Air conditioner thermodynamics

[n00dle]

Hey, sorry if this is slightly off topic but it's the closest forum i could find that might be able to help me answer my question..

A while back i read a page and a little bit of information on it remained behind in my memory. Basically what it stated was 'the simplest form of overunity is an air conditioner/heat pump. overunity is not achieved here by gaining more energy, but by moving it. For example, if 1 kilowatt of electrical power is placed into the compressor, 2 kilowatts of heat will be transferred from plate to plate, due to thermodynamics."

Can someone confirm if this is true, false, or what's the go?

Thanks in advance
n00dle

[MiGUi]

This is due the (electric) joule effect.

[n00dle]

So this is true? Kickass!
Thanks very much, i will look up the 'joule effect' now for more information.
Thanks again :)

[fletche]

An air conditioner (http://www.houstonairconditioners.net/air_conditioning_replacements.html) is a heat pump. It uses a compressor to `compress a working fluid (usually freon). This compression (work) causes the fluid to heat up. The fluid is then chilled to just above the outdoors ambient temperature using a large fan and cooling surfaces. All of this is done in the outside of your home.
The compressed fluid is then allowed to expand to ambient pressure. This expansion chills the fluid to a COLD temperature. This cold fluid is next passed across coils and fins on the inside of your home. Air is blown across these coils and fins into your house, chilling the home.
The cycle then starts over again by compressing the fluid as it leaves these coils.
As work is performed on the fluid, more heat (energy) is added than is removed by chilling your home. Thus, the outdoor cooling coils must be sized larger to cool the heated fluid than the ones inside your home.