inventions of all time.

人類史上最棒的發明。

Okay, let's add indoor plumbing…

好吧，室內廁所也算在內好了…

Now I have a basic idea of how the first two things on the list work, but what about the

我大概了解網路和薯條的發明背景，但…

AC?

冷氣機呢？

What makes it as awesome as it is?

為什麼冷氣機是個很棒的發明？

Believe it or not, but you have to thank mosquitoes for the invention of air conditioning, or,

信不信由你，冷氣機的發明其實要歸功於蚊子

at least, its forefather!

嚴格來說，其實是蚊子的祖先！

No one loves them in the 21st century, but back in the 19th those guys were a real nightmare.

蚊子在 21 世紀相當討人厭，對 19 世紀的人們來說更是個夢魘。

They carried around different infections, such as malaria.

蚊子會傳播各種疾病，像是瘧疾。

Things were especially bad in swampy areas of Florida.

美國佛羅里達州的沼澤地區尤其嚴重。

A local physician and inventor Dr. John Gorrie was trying to find a way to drain the swamps,

當地一位名叫 John Gorrie 的醫生兼發明家，他試著把沼澤的水抽乾

and while he was at it, he got this revolutionary idea in 1841.

他在 1841 年進行抽水工程的時候，腦子靈光乍現。

He realized the problem was literally in the air.

他發覺到問題的關鍵其實在於氣溫。

So cooling the air could fix it!

只要把氣溫降低，問題就解決了！

Dr. Gorrie arranged shipping of buckets of ice from frozen lakes and streams in the North

Gorrie 醫生將遠在北方湖泊與溪流地區結凍的冰塊運送過來

of the country into hospital rooms in Florida.

放置在佛羅里達州的醫院病房裡。

It worked, but was super challenging logistically, so he came up with a new idea.

效果非常好，但搬運過程實在太艱辛，於是他有了新構想。

By 1851, he designed an air compressor to make ice out of water.

1851 年他設計了一種空氣壓縮裝置，能把水變成冰塊。

The mechanism was powered by a horse.

機器的運作是靠馬匹來驅動。

This is how the concept of air conditioning was born!

冷氣機的設計概念就此誕生！

It does have a lot in common with the ACs of today.

其實與現代冷氣機有很多相似之處。

Well, at least the basic idea is the same.

運作原理基本上大同小異。

A few decades later, engineer Willis Carrier was helping a publishing company to stop magazine

數十年後，Willis Carrier 工程師協助出版社處理

pages from wrinkling because of humidity.

因潮濕環境造成雜誌紙張發皺的問題。

He designed the first electrical air conditioning unit with cooling coils and air filters.

他運用冷卻管線和空氣濾網設計出第一個電動氣溫調節裝置。

He used cold water as a coolant first, and then installed an ammonia compressor in his machine.

起初他用冷水當作冷卻劑，並在機器裡加裝氨氣壓縮裝置。

Carrier realized it was not only good for magazines, but to humidify or dehumidify room air as well.

Carrier 發覺這個裝置不但能幫雜誌保持乾燥，還能調節房間的溼度。

He patented the invention and started his own Carrier Engineering Corporation in 1915.

1915 年他替冷氣機申請專利，同時也成立 Carrier 機器製造公司。

Air conditioning made its first mass public appearance at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904.

冷氣機首次問世於 1904 年的聖路易世界博覽會。

The 1,000 people in the auditorium definitely loved the idea of comfort cooling.

展場的千名觀眾對於舒適室溫的構想非常喜愛。

In the 1920s, it became a basic need for thousands of people that rushed to movie theaters to

到了1920 年代，大批影迷前往戲院觀看他們最喜愛好萊塢明星主演的電影

watch their favorite Hollywood stars on the big screen.

冷氣機已經是基本要求配備。

They came up with an unusual solution and decided to modify heating systems to send

戲院想到一個獨特的解決方法，就是把暖氣機改裝成冷氣機

cold air through floor vents.

從地板通風口輸送冷氣。

But now the lower levels were freezing and upper levels still felt too hot.

結果低樓層觀眾很冷，高樓層觀眾很熱。

It required a few adjustments, but in the end they fixed the issue and Metropolitan

經過些許改造，冷熱不一的問題總算解決了

Theater in Los Angeles got the first perfect public air conditioning system.

於是洛杉磯的大都會戲院擁有了第一個完美的公共空調系統。

It was good enough for public buildings, but still too large and expensive for homes.

這樣的空調系統應用在大樓非常合適，但對住家而言體積太過龐大也很昂貴。

It took a couple more decades for engineers to design something perfect for private houses.

又過了幾十年才有工程師設計出適合居家環境的冷氣機。

By 1947, they sold 43,000 systems, and now the AC is present

到 1947 年為止總共銷售了 43,000 台冷氣機，如今冷氣機已經遍佈

in hundreds of millions of homes across the world.

全球好幾百萬個住家裡。

Today's air conditioners work on the principles of Carrier's invention but are, of course,

現代冷氣機的運作原理主要還是根據 Carrier 當初的設計，但也比較

more energy efficient, much quieter, have way better diagnostics and controls,

節能、安靜，同時擁有較佳的測試介面、控制器

electronic sensors and are made of better materials.

以及電子感測器，而且用更好的材料製成。

What they do is transport heat energy from the house outdoors.

做法就是把室內的熱氣排到室外。

It changes the temperature inside, makes air more humid and improves its quality.

藉由改變室溫，讓空氣變得清新並增加濕度。

It has 2 basic parts, or units: the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.

冷氣機由兩種裝置組成，也可稱作機體，室外機與室內機。

There are 2 possible scenarios: you can have either a room air conditioner

有兩種可能狀況，你想要每個房間都安裝冷氣機

or a central air conditioner.

或者只安裝一個中央空調系統。

The way they work is basically the same, except if you have central air conditioning, there

運作方式大致相同，差別在於中央空調系統

is just one indoor unit and one outdoor unit.

只有一個室內機對應一個室外機。

If you have room air conditioning, it's in every room, or the rooms you believe to be

如果是普通空調，你可安裝在每個房間，或者你覺得最需要冷氣的房間

of most importance and you decide to spend money on keeping them cool.

而你願意花錢讓房間保持涼爽。

I will tell you about the central air conditioner type because that's what I have.

我家裡裝的就是中央空調，由我來跟各位介紹吧。

So, let's go outside to check out the outdoor unit.

那我們先去外頭看看室外機。

It differs model to model and brand to brand, but in general it looks like a box with a

每個廠牌和型號，外觀都不太一樣，但整體來說，都具備一個裝有風扇的機箱

fan in the rear or the side of your house.

安裝在房子的後方或側邊。

In larger apartment or office buildings, these boxes flock together like birds, except they

大坪數公寓或者辦公大樓，機箱的安裝方式就像群聚的飛鳥，只是

aren't that cute.

它們一點都不可愛。

The outdoor unit consists of a compressor, condenser coil and a fan.

室外機的構造包含壓縮機、冷凝管和風扇。

Another vital player in this process is the refrigerant.

另外一個不可或缺的原料就是冷媒。

It travels through the whole system, connects the outside unit to the inside unit, and is

冷媒會流通整個空調裝置，透過管線連接室內外的機體

technically not a detail but a cooling fluid.

準確地說，冷媒是一種冷卻液而不是零件。

The heat from the air inside your home mixes with the refrigerant and moves through the

家中的熱氣會被混合到冷媒裡，經過

compressor and to the outdoor coil.

壓縮機處理之後輸送到室外機的冷卻管線。

One cool thing about the refrigerant is that it can go from liquid to vapor state.

冷媒有個特色就是能夠從液態轉為氣態。

The same refrigerant is used more than once – the compressor works like a pump that

冷媒會不斷地被重複使用，壓縮機的運作就像幫浦

keeps moving it back and forth through the whole system.

將冷媒在冷氣機裡來回輸送。

It gets compressed and then moves through the condenser coil.

經過壓縮處理，然後流經冷凝管線。

It's important to squeeze the gas tightly because the higher the pressure,

氣體加壓的過程相當重要，因為氣壓越高

the higher the temperature.

溫度也就越高。

It has to be done to make the refrigerant hotter than the air outside.

透過加壓才能讓冷媒的溫度高於室外氣溫。

Heat naturally moves from hotter to colder bodies.

熱能是由高溫往低溫傳導。

The outside air gets in the condenser coil through the fan.

透過風扇將室外氣體吸進冷凝管線。

The hot air from your house disperses into street air.

於是室內的熱氣排到室外。

The refrigerant has just successfully done its job.

冷媒的任務就大功告成了。

It cools down, turns into gas again and goes back inside and the process continues and

降溫之後冷媒又變回氣體輸送到室內機裡，進行同樣的步驟

goes on and on.

周而復始。

So it's clear now what happens outside, but what about the indoor unit?

我們已經瞭解室外機的運作原理，那室內機又是如何運作呢？

Let's get back into the house and find it.

再進到屋內了解一下吧。

So, there can be an indoor unit in every room of your house, or the ones you need to keep

基本上，每個房間你都可安裝冷氣機，或者特定幾個你需要

cool, or one unit in the closet or the basement, or somewhere inside your house.

保持涼爽的房間，甚至裝在衣櫃間或地下室，屋內任何地方都隨你安裝。

To make it work all over the house, there is also a thermostat, and supply and return

為了讓冷氣機在屋內能充分運作，還需要自動調溫器、送風以及抽風

air vents.

的通風管。

The indoor unit itself is a coil box that has the blower motor right here, the evaporator coil,

室內機本身就是裝有冷凝管的機箱，加上鼓風機、蒸發盤管、

the expansion valve, the circuit board and the filter.

膨脹閥、迴路控制器、濾網。

When it gets too hot in the room, the thermostat sends an SOS signal to the circuit board.

房間溫度太高時，自動調溫器就會發送求救訊號給迴路控制器。

It turns on the blower motor.

於是鼓風機就會啟動。

The hot air from the room is sucked in through the return vents.

把屋內熱氣吸進抽風管。

Then, the air meets the refrigerant.

接著熱氣接觸到冷媒。

At this stage, the hot air loses its heat and moisture.

這個階段，熱空氣的熱能與溼氣會被抽離。

But because the cooler takes in the heat it becomes so hot it's not ready to meet the

但冷媒因為吸收過多的熱能還無法輸送到

evaporator coils yet.

蒸發盤管。

The expansion valve helps it blow off some steam and lose some extra pressure.

膨脹閥協助冷媒降溫並且減壓。

Then the refrigerant goes from liquid to gas and is ready to move over

冷媒會從液態轉為氣態，準備好輸送到

to the ice cold evaporator coils.

冰冷的蒸發盤管。

The cold refrigerant is moving through little tubes that evaporator coil is made of.

冷媒在細長管線製成的蒸發盤管來回流動。

Now, let's give the refrigerant some time to absorb enough heat from the indoor air.

此時冷媒需要些時間吸收來自屋內的熱氣。

And done, it's ready to move to the compressor, and you know what happens there

吸收足夠熱能之後就可以輸送到壓縮機，至於室外機如何運作

in the outdoor unit.

你已經知道囉。

All this is going on at the same time and in a never-ending cycle.

整個運轉流程都是同時進行而且循環不已

Well, until the thermostat decides the temperature is okay, and shuts it down

自動調溫器感應到室溫下降之後，就會停止冷氣機的運作

before it gets hot inside again.

直到屋內再度變熱。

Then, it starts over, the heat goes out, and the cold air comes in.

然後又從頭開始，熱氣排出，冷氣排進。

It spreads across the house through the supply vents.

經由通風管將冷氣輸送到屋裡每個角落。

Each and every detail in the air conditioner is super important, and even if one of them goes off,

冷氣機的每個裝置都無比重要，只要其中一個零件發生故障

the whole process will stop.

機器便無法運轉。

And I deeply hope it won't as it's getting hot in here.

我打從心底希望不要發生故障，因為屋裡越來越熱了。

So you see air conditioners have gone a long way to become as efficient as they are today.

冷氣機其實是經過漫長的改造，才有今天如此優良的性能。

But progress never stops, and scientists are working on new technologies to make the ACs

但科技的進步永不停歇，科學家不斷地研發新技術讓冷氣機變得

more energy-efficient, eco-friendly and better looking on both the inside and the outside

更節能、更環保，而且室內外機體的設計

of the house.

也會更加美觀。

Hey, didn't that send a chill down your spine?

嘿，你應該冷到背脊發涼了吧？

No?

沒感覺嗎？

okay.

好吧！

Hey, if you learned something new today, then give the video a like

如果這段影片有讓你學到新知識，按個讚吧！

and share it with a friend!

並且分享給你的好友！

And here are some other cool videos I think you'll enjoy.

頻道裡還有其他很讚的影片，相信你也會喜歡。

Just click to the left or right, and remember, stay on the Bright Side of life!

只要點擊左右兩邊的縮圖即可觀看，而且別忘了，隨時保持「樂觀」態度！