Systems Flashcards
skin load dominated building
have a lot of surface volume relative to their volume, thermal response is heavily influenced by the conditions outsid
internal load dominated building
minimal surface area relative to volume (hospitals, skyscrapers, office buildings) or buildings that generate a lot of heat regardless of their volume (theater while in use, factory) aka have a lot of loads. Only need heating on worst winter nights, and around the perimeter. It’s more about shedding heat year round
Solar heat gain coefficient
the fraction of net solar radiation through a window, both directly transmitted and absorbed and subsequently released inward
ranges from 0 - 1, higher means more of radiant heat goes through
Typ high is 0.7 - 0.9, low is 0.2 - 0.4
solar insolation
radiant energy per sf of the sun
British Thermal Unit (BTU)
the heat needed to move 1 lb of water up 1 degree F
Psychrometry
relation between air temperature and humidity
When things evaporate, they make everything around them colder
Warm air can hold more moisture than cool air
degree days
a unit used to determine the heating requirements of buildings, representing a fall of one degree below a specified average outdoor temperature (65°F) for one day
The higher the CDD, the longer or hotter the summer
The higher the HDD number the most severe the winter
Conductivity (k)
the rate at which heat passes through a specified material
- higher conductivity the faster heat moves across
Resistivity (r)
the rate at which a material resists the transfer of heat
-inverse of conductivity, 1/r
-we generally want materials with high r
-can be higher than 1
Conductance (C)
homogeneous materials of any given thickness or for heterogeneous materials with known thermal properties
Resistance (R)
homogeneous materials of any given thickness or for heterogeneous materials with known thermal properties
- Inverse of conductance
- R = r x d
U Value
measure of the overall ability of a series of conductive and convective barriers to transfer heat
value between 1 & 0
the lower the value, the better the insulator
U = 1 / R1 + R2 + R3 + …
Conduction (including equation)
heat exchange between two surfaces that are in contact
-heat will move as a function of the temperature difference between the two surfaces (delta T), the area of the surfaces that are touching (A), and the U Value of the materials touching
Q=UxAxdeltaT
Outdoor Design Temperature
worst case scenarios seasonal low, similar to 100 year flood
Allows to calculate what equipment you need to heat on the coldest day
Air change
rate per hour at which an entire volume of air leaves and is replaced by outside air
-0.9 air change means 90% in one hour
-Need to convert air change per hour to cubic ft or air per minute
-2 is good amount, anything below 0.3 you have to intentionally bring in outside air
Radiation
thermal radiation is electromagnetic radiatoin generated by the thermal motion of charged particles
-Ex. surfaces around you have higher temps than the air - higher radiant heat
Absorptance
dark and matte surfaces absorb more heat. Light or reflective material reflect heat
Emittance
a material’s ability to release heat through radiation
Low E Glass
microscopic layer of reflective coating inside glass
reflects heat back inside during winter, reflects heat out in the summer
Thermal Mass
the ability of a material to absorb, store and release heat
-Thermal lag - peaks are later and less sharp
-Moderating effect takes severity out of temp swings
3 types of passive solar gain
Direct gain space - you are occupying the space that’s being heated up
Indirect gain space - solar energy heating up a gap between window and concrete wall (Trombe wall), thermal mass has a good view of the sun
Sun space - also indirect, sun heats up one space, which is not conditioned, conditioned space is inboard of that
evaporator loop
Coolant that is evaporating or boiling is cold
Low pressure induces boiling
The side that is typ inside the house
condenser loop
Coolant that is condensing is warm (heat is produced when changing from gas to liquid)
High pressure induces condensation
The side that is typ outside the house
economizer cycle / free cooling
Cooling large buildings on cold nights with cool air using cold air outside the building (need to cool b/c heat generated inside the building offsets some of the heat losses from the envelope)
Can be air or water
heat pump
Reverse flow of coolant so cold side is outside and hot side is inside
can be geothermal
grille
air goes in
register
air goes out
diffuser
air is spread out
heat exchanger
allows heat from the exhaust air to be shared with the intake air, without coming into direct contact
single zone HVAC
se one outdoor condenser and one indoor head for a single area of the home
ideal for small homes
Terminal Reheat (with VAV)
If a room needs to be heated, a valve opens to allow heating water to flow through the reheat coil which reheats the air that passes through the coil. The controls that monitor air flow and heating coil are normally linked to the room’s thermostat.
advantages are lots of control & space and equipment efficiencies, disadvantages are wasted energy
Dual Duct system
not really used anymore, have one hot duct and one cold, mix together in a mixing box per room to achieve desired temp
split system
compressor and condenser are outside, evaporator is inside, mostly for residential, must keep evaporator within 100’ of eachother
fan coil unit
Fan in the space rather than remotely, generally minimal ductwork, but noisier, efficiency and maintenance, increase control, need less space (pipes rather than ducts), common for multifam
Evaporative condenser
water sprayed over top of the condenser, helps cool it quicker aka more efficient
Issues with putting equip on the roof
Structural demands, noisier, ugly, inefficient because heat/cool loss as you run things across the roof
Minisplit
Fan coil unit in each zone, and each can be either a condenser or evaporator when needed
Rooftop Water to Water System
Chiller using water to cool the condenser (cooling tower) bring cool to building through chilled pipes
Can have the chiller be remote (up to ½ mi away) and feed multiple bldgs
Can have chiller in the basement and cooling tower on roof
Could be geothermal water to water - condenser heat goes through pipes in ground to cool/heat depending on season
Rooftop Water to Air System
Condenser side has water cooled by water tower, evaporator has fan blowing air over coils
types of pipes
Copper - more expensive, more friction
Plastic - less expensive, less friction (ABS, PE, PVC, PVDC - can be used with hot water)
rated by thickness (k thicker, l medium, m thinner)
DWV - used for drains and vents
types of valves
Gate - used for maintenance, can open it completely or close it
Globe - used for faucets, repeated use
Check - used for backflow prevention, near where water enters the bldg
Pressure equation
Pressure (P, psi) = 0.433 (constant) x Height (h, ft)
hot water requirements
140 deg for kitchen and laundry
110 deg for shower
105 for handwashing
types of vents
Traps require vents, some can share, some need their own
Soil stack - black water
Stack vent - vent above the soil stack, lavatory, etc
Waste stack - grey water
Vent stack - not directly above stack, off to the side