Handbook 752 Air Conditioning and Climate Control Refrigerant Control Cycle Refrigerant absorbs heat in the vehicle and carries it through the AC system and releases it to the outside. How does it do this? Refrigerant has an interesting property: it absorbs heat when it changes from a liquid to a gas, and it releases heat when it changes from a gas to a liquid. Recirculating this liquid refrigerant continues the cycle of absorbing heat inside the car, called Evaporation, and releasing heat outside the car, called Condensation. The two main components in this heat transfer process are called the Evaporator, and the Condenser. Technical Training 13