Air conditioners use a fairly simple scientific theory to reduce the ambient air temperature in a room: gravity and diffusion work together to cool air down into the room.
Gravity functions as a massive volume controller, pulling cooler air lower. The air is then diffused across space, "drawing" cooler air from the room's sides and back. As a result, we won't need to fill the room with a lot of air. Instead, as long as the airflow rate is appropriate, simple mixing of air with colder, denser, down-gradient air allows you to experience a much more comfortable temperature in the space.
Setting the airflow rate so that cold air gradually hits the room's floor is the proper approach to cool down a room. At roughly 0 degrees Celsius, the air should meet the floor and begin to flow down. However, if the flow rate isn't quite high enough, or if it's too high at the top of the room, the air will reach the ceiling at the same temperature and recirculate back into the room, therefore it's critical to properly regulate the airflow rate. A small deviation from what most people consider to be ideal could make a significant difference in the amount of cooling the space receives. You'll need to put the space in the same state of relative humidity and temperature as the air conditioning unit to discover the sweet spot.
Variable airflow rates can change the temperature inside a room. If you have an air conditioning system in your home, you should be able to modify the air flow rate for your room by moving the control pad on your air conditioning machine (which looks like a waffle-shaped controller in the photo).
Setting the airflow rate
If you don't have a standard air conditioning system and wish to chill a room with a variable airflow rate, you'll need to account for air leakage from your home's open doors and windows. Fortunately, most places have large doors and windows, so you won't have to worry about excessive air leakage. If you need to chill a room by more than a degree Celsius, a standard airflow rate of 2.5 liters per minute should enough.
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