On Mon, 3 May 2004, Norm - RoweBoat wrote:

> You specifically stated that fluids cannot be compressed.  You even left
> that part of the quote in your response.  I was merely pointing out that
> liquids (and specifically water) can indeed be compressed and then including
> a little relevant personal history.

However, his post is correct that a compressor will only work on a gas.
Trying to feed a liquid into a compressor will only result in a broken
compressor.  Besides, we were talking about A/C systems.

In an A/C system, what goes into the compressor is Freon that has turned
to a gas (i.e., boiled) in the evaporator, after picking up heat from the
passenger compartment.  What comes out of the compressor is still a gas,
but under higher pressure.  (And hotter -- remember the basic gas law?)
It then goes to the condensor in front of the radiator, where it cools.
The combination of heat loss and high pressure causes it to revert back to
liquid form, and it goes back to the evaporator.

David Brodbeck, N8SRE
'86 Volvo 240DL wagon
'82 VW Vanagon Westfalia Diesel