CENTRALIZED

AIR CONDITIONING
SYSTEMS
 Fan coil CONTENTS
details

AHU

Centralized
AC systems

Comparison
with non-
centralized
systems
 CENTRALISED
AIR CONDITIONING

Central air conditioning systems serve

multiple spaces from one base location. These
typically use chilled water as a cooling
medium and use extensive ductwork for air
distribution
WORKING OF A
CENTRALISED AC
SYSTEM
Centralized systems are defined as those in which the cooling (chilled water) is generated in a chiller at one
base location and distributed to air-handling units or fan-coil units located through out the building spaces.
The air is cooled with secondary media

chiller AHU
H2O (CHILLED)

(COLD AIR)

interior
 Sub systems of centralized AC

Chilled water plant

condenser water system

(heat rejection system)

air-delivery system
 Chilled Water System
The chilled water system supplies chilled water for the cooling needs
of all the building’s air-handling units (AHUs)

The system includes a chilled

water pump which circulates
the chilled water through the
chiller’s evaporator section
and through the cooling coils
of the AHUs.
 Condenser Water System

refrigeration system must also reject the heat

that it removes.

There are two options for heat rejection:

1) air cooled &

2) water cooled
 Condenser Water System

H2O

air cooled unit water cooled unit

 Condenser Water System
Air cooled units absorb heat from
the indoor space and rejects it to
ambient air.

PARTS
Condenser
compressor,
propeller fans
and controls

These are the most common system

used in residential and light
commercial applications.
 Condenser Water System

Water cooled units absorb the heat from the indoor space and
rejects that heat to water which in turn may either reject heat
via fluid coolers or cooling towers, or dry air coolers with
adiabatic kits.

o higher coefficient of performance (COP).

o most common
o multistory offices, hotels, airports and shopping
complexes.
 Air Delivery System

Air is drawn into a building’s HVAC system through the air intake by the
air handling unit (AHU).

Once in the system, supply air is filtered to remove particulate matter

(mold, allergens, and dust), heated or cooled, and then circulated
throughout the building via the air distribution system, which is typically
a system of supply ducts and registers.
water
air
1
2
3
System Types

The Central system category could be further

broken down into the following:

Central systems with CAV air-handling units

Central systems with VAV air-handling units
Central systems with fan-coil units (All- Water
systems).
 CAV system is an all-air system which accomplish cooling and heating by
varying the supply air temperature and keeping the air volume constant.

The system works well and maintains comfortable conditions in spaces with uniform
heating and cooling requirements.
 Variable Air Volume (VAV) system is an all air system which can satisfy the
individual cooling requirements of multiple thermal zones.

This is achieved by supplying air at a constant temperature from central plant to

one or more VAV terminal units in each zone and adjusting the amount of supply
air to meet required cooling loads.
The primary benefit of VAV over constant volume systems (CV) is its ability to
simultaneously provide the required level of cooling to any number of zones within a
building.
Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto/DonNichols.
Ventilating duct
Industrial air conditioner- Durham hospital
 AHU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
 WHAT IS AHU?
• An air handler, or air handling unit (often abbreviated to AHU),
is a device used to condition and circulate air as part of a
heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system.
• An air handler is usually a large metal box containing a blower,
heating or cooling elements, filter racks or chambers, sound
attenuators, and dampers.
• Air handlers usually connect to a ductwork ventilation system
that distributes the conditioned air through the building and
returns it to the AHU.
• Sometimes AHUs discharge (supply) and admit (return) air
directly to and from the space served without ductwork.
 CONSTRUCTION AND
MATERIALS
• The air handler is normally constructed around a framing
system with metal infill panels as required to suit the
configuration of the components
• In its simplest form the frame may be made from metal
channels or sections, with single skin metal infill panels.
The metal work is normally galvanized for long term
protection.
• For outdoor units some form of weatherproof lid and
additional sealing around joints is provided.
• Larger air handlers will be manufactured from a square
section steel framing system with double skinned and
insulated infill panels.
• Such constructions reduce heat loss or heat gain from
the air handler, as well as providing acoustic attenuation.
Larger air handlers may be several meters long and are
manufactured in a sectional manner and therefore, for
strength and rigidity, steel section base rails are provided
 COMPONENTS

• An air handling unit; air flow is

• from the right to left in this case.
• Some AHU components shown are
• 1 – Supply duct
• 2 – Fan compartment
• 3 – Vibration isolator ('flex joint')
• 4 – Heating and/or cooling coil
• 5 – Filter compartment
• 6 – Mixed (recirculated + outside) air duct
WORKING

• Fresh air mixes with re circulated

air in mixing chamber where
amount of fresh air and
recirculated air is adjusted by the
dampers
• Filters remove the dirt particles
from the air
• Cooling coil -from AC compressor
the refrigerant passes through
cooling coil and goes back so air
coming to cooling coil gets
reduced in temperature as per
setting
• Heating coil-steam inlet and
return used in cold areas
• Humidifiers-to humidify dry air
• Fan – sucks air and blows it to the
 COMPONENTS

• Filters

• to provide clean dust-free air to the building occupants

• It may be via simple , HEPA, electrostatic, or a combination of
techniques. Gas-phase and ultraviolet air treatments may be employed
as well.
• Filtration is typically placed first in the AHU in order to keep all the
downstream components clean.
• Depending upon the grade of filtration required, typically filters will
be arranged in two (or more) successive banks with a coarse-grade
panel filter provided in front of a fine-grade bag filter.
• Heating and/or cooling elements
• Air handlers may need to provide heating, cooling, or both to
change the supply air temperature, and humidity level depending
on the location and the application.
• Such conditioning is provided by heat exchanger coil(s) within
the AHU air stream, such coils may be direct or indirect in
relation to the medium providing the heating or cooling effect.
• Coils are typically manufactured from copper for the tubes, with
copper or aluminum fins to aid heat transfer.
• If dehumidification is required, then the cooling coil is employed
to over-cool so condensation occurs. A heater coil placed after
the cooling coil re-heats the air to the desired supply
temperature. This has the effect of reducing the relative
humidity level of the supply air.
• Humidifier

• Humidification is often necessary in colder climates where continuous heating will make
the air drier, resulting in uncomfortable air quality

• Various types of humidification may be used:

• Evaporative: dry air blown over a reservoir will evaporate some of the water. The rate of
evaporation can be increased by spraying the water onto baffles in the air stream.
• Vaporizer: steam or vapor from a boiler is blown directly into the air stream.
• Spray mist: water is diffused either by a nozzle or other mechanical means into fine
droplets and carried by the air.
• Ultrasonic: A tray of fresh water in the airstream is excited by an ultrasonic device
forming a fog or water mist.
• Wetted medium: A fine fibrous medium in the airstream is kept moist with fresh water
from a header pipe with a series of small outlets. As the air passes through the medium it
entrains the water in fine droplets. This type of humidifier can quickly clog if the
primary air filtration is not maintained in good order.
• Mixing chamber
• In order to maintain indoor air quality, air handlers
commonly have provisions to allow the introduction of
outside air into, and the exhausting of air from the
building.
• In temperate climates, mixing the right amount of cooler
outside air with warmer return air can be used to approach
the desired supply air temperature. A mixing chamber is
therefore used which has dampers controlling the ratio
between the return, outside, and exhaust air.
• Blower/fan
• Air handlers typically employ a large blower .
• The blower may operate at a single speed, offer a variety
of set speeds, to allow a wide range of air flow rates.
Flow rate may also be controlled by inlet vanes or outlet
dampers on the fan
• Multiple blowers may be present in large commercial air
handling units, typically placed at the end of the AHU and
the beginning of the supply ductwork .
• Heat recovery device
• A heat recovery device heat exchanger of many types, may be fitted to
the air handler between supply and extract airstreams for energy
savings and increasing capacity. These types more commonly include
for:
• Recuperator, or Plate Heat exchanger: A sandwich of plastic or metal
plates with interlaced air paths. Heat is transferred between airstreams
from one side of the plate to the other. The plates are typically spaced
at 4 to 6mm apart. Heat recovery efficiency up to 70%.
• Thermal Wheel, or Rotary heat exchanger: A slowly rotating matrix of
finely corrugated metal, operating in both opposing airstreams.
• When the AHU is in heating mode, heat is absorbed as air passes
through the matrix in the exhaust airstream, during one half rotation,
and released during the second half rotation into the supply airstream.
• When the AHUis in cooling mode, heat is released as air passes
through the matrix in the exhaust airstream, during one half rotation,
and absorbed during the second half rotation into the supply airstream.
• Controls
• Controls are necessary to regulate every aspect of an air handler,
such as:
• flow rate of air,
• supply air temperature,
• mixed air temperature, humidity, air quality.
• Common control components include temperature sensors, humidity
sensors, sail switches, actuators, motors, and controllers.
• Vibration isolators
• The blowers in an air handler can create substantial vibration and the
large area of the duct system would transmit this noise and vibration
to the occupants of the building.
• To avoid this, vibration isolators (flexible sections) are normally
inserted into the duct immediately before and after the air handler
 TYPES OF AHU SYSTEMS
• single-zone
• Multizone
• dual-duct
• Reheat
• variable air volume systems
Single-zone systems-
serve just one temperature zone the load must be
uniform all through the space controlled by
varying the quantity of chilled water or
refrigerant, adding reheat, adjusting dampers

Multi-zone systems-
used to serve a small number of zones with just
one central air handling unit. made up of
heating and cooling coils in parallel to get a hot
zone and a cold zone .
Zone thermostats control mixing dampers to
give each zone the right supply temperature
• Dual-duct systems-
• instead of mixing the hot and cold air at the air
handling unit, the hot and cold air are both
brought by ducts to each zone where they are then
mixed to meet the needs of the zone.
• Use high-pressure air distribution systems with the
pressure reduced in the mixing box at each zone
• Used at:
• Office Buildings. Institutional.

Reheat systems-
supply cool air from a central air handler to meet
the maximum cooling load in each zone.
Each zone has a heater in its duct that reheats the
supply air as needed to maintain space
temperatures.
constant volume systems
•change the volume of air in
response to a change in load, Variable air volume systems -
rather than a change in the
supply air temperature.

•may change the volume of

the whole airflow and/or the
volume of each individual zone
Total system airflow may be
varied by the use of inlet vanes,
discharge dampers, speed
control, and variable pitch
blades.

•Zone airflow may be

modulated in coordination
with total system flow
modulation or it may be varied
by passing the excess flow right
to the return air system with no
variation in total system flow.
•Used at:
•larger office buildings.
• AHU classified on basis of
installation
VERTICAL AHU

HORIZONTAL AHU

CELING MOUNTED AHU

VERTICAL AIR HANDLING UNITS

•designed for vertical in room mounting

•VAHU comes with a fan and a cabinet that
can produce high profile static pressures
without occupying the larger footprint area

FEATURES
•high performance
•cost effective small air-handling
•Suitable for spaces with less area

APPLICATION
• Classroom
• Laboratories
• Pharmaceutical labs
HORIZONTAL AHU
floor mounted air handler is usually a large metal box containing a
bowler, heating or cooling element

Features:
Low cost
Reliable
Easy to use
High durability

Application
homes
offices
institutions
factories
CEILING MOUNTED AHU
•Can be suspended from the ceiling and
hence require no floor space
•Noiseless units and can be placed above the
false ceiling in the conditioned area
•Units are unobtrusive giving flexibility to the
design of the interior
Features :

Cost efficient
High quality product
Easy to use
Perfect functionality

Applications :

Shopping Malls
Multiplexes
Small Offices
• TYPE OF AHU DEPENDING ON LOCATION OF FAN
• Draw through type:
fan located after cooling coil
• Blow through type:
fan located before cooling coil

Draw through type Blow through type

Lower condensation of Higher condensation

water
Less air leakage More chances of air leaking

heat generated by fan Heat generated by the fan

and motor added toair and motor is added to the
downstream air upstream
of cooling coil, requiring of the cooling coil, allowing
a colder leaving-coil for a warmer leaving-coil
temperature to achieve temperature to achieve
a desired supply-air a desired supply-air
temperature temperature
•PACKAGED AHU
•common in smaller buildings and
commercial applications, particularly as
rooftop units.
•Packaged unit contain fans, coils, filters,
and dampers in a single casing
• casing include air conditioning
compressors, heaters such as gas burners,
electric heating coils, or heat pump coils.
•serve single temperature zones, VAV
serving multiple terminal boxes (zones) are
available.
•FEATURES
•Compact
•lower initial costs
•DISADVANTAGES
•inefficient
•maintenance intensive
ADVANTAGES
• Modular construction and wide selection of air handling unit sizes
• Wide application range
• Low energy consumption
• Low risk of condensation : air tight
• Easy installation and adaptability to building condition
• Easy maintenance: hygienically friendly

DISADVANTAGES
• AHU is physically large and requires careful planning in terms of a suitable
location.
• The space required for ducting and the corresponding holes through
building fabric require careful co-ordination with builders and other
mechanical services within the room.
• Rooms with variable or moving sources of heat gain such solar gain
traversing around the room require sophisticated duct work and controls.
Zone heaters may have to be incorporated into duct branches.
 INSTALLATION PROCESS

lifting or rigging the ahu to the site

locate the ahu in the ahu room
preparing unit for the installation
assembling the unit
cabinet installation
fan installation
electrical installation
 coil and piping installation sheet
metal installation
final installation
controls installation
final sensor and actuator
calibration verification
• MARKET RATE
• GEA Group, Germany
• Carrier Corporation, New Jersey
• Daikin Industries, Japan
• Johnson Controls, U S
• Rheem, U S
• Trane, U S
• ECE UK Ltd

• SOME INDIAN
BRANDS
• Zeco, delhi
• Blow-Tech Engineers, Mumbai
• Axenic Systems, Mumbai
• Poly extrusions (india) private limited
FAN-COIL UNIT
FAN COIL UNIT

• It part of an HVAC system found in residential, commercial, and industrial

buildings.
• A simple device consisting of a heating or cooling coil and fan.
• Used to control the temperature in the space where it is installed, or
serve multiple spaces.
• It is controlled either by a manual on/off switch or by thermostat.
• Fan coil units are more economical to install than ducted or central
heating systems with air handling units.
• They can be noisy because the fan is within the same space.
DESIGN

• A fan coil unit may be concealed or exposed within the room or area that it serves.
• An exposed fan coil unit may be wall mounted, freestanding or ceiling mounted.
• It typically include an appropriate enclosure to protect and conceal the fan coil unit
itself.
• Return air grille and supply air diffuser set into that enclosure to distribute the air.
• A concealed fan coil unit will typically be installed within an accessible ceiling void or
services zone.
• The return air grille and supply air diffuser will be ducted to and from the fan coil
unit.
 OPERATION
• The coil receives hot or cold water from a central plant, and removes heat
from or adds heat to the air through heat transfer.

• Traditionally fan coil units can contain their own internal thermostat, or can
be wired to operate with a remote thermostat.

• In most modern buildings with a Building Energy Management

System (BEMS), the control of the fan coil unit will be by a local digital
controller. equipment for adding heat to the building's water.

• Fan coil units circulate hot or cold water

through a coil in order to condition a
space.
• The unit gets its hot or cold water from
a central plant, or mechanical
room containing equipment for
removing heat from the central
building's closed-loop.
• The equipment used can consist of
machines used to remove heat and
 TYPES
• Fan coil units are divided into two types:
* Two-pipe fan coil units
* Four-pipe fan coil units
• Two-pipe fan coil units
* Consist of one supply and one return
pipe
* The supply pipe supplies either cold or
hot water according to the need.
• Four-pipe fan coil units
* Having two supply pipes and two
return pipes
* It allows either hot or cold water to
enter the unit at any given time.
* Four-pipe fan coil unit is most commonly
used.
COMPARISON
configuration

Decentralized Centralized
 configuration
CENTRALIZED SYSTEM

1. Source components –
• Compressor (reciprocating , screw ,
centrifugal, scroll)
• Condenser (water cooled shell & tube ,
air cooled finned)
• Expansion valve
• Evaporator (chilled water shell & tube
, direct expansion)
• Plant room Compres
sor types
2. Distribution system–
• Chilled water & cool
• AHU ( in separate air handling rooms )
• Duct work

3. Terminal elements–
• Grills , diffuser , ventilation systems &elements
for-humidity treatment , thermostat and air
filtering
• Heat rejection system on the outdoors
eg :cooling towers
configuration
DECENTRALIZED
• Window/split
• Package- cooling/heat source, distribution, delivery
and control
• Heat pump air conditioning unit
• Collection of multiple independent units
• Compressor, evaporator coil , fan, condensing unit and
filtration unit for each unit
• Maintenance may have to occur directly in occupied
spaces
types

Decentralized Centralized
 types
CENTRALIZED SYSTEM
1. Direct expansion ( DX)–
• Air is cooled directly by refrigerant in the finned type
cooling coil of the AHU

2. Chilled water (CHW)

• A secondary cooling medium (chilled water) is used to
deliver cooling to one or more locations needing it
• The ordinary water / brine solution is chilled to a very
low temperature of about 400 F and pumped to
various AHUs
 types
DECENTRALIZED
1. Direct expansion ( DX)–
• Window AC
• Residential & light commercial split systems
• Package through the wall and window
• Self contained ( floor by floor )
• Commercial outdoor roof tops
 Higher cooling efficiency but not feasible to carry
refrigerant piping to distances beyond 100 feet
heat rejection options

Decentralized Centralized
 heat rejection options

CENTRALIZED SYSTEM
1. Air cooled
• Uses finned tube coil condenser
• Refrigerant flows through the refrigerant
piping from evaporator to condenser

• When refrigerant flows in the piping its

pressure drops

• So the length of refrigeration tubing and

the distance between the condenser and
evaporator should be kept minimum
2. Water cooled
• Uses shell and tube type
• Cooling water is pumped from tubes of the cooling towers at a high
pressure

• So it is easy to carry long distances

• The losses in the pressure of water accommodated by the sufficient
capacity of the pump, which has low capital and running cost
• Can be placed at any distance from the cooling equipment
• For cooling loads between 100-125 tons- air cooled is used
• Above 200 tons- water cooled is suitable
• Between 100-200 tons, depends on the owner
 heat rejection options
DECENTRALIZED SYSTEM

1. Air cooled
• Air cooled condensers used to expel
heat
• Generally kept very close to the
evaporator units
• For smaller systems- length=30-40 ft
• For large systems- upto 3 to 4 times
of smaller ones.
 applications
CENTRALIZED SYSTEM
1. Hotels
2. Theatres
3. Airports
4. Shopping malls
• The largest capacity of chiller available in market-2000 tons
• Multiple chillers are installed to cater for higher loads
• Often a “hybrid system”, which a combination of centralized and
decentralized package units is preferred.
E.g.: in a hotel- packaged unitary ACs for individual guest rooms
Roof top units for meeting rooms/restaurants
Central plant system for lobby, corridors and other common spaces
 applications
DECENTRALIZED SYSTEM

1. More appropriate for low to mid rise buildings

2. In places where large number of spaces are unoccupied
3. Capacity range from .5 tons- 130 tons (for roof top package units)
4. Can be matched up to separate interior spaces in a large building
(advantage)
5. Offer high flexibility in meeting the requirements of different
working hours and special design conditions
 efficiencies
CENTRALIZED SYSTEM

1. Improved efficiency and lower first cost by sharing load

capacity across an entire building
2. Chiller efficiency is typically defined in terms of kW/ton
and its coefficient of performance(COP)
3. The COP= (output Btu)/ (Input Btu)
4. Reciprocating chillers have a peak load power
requirement of 1.02- 1.3 kW/ton
5. Screw chillers - 0 .5- 0.7 kW/ton
6. Centrifugal- most efficient at peak load and consume
least power - 0.53- 0.7 kW/ton
 efficiencies
DECENTRALIZED SYSTEM

1. High kW/ton compared to chiller systems

2. Federal law mandates a minimum efficiency of 10
SEER for both split and packaged equipment of less
than 65000 Btu/hr capacities.
3. ASHRAE recommended 10 EER fro equipment between
65000-135000 Btu/hr capacities
 efficiency terms
1. SEER- seasonal energy efficiency ratio is a representation
of the cooling season efficiency of a heat pump or air
conditioner in cooler climates
2. The higher the SEER rating the more efficient the AC
system operates
3. EER- A measure of the relative efficiency of an air
conditioner, that is equal to the unit's output in BTUs per hour
divided by its consumption of energy, measured in watts.
4. BTU/hr is a rate of heating/cooing expressed in terms of
British thermal units per hour.
5.Ton- 1 ton of cooling is the energy required to melt 1 ton
of ice in 1 hour. 1 ton=12000 btu/hr.
 SUMMARY
CENTRALIZED DECENTRALIZED

FIELD ASSEMBLED FACTORY ASSEMBLED

EASILY NETWORKED MAINTENANCE IN EACH UNIT

IN LARGE BUILDINGS IN MID RISE BUILDINGS

HIGH AND CONSISTENT USAGE TIME HIGH FLEXIBILTY IN MEETING

REQUIREMENTS

MULTIPLE THERMAL ZONE APPLICATION SINGLE THERMAL ZONE APPLICATION

CENTRALIZED DECENTRALIZED
FULL CONTROL OVER :- TEMPERATURE, SUITABLE IN SITUATIONS WHERE
RELATIVE HUMIDITY, INDOOR AIR ABSOLUTE HIGHEST LEVEL OF
QUALITY, AIR DISTRIBUTION PERFORMANCE NOT REQUIRED

PROVIDE EXCELLENT DUST AND CANNOT BE MODIFIED TO INCLUDE

PARTICULATE AIR FILTERATION HIGH LEVEL OF FILTERAION DUE TO
FAN STATIC PRESSURE LIMITATONS

INDVIDUAL CONTROL OPTIONS NOT GREATER OCCUPANT COMFORT

ALWAYS AVAILABLE THROUGH INDVIDUALIZED
CONTROLS

HIGH EFFICIENCY OF FANS

LOW EFFICIENCY OF FANS
CENTRALIZED DECENTRALIZED
LONGER LIFE EXPECTANCY GENERALLY HAVE A MUCH
RECIPROCATING- 15 YEARS SHORTER USEFUL LIFE:
SCREW AND CENTRIFUGAL- 25 YEARS 8-10 YEARS

MAINTENANCE DOESN’T AFFECT EVENTHOUGH SMALL UNITS, ITS

BUILDING FUNCTION MAINTENANCE AFFECTS THE
BUILDING FUNCTION

MECHANICAL ROOM WITH CHILLER

PLANT ROOM OF HEIGHT 4.3-4.9 M DOESN’T REQUIRE ANY
REQUIRED MECHANICAL ROOM

NEED SPACE ABOVE FALSE CEILING

FOR DUCTS ARRANGED WITHOUT FALSE
CEILING
CENTRALIZED DECENTRALIZED
MACHINE NOISE IS OPERATING SOUND
REDUCED SINCE LEVELS ARE NOTICABLE
MECH.ROOM IS AWAY

CAN BE USED TO INCLUDE CAN’T BE USED FOR

ACTIVE SMOKE CONTROL SMOKE CONTROL

DESIGN , ENGINEERING AND

CONSTRUCTION TAKE COMPACT AND OFFER
LONGER TIME MUCH SIMPLER AND LESS
EXPENSIVE INSTALLATION