground museum at the entrance. The builders of the tombs, whose source of light
served as an oil lamp, must have suffered even more from suffocation. Therefore, above the entrance to
tombs they depicted the goddess Maat, whose wings were supposed to bring the pharaoh
a breath of fresh wind. These images are jokingly called drawings of the first air conditioners.
The inhabitants of ancient India laid grass mats moistened with
water. Evaporating, the water cooled the air entering the room. So long before the advent
household appliances man has found a way to increase comfort in his home.
Curiously, the underlying principle of air conditioning is to cool the air by
evaporation of moisture is also realized in wildlife. It has recently been found that "live
air-conditioned" is a camel. The mucus produced in his nose saturates dry
desert air entering the lungs. However, when an animal exhales, unlike a human, this
the moisture is again filtered in the nose and remains in the body of the camel. Exhaled by a camel
the air is sometimes 9 °C cooler than the surrounding air, while the exhalation of a person has
the same temperature as his body. In order to somehow escape the heat, the rulers
ancient people surrounded their palaces with shady gardens and ponds, filled cellars with ice, and
servants armed with fans created a refreshing movement of air. And down to the middle
In the 18th century, they didn’t come up with anything better than the “Arapa” boy.
However, the technological revolution that began in the century before last very quickly
changed the way people think about climate. The modern concept of "air conditioning" (from
English air-condition - “air condition”) as a designation of a device for maintaining
the set temperature in the room has existed for a long time. Interestingly, for the first time the word
air conditioning was spoken aloud as early as 1815. It was then that the Frenchman Jeanne Chabannes
received a British patent for a method of "air conditioning and temperature control
in dwellings and other buildings. However, the practical implementation of the idea had to wait.
long enough. Only in 1902, the American engineer-inventor Willis Carrier
assembled an industrial refrigeration machine for a Brooklyn print shop in New York. Most
curious that the first air conditioner was not intended to create a pleasant coolness
workers, but to combat humidity, which greatly degraded print quality ...
True, a year later, the aristocracy of Europe, visiting Cologne, considered it their duty to visit
local theatre. Moreover, the lively interest of the public was caused not only (and not so much) by the troupe's performance, but
a pleasant chill that reigned in the auditorium even in the hottest months. And when in 1924
year, an air conditioning system was installed in a Detroit department store, an influx of
the onlooker was simply mind-blowing. It was just right to introduce an entrance fee, however,
the enterprising owner did not remain for nothing. These first devices became the ancestors
modern central air conditioning systems.
The "fossil" ancestor of all modern split systems and windows can be considered the first
room air conditioner, released by the General Electric company back in 1929. Because in
Ammonia was used as a refrigerant in this device, the vapors of which are unsafe for
human health, the compressor and condenser of the air conditioner were taken out into the street. That is, by
At its core, this device was a real split system! However, since 1931,
when freon, safe for the human body, was synthesized, the designers considered it
the benefit is to collect all the components and assemblies of the air conditioner in one building. This is how the first windows appeared.
air conditioners, the distant descendants of which are successfully operating today. Moreover, in the USA,
Latin America, the Middle East, as well as Taiwan, Hong Kong, as well as India and
window frames are still the most popular type in most African countries.
conditioners. The reasons for their success are obvious: they are about half the price of similar
power split systems, and their installation does not require special skills and expensive
tool. The latter is especially important far from the centers of civilization, where it is easier to catch
bigfoot than to find a citizen familiar with the installation of refrigeration equipment.
Long time leadership in the field of the latest developments in ventilation and
air conditioning was owned by American companies, however, in the late 50s,
In the early 60s, the initiative firmly passed to the Japanese. In the future, it is they
defined the face of the modern climate industry.
So in 1958, the Japanese company Daikin offered the first heat pump, thereby
having taught air conditioners to work on heat.
And three years later, an event occurred that largely predetermined
further development of household and semi-industrial air conditioning systems. This
start of mass production of split systems. Since 1961, when the Japanese company Toshiba
for the first time launched into mass production an air conditioner divided into two units,
The popularity of this type of climate control equipment has been constantly growing. Thanks to
the most noisy part of the air conditioner - the compressor is now placed outside, indoors
equipped with split systems is much quieter than in the rooms where the windows work.
The sound intensity has been reduced by an order of magnitude! The second huge plus is the ability to place
the indoor unit of the split system in any convenient place.
Today, many different types of internal devices are produced: wall-mounted,
subceiling, floor and built-in false ceiling - cassette and channel. This
important not only in terms of design - various types of indoor units allow you to create
the most optimal distribution of cooled air in rooms of a certain
forms and purposes.
And in 1968, an air conditioner appeared on the market, in which one external unit worked
several internal ones. This is how multi-split systems appeared. Today they may include
itself from two to six indoor units, of various types.
A significant innovation was the appearance of an inverter-type air conditioner. In 1981
year, Toshiba offered the first split system capable of smoothly adjusting its
power, and already in 1998, inverters occupied 95% of the Japanese market.
And finally, the last of the most popular types of air conditioners in the world - VRV-
systems were offered by the company in 1982 by Daikin.
MILESTONES IN HISTORY
1734. In the building of the English Parliament, the first of the known axial
fans. It was powered by a steam engine and worked without repair.
over 80 years.
1754. Leonhard Euler developed the theory of the fan, which formed the basis for the calculation of modern
mechanical ventilation systems.
1763. Mikhail Lomonosov publishes his work "On the free movement of air in the mines noted."
The ideas presented in this work formed the basis for the calculation of natural ventilation systems.
1810 The first calculated system was installed in the hospital of the suburb of London - Derby
natural ventilation.
1815. The Frenchman Jean Chabannes received a British patent for a "method of air conditioning and
temperature control in dwellings and other buildings…”
1852 Lord Kelvin developed the basics of using a refrigeration machine for space heating
(Heat pump). Four years later, the idea was practically implemented by the Austrian Rittenger.
1902 American engineer Willis Carrier developed the first industrial plant
for air conditioning.
1929 In the United States, General Electric developed the first room air conditioner.
1931 The invention of a refrigerant safe for human health - freon. Produced a real
revolution in the development of climate technology.
1958 Daikin has proposed an air conditioner that can work not only in the cold, but also in
heat according to the "heat pump" principle.
1961 Toshiba was the first in the world to start industrial production of air conditioners divided into two blocks,
called split systems.
1966 Hitachi was the first in the world to offer a dehumidifying window air conditioner. Through
four years, she was the first to introduce this function in split systems.
1968 Daikin offered an air conditioner with one outdoor unit and two indoor units. So
multi-split systems appeared.
1977 Toshiba is the first in the world to release a microprocessor-controlled air conditioner.
1981 Toshiba has developed a variable speed compressor. In the same year on the market
air conditioners equipped with them, called inverter air conditioners, appeared.
1982 Daikin has developed and introduced into production a new type of central systems
air conditioning system VRF, allowing to solve the issues of air conditioning and
ventilation.
1998 Sanyo offered a VRF system with inverterless power control.
1995 A decision has been made to phase out the use of refrigerants that are hazardous to
ozone layer. In Europe, their production should be completely stopped by 2014.
2002 Haier is the first company in the world to offer a home air conditioner capable of increasing
oxygen concentration in the room.
AND WE HAVE A HISTORY
In the Soviet Union, air conditioning was considered an unaffordable luxury for a long time,
diverting the proletariat from the class struggle. So in 1940 for the publication of a number of materials on
air conditioning was destroyed by the Heating and Ventilation magazine. These articles were
perceived as "propaganda of bourgeois views in technology", and until 1955 (when
it turned out that Soviet ships are absolutely not adapted to sailing in the tropics) this topic
remained under an unspoken ban.
Somewhat later, in 1963-65, in the city of Domodedovo near Moscow, the production of
air conditioners for communication centers and missile weapon control points, the Equator plant in the city of
Nikolaev began to produce marine air conditioners, and, finally, several enterprises began
production of climatic equipment for aviation.
The production of air conditioners for industrial enterprises was mastered in Kharkov, and in
on a smaller scale and at a number of industrial enterprises.
The production of domestic air conditioners in the Soviet Union began only in the 70s
years, after the factory built in Baku began manufacturing products under license
Japanese firm Hitachi. In his best years, which fell in the mid-80s, Baku
the plant produced 400,000 - 500,000 air conditioners per year, of which about 120,000-150,000 went to
export. Most of the Soviet windows were sold to Cuba - about 700,000 pieces.
China, Iran, Egypt and Australia were major importers. And in other years on green
more than 10,000 vehicles were sent to the continent.
Now it’s fashionable to scold BC for its large dimensions and high noise level, but you can’t help but
admit that they turned out to be extremely unpretentious and durable. Same Australia
some devices still work! In addition, Soviet prices were so pleasantly pleasing.
local farmers that in the homeland of kangaroos these products are still remembered with a kind word.
Not a single Japanese, American, Israeli or Korean-made air conditioner
was so durable. Perhaps the fact is that all over the world the concept
the durability of manufactured equipment has undergone significant changes already at the turn of 70-80
years. If earlier they tried to make it last for centuries, now the service life does not exceed time
obsolescence. At the current pace of technology development, this is no more than 10 years.
By the way, at least this fact speaks about the quality of BCs released in the 70-80s. Plant by
production of compressors (estimated at 1,000,000 pieces per year) half of the production
sent for export, fulfilling the order of Toshiba.
After the collapse of the USSR and the departure of the best specialists, the production of air conditioners in Baku
began to decline and by 1997-98 it had completely collapsed. Of the former 6,000 workers on
the company has no more than 500 people engaged in the repair and maintenance of equipment. Era BC
ended.
Another Soviet project, now almost forgotten, was
air conditioners "Neva", a small batch of which was made in Leningrad.
The first air conditioners made in Russia were the Fedders windows, which at the beginning
The 90s were collected in the city of Zheleznogorsk (Kursk region). However, due to the poor quality
production did not last long, and by 1996 it was completely curtailed.
The baton was picked up in Elektrostal near Moscow. In 1997, the Elemash plant mastered
production of split systems from Samsung assembly kits, and then production was established
products under their own brand.
And, finally, in the last two years, the production of split systems has begun in Fryazino (Rolsen),
Khabarovsk (EVGO), Moscow (MV), Izhevsk (Kupol), Rostov-on-Don (Artel).
2. A LITTLE PHYSICS
Understand how the air conditioner works and where does the refreshing
cool is not that hard. Consider this on the example of a split system. As known from school
course of physics, during evaporation, any liquid absorbs heat. If you put alcohol on your hand or
cologne, you will immediately feel cold. Conversely, when steam condenses, heat is released.
It is this well-known principle that any split system exploits. Exaggerating a little
we can assume that its main element is a closed copper tube. One part of her
passes through the indoor unit, the other through the outdoor unit
external. This is the refrigeration circuit, inside which freon circulates. When passing
through the indoor unit, freon turns into gas, which means it cools the room. In the outer
block, it again becomes a liquid, giving off excess heat to the surrounding air. And so once for
at once.
True, freon is a lazy liquid and will not flow anywhere by itself. For this in
the air conditioner has a special “pump” - a compressor that creates in the refrigeration
the required pressure in the circuit. In addition, sections of the refrigeration circuit inside the units
equipped with aluminum plates that help freon is more efficiently divided with
the surrounding air is warm or cool. These devices are called heat exchangers.
And in order for the process to go even faster, air is blown through them with the help of
fans. The same thing happens in the window air conditioner, only all its components and assemblies
housed in one building.
If necessary, the air conditioner can also be used for heating. Only in this case
heat is transferred not from the room to the street, but vice versa. Air conditioner in operation
space heating is called a heat pump.
3. REFRIGERANTS
The first room air conditioner recognized by technical historians was released in 1929
by General Electric worked on ammonia. This substance is not safe for humans, which in
significantly hindered the development of refrigeration technology.
The problem was solved in 1931 when harmless to
Freon is the refrigerant in the human body. Subsequently, more than four were synthesized
dozens of different freons, differing from each other in properties and chemical composition.
The cheapest and most effective were R-11, R-12, which for a long time
arranged. True, in the past 15 years they have fallen out of favor due to their ozone-depleting
properties.
For takeout:
All freons are substances formed on
based on two gases - methane CH4 and ethane - CH3-
CH3. In refrigeration, methane has the brand
R-50, ethane - R-70. All other freons
obtained from methane and ethane by substitution
hydrogen atoms chlorine and fluorine atoms.
For example, the well-known R-22 is obtained from
methane by replacing one hydrogen atom
chlorine and two - fluorine. Chemical formula
this freon - CHF2Cl.
The physical properties of refrigerants depend
from the content of three components - chlorine,
fluorine and hydrogen. So as you decrease
number of hydrogen atoms combustibility
refrigerants drops while stability rises.
They can exist for a long time in the atmosphere,
without decomposing into pieces and causing harm
environment. And as the number increases
chlorine atoms increases the toxicity of refrigerants
and their ozone-depleting potential.
Harm caused by freons to the ozone layer
estimated by the ozone-depleting value
potential, which is 0 for ozone-friendly refrigerants (R-410A, R-407C, R-134a) and up to 13 for
ozone depleting (R-10, R-110). At the same time, the ozone-depleting potential of freon R-
12, until recently the most widespread throughout the world. As a temporary
R-22 freon was chosen as an alternative to R-12, the ozone depletion potential of which is 0.05.
In general, the rapid evolution of refrigerants in the last 15 years is associated mainly with problems
ecology. Freons used in air conditioners and refrigerators were called the main
the culprits of the infamous ozone holes (which is highly doubtful). So it's really
or not, but in 1987 the Montreal Protocol was adopted, restricting the use
ozone depleting substances. In particular, according to this document, manufacturers will
are forced to abandon the use of R-22 freon, which is used today by 90% of all
conditioners. In most European countries, the sale of air conditioners on this freon will
discontinued already in 2002-2004. And many new models are already shipped to Europe only for
ozone-friendly refrigerants - R-407C and R-410A.
refrigerant
Properties R-22 R-410A R-407C
Isotropy
(possibility of refueling
air conditioner leak)
yes yes no
Mineral polyester polyester oil
pressure at temperature
condensation +43C
16 atm. 26 atm. 18 atm.
Price per kilogram USD 4.8 32.7 29.4
Unlike traditional refrigerants, R-407C and R-410A are mixtures of different
freon, and therefore less convenient to use. So in the composition of R-407C, created as
alternatives to R-22, three freons are included: R-32 (23%), R-125 (25%) and R-134a (52%). Each of them
is responsible for providing certain properties: the first contributes to an increase
performance, the second - excludes ignition, the third determines the working pressure in
refrigerant circuit.
This mixture is not isotropic, and therefore, in case of any leakage of the refrigerant, its fraction
volatilize unevenly and the optimal composition changes. Thus, at
depressurization of the refrigeration circuit, the air conditioner cannot simply be refueled; leftovers
refrigerant must be drained and replaced with new. This was the main obstacle for
distribution of R-407C.
In addition, its “environmental friendliness” in practice can lead to an additional burden on
environment. Freon evacuated from air conditioners must be disposed of, and in
Russia or Asian countries, no one will get involved with this. He is simply pitted in the nearest
gateway. And although R-407C is not dangerous for the ozone layer, it is one of the most
strong greenhouse gases.
R-410A brand refrigerant, consisting of R-32 (50%) and R-125 (50%) is conditionally
isotropic. That is, when leaking, the mixture practically does not change its composition, and therefore
the air conditioner can simply be topped up. However, the R-410A is not without some drawbacks.
Unlike R-22, which is highly soluble in ordinary mineral oil, new
refrigerants and assume the use of synthetic polyester oil. What does this mean
on practice?
Polyester oil has one very significant drawback - it quickly
absorbs moisture, thus losing its properties. Moreover, during storage, transportation and
refueling, it is necessary to exclude not only the ingress of dripping moisture, but also contact with wet
air, from which the oil actively absorbs water. Moreover, it does not dissolve any
oil products and organic compounds that become potential pollutants
substances.
In addition, the climate equipment itself on R-410A with the same performance
turns out to be significantly more expensive. The reason is the higher working pressure. So at
condensation temperature +43 C, for R-22 it is about 16 atm., and for R-410A - about 26
atm. For this reason, all components and parts of the refrigeration circuit of the air conditioner on the R-410A, including
compressor, should be more durable. This increases the consumption of copper and makes the entire system
more expensive.
And finally, the ozone-friendly refrigerants themselves are several times more expensive than traditional ones.
So for a kilogram of R-410A you will have to pay almost 7 times more than for a kilogram
familiar R-22. Slightly cheaper than R407C, to which semi-industrial
range of equipment. There will be a 6-fold difference, and taking into account the fact that with any leak it
it is necessary to drain, the real cost of freon will increase by an order of magnitude. It should also be taken into account that with
increase in operating pressure, the number of leaks will inevitably increase, since the strength of brazed,
and most importantly the rolled joints remain the same.
By 2002, split systems using ozone-friendly freons were presented at
Russian market almost all leading companies. Although the final ban on
the use of air conditioners on the currently used R-22 will only come into effect in 2014.

Our distant ancestors guessed that it is possible and necessary to fight against the exhausting heat thousands of years ago. Probably, the first refrigeration man can be considered a Neanderthal, who discovered that a pleasant coolness reigns in the cave even on the hottest days.

When, bowing their heads, tourists pass through the narrow corridors carved into the rocks of the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, and find themselves in the burial chamber of the pharaoh, their only escape from the closeness of the dungeon is a small piece of cardboard, prudently issued by the attendant of the underground museum at the entrance. The builders of the tombs, whose light source was an oil lamp, must have suffered even more from suffocation. Therefore, above the entrance to the tombs, they depicted the goddess Maat, whose wings were supposed to bring a breath of fresh wind to the pharaoh. These images are jokingly called drawings of the first air conditioners.

The inhabitants of ancient India placed grass mats moistened with water on the windowsills of their dwellings. Evaporating, the water cooled the air entering the room. So long before the advent of household appliances, a person found a way to increase comfort in his home.

It is curious that the principle of air cooling due to the evaporation of moisture, which is the basis of air conditioning, is also implemented in wildlife. It has recently been established that the "living conditioner" is a camel. The mucus produced in his nose saturates the dry desert air with moisture, which enters the lungs. However, when an animal exhales, unlike a person, this moisture is again filtered in the nose and remains in the camel's body. The air exhaled by a camel is sometimes 9 ° C cooler than the surrounding air, while the exhalation of a person has the same temperature as his body. In order to somehow escape from the heat, the rulers of antiquity surrounded their palaces with shady gardens and ponds, filled cellars with ice, and servants armed with fans created a refreshing movement of air. And until the middle of the 18th century, they didn’t come up with anything better than the “Arap” boy.

However, the technological revolution that began in the century before last very quickly turned people's ideas about the climate. The modern concept of "air conditioner" (from the English air - condition - "air condition") as a designation of a device for maintaining a given temperature in a room has existed for a long time. Interestingly, for the first time the word air conditioning was spoken aloud back in 1815. It was then that the Frenchman Jeanne Chabannes received a British patent for a method of "air conditioning and temperature control in dwellings and other buildings." However, the practical implementation of the idea had to wait quite a long time. It wasn't until 1902 that the American engineer-inventor Willis Carrier assembled an industrial refrigeration machine for the Brooklyn printing house in New York. The most curious thing is that the first air conditioner was not intended to create a pleasant coolness for workers, but to deal with humidity, which greatly degraded print quality ...

True, a year later, the aristocracy of Europe, visiting Cologne, considered it their duty to visit the local theater. Moreover, the lively interest of the public was caused not only (and not so much) by the performance of the troupe, but by the pleasant chill that reigned in the auditorium even in the hottest months. And when in 1924 the air conditioning system was installed in one of the department stores in Detroit, the influx of onlookers was simply mind-blowing. It was just right to introduce an entrance fee, however, the enterprising owner did not remain at a loss. These first units became the ancestors of modern central air conditioning systems.

The "fossil" ancestor of all modern split systems and windows can be considered the first room air conditioner, released by General Electric back in 1929. Since ammonia was used as a refrigerant in this device, the vapors of which are unsafe for human health, the compressor and condenser of the air conditioner were taken outside. That is, at its core, this device was a real split system! However, since 1931, when freon, safe for the human body, was synthesized, the designers considered it good to assemble all the components and assemblies of the air conditioner in one case. This is how the first window air conditioners appeared, the distant descendants of which are successfully operating today. Moreover, in the United States, Latin America, the Middle East, as well as Taiwan, Hong Kong, as well as India and most African countries, window units are still the most popular type of air conditioner. The reasons for their success are obvious: they are about half the price of split systems of similar power, and their installation does not require special skills and expensive tools. The latter is especially important far from the centers of civilization, where it is easier to catch Bigfoot than to find a citizen familiar with the installation of refrigeration equipment.

So in 1958, the Japanese company Daikin offered the first heat pump, thereby teaching air conditioners to work on heat.

And three years later, an event occurred that largely predetermined the further development of domestic and semi-industrial air conditioning systems. This is the beginning of the mass production of split systems. Since 1961, when the Japanese company Toshiba first launched the air conditioner divided into two blocks into mass production, the popularity of this type of climate equipment has constantly grown. Due to the fact that the most noisy part of the air conditioner - the compressor is now placed outside, in rooms equipped with split systems it is much quieter than in rooms where windows work. The sound intensity has been reduced by an order of magnitude! The second huge plus is the ability to place the indoor unit of the split system in any convenient place.

And, finally, the last of the most popular types of air conditioners in the world - VRV - systems were offered by the company in 1982 by Daikin.

History milestones

1734. The first known axial fan is installed in the British Parliament building. It was powered by a steam engine and worked without repair for more than 80 years.

1754. Leonhard Euler developed the theory of the fan, which formed the basis for the calculation of modern mechanical ventilation systems.

1763. Mikhail Lomonosov publishes his work "On the free movement of air in the mines noted." The ideas presented in this work formed the basis for the calculation of natural ventilation systems.

1810 The hospital in Derby, London, has installed the first calculated natural ventilation system.

1815. Frenchman Jean Chabannes received a British patent for "a method of air conditioning and temperature control in dwellings and other buildings ...".

1852 Lord Kelvin developed the basics of using a refrigeration machine for space heating (a heat pump). Four years later, the idea was practically implemented by the Austrian Rittenger.

1902 American engineer Willis Carrier developed the first industrial air conditioning unit.

1929 In the United States, General Electric developed the first room air conditioner.

1931 The invention of a refrigerant safe for human health - freon. Made a real revolution in the development of climate technology.

1958 Daikin offered an air conditioner that can work not only for cold, but also for heat on the principle of "heat pump".

1961 Toshiba was the first in the world to start industrial production of air conditioners divided into two blocks, called split systems.

1966 Hitachi was the first in the world to offer a dehumidifying window air conditioner. Four years later, she was the first to introduce this feature in split systems.

1968 Daikin offered an air conditioner with one outdoor unit and two indoor units. This is how multi-split systems appeared.

1977 Toshiba introduces the world's first microprocessor-controlled air conditioner.

1981 Toshiba develops variable speed compressor. In the same year, air conditioners equipped with them, called inverter air conditioners, appeared on the market.

1982 Daikin has developed and introduced into production a new type of VRF central air conditioning systems, which allow solving air conditioning and ventilation issues in a complex.

1998 Sanyo offered a VRF system with inverterless power control.

1995 A decision was made to phase out the use of refrigerants that are hazardous to the ozone layer. In Europe, their production should be completely stopped by 2014.

2002 Haier was the first company in the world to offer a household air conditioner capable of increasing the oxygen concentration in a room.

And we have history

In the Soviet Union, air conditioning has long been considered an unaffordable luxury that distracts the proletariat from the class struggle. Thus, in 1940, the journal Heating and Ventilation was smashed for publishing a number of materials on air conditioning. These articles were perceived as "propaganda of bourgeois views in technology", and until 1955 (when it turned out that Soviet ships were absolutely not adapted to sailing in the tropics), this topic remained under an unspoken ban.

Somewhat later, in 1963-65, in the city of Domodedovo near Moscow, the production of air conditioners for communication centers and missile weapon control points was launched, the Equator plant in Nikolaev began to produce ship air conditioners, and, finally, several enterprises began to produce climatic equipment for aviation.

The production of air conditioners for industrial enterprises was mastered in Kharkov, and on a smaller scale at a number of industry enterprises.

The production of household air conditioners in the Soviet Union began only in the 70s, after the plant built in Baku began production under the license of the Japanese company Hitachi. In its best years, which fell in the mid-80s, the Baku plant produced 400,000-500,000 air conditioners a year, of which about 120,000-150,000 were exported. Most of the Soviet windows were sold to Cuba - about 700,000 pieces. China, Iran, Egypt and Australia were major importers. Moreover, in other years, more than 10,000 devices were sent to the green continent.

Now it is fashionable to scold BCs for their large dimensions and high noise level, but one cannot but admit that they turned out to be extremely unpretentious and durable. In the same Australia, some devices still work! In addition, Soviet prices pleased local farmers so pleasantly that in the homeland of kangaroos, these products are still remembered with a kind word.

No Japanese, American, Israeli or Korean air conditioner has been so durable. Perhaps the fact is that all over the world the concept of durability of manufactured equipment has undergone significant changes already at the turn of the 70-80s. If earlier they tried to make it last for centuries, now the service life does not exceed the time of obsolescence. At the current pace of technology development, this is no more than 10 years.

By the way, at least this fact speaks about the quality of BCs released in the 70-80s. The compressor plant (designed for 1,000,000 units per year) exported half of the products, fulfilling an order from Toshiba.

After the collapse of the USSR and the departure of the best specialists, the production of air conditioners in Baku began to decline, and by 1997-98 it had completely collapsed. Of the former 6,000 workers at the enterprise, no more than 500 people remained engaged in the repair and maintenance of equipment. The era of BC is over.

Another Soviet project, now practically forgotten, was the Neva air conditioners, a small batch of which was made in Leningrad.

The first air conditioners made in Russia were the Fedders windows, which were assembled in the city of Zheleznogorsk (Kursk region) in the early 90s. However, due to the low quality of products, production did not last long, and by 1996 it was completely curtailed. The baton was picked up in Elektrostal near Moscow. In 1997, the Elemash plant mastered the production of split systems from Samsung assembly kits, and then launched production of products under its own brand.

And finally, in the last two years, the production of split systems has been launched in Fryazino (Rolsen), Khabarovsk (EVGO), Moscow (MV), Izhevsk (Kupol), Rostov-on-Don (Artel).

This is important not only in terms of design - different types of indoor units allow you to create the most optimal distribution of cooled air in rooms of a certain shape and purpose.

And in 1968, an air conditioner appeared on the market, in which several internal ones worked simultaneously with one external unit. This is how multi-split systems appeared. Today they can include from two to six indoor units of various types. A significant innovation was the appearance of an inverter-type air conditioner. In 1981, Toshiba offered the first split system capable of smoothly regulating its power, and already in 1998, inverters occupied 95% of the Japanese market. And, finally, the last of the most popular types of air conditioners in the world - VRV systems were offered by the company in 1982 by Daikin.

MILESTONES IN HISTORY
1734. The first known axial fan is installed in the British Parliament building. It was powered by a steam engine and worked without repair for more than 80 years.
1754. Leonhard Euler developed the theory of the fan, which formed the basis for the calculation of modern mechanical ventilation systems.
1763. Mikhail Lomonosov publishes his work "On the free movement of air in the mines noted." The ideas presented in this work formed the basis for the calculation of natural ventilation systems.
1810 The first calculated natural ventilation system was installed in the hospital in the suburb of London - Derby.
1815. Frenchman Jean Chabannes received a British patent for "a method of air conditioning and temperature control in dwellings and other buildings ..."
1852 Lord Kelvin developed the basics of using a refrigeration machine for space heating (a heat pump). Four years later, the idea was practically implemented by the Austrian Rittenger.
1902 American engineer Willis Carrier developed the first industrial air conditioning unit.
1929 In the United States, General Electric developed the first room air conditioner.
1931 The invention of a refrigerant safe for human health - freon. Made a real revolution in the development of climate technology.
1958 Daikin has proposed an air conditioner that can work not only for cold, but also for heat according to the “heat pump” principle.
1961 Toshiba was the first in the world to start industrial production of air conditioners divided into two blocks, called split systems.
1966 Hitachi was the first in the world to offer a dehumidifying window air conditioner. Four years later, she was the first to introduce this feature in split systems.
1968 Daikin offered an air conditioner with one outdoor unit and two indoor units. This is how multi-split systems appeared.
1977 Toshiba is the first in the world to release a microprocessor-controlled air conditioner.
1981 Toshiba has developed a variable speed compressor. In the same year, air conditioners equipped with them, called inverter air conditioners, appeared on the market.
1982 Daikin has developed and introduced into production a new type of VRF central air conditioning systems, which allow solving air conditioning and ventilation issues in a complex.
1998 Sanyo offered a VRF system with inverterless power control.
1995 A decision was made to phase out the use of refrigerants that are hazardous to the ozone layer. In Europe, their production should be completely stopped by 2014.
2002 Haier is the first company in the world to offer a household air conditioner capable of increasing the oxygen concentration in a room.
AND WE HAVE A HISTORY
In the Soviet Union, air conditioning has long been considered an unaffordable luxury that distracts the proletariat from the class struggle. Thus, in 1940, the journal Heating and Ventilation was smashed for publishing a number of materials on air conditioning. These articles were perceived as "propaganda of bourgeois views in technology", and until 1955 (when it turned out that Soviet ships were absolutely not adapted to sailing in the tropics), this topic remained under an unspoken ban. Somewhat later, in 1963-65, in the city of Domodedovo near Moscow, the production of air conditioners for communication centers and missile weapon control points was launched, the Equator plant in Nikolaev began to produce ship air conditioners, and, finally, several enterprises began to produce climatic equipment for aviation. The production of air conditioners for industrial enterprises was mastered in Kharkov, and on a smaller scale at a number of industry enterprises. The production of household air conditioners in the Soviet Union began only in the 70s, after the plant built in Baku began production under the license of the Japanese company Hitachi. In its best years, which fell in the mid-80s, the Baku plant produced 400,000 - 500,000 air conditioners per year, of which about 120,000-150,000 were exported. Most of the Soviet windows were sold to Cuba - about 700,000 pieces. China, Iran, Egypt and Australia were major importers. Moreover, in other years, more than 10,000 devices were sent to the green continent. Now it is fashionable to scold BCs for their large dimensions and high noise level, but one cannot but admit that they turned out to be extremely unpretentious and durable. In the same Australia, some devices still work! In addition, Soviet prices pleased local farmers so pleasantly that in the homeland of kangaroos, these products are still remembered with a kind word. No Japanese, American, Israeli or Korean air conditioner has been so durable. Perhaps the fact is that all over the world the concept of durability of manufactured equipment has undergone significant changes already at the turn of the 70-80s. If earlier they tried to make it last for centuries, now the service life does not exceed the time of obsolescence. At the current pace of technological development, this is no more than 10 years. By the way, at least this fact speaks about the quality of BCs released in the 70-80s. The compressor plant (designed for 1,000,000 units per year) exported half of the production, fulfilling the order of Toshiba. After the collapse of the USSR and the departure of the best specialists, the production of air conditioners in Baku began to decline, and by 1997-98 it had completely collapsed. Of the former 6,000 workers at the enterprise, no more than 500 people remained engaged in the repair and maintenance of equipment. The era of BC is over. Another Soviet project, now practically forgotten, was the Neva air conditioners, a small batch of which was made in Leningrad. The first air conditioners made in Russia were the Fedders windows, which were assembled in the city of Zheleznogorsk (Kursk region) in the early 90s. However, due to the low quality of products, production did not last long, and by 1996 it was completely curtailed. The baton was picked up in Elektrostal near Moscow. In 1997, the Elemash plant mastered the production of split systems from Samsung assembly kits, and then launched production of products under its own brand. And finally, in the last two years, the production of split systems has been launched in Fryazino (Rolsen), Khabarovsk (EVGO), Moscow (MV), Izhevsk (Kupol), Rostov-on-Don (Artel).

The builders of the tombs, whose light source was an oil lamp, must have suffered even more from suffocation. Therefore, above the entrance to the tombs, they depicted the goddess Maat, whose wings were supposed to bring a breath of fresh wind to the pharaoh. These images are jokingly called drawings of the first air conditioners.

In order to somehow escape from the heat, the rulers of antiquity surrounded their palaces with shady gardens and ponds, filled cellars with ice, and servants armed with fans created a refreshing movement of air. And until the middle of the 18th century, they didn’t come up with anything better than the “Arap” boy.

Interestingly, for the first time the word air conditioning was spoken aloud back in 1815. It was then that the Frenchman Jeanne Chabannes received a British patent for a method of "air conditioning and temperature control in dwellings and other buildings." However, the practical implementation of the idea had to wait quite a long time. It wasn't until 1902 that the American engineer-inventor Willis Carrier assembled an industrial refrigeration machine for the Brooklyn printing house in New York. The most curious thing is that the first air conditioner was not intended to create a pleasant coolness for workers, but to combat humidity, which greatly worsened print quality ...

However, since 1931, when freon, safe for the human body, was synthesized, the designers considered it good to assemble all the components and assemblies of the air conditioner in one case. This is how the first window air conditioners appeared, the distant descendants of which are successfully operating today. Moreover, in the United States, Latin America, the Middle East, as well as Taiwan, Hong Kong, as well as India and most African countries, window units are still the most popular type of air conditioner. The reasons for their success are obvious: they are about half the price of split systems of similar power, and their installation does not require special skills and expensive tools. The latter is especially important far from the centers of civilization, where it is easier to catch Bigfoot than to find a citizen familiar with the installation of refrigeration equipment.

For a long time, the leadership in the field of the latest developments in ventilation and air conditioning belonged to American companies, however, in the late 50s and early 60s, the initiative was firmly transferred to the Japanese. In the future, it was they who determined the face of the modern climate industry. So in 1958, the Japanese company Daikin offered the first heat pump, thereby teaching air conditioners to work on heat. And three years later, an event occurred that largely predetermined the further development of domestic and semi-industrial air conditioning systems. This is the beginning of the mass production of split systems.

Since 1961, when the Japanese company Toshiba first launched the air conditioner divided into two blocks into mass production, the popularity of this type of climate equipment has constantly grown. Due to the fact that the most noisy part of the air conditioner - the compressor is now placed outside, in rooms equipped with split systems it is much quieter than in rooms where windows work. The sound intensity has been reduced by an order of magnitude! The second huge plus is the ability to place the indoor unit of the split system in any convenient place.

Today, many different types of internal devices are produced: wall-mounted, sub-ceiling, floor-standing and built into a false ceiling - cassette and channel. This is important not only in terms of design - different types of indoor units allow you to create the most optimal distribution of cooled air in rooms of a certain shape and purpose. And in 1968, an air conditioner appeared on the market, in which several internal ones worked simultaneously with one external unit. This is how multi-split systems appeared. Today they can include from two to six indoor units of various types.

A significant innovation was the appearance of an inverter-type air conditioner. In 1981, Toshiba offered the first split system capable of smoothly regulating its power, and already in 1998, inverters occupied 95% of the Japanese market. And, finally, the last of the most popular types of air conditioners in the world - VRV - systems were offered by the company in 1982 by Daikin.

FROM THE HISTORY

1734. The first known axial fan is installed in the British Parliament building. It was powered by a steam engine and worked without repair for more than 80 years.

1754. Leonhard Euler developed the theory of the fan, which formed the basis for the calculation of modern mechanical ventilation systems.

1763. Mikhail Lomonosov publishes his work "On the free movement of air in the mines noted." The ideas presented in this work formed the basis for the calculation of natural ventilation systems.

1810 The first calculated natural ventilation system was installed in the hospital in the suburb of London - Derby.