- 2077 Chaitra · 4 marks
Ventilation versus air-conditioning
Short answer
Ventilation supplies fresh air and removes stale air for air freshness, odor, and CO₂ control, with little temperature/humidity control, using natural openings or fans, low cost/energy. Air conditioning treats air for temperature, humidity, purity, and circulation for complete comfort, using refrigeration plant, air handling units, ducts, sealed insulated building, high cost/energy.
Differentiate between ventilation and air-conditioning.
| Point | Ventilation | Air conditioning |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Supply of fresh air and removal of stale air | Treating air for temperature, humidity, purity and circulation together |
| Purpose | Air freshness, odour and CO₂ control | Complete comfort or process control |
| Temperature control | Little or none | Full control (heating and cooling) |
| Humidity control | Not controlled | Controlled |
| Air cleaning | Usually none | Filters dust, pollen |
| Method | Natural openings, or fans | Refrigeration plant, air handling unit and ducts |
| Building | Openings required | Sealed, insulated building |
| Cost | Low | High initial and running cost |
| Energy use | Nil or small | Large |
| Examples | Windows, ventilators, exhaust fans | Split AC, central AC in hotels |
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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