Research and Technology News from ARI

April 2005

New Direction and New Look of ARTI Research

ARTI projects co-funded by the U.S. Department of Energy under the cooperative agreement, HVACR for the 21st Century Research (21CR), are quickly drawing to a close. With the conclusion of the 21CR program, ARTI has refocused its research program with the publication of the ARTI Research Roadmap in November 2004. This industry research roadmap lays out the path for future research and establishes bold goals for the next 15 years in four sectors residential buildings, commercial buildings, refrigeration, and emerging technologies. ARTI will continue to serve as the HVACR manufacturers arm for collaborative research. Reflective of its new research direction, ARTI has adopted a new logo reflecting its close ties to ARI and has renamed the ARTI website as www.arti-research.org.

Modeling of Natural and Hybrid Ventilation Systems for Office Buildings

ARTI has released a final report, Simulating Performance of Natural and Hybrid Ventilation Systems in an Office Building. The final report can be downloaded at www.arti-research.org/research/ completed/finalreports/40076-final.pdf This research found that while natural ventilation systems performed adequately in certain climate zones, hybrid ventilation systems improved the performance of the natural ventilation system in all climates with some climate zones Thomas E. Watson, P.E. has been apexperiencing dramatic improvement. pointed as the 2005 chairman of the ARI In addition, when compared to the Research & Technology Committee and mechanical system, a hybrid system saved significant amounts of the ARTI Steering Committee. fan energy and cooling loads in all climates but often resulted in Watson is uniquely suited to lead the higher heating loads. In most but not all cases, the hybrid ARTI Research Program as it refocuses ventilation system provided better IAQ control, as indicated by its efforts to support the goals of the CO2 concentrations. Although the hybrid system provided ARTI Research Roadmap. Mr. Watson acceptable thermal control, the mechanical system provided more joined the ARI Research & Technology Committee in 1996 consistent control. and has served as its deputy chairman for the past two years. This research was undertaken to investigate the potential He joined the ARTI Steering Committee in 1998 and severed energy and indoor environmental performance of natural and first as chairman of the Equipment Energy Efficiency Subhybrid ventilation alternatives in low to mid-rise U.S. commercial committee and later as deputy chairman of the Steering buildings in a variety of U.S. climates. Past research on natural Committee. He formerly served on the ARTIs Materials ventilation has found that the potential application of pure natural Compatibility and Lubricant (MCLR) Advisory Committee ventilation systems may be limited in the U.S. by climate suitability, and the ARI High Pressure Refrigerant Task Force. Watson humidity control, and reliability. However, hybrid (or mixed-mode) is a 2000 recipient of the ARI Schultze Distinguished Service ventilation systems offer the possibility of attaining energy Award. Watson succeeds Lee W. Burgett who was the ARTI savings in a greater number of buildings through the combination Steering Committee chairman from 2002 through 2004. of natural ventilation systems with mechanical equipment. See Final Report, Page 2

New Chair of ARTI Research Committee

April 2005

Final Report, from page 1 Research was funded by ARTI who engaged the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to conduct the research. NIST reviewed hybrid ventilation approaches and existing applications and conducted simulations to predict and compare the indoor environmental and energy performance of natural, hybrid, and mechanical systems in an otherwise similar building. CONTAMR, a coupled multi-zone airflow and thermal simulation tool, was used to model the systems in a 5-story office building for cold, moderate and hot months in five U.S. cities. Performance was evaluated in terms of ventilation (i.e., ventilation rates and indoor CO2 concentrations), thermal comfort (i.e., zone temperatures), and energy (i.e., fan energy and thermal conditioning loads). The Enschede office building, which was designed for natural ventilation, was modeled for the simulations. Overall, the natural ventilation system performed adequately in San Francisco and Enschede Office Building, Netherlands LosAngeles although some tolerance for imperfect thermal and IAQ control is required. Natural ventilation system performance was poor in the more challenging climates of Boston, Minneapolis, and Miami due to poor thermal control, unreliable ventilation, or high heating loads. The hybrid ventilation system improved on the performance of the natural ventilation system in all climates with dramatic improvement in some. Compared to the mechanical system, the hybrid system saved significant amounts of fan energy, cooling loads or both in all climates but often resulted in higher heating loads. Although the hybrid system provided acceptable thermal control, the mechanical system provided more consistent control as expected. The hybrid ventilation system provided better IAQ control, as indicated by CO2 concentrations, in most but not all cases. Figure 1 shows that for climates similar to San Francisco, all Summarized in the charts below are the office zone temperature methods provide adequate zone temperature control; control and energy consumption results for simulations in each of the satisfying the temperature criterion 97% or more of the time. five cities. The zone temperature criterion was maintaining tempera- However, mechanical systems provide better zone ture within zones between 20C and 26C (68F and 79F) during temperature control. Figure 2 indicates that natural and occupied hours. hybrid ventilation systems provide a distinct energy savings potential during the summer.

For Los Angeles like climates all methods provide adequate zone temperature control; satisfying the criterion 95% or more of the time. However, the mechanical ventilation system provides much greater control. Figure 4 indicates that natural and hybrid systems clearly have energy savings potential over mechanical systems.

Figure 5 clearly shows that for the Boston climate, natural ventilation cannot provide zone temperature control for summer months. From Figure 6 there appears to be no distinct energy savings advantage of hybrid systems over mechanical systems.

Results for the Minneapolis climate are similar to those for Boston. Natural ventilation was inadequate for temperature control satisfaction during the summer and there is no distinct advantage from hybrid ventilation systems over mechanical systems.

For the Miami climate, natural ventilation was inadequate for temperature control. Figure 10 suggests that hybrid ventilation systems have the potential for energy savings over mechanical systems.

April 2005

Portable Mold Detector Project

Operating Requirements for Portable Mold Detectors by Lew Harriman, Mason-Grant Consulting
Purpose To help researchers and instrument manufacturers understand the physical environment for hidden mold detection and to understand the perspectives of potential users of portable mold detectors. The ultimate goal is to speed the adoption of any mold detection technology which could benefit the public. Conclusions Any practical detector must be able to locate mold growing (prolifically) on the far side of gypsum wall board and on the far side of oriented strand board located near the center of a wall assembly or under a finished floor. A mold detector would still be practical even if it could not detect low levels of contamination (e.g.: settled spores), and even if it could not establish the species, amount or age of hidden mold. Nor is it essential to detect mold growing in carpets. The most common need of the stakeholders is simply to have some tool which can detect the edges of prolific growth, so those areas can be marked for more detailed investigation. Edge detection of areas of prolific mold growth, in real time, is the minimum level of performance for a practical portable mold detector. Z-locationdepth location of the growth layer inside a wall assemblywould be the next most useful level of performance. 3-D imaging of prolific mold growth areas, in real time, would be the ultimate level of performance. Detection results must be repeatable between operators with different skill levels, and must avoid false positives from normal components of walls and ceilings. Rapid, nondestructive moisture mapping of exterior walls in three dimensionsfrom a position at ground level outside the buildingwould be at least as useful to the public as mold detection. Process, sources & support Research summarized here was carried out by Mason-Grant Consulting, working in collaboration with the technical staffs of the Georgia Tech Research Institute and Munters Moisture Control Services. The work consisted principally of visits to sites with mold and moisture problems, interviews in person and on the telephone with industry experts and potential users, together with supplemental research on-line. This project was funded by grants from the Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Institute (ARTI), and Munters Moisture Control Services. For more information about this report, contact Steve Szymurski, at szymurski@ari.org.

Conference Calendar
The following is a list of upcoming events that focus on pre-competitive research.
8th International Energy Agency Heat Pump Conference 2005 Las Vegas, NV 30 May 0 2 June 2005 www.ornl.gov/hp2005 International Sorption Heat Pump Conference Bloomfield, CO 22 24 June 2005 www.enme.umd.edu/ceee/ishpc/ 2005 ASHRAE Annual Meeting Denver, CO 25-29 June 2005 www.ashrae.org Building Simulation 2005 Montreal, Canada 15-18 August 2005 www.ibpsa.org IIR Commercial Refrigeration Vicenza, Italy 30-31 August 2005 www.aicarr.it/vicenza2005/ IIR Thermophysical Properties and Transfer Process of New Refrigerants Vicenza, Italy 31 August 2 September 2005 www.aicarr.it/vicenza2005/ International Conference on Compressors and Their Systems London, UK 4-7 September 2005 Indoor Air 2005 Beijing, China 4-9 September 2005 www.indoorair2005.org.cn

Standing Room Only for 21CR Emerging Technologies Seminar at ASHRAE Orlando Meeting
Members of ARTIs former Emerging Technologies Subcommittee organized and presented an exceptional Seminar at the 2005 ASHRAE Winter Meeting in Orlando. The Seminar, entitled 21CR Emerging Technologies Update, drew a large, standing room only crowd of over 150 people. The seminar was chaired by Dr. Piotr Domanski of the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) and included five presentations on emerging technologies, most of which were assessed by the ARTI 21CR program Informal audience feedback praised the seminar as one of the best in the last five years. The seminar was sponsored by TC 8.11 Unitary and Room Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps.

April 2005

Four new ARTI Research Projects

ARTI has made tentative contractor selections and is in the process of finalizing contracts for the start of four new ARTI research projects: Near and Supercritical Heat Transfer and Flow of R-410A in Small Diameter Tubes
Heat pumps are being increasingly considered for water heating at 140 oF or higher. Also, air-conditioners or refrigeration systems must operate in climates in the southwest and dessert regions in the world with outdoor temperatures of 115 oF or higher. Operating equipment under these high temperature conditions results in refrigerant temperatures approaching or exceeding the refrigerants critical temperature. This is especially true when R-22 is replaced by HFC blends such as R-404A and R-410A, with critical temperatures of ~162 oF. High operating pressures and other inherent advantages may favor the use of smaller tube diameters in heat rejecting condensers and gas coolers for these systems. The design and analysis of those components requires a thorough understanding of heat transfer and pressure drop at pressures approaching and exceeding the critical temperature. Through measurements and modeling, this project will characterize the heat transfer and pressure drop of refrigerant blend R410A in small diameter tubes at near-critical and supercritical conditions. The data collected will complement the results from those being obtained in research project ARTI21CR/610-20060, and the models developed will span a range of operating conditions and tube diameters.

Electro-osmosis for Dehumidification

Electro-osmosis uses an electric voltage applied within a wall to repel moisture. It has been used to prevent liquid ground soil moisture from seeping through basement walls. This project will investigate the potential of using electro-osmosis to remove moisture from the air for indoor dehumidification applications. The project will review the theory and principles behind the electro-osmosis process and conduct experiments to determine if it can be used to dehumidify air for use in air-conditioning systems.

Void Fraction Measurement and Modeling for Condensing Refrigerant in Small Diameter Tubes
Refrigerant flowing through a condenser is part liquid and part vapor that flow through the channel at different velocities. Void fraction is the cross-sectional area occupied by the two-phase vapor. A thorough understanding of the void fraction as a function of flow conditions and channel geometry is essential for the development of accurate condensation heat transfer and pressure drop models. Through measurement and modeling, this project will characterize local void fraction and pressure drop during condensation of R410A in small diameter tubes at typical heat rejection conditions for air-conditioning applications.

Evaluation of Whole-House Ventilation Options

In 2003, ASHRAE published a new ventilation and indoor air quality (IAQ) standard for low-rise residential buildings Standard 62.2. This standard incorporates many requirements that were not included in previous versions of ASHRAE Standard 62. Most significant among the new requirements is whole building mechanical ventilation, which is required for nearly all new homes - with a few narrow exceptions depending on climate, building thermal conditioning, or approval of a licensed design professional. When Standard 62.2 is adopted by building codes, this new requirement will result in the installation of mechanical ventilation systems in new houses throughout the U.S. for the first time. This sea change in residential building construction and operation is intended to improve residential IAQ. However, since ASHRAE Standard 62.2 has been written with few restrictions on ventilation system design to offer flexibility, the installed mechanical ventilation systems could vary widely in performance with respect to energy use, IAQ attained, and costs. There could also be

unintended negative impacts depending on climate and other factors. There have been many recent studies of residential ventilation. However, these studies predate the published ASHRAE Standard and may propose or analyze systems that would not meet the new requirements. The project will compare the performance of various alternative mechanical ventilation strategies in meeting the whole building ventilation requirements of Section 4.1 of ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2003 for new houses. Performance aspects to be compared include: IAQ; moisture control; energy use; and lifeTech Update cycle cost. Potential AIR-CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION INSTITUTE pitfalls of various op4100 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 200 tions will also be conArlington, Virginia 22203 (703) 524-8800, Fax (703) 522-2349 sidered. A contract has www.arti-research.org been sign with Buildwww.ari.org ing Science CorporaWilliam G. Sutton, President tion to conduct this RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY STAFF project. It is scheduled Mark Menzer P. Elizabeth Jones for completion June Vice President, Engineering Research Engineer, ARI 2006. Steven R. Szymurski
Director of Research, ARI EDITOR Joe Stevens Manager of Communications
Volume 12, Number 1, April 2005 Printed on recycled paper.

Cheron Scott Executive Assistant, ARI