AIR CONDITIONING

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 27, 1 August 1932, Page 9

AIR CONDITIONING

ARTIFICIAL CLIMATES

WIDESPREAD ADOPTION

A subject which has become of great importance .to, many industries in recent, years was dealt with at a meeting of the AVellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry recently. Mr. K. O. Hale spoke on "Air Conditioning," and Mr. J. S. Ellis on "Automatic Control and its Applications in Air Conditioning,"

I Air . conditioning, said the first speaker, is a comparatively new branch of science, and though some work had been done in the textile industries the credit for its practical adoption to other industries must bo given to Mr. Willis Carvier, an American who, in 1911, published results of his research work on the subject. Air conditioning may be defined as the seience of controlling the temperature, humidity, purity, and distribution of air. In many industries tho manufacturer knows that the state of the weather is an important factor.. Knowing what temperature and humidity are required the air-conditioning engineer can supply automatically controlled apparatus to make every day in the. year a "best day." There are few industries which do not show a saving after the installation of air conditioning plant, while in many cases the quality of the goods is improved, and also standardised. The apparatus usually consists of fans, heaters, air washers (where four ; operations—cleaning, humidifying, dehurnidifying, and cooling—take place), and distributing air ducts. ' One of the earliest applications of air conditioning was in textile manufacturing, and whether cotton, wool, silk, or rayon is dealt with it has become an 'essential part of the equipment of any factory. Since every process in the manufacture of textiles is simply the mechanical treatment of the fibres to straighten them into parallel positions, twist them together, and finally weave the yarn so made into cloth, the whole process must depend upon the condition of tho fibres as they are being treated. All textile fibres, however, arc peculiarly sensitive to the moisture in tho air, and whenever this varies the characteristics of the fibres change. Thus it is of the utmost importance that the air within the factory shall be maintained at constant temperature and humidity, regardless of climate or season. Maximum capacity and increased efficiency of the mill is the result.. In the tobacco, printing, and brewing industries, and the manufacture of chocolate and . sweetstuffs generally, air conditioning"gives excellent results, while its application in the bakehouse enables tho baker to turn out a loaf of standard quality. NEW ZEALAND INTEREST. In automatic: telephone exchanges it has been found that the actual atmosphere of the room has > a considerable influence on the working of tho installation. Failure of 'insulation, arcing, and consequent oxidation of contacts, and the accumulation of dirt detrimental to delicate mechanisms may all be overcome by fixed temperature and humidity. Two products of great interest to the Dominion—cheese and butter —are much improved by air conditioning. If cheese maturing rooms are maintained at the correct humidity .and temperature a better and standardised product results. To talk-of "standard" cheesß on the basis of its ingredients only, and not to consider the atmospheric conditions of .production is to solve only half the. problem. With butter, moisture, is s an important factor, and has a great influence on the "question of ease of spreading. It is obvious- that tho varying climate- of the Dominion must result in a. considerable difference of •moisture content in the various butter factories. The automatic control of pasteurisation is another important factor,^.the most modern installation in this country being at the Wellington Municipal Milk' Department. Great strides have recently been made in various parts of the -world with fruit storage, and most of the diseases which in the past caused such serious loss in cold storage can be directly traced to unsuitable atmospheric conditions. The question of the control of conditions in the cooling .of freezing works is also one in which there is a. wide field for development in New Zealand.- , Many improvements, outlined by the speaker, have also taken place in ventilation, not only in factories in, the removal of fumes, steam, and dust, but also in public halls, theatres, and cinemas. In many countries legislation demands definite-quantities of air, and definite velocities are spceified'.for the entering air, thus ensuring proper distribution without draughts. The second speaker gave an account of various types of automatic controllers and their application in air conditioning. It, is due to these instruments that air conditioning has been widelv adopted in industry, for the correct atmospheric conditions having been determined these may be maintained indefinitely. The speakers were accorded a hcartv vote of thanks.