Chiller, Ahu and Fcu Systems Design -

Air-Side Systems ME115-1P

AIR CONDITIONING AND
VENTILATION SYSTEMS

WEEKS 9-10
2018-2019/1T

Prepared by:
Engr. Manuel B. Rustria
September 2019
 Objectives
 Explain the basic design concepts for chiller, AHU and FCU
systems; and
 Calculate chiller, AHU, and FCU capacity and select standard
equipment size from available catalogs.
Fundamental HVAC
Concepts
 Fundamental HVAC Concepts
 Five subsystems or loops of HVAC
 Air-side
 Chilled water
 Refrigeration equipment
 Heat rejection
 Controls
Fundamental HVAC Concepts
Fundamental HVAC Concepts
Fundamental HVAC Concepts
Fundamental HVAC Concepts
Fundamental HVAC Concepts
Fundamental HVAC Concepts
Fundamental HVAC Concepts
Fundamental HVAC Concepts
Fundamental HVAC Concepts
Air Handling Units
Air Handling Units
 Air Handling Units
 TERMINAL UNIT OR DEVICE
 fan coil units
 VAV boxes
 Air Handling Units
 AIR HANDLING UNIT (AHU)
 Primary equipment of the air system
 Handle & condition the air, control it to a required state, and
transport it
 Basic components:
• Supply fan, water cooling coil, filters, mixing box, dampers,
controls & outer casing
• A return or relief fan is optional, so as a humidifier
 Air Handling Units
 TYPES OF AHU’s
 Horizontal or vertical
 Draw-through or blow through
 Factory-fabricated and field built-up
 Rooftop and indoor
 Make-up (primary) air
 Recirculating
Air Handling Units
Air Handling Units
 Air Handling Units
 PACKAGE UNITS
 A self-contained air conditioner
 Equipped with a DX (direct expansion) coil
 “Air handler”: the portion inside that handles air
 Air Handling Units
 ROOFTOP PACKAGE UNITS
 Gas heating / electric cooling
 Electric heating / electric cooling
 Heat pump system
Air Handling Units
 Air Handling Units
 INDOOR PACKAGE UNITS
 Factory-assembly unit installed in a fan room or machinery
room
 Floor-mounted or ceiling-mounted
 Cooling, cooling/heating, heat pump
 Heat rejection:
• Connected to an air-cooled condenser, OR
• Water-cooled condenser
 Air Handling Units
 SPLIT PACKAGE UNITS
 Indoor air handler + outdoor condensing unit
 Air Handling Units
 RATING CONDITIONS & MINIMUM PERFORMANCE
 ARI and ASHRAE standards
 Rating indices:
• Energy efficiency ratio (EER)
• Seasonal EER
• Integrated part-load value (IPLV)
• Heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF)
 Air Handling Units
 COILS
 Indirect contact heat exchangers
 Heat transfer between air flowing over the coil and water,
refrigerant, steam or brine insider the coil
 Fins: extended (secondary) surfaces
• Fin spacing and density
 Water circuits
• Number of water flow passages
 Air Handling Units
 DIRECT EXPANSION (DX) COIL
 Refrigerant is fed (e.g. R-22 and R-134a)
 Air and refrigerant flow:
• Usually counterflow and cross flow
 Typical evaporating temperature = 3-10 oC
 Condensate drain pan (to collect condensation)
 Performance factors:
• Face velocity, heat transfer coefficients, air-side pressure
drop, physical size
 Air Handling Units
 WATER COOLING COILS - DRY-WET COIL
 Chilled water flowing at 4-10 oC
 Brine or glycol-water at 1-4 oC
 Temperature rise (typical) = 7-14 oC
 WATER COOLING COILS - DRY COIL
 Sensible cooling (dry); no condensation
 Poorer heat transfer coefficient
 STEAM HEATING COIL
Air Handling Units
Air Handling Units
Air Handling Units
Air Handling Units
 Air Handling Units
 AIR FILTERS
 Air cleaning and filtration
 Operating performance:
• Efficiency or effectiveness of dust removal
• Dust holding capacity
• Initial & final pressure drop
• Service life
 Types: low-, medium-, and high-efficiency filters + carbon
activated filters
 Air Handling Units
 TEST METHODS OF AIR FILTERS
 Weight arrestance test
• For low-efficiency air filters
 Atmospheric dust spot efficiency
• For medium-efficiency air filters
 DOP (dioctyl phthalate) penetration and efficiency test
• For high-efficiency air filters
o HEPA (high-efficiency particle air)
o ULPA (ultra-low penetration air)
Air Handling Units
Air Handling Units
 Air Handling Units
 HUMIDIFIERS
 Steam humidifiers
 Air washers
 Air Handling Units
 SELECTION OF AHUs
 Face velocity < 3 m/s to prevent entrained droplets
 Proper size of the equipment (energy efficiency)
 Medium-efficiency filter >50% dust spot eff.:
• improve IAQ,
• prevent smudging &
• discoloring
 Air economizer: save energy
Air Handling Units
Air Handling Units
Air System Basics
 Air System Basics
 FAN-DUCT SYSTEMS
 Flow resistance , pressure drop and volume flow rate

 Duct sections in series:

 Duct sections in parallel:

 Air System Basics
 FAN-DUCT SYSTEMS
 Terminology
• Primary air (conditioned air or makeup air)
• Secondary air (induced space air, plenum air, or
recirculating air)
• Transfer air (indoor air that moves from an adjacent area)
 System curve: volume flow vs pressure loss
 System operating point
 Air System Basics
 FAN LAWS
 Speed (n)
 Volume flow (V)
 Total pressure loss (Δp )
 Air density (ρ)
 For air systems that are
geometrically &
dynamically similar:
(D = impeller diameter)
 Air System Basics
 SYSTEM EFFECT
 Its additional total pressure loss caused by uneven or non-
uniform velocity profile at the fan inlet, or at duct fittings after
fan outlet
 Due to the actual inlet and outlet connections as compared
with the total pressure loss of the fan test unit during
laboratory ratings
Air System Basics
 Air System Basics
 MODULATION OF AIR SYSTEMS
 Constant volume system
• Volume flow rate remains constant; supply temperature is
raised during part load
 Variable-air-volume (VAV) system
• Volume flow rate is reduced to match part load operation
• Modulation curve
Air System Basics
 Air System Basics
 Fan modulation methods
 Damper (vary the opening of the air flow passage)
• Waste energy
 Inlet vanes (opening & angle of inlet vanes)
• Low cost; less efficient than following types
 Inlet cone (peripheral area of fan impeller)
• Inexpensive; for backward curved centrifugal fan
 Blade pitch (blade angle of axial fan)
 Fan speed (using adjustable frequency drives)
 Most energy-efficient; but more expensive
 Damper, inlet vanes & fan speed modulation
Air System Basics
 Air System Basics
 FAN COMBINATIONS IN AHUs
 Constant volume system
• Volume flow rate remains constant; supply temperature is
raised during part load
 Variable-air-volume (VAV) system
• Volume flow rate is reduced to match part load operation
• Modulation curve
 Air System Basics
 FAN COMBINATIONS IN AHUs
 Supply and exhaust fan/barometric damper
• Used when no return duct or low return pressure loss
• Barometric relief damper: to prevent excessive high space
pressure
• Suitable for systems w/ no air economizer mode & a low
pressure drop in return system
Air System Basics
 Air System Basics
 FAN COMBINATIONS IN AHUs
 Supply and relief fan
• Relief fan to prevent excessive high space pressure
• Usually operated in air economizer mode
• Outdoor air damper is fully opened; recirculating damper
closed
• Suitable when pressure drop of return system < 75 Pa, or
there is a considerable pressure drop in relief or exhaust
flow passage
Air System Basics
 Air System Basics
 FAN COMBINATIONS IN AHUs
 Supply and return fan
• Return fan at the upstream of the junction of return,
recirculating and exhaust flow passage (ru)
• Has similar characteristics as supply+relief fan, but a higher
total pressure at junction “ru”
• Careful selection of return fan is needed to avoid excessive
pressure in the duct system
• Suitable when pressure drop of return system > 150 Pa, or
those requiring a negative space pressure
Air System Basics
 Air System Basics
 Year-round operation of a VAV system
 Region I: Refrigeration/evaporative cooling
• Enthalpy of outdoor > that of recirculating air
 Region II: Free cooling & refrigeration
• Enthalpy of outdoor ≤ that of recirculating air
 Region III: Free cooling, evaporative cooling & refrigeration
• Enthalpy of outdoor ≤ that of recirculating air
 Region VI: Winter heating
Air System Basics
Air System Basics
 Air System Basics
 ECONOMIZER
 A device consisting of dampers and control that uses free
cooling capacity of either outdoor air or evaporatively cooled
water from cooling tower instead of mechanical refrigeration
 Air economizer:
• Enthalpy-based
• Temperature-based
 Water economizer
 Air System Basics
 FAN ENERGY USE
 For each l/s air supplied:

 For system using separate outdoor ventilation:

 Air System Basics
 OUTDOOR VENTILATION AIR SUPPLY
 Aims
• Provide acceptable indoor air quality
• Achieve energy efficiency in the system
 ASHRAE Standard 62-2001 (IAQ standard)
 Demand-based outdoor ventilation air control using CO2 as an
indicator
• CO2 concentration < 800-1,000 ppm
 A specific indoor air contaminant can also be used
 Air System Basics
 OUTDOOR VENTILATION AIR SUPPLY
 Minimum outdoor air control
• Type I: uses a CO2 or mixed gas sensor + DDC controller to
control the volume flow rate of outdoor air
o The best one but can be expensive
• Type II: uses a CO2 or mixed gas sensor + DDC controller to
control the ratio of the openings between outdoor and
recirculating dampers
o Suitable for VAV system
 Air System Basics
 OUTDOOR VENTILATION AIR SUPPLY
 Minimum outdoor air control
• Type III: uses a flow sensor or a pressure sensor + DDC
controller to control the dampers to provide nearly
constant volume outdoor air intake
o More complicated & may cause energy waste
• Type IV: adjust the opening of outdoor damper manually to
provide constant volume outdoor air
o Mainly used for constant-volume systems
End