Air-conditioning fundamentals
Carrier Corp., Farmington, Conn., a leader in heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration industry, recently celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the Rational Psychrometric Formulae— the cornerstone of all fundamental calculations in the air-conditioning industry.
Willis Carrier, founder of Carrier, invented modern air conditioning in 1902. Less than a decade later, Carrier wrote the single most famous and enduring document ever prepared on air conditioning, the “Rationale Psychrometric Formulae.” Called the Magna Carta of Psychrometrics, the document determines the precise correlation between temperature and humidity to create a comfortable year-round environment.
On December 8, 1911, Carrier presented the formulae at the annual meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and initiated the field of scientific air-conditioning design.
Carrier’s work continues to impact the next generation of engineers, who learn the formulae as part of their coursework.