BUILDING UTILITIES 2 MODULE 7

FINALS REVIEWER

DEFINITION OF TERMS OF HEATING VENTILATION,

AND AIR CONDITIONING UNIT (HVAC) BOILER BURNER UNIT, a boiler with a matching
burner whose heat release capacity equal the
AIR, MAKEUP, new boiler heating capacity less certain losses.
or fresh, air
brought into a BOILER BURNER UNIT, a boiler with a matching
building to replace burner whose heat release capacity equal the
losses due to boiler heating capacity less certain losses.
exfiltration and BRITISH THERMAL UNIT (Btu) quantity of heat
exhausts, such as required to raise the temperature of 1 lb of water
those from ventilation and chemical hoods. 1 degF at or near 39,2 degF, which is temperature
AIR RETURN (RECIRCULATED), air that leaves a of maximum density.
conditioned spaced is returned to the air CENTRAL HEATING OR COOLING PLANT, one large
conditioning equipment for treatment. heating or cooling unit used to heat or cool; many
AIR SATURATED, air that is fully saturated with rooms, spaces, or zones or several buildings, as
water vapor (100% humidity), with the air and compared to individual room, zone or building
water vapor at the same temperature. units.

AIR STANDARD, air at 70 deg F (21degC) and CONDENSERS, a special

standard atmospheric pressure 29.92 in equipment used in air
(101.2kPa) of mercury and weighing about 0.075 conditioning to liquefy a
lb/ft^3 (1.20 kg/m^3) gas.

AIR CHANGE, the complete replacement of room

air volume with new supply air. CONDENSING UNIT a complete refrigerating
AIR CONDITIONING, the process of altering air system in one assembly, including the refrigerant
supply to control simultaneously its humidity, compressor, motor, condenser, receiver and other
temperature, cleanliness and distribution to meet necessary accessories.
specific criteria for a space. THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY, quantity of heat
AIR CONDITIONING COMFORT, use of air energy, usually in Btu, that is transmitted through
conditioning solely for human comfort as a substance per unit of time (usually 1 hr) from a
compared with conditioning for industrial unit area (usually 1 sq.ft) of surface to an opposite
processes or manufacturing unit surface per unit of thickness (usually 1 in)
under a unit temperature difference ( 1 deg F)
AIR CONDITIONING INDUSTRIAL, use of air between the surface
conditioning in industrial plants where the prime
objective is enhancement of a manufacturing COOLING, a heat removal process usually
process rather than human comfort. accomplished wiith air conditioning equipment.

BOILER, a cast iron or steel container fired with COOLING EFFECT TOTAL, the difference in total
solid, liquid or gaseous fuels to generate hot water heat in an airstream entering and leaving a
or steam for use in heating a building through an refrigerant evaporator or cooling coil.
appropriate distribution system.
COOLING TOWER, a mechanical device used to vapor pressure of the air when saturated at the
cool water by evaporator in the outside air. same temperature.
Towers may be atmospheric or induced or
EVAPORATOR, a
powered draft type.
cooling coil in a
refrigeration system in
which the refrigerant
is evaporated and
absorbs heat from the
surrounding fluid
(airstream).
COOLING UNIT SELF CONTAINED, a complete air HYGROSTAT, a
conditioning assembly consisting of a compressor, mechanical device
evaporator, condenser, evaporator condenser, fan that is sensitive to
motor, and air filter ready for plug in to an electric changes in humidity
power supply. and used to actuate
other mechanical
DAMPER, a plate
devices when
type device used
predetermined limits of humidity are reached.
to regulate flow of
air or gas in a pipe REFRIGERANT, a substance that will accept large
or duct quantities of heat, that will cause boiling and
vaporization at certain temperatures, and that can
DEHUMIDIFICATION, in air conditioning, the
be utilized in air conditioning systems.
removal of water vapor from supply air by
condensation of water vapor on the cold surface TON OF REFIGERATION, refrigeration effect
of a cooling coil. equivalent to 200 Btu/min, or 12000 Btu/hr.
DIFFUSER, outlet for VAPOR, the gaseous state of water and other
supply air into a space or liquid substances.
zone.
VAPOR BARRIER, an impervious material used to
prevent the passage of water vapor and to prevent
condensation.
DESIGN CRITERIA ACCURACY
DUCTWORK, an
arrangement of Some engineers apply much effort to
sheet metal ducts determination of design conditions with great
to distribute accuracy. This is usually not necessary, because of
supply air, return the great number of variables involved in the
air and exhaust design process. Strict design criteria will increase
air. the cost of the necessary machinery for such
optimum conditions and may be unnecessary. It is
EFFICIENCY, ratio of power output to power input.
generally recognized that it is impossible to
It does not include considerations of load factor or
provide specific indoor conditions that will satisfy
coefficient of performance.
every occupant at all times.
HUMIDITY, water vapor mixed with dry air.
HUMIDITY RELATIVE (RH), ratio of the vapor
pressure in a mixture of air and water vapor to the
OUTLINE OF DESIGN PROCEDURE VENTILATION Ventilation is utilized for many
different purposes, the most common being
Design of an HVAC system is not a simple task. The
control of humidity and condensation. Other well
procedure varies considerably from one
known uses include exhaust hoods in restaurant,
application or project to another, and important
heat removal in industrial plants, fresh air in
considerations for one project may have little
building, odor removal, and chemical and fume
impact on another. The following major steps have
hood exhausts.
to be taken:
METHODS OF VENTILATION Ventilation is
1. Determine all applicable design conditions,
generally accomplished by two methods: natural
such as inside and outside temperature
and mechanical. In either case, ventilation air
and humidity conditions for winter and
must be air taken from the outdoors. It is brought
summer conditions, including prevailing
into the building through screened and louvered
winds and speed.
or other types of openings with or without
2. Determine all particular and peculiar
ductwork. In many mechanical ventilation systems,
interior space conditions that will be
the outside air is brought in through ductwork to
maintained.
an appropriate air moving device, such as
3. Estimate, for every space, heating or
centrifugal fan.
cooling loads from adjacent unheated or
uncooled spaces. Mechanical ventilation is often required by various
4. Carefully check architectural drawings for building codes for various applications as follows:
all building materials used for walls, roofs,
1. control of contaminants in the work area
floors, ceilings, doors, etc., and determine
for health protection and compliance with
the necessary thermal coefficient for each.
OSHA standards for achieving the legal
5. establish values for air infiltration and
limits set on employee exposure to specific
exfiltration quantities, for use in
toxic and hazardous substances.
determining heat losses and heat gains.
2. Fire and explosion prevention for
6. Determine ventilation quantities and
flammable vapors.
corresponding loads for heat losses and
3. Environmental protection
heat gains.
4. Reuse of valuable industrial meterials
7. Determine heat or cooling loads due to
5. Human comfort-removal of heat,
internal machinery, equipment, lights,
a. odors, and tobacco smoke
motors, etc.
6. Humidity control
8. Include allowance for effects of solar load.
7. Corrosive fumes and noxious gases.
9. Total the heat losses requiring heating of
spaces and heat gains requiring cooling of
spaces, to determine equipment capacities.
10. Determine system type and control
method to be applied.
THERMAL INSULATION A substantial reduction in
heating and cooling loads can be made by
judicious use of thermal insulation in wall and roof
construction. Addition of insulation results in an
increase in thermal
resistance R, or a
reduction in the
coefficient of heat
transfer U of the walls
and roof.