Determination of heat transfer and flow characteristics of split air conditioners by infrared thermography and particle image velocimetry

In this thesis, velocity pattern inside and outside a split type air conditioner (SAC) indoor unit is visualized experimentally by Stereo Particle Image Velocimetry (SPIV) method. Furthermore, a novel method called Meshed Infrared Thermography (MIT) for determining and visualizing the temperature profile in an air flow field was introduced and used to investigate the temperature distribution at the outflow of the SAC indoor unit. The success of the MIT method was investigated by using it for the determination of the temperature distribution inside a cylindrical jet and it is shown that the MIT method is adequate for visualizing the temperature distribution at different flow sections. The outflow and some parts of the inner flow of the SAC indoor unit were experimentally investigated for the first time in the literature, and the complex flow structures and temperature distribution were visualized. The primary flow structure at the outflow of the device is a planar jet, and a transverse flow is shown under the planar jet which exists independently from the device type, Cross-flow fan (CFF) type, and CFF rotational speed; although the transverse flow?s behavior may change with these parameters. In addition, the effects of the device edges on the planar jet are shown.