Air conditioners sold in the United States are given a seasonal energy-efficiency ratio (SEER) rating that consumers can use to compare different models. A SEER rating is the ratio of heat pumped to energy input, similar to a COP but using English units, so a higher SEER rating means a more efficient model. You can determine the COP of an air conditioner by dividing the SEER rating by 3.4.

Question

Air conditioners sold in the United States are given a seasonal energy-efficiency ratio (SEER) rating that consumers can use to compare different models. A SEER rating is the ratio of heat pumped to energy input, similar to a COP but using English units, so a higher SEER rating means a more efficient model. You can determine the COP of an air conditioner by dividing the SEER rating by 3.4.
For inside temperature 26 ∘C and outside temperature 33 ∘C when you'd be using air conditioning, estimate the theoretical maximum SEER rating of an air conditioner. (New air conditioners must have a SEER rating that exceeds 13, quite a bit less than the theoretical maximum, but there are practical issues that reduce efficiency.)

Damon · Answer

eff = Q/W = T2/(T1-T2) T2 = 26 + 273 T1-T2 = 33-26 = 7 eff = 299/7 = 42.7