Heating, Ventilation &

Air-Conditioning
An Introduction

Ken Stucke
ERA Architects cc.
Contents

1.Introduction
2. Air Conditioning
3. Evaporative Cooling
4. Pre-conditioning
5. Other Considerations
1. Introduction
The best ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEMS are those that are hybrid
systems well integrated into the fabric of the building
1. Introduction

 The heating, cooling and

ventilation loads of a typical
commercial building use 30-
50% of the total energy loads
used by the building
 In South Africa the energy load
used for cooling is typically
much higher than the load used
for heating in large densely
occupied buildings.
 In South Africa the energy load
used for heating is typically
much higher than the load used
for cooling in small residential
buildings.
1. Introduction
 The users of a building need to have a
degree of control over the temperature and
ventilation to ensure the environment is
comfortable for all users.
 However this individual control needs to be
limited to ensure the building still operates
efficiently.
 Such as limiting the temperature range to
between 21° and 26°C.

 It must be remembered that the building

regulations state that it is required that
7l/s/person of outside air is provided (for
office spaces).
Contents
1. Introduction
2.Air Conditioning
3. Evaporative Cooling
4. Pre-conditioning
5. Other Considerations
2. Air Conditioning
Materials changing state either require or release energy
in the form of heat
LOW PRESSURE HIGH PRESSURE

GAS

CONDENSATION
EVAPORATION

LIQUID

MELTING FREEZING

SOLID

ABSORBS HEAT RELEASES HEAT

= COOLING = HEATING
2. Air Conditioning

LOW PRESSURE HIGH PRESSURE

COMPRESSOR
GETS HOT
GAS
EVAPORATOR
GETS COLD

CONDENSER
THERMOSTATIC EXPANSION
VALVE LIQUID

RECEIVER-DRIER

ABSORBS HEAT RELEASES HEAT

= COOLING = HEATING
2. Air Conditioning
• Air-conditioning systems do not
simply provide summer cooling.
They also control the indoor air
temperature throughout the
year, regulate humidity, provide
fresh air for ventilation, filter the
air, and distribute the
conditioned air.

• The typical system includes 3

separate systems:
• A heating system that often boils
water and uses that to heat the
air. (in high heating places).
• A cooling system that uses a
chiller that produces cool water
and uses that to cool the air.
• An air handling system that
filters and distributes the
conditioned air around the
building.
2. Air Conditioning
System A
2. Air Conditioning
System B
2. Air Conditioning
System C
2. Air Conditioning
Chillers & Cooling Towers
• In the cooling system, the CHILLER is the main machine and includes
the compressor, condensor and pumps. It produces cold water that is
used in the Air handling unit. It’s waste product is hot water that is
cooled in the cooling towers, usually on the roof. The chiller and
COOLING TOWER are most often combined into an integrated system
2. Air Conditioning
Cooling towers

 A cooling tower is a system

where the hot water
generated by the chiller plant
is chilled.

 These are large, noisy and

hot machines. They are
usually located on roofs or
service areas.

 They are effectively where

the HEAT that has been
removed from the building is
EJECTED
 Cooling towers
2. Air Conditioning

Open evaporative cooling towers with induced-draft airflow through fill.

2. Air Conditioning
Coolant distribution
• The AIR HANDLING UNIT is where the heat is exchanged between the
coolant (water) and the air. The air is also filtered, humidified or de-
humidified here. This machine needs a fresh air supply – minimum
10%. Sometimes these are called fan-coil units.
• These can be central or dispersed; wall or ceiling mounted.
2. Air Conditioning
Recycling of Conditioned Air

 High embodied energy in conditioned air

 10% fresh air

 Minimum ventilation rates

2. Air Conditioning
Ducting of Conditioned Air

 As it branches down the duct get smaller

 Vertical and horizontal ducts
2. Air Conditioning
Ducting of Conditioned Air

 Ductwork is the greatest spatial

consideration for architects

 Sick Building Syndrome

 Legionnaire’s Disease
2. Air Conditioning
Distribution of Conditioned Air

Many systems are available,

the architect’s conceptual
choice depends on:

•Building size & height

•Building shape
•Occupancy type
•Occupancy hours

•Heating / Cooling Loads

•Vertical distribution

•Horizontal distribution
2. Air Conditioning
Distribution of Conditioned Air
 Air is distributed through grilles, registers and diffusers.

 The air distribution pattern of the outlets should be carefully

considered

 Air distribution points can be located in the ceiling, walls or floor of a

room

• These should be chosen by evaluating their capacity, velocity,

pressure drop, noise allowance and visual appeal.
2. Air Conditioning
Individual Split Units
Individual “split units”

These are fan-coil units on the inside,

and compressors on the outside.
2. Air Conditioning
Absorption Chillers

• These use heat to create

cold water

• They can therefore be

powered by Solar Hot
Water Panels

• Hence your air

conditioning can be solar
powered
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Air Conditioning
3.EVAPORATIVE COOLING
4. Pre-conditioning
5. Other Considerations
3. Evaporative coolers

 Evaporative coolers are based

on the concept that when LOW PRESSURE HIGH PRESSURE
water evaporates it cools the GAS
environment around it as a CONDENSATION
result of requiring “latent heat”. EVAPORATION

 Evaporative cooling is LIQUID

achieved by passing an air

stream through a water spray MELTING FREEZING

or wet medium. SOLID

 Evaporative coolers are ABSORBS HEAT RELEASES HEAT

= HEATING
cheaper to buy, cheaper to = COOLING
operate and more energy
efficient.

 However they do consume

large amounts of water
3. Evaporative coolers

• Evaporative cooling occurs

when moisture is added to air
that has a relative humidity of
less than 100 percent.

• The lower the relative humidity,

the greater the temperature drop
when moisture is added.

• The technology is a versatile

and energy-efficient alternative
or adjunct to compressor-based
cooling.
3. Evaporative coolers

• In hot & dry climates, evaporative cooling can fully satisfy building
cooling loads using one-fourth the energy of conventional equipment.

• It can also be applied cost-effectively when integrated with conventional

chiller systems.
5. Evaporative coolers

 Due to the DIRECT system being

based on evaporation the
humidity in the air is greatly
increased, this can be
uncomfortable.

 This can be avoided by using the

INDIRECT system; where cold
air from the evaporative cooler is
used to cool the building’s air
through a heat exchanger

 Thus the coolness will be

transferred to the air but not the
humidity

 Evaporative coolers work best in

environments that are hot and
dry.
 San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters and Visitors Center, Los Banos, CA

 The first stage of cooling is also passive: hot

air is vented through clerestory windows to
create a “whole-house fan” that moves air
through the facility (thermal displacement
ventilation). Stage-two cooling is from a
highly energy efficient precooling/multi-stage
indirect evaporative cooling system. The
system is optimized by occupancy sensors
and remote electronic access which enables
off-peak precooling.
5. Evaporative coolers
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Air Conditioning
3. Evaporative Cooling
4.PRE-CONDITIONING
5. Other Considerations
4. Pre-Conditioning
Reduces the energy load on any air conditioning
process
 Pre heating or cooling fresh air can be done in a
number of various ways.
 Thermal mass
 Night flushing
 Exhaust air heat recovery
 Underground pipes
 Ground-coupled heat exchanger

 Pre conditioning allows for the air to be pre-heated or

pre-cooled.

 Many of the passive heating and cooling strategies can

be used for preconditioning air
4. Pre-Conditioning Rock stores
Thermal mass  A rock store is a wire mesh column
filled with rocks.
 In South Africa office buildings  The rocks are loosely packed and thus
creates a large surface area
typically require cooling during
the day and are unoccupied  Rock stores are a good way to achieve
a thermal battery, however other
during the night. alternatives can be considered.

 Thus during the night the

coolness of the night can be
stored for use the next day.

 During the night the cold air is

blown into the thermal battery
allowing the thermal mass to be
drastically cooled.

 Then during the day fresh air is

blown over the cold thermal
battery. This allows the air to be Thermal Battery – large thermal
cooled before it enters the mass & maximum surface area
building or pre-conditioning the in a well insulated space
air before it is drawn into the
HVAC system
4. Pre-Conditioning
Night flushing
 During the day the building
gets warm then at the end of
the day when the building is
unoccupied and locked up the
heat remains trapped.

 To prevent this from happening

night flushing can be used.

 This is when the UNTREATED

cool night air is blown through
the building to cool the building
down for when it is occupied
again in the morning.

 This strategy works best when

coupled with exposed thermal
mass
4. Pre-Conditioning
Exhaust air heat recovery
 An exhaust air heat recovery
system is when the outgoing
air is used to pre condition the
ingoing air.

 If the building is being heated

 The heated air that is being
exhausted from the
building is used in a air-to-
air heat exchange
 So that the ingoing and
outgoing air is not mixed,
allowing the fresh incoming
air to be preheated.
4. Pre-Conditioning
Underground Air Pipes
 At a depth of about 3m the
earth is at a relatively constant
temperature.

 Pipes can be buried at this

depth and outside air can be
passed through them.

 The air passing through the

pipe will eventually reach the
average earth temperature

 Thus be used to cool the

indoors during summer and
heat them during winter.
Horizontal ground loop diagram,
 The recommended pipe length showing parallel arrangement of
of pipe should be a minimum loops with one pipe loop per trench
of 25m
4. Pre-Conditioning
Ground-coupled Heat Exchangers

 Underground pipes are not

always sufficient on their own
especially in large buildings.
 The air/ water passing through
the pipe will eventually reach
the average earth temperature
 Thus be used to cool the
indoors during summer and
heat them during winter.
 The ground acts as a Chiller
Plant, producing cold water for
cooling buildings

Single-well open loop with drainage field

• The hot water that is produced form the HVAC system is fed through pipes to
the heat exchange facility.
• Cold water from the bottom of the lake is also fed into the heat exchange
facility.
• At the heat exchange facility the water from the university and the water from
the lake undertake a heat exchange.

Cornell University district cooling using a lake source open-loop system.

Contents
1. Introduction
2. Air Conditioning
3. Evaporative Cooling
4. Pre-conditioning
5.OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
5. Other Considerations
Building management systems (BMS)

 A BMS is a computer based

control system that manages
and controls all the electrical
the mechanical equipment
within the building.

 The system can control

ventilation, lighting, power
systems, fire systems, and
security systems.

 Its main function is to control

the internal environment of the
building such as temperature,
humidity and CO2 levels.
5. Other Considerations
Thermal Storage – Energy management from a financial point of view, not
environmental

They simply use energy

when it is cheaper (at
night), and store it
thermally until the building
needs it during the
expensive energy periods
(daytime).
5. Other Considerations
Phase Changing Materials

They melt as the building

reaches the top limit of
comfort, and freeze as it
reaches the lower limit.

Thus regulating internal

temperatures around
comfort
5. Other Considerations
Phase Changing Materials
5. Other Considerations
Radiant Heating and Cooling
5. Other Considerations
Radiant Heating
5. Other Considerations
Radiant Cooling
5. Other Considerations
Heat Pumps

• A heat pump is a device that

uses a small amount of energy
to move heat from one location
to another.
• Heat pumps are usually used
to pull heat out of the air or
ground to heat a home or
office building, or they can be
switched into reverse to cool a
building.
• Heat pumps can also work
extremely efficiently, because
they simply transfer heat,
rather than burn fuel to create
it.
5. Other Considerations
Heat Pumps

 A heat pump domestic

water heater located in
the living area of the
home could cool the
home.

 This is best suited to a

climate that is warm or
hot most of the year.
5. Other Considerations
Air Source Heat Pumps
 Extracts heat from
outside air

 Air-air heat pump

(transfers heat to
inside air)

 Air-water heat pump

(transfers heat to a
tank of water)
5. Other Considerations
Ventilation fans

• VAV – Variable Air Volume fans in Air Handling Units. Operate at the
required speed, rather than one speed which is then damped down at the
delivery point
• The types and positions of diffusers can have large effect on the local
comfort conditions as draft is not pleasant.
• Fan types can be more or less efficient and noisy, and experts are
required to specify these details.
PASSIVE VENTILATION
PASSIVE VENTILATION – wind driven
PASSIVE VENTILATION – temperature driven
PASSIVE VENTILATION – night cooling
PASSIVE VENTILATION - combined
British High Commission
Richard Murphy Architects Ltd
Colombo, Siri Lanka
Credit: David Morris / Richard Murphy Architects
 British High Commission
Richard Murphy Architects Ltd
Colombo, Siri Lanka
Credit: David Morris / Richard Murphy Architects
 British High Commission
Richard Murphy Architects Ltd
Colombo, Siri Lanka
Credit: David Morris / Richard Murphy Architects
 Cazayoux Residence
EnvironMental Design (Edward J. Cazayoux, FAIA)
Breaux Bridge, Louisiana
Credit; Edward Cazayoux
 Containers of Hope
Benjamin Garcia Saxe
San Jose, Costa Rica
Credit: Andres Garcia Lachner
 Containers of Hope
Benjamin Garcia Saxe
San Jose, Costa Rica
Credit: Andres Garcia Lachner
 A Forest for a Mood Dazzler
Benjamin Garcia Saxe
Playa Avellanas, Guancaste, Costa Rica
Credit: Andres Garcia Lachner
Green School
PT Bambu
Bali, Indonesia
Credit: Iwan Baan
New Environmental Office, Building Research
Establishment
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
Watford, Hetrtfordshire, United Kingdom
Science House at the Science Museum of Minnesota
Barbour LaDouceur Design Group
St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
Credit: Barbour LaDouceur Design Group
Sorby House
Bond Bryan Architects
Burngreave, Schffield, United Kingdom
Credit: Jonathan Hart