Unit 6 Common A/C systems &

system design
Ventilation and Air conditioning

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Main Contents
• Common systems and their parts
– Schematic diagrams
• A typical all air system
• Two modes: cooling and heating
– Examples
• System Design
– All air conditioning:
• sensible/latent
• cooling/heating summer and winter operations
– CAV: constant air volume systems
– VAV: variable air volume systems

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 Learning objectives

• Be familiar with the common systems

– Physical features (configuration), AHU, distribution & connection.
– Installation requirements, such as space
• Be able to explain their suitability & limitations.
– two major A/C systems: CAV & VAV, their structure, control, application
and limitations
• Understand the need to zone a building according to its cooling and
ventilation requirements
• Be able to read and draw schematic diagrams of some most common
and simple systems using the symbols of basic elements together
with psychrometric cycles on the chart.
• Carry out calculations associated with individual systems

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Part one: Common systems

• Unitary systems and variations

• All air systems
• Air Water systems
• Distribution units

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 Unitary systems 1: Window unit
simple easy installation
idea for quick retrofit
cheap to install
easy maintenance
noisy
re-circulating air

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 Unitary systems 2: Split System

quieter
refrigerant circuit
re-circulating air

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Unitary systems 2: Split System

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 Another extreme example

Pros & cons

• Disadvantages • Advantages
– Long connection pipes – Low cost
for refrigerant running – Easy installation
between the two parts. – Quiet operation
– Recirculation room air – Localised provision
only. Fresh air supply
is totally relies on
infiltration.

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Unitary systems
3: Variable
Refrigerant
(VRF) System
• Multiple indoor units
• Inverter-driven compressor
• A simple solution for easy
office retrofit
• localised comfort
• quiet operation
• Indoor recirculation

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All air system -
overview

• Main
elements
• Rooms
• Distribution
devices
• Ductworks
• AHU

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The air handler/Air handling Unit (AHU)

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 Boiler in the heating plant

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Pumps for cooling

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 Cooling plant

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All-air system: Heat Recovery

Large volumetric
flow or high
ACH

• fixed flow rate

• fixed supply air
condition

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 All-air system Heat Recovery

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 Low velocity and low pressure
All air system 1 constant central plant
controlled in each individual room by
reheaters
mixed recirculation

AHU

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All air system 2 Variable supply air condition

constant flow rate
individually controlled by
mixing box
high velocity
AHU

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 All air
system 3:
Multi-zone
Units

Dampers control
Low velocity

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variations
• Single-duct variable air temp. with 100% fresh air;
• Single-duct variable air temp. with recirculation of room air;
• Single-duct variable air temp, for a building with multiple
zones;
• Single-duct variable air supply volume;
• Single-duct variable air volume and temperature;
• Single-duct variable air volume plus a separate perimeter
heating system;
• Single-duct plus fan coil for additional local cooling or
heating;
• Single-duct plus induction units;
• Dual-duct with variable air volume

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 Single-duct with perimeter a
separate heating system

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Single-duct with perimeter a

separate heating system

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 Two major systems
• CAV constant air volume systems
– Constant fresh air supply with variable air
temperature for heat removal/heat supply
• VAV variable air volume systems
– constant temperature with variable airflow rate
for heat removal/supply
Change supply temperature
Change supply flowrate

Qtotal = C pair mair (t s − t r )

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CAV system
• Constant air supplied to ensure sufficient
fresh air supply – essential for spaces with
crowd of occupants, such as cinemas,
theatres, stadiums and so on
• Terminal re-heaters to modulate the supply
air temperature, consequently controls
cooling and heating loads
• Energy inefficient

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 VAV system
• Controls volume of air supplied to a zone
• Terminal devices to modulate the quantity
of the supply air and vary fan speed
• Supply air temperature only changes with
season.
• Less fan energy consumption
• Possible insufficient fresh air supply
• Good humidity control
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Air-water system 1: Fan Coil Unit

System
• Water
replacing air in
delivering
cooling
• No high ACH
– Fan Coil
– Induction
– Chilled beam
– displacement
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 Air-water system 1:
Fan Coil Unit System

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Air-water system 2 Inducing primary air

pre-conditioned in
Induction Unit the central plant

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 Air-water
system 3
Chilled
Beam

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Chilled beams

• Principle:
– Convection
– Large surface area
– Minimise the temperature difference between the
room air and cooling surface
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• Major advantages:
– Suitable to rooms with low floor-to-slab height;
– Cheap to run - low maintenance requirements
– Flexibility – can be integrated with
• other services in a single unit – hence low installation costs
• design concerns to meet clients’ or architects’ aesthetic and
other requirements.
– High quality of comfort cooling due to less
temperature difference
• Major limitations:
– Low cooling capacity: not for heaving buildings
– No fresh air supply: not for dense occupancy
– Additional heating device
– Risk of condensation
Chilled beams
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Chilled application:
Scottish Parliament New
Building

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 Chilled beams application:
Scottish Parliament New Building

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Chilled
beams
application:
Scottish
Parliament
New Building

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 Underfloor air distribution (UFAD)
Displacement ventilation

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Cooling distributors

• Chilled beams
• Convectors
• Fan coils
• Diffusers: ceiling/floor

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 ceiling diffusers
Scottish Parliament New Building

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Distribute air conditioned air to

office spaces—plenum ceiling
Air percolates through perforated diffusing
ceiling to space below owing to slight pressure
excess in “plenum” void

Extract
position not
critical – grill
shown here
at side
partition
Part of
extract
returning
back to the
main plant as
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air

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 Dundas House refurbishment

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Unit 6 Dundas House refurbishment, circulation

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 Distribute air conditioned air to
office spaces
— slot diffuser inlet and (heat removing) extract through
lighting fittings

Free extract
into ceiling
void through
light fittings

Inlet
through slot
diffusers
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Dundas house, new extension: open plan offices: the

light diffuser unit

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 Open plan office
Unit 8 Ventilation systems 47

Open plan office

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 Open plan office
• Floor and ceiling voids

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Large Single Zone

Distribution

Some direct
extract of
smoke from
bar and via
extract grills
at heat level
around side
walls

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 Large space: jet nozzles
Nozzles for high
strong flow
shooting into the
deep space

• Large spaces
• Long projection
• Restrict low level positions

Large spaces: fabric ducts

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 5 Service core arrangements
• Service core
– Elevators/staircases
– Pipes/ducts
– Cables of powers/telecom/intercom
– Plant rooms
– AHU
– Wastes
• Arrangements
– Horizontal
– Vertical

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 5 Service core arrangements
Dundas House, Standard Life Head Quarters, Edinburgh

• Plant rooms • AHU

• Cooling towers • Control rooms

Conclusion of part one

• Common systems and their parts

• Unitary systems
• All air systems
• Air water systems
– Examples
– Schematic diagrams
– CAV: constant air volume systems
– VAV: variable air volume systems

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