Air Conditioning

System
CHAPTER 4
Principles of air conditioning
Air Conditioning
System
Classification of HVAC
System
Classification of Air Conditioning Systems

The purpose of classifying air conditioning

systems is to differentiate one type from another and
to provide a background for selecting the optimum air
conditioning system based on building requirements.

A classification of air conditioning systems

should include the classification of air and refrigeration
systems in order to define a more specific system.
Classification of Air Conditioning Systems

• Air conditioning systems can be classified

into three categories corresponding to
their related equipment as follows:

Individual Systems.
Unitary Packaged Systems.
Central (Hydronic) Systems.
Individual Systems
Individual Systems

• use a self-contained ,
factory-made air conditioner
to serve one or two rooms
(e.g. room/ window air
conditioner and split-type
units).
• It uses vapor
compression cycle
directly to cool the
indoor air for small
loads.
Individual Systems

An individual air-conditioning system normally

employs either a single, self-contained, packaged
room air conditioner (installed in a window or
through a wall) or separate indoor and outdoor units
to serve an individual room.

“Selfcontained, packaged” means factory

assembled in one package and ready for use.
Individual Systems

Individual systems (no air duct), such as

• Room air-conditioners
• Package terminal air-conditioner (PTAC) systems

Space (Space-conditioning) systems, such as

• Two-pipe or four-pipe fan coil systems
Often with separate outdoor ventilation air & heat recovery
Standard sizes 02, 03, 04, 06, 08, 12 (200-1200 cfm)
• Water-source heat pumps (WSHP)
Individual Systems

There are 4 major types of room air

conditioners to choose from. These include:

❑ Portable Air Conditioners

❑ Window Air Conditioners

❑ Ductless Mini-Split Air Conditioners

❑ Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners (PTACs)

Individual Systems

Portable air conditioners are freestanding

floor systems that cool a space by pulling
in fresh air, removing heat and
dehumidifying it, and returning it into your
space while exhausting hot air.

To cool properly, portable AC systems

must be configured to release hot air
outside through a window–such as a
vertical sash or sliding-style window–a
specially created wall hole, or upward
through a drop ceiling plenum. Almost all
portable air conditioners come with a
window kit and exhaust accessories that
allow you to easily set up the exhaust
configuration.

Portable Air
Conditioners
Individual Systems

Window AC units are designed

to be installed inside a vertical
sash window or, in some
cases, through a measured
and prepared wall hole.

These appliances sit on top of

the window frame in a partially
opened window–or on the wall
frame–with the hot air exhaust
system facing outside and the
cool air return system facing
inside.

Window Air
Conditioners
Individual Systems

Window Air
Conditioners
Individual Systems

Popular for their high-efficiency cooling, ductless split system air

conditioners provide quiet, unobtrusive cooling for multiple "zones"
within a home, office, or commercial space.

Do not require ducting like central air conditioners. These systems

have two basic parts: a large condenser unit that installs outdoors and
one or more compact wall-mountable blower units that are placed
strategically inside the space(s), or zones, you want to cool.

When installed, insulated conduit housing the refrigeration lines runs

from the outside condenser unit to the blower system(s) indoors. Each
wall-mounted blower system can be controlled independently to
provide comfortable room cooling right where you need it. Ductless
mini-split system air conditioners are known for their high cooling
efficiency, quiet operation, and slim profiles in your space.

Ductless split system Air Conditioners

Individual Systems

Ductless split system Air

Conditioners
Individual Systems

Package Terminal Air Conditioners

(PTACs) are commercial-grade
models usually installed in hotels,
assisted living facilities, and offices.

PTACs are capable of cooling

and heating spaces of nearly any
size, and most brands allow you
to control multiple units from one
location.

Popular in the hospitality industry,

they're also used in sun rooms and
various other residential spaces.

Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners

(PTACs)
Individual Systems

Individual room air-conditioning system

Individual Systems

Primary air fan coil unit system

Individual Systems

Water-source heat pump system

Individual Systems

Air Ducted FCU

Water chilled FCU

Unitary Packaged Systems
Unitary Packaged Systems

• similar in nature to
individual systems but
serve more rooms or
even more than one
floor, have an air system
consisting of fans,
coils, filters,
ductwork and outlets
(e.g. in small
restaurants, small shops
and small cold storage
rooms).
Unitary Packaged Systems

These systems are installed with either a single

selfcontained, factory-assembled packaged unit
(PU) or two split units: an indoor air handler,
normally with ductwork, and an outdoor
condensing unit with refrigeration compressor(s)
and condenser.

In a packaged system, air is cooled mainly by

direct expansion of refrigerant in coils called DX
coils and heated by gas furnace, electric heating,
or a heat pump effect, which is the reverse of a
refrigeration cycle.
Unitary Packaged Systems

Packaged systems
• Air Cooled Package Unit (ACPU)
• Water Cooled Package Unit (WCPU)

• Rooftop, split and indoor units

Single-zone CAV packaged systems
VAV packaged systems
VAV reheat packaged systems
Fan-powered VAV packaged systems
Unitary Packaged Systems

Air Cooled Package Unit (ACPU)

In this packaged air conditioners the condenser of the refrigeration system

is cooled by the atmospheric air.

There is an outdoor unit that comprises of the important components like

the compressor, condenser and in some cases the expansion valve
(refer the figure below).

The outdoor unit can be kept on the terrace or any other open place
where the free flow of the atmospheric air is available. The fan located
inside this unit sucks the outside air and blows it over the condenser coil
cooling it in the process.
Unitary Packaged Systems

The packaged ACs with the air cooled condensers are used
commonly
more than the ones with water cooled condensers since air is freely
available it is difficult maintain continuous flow of the water.

The ducts coming from the cooling unit are connected to the various
rooms that are to be cooled.
Unitary Packaged Systems

Water Cooled Package Unit (WCPU)

In these packaged air conditions the condenser is cooled by the water.

The condenser is of shell and tube type, with refrigerant flowing along the
tube side and the cooling water flowing along the shell side.

The water has to be supplied continuously in these systems to maintain

functioning of the air conditioning system.

The shell and tube type of condenser is compact in shape and it is

enclosed in a single casing along with the compressor, expansion valve,
and the air handling unit including the cooling coil or the evaporator.
This whole packaged air conditioning unit externally looks like a box
with the control panel located externally.
Unitary Packaged Systems
Unitary Packaged Systems
Cooling Tower Principles…

Cooling tower works basically on the principle of evaporation. In this process the sensible heat of
hot water is converted to latent heat of vaporization. Thus reducing the temperature of the
exposed surface area of water to the air.
Unitary Packaged Systems

Variable Air Volume Systems supply

constant temperature air to an area
while the volume of air varies as
opposed to a conventional HVAC
system which has constant volume and
varies the air temperature.

Operating costs are greatly reduced

compared to the larger conventional
HVAC systems by using less fan energy
and less refrigeration energy.
Variable Air Volume Systems also cut
initial costs since the system capacity is
determined from the peak demands of
specific zones in lieu of peak demands for
the entire building.
The smaller components of a
VAV system require less
floor space and give the
owner the flexibility to adapt
to tenant changes as
desired at any time during or
after construction of the
building.
Central (Hydronic) Systems
Central (Hydronic) Systems

Basically consists of three major

parts:
• Air system – air handling units (AHU), air
distribution (air duct) system and terminals.
• Water system – chilled water system, hot
water system, condenser water system.
• Central plant – refrigeration (chiller) plant,
boiler plant.
Central (Hydronic) Systems

A central system uses chilled water or hot

water from a central plant to cool and heat the
air at the coils in an air handling unit (AHU) .
For energy transport, the heat capacity of
water is about 3400 times greater than that of
air. Central systems are built-up systems
assembled and installed on the site.
Central (Hydronic) Systems

An air-handling unit (AHU) is the basic piece of

equipment used in an air system. It can be either a
field-assembled built-up system or a factory-made
unit.

Because a central system always has a chilled

water system, the type of coil installed in an AHU
is a water cooling coil, which is different from an
air handler in a packaged system, which uses a
DX (direct expansion) coil.
Central plant (Chiller)
• Chillers are a key component of air
conditioning systems for large buildings.
They produce cold water to remove
heat from the air in the building.
• Common Types of Chillers
• Mechanical Compression (VCC).
• Absorption Chillers.
Central plant (Chiller)
AIR COOLED
CHILLER
WATER COOLED
CHILLER
Air system
• Air Handling Units (AHU)
An air-handling unit (AHU) is the basic
piece of equipment used in an air
system. It can be either a
field-assembled built-up system or a
factory-made unit.
• Air Distribution System (Air Duct)
Ducts are used in heating, ventilation, and
air conditioning (HVAC) to deliver and
remove air. These needed airflows include,
for example, supply air, return air, and
exhaust air
1-AIR HANDLING UNIT
1-AIR HANDLING UNIT
AIR HANDLING
UNIT
2-Duct System
Air Duct layout
Air Duct layout
Air flow
Note that arrow velocity doesn’t represent the actual air
velocity

Click on the picture to review the animation.

WATER SYSTEM
chilled water system, hot water system, condenser water system.
All of them are consists of pipelines and pumps.

Click on the picture to review the animation.

Central (Hydronic) Systems

District energy systems

Central (Hydronic) Systems

Chilled water air conditioning systems

Chilled water air conditioning systems are commonly used in

applications that need large cooling capacity such as
hypermarket, industrial process, commercial air conditioning such
as offices and factories.

This system makes use of water as its secondary refrigerant. Chiller is

used to remove heat from the water which is then circulated through
other components to absorb heat from the space
Central (Hydronic) Systems

How Chilled Water Air Conditioning Works

The chiller is the section of the system where an exchange of heat

occurred between the water that goes to the building and the evaporator.
The water leaves the chilled water evaporator at 45°F or 7°C. This
chilled- water is then circulated through the entire building by the use of a
pump.

The water cooled the space and pick up the heat and returns to the chiller
at about 55°F or 13°C. The water temperature has been heated up by
10°F or 6°C after cooling the space. This process is then repeated
Central (Hydronic) Systems
Central (Hydronic) Systems

Water Cooled Condenser

In most chiller applications, a water-cooled condenser uses a cooling

tower to reduce the temperature of the condenser. In this case, the
water loop system is separated from the chilled water that goes to the
building.

The water that has been cooled by the evaporated water at the cooling
tower will enter the condenser at 85°F or 29°C. It picks up the heat
from the condenser and leaves at 95°F or 35°C, an increase of 10°F or
6°C.

The water is then sent to the cooling tower by the use of a pump to be
cooled by evaporation of the water in the cooling tower. The cooled
water temperature now drops to 85°F or 29°C and enters the
condenser again. This process is repeated.
Central (Hydronic) Systems
Central (Hydronic) Systems
Central (Hydronic) Systems