AME 442 - Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning

(HVAC) System Design

System Design: Air Side - Economizers

Presented by Peter V. DeMars, P.E.
March 6, 2017

Objectives:
Introduce air-side economizers
Differentiate dry bulb and enthalpy economizer variants in terms of hours of
use and control requirements
Evaluate effects of return air plenums on air-side economizer operation
Review AHU damper positioning to effect 3 mode economizer operation

AME 442 Lecture 19

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park 2008, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 Economizer Concepts:
Dry bulb economizer, uses outside air instead of return air if useful

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park

System Design Air Side AME 442 Lecture 19
2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 Economizer Concepts:
Dry bulb economizer, potential hours of operation for a 8760 hour facility

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park

System Design Air Side AME 442 Lecture 19
2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 Economizer Concepts:
Dry bulb economizer, three operating modes

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park

System Design Air Side AME 442 Lecture 19
2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 Economizer Concepts:
Dry bulb economizer, three operating modes (Minimum, 100% OSA, Modulating)

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park

System Design Air Side AME 442 Lecture 19
2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 Economizer Concepts:
Dry bulb economizer, three operating modes (Minimum, 100% OSA, Modulating)

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park

System Design Air Side AME 442 Lecture 19
2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 Economizer Concepts:
Dry bulb economizer shown, consider enthalpy economizer

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park

System Design Air Side AME 442 Lecture 19
2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 Economizer Concepts:
Enthalpy economizer, three operating modes

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park

System Design Air Side AME 442 Lecture 19
2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 Economizer Concepts:
Enthalpy economizer, three operating modes (Minimum, 100% OSA, Modulating)
No physical changes, control and sensor considerations

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park

System Design Air Side AME 442 Lecture 19
2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 Economizer Comparisons:
Dry Bulb economizer
Tucson, Arizona: 8760 hrs/year, 78Fdb/65Fwb Splits

(1470 + 1630) / 8760 = 35% mechanical cooling

(420 + 5240 1100) / 8760 = 52% partial mechanical cooling
1100 / 8760 = 13% no mechanical cooling

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park

System Design Air Side AME 442 Lecture 19
2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 Economizer Comparisons:
Enthalpy (or wet bulb) economizer
Tucson, Arizona: 8760 hrs/year, 78Fdb/65Fwb Splits

(420 + 1470) / 8760 = 21% mechanical cooling

(1630 + 5240 1100) / 8760 = 66% partial mechanical cooling
1100 / 8760 = 13% no mechanical cooling

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park

System Design Air Side AME 442 Lecture 19
2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 Economizers: Minimum Outside Air Mode
Outside air damper minimum position
Return air damper full open
Relief air damper full closed

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park

System Design Air Side AME 442 Lecture 19
2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 Economizers: 100% Outside Air Mode
Outside air damper full open
Return air damper full closed
Relief air damper full open

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park

System Design Air Side AME 442 Lecture 19
2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 Economizers: Mixed Outside Air/Return Air
Mode
Dampers are all modulated to obtain the required leaving air temperature

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park

System Design Air Side AME 442 Lecture 19
2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442
 AME 442 - Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning
(HVAC) System Design

Questions?

AME 442 Lecture 19

DeMars Group, inc. Tucson, Phoenix, Menlo Park 2011, Peter V. DeMars, P.E. UofA AME 442