MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• MEE51413 Design of AC Systems (3–1–3–2)

• Objectives
1.Prepare students with the skills needed for entry-level
positions in the HVAC industry (HVAC contractors,
property management companies, large buildings,
etc.).
2.Give students a thorough grounding in the
fundamentals of air-conditioning system design,
installation, operation and analysis.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

3.Provide students with a working knowledge of

air-conditioning systems and components
forming them.
4. Introduce students to Psychrometrics and air-
conditioning calculation.
5.Apply the basic principles of Psychrometrics
and air-conditioning calculation in air-
conditioning system analysis and design.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

6.Provide students with a working knowledge of

computer-aided calculations of thermal loads
and their use in design of air-conditioning
systems.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Syllabus Contents
1.Air-conditioning systems, air-conditioning
system design, selection of air-conditioning
system components.
2.Indoor air quality, design comfort conditions.
3.Psychrometric.
4.Pumps and piping system design.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

5.Space air diffusion, selection and location of air

outlets for optimal air movement.
6.Fans and building air distribution, basics of
sizing and selecting air handling equipment.
7.Operation and control of vapour compression
refrigeration systems.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Pre-Requisites
• MEE42401 Refrigeration and Air-conditioning.
• Student Learning Outcome
• A student achieving a pass grade in this course
will be able to:
1.Estimate space heat gains and space cooling
loads using accepted engineering methods.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

2.Apply Psychometrics to determine coil loads for

cooling and heating systems.
3.Select equipment and design systems to provide
comfort conditions.
4.Demonstrate understanding of AC system design.
5.Demonstrate understanding of various AC system
components and their work together in a typical real-
life air-conditioning system.

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MEE 51413 Design of AC Systems

6.Analyse typical complete AC systems and

represent them on psychrometric chart.
7.Design piping systems for AC systems.
8.Design of space air diffusion systems.
9.Select suitable components (pumps, fans,
diffusers, etc.) for typical AC systems.

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MEE 51413 Design of AC Systems

• Text Book
• F. C. McQuiston and J. D. Parker, Heating,
Ventilating, and Air-conditioning Analysis and
Design 6th Edition, 2005 Wiley, New York.

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 MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• References:
1.ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals, 2013 Edition, Atlanta,
GA.
2.ASHRAE Handbook of Systems & Equipment, 2014 Edition,
Atlanta, GA.
3.ASHRAE Applications Handbook, 2015 Edition, Atlanta, GA.
4.Carrier Air-conditioning Company, Handbook of Air-
conditioning System Design, McGraw Hill Book Company
New York N Y 1966.

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 MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Class Polices
• Prepare before you arrive in class by reading
sections ahead of time.
• Come to class. Attendance in lecture sessions
is very strongly recommended and very
important. Come prepared for the session and
you will learn as much as possible.
• Take notes.
• Listen carefully.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Keep background conversation and noise to a

minimum in class.
• You are responsible for paying attention to all
class announcements and notes.
• Attendance is mandatory for all exams and
other graded activities.
• Cheating or academic dishonesty of any kind
will not be tolerated.

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• Exams
• There will be two exams. The final exam will be
comprehensive and will take place as shown in
the Faculty calendar. Attendance for all exams is
required unless an event beyond the student's
control intercedes. You are not allowed to share a
calculator or book with another classmate during
an exam.

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• You must show all your work step by step.

Simply supplying an answer or excluding logical
steps will result in points being taken off your
grade.

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 MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Grading Policies
• The following table shows the breakdown of
credit for the course.
Homework, Assignments, quizzes, etc. 30%
Midterm Exam 20%
Final Exam 50%

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 MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• What is HVAC&R?
• HVAC&R is an acronym that stands for heating,
ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration, is
one of the building mechanical services that
include plumbing, fire protection, and escalators.
An HVAC&R system is an assembly of a variety
of active mechanical/electrical components with a
particular structure and defined function.

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• The structure and defined function determine the nature

of the system’s response to a given input. The basic
purpose of HVAC system is to provide interior thermal
conditions that a majority of occupants will find
acceptable. The heat and moisture control functions of
HVAC&R systems provide the foundation for key
system components. The additional functions of air
circulation and air quality control establish further
component requirements.

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 MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• In specific building situations, the HVAC&R

system may have supplemental functions such as
controlling smoke from fires or providing
background noise for acoustic privacy along with
potential need for additional components.
• A heating system (H in HVAC) add thermal energy
to a space or building to maintain some selected air
temperature not achieved otherwise due to heat
flows to exterior environment.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Ventilating (V in HVAC) is the introduction of

outdoor air to a space or removal of contaminated
air from it without changing its temperature to
improve indoor air quality or thermal comfort.
• Air-conditioning (AC in HVAC) is the process of
controlling the properties of air (i.e. temperature,
humidity, circulation, and quality) simultaneously
to provide acceptable indoor thermal conditions.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Air temperature is controlled by heating or cooling the

air.
• Air humidity is controlled by humidification (i.e.
adding or dehumidification (i.e. removing water
vapour from the air).
• Air cleanliness or air quality is controlled by either
filtration (i.e. remove undesirable contaminants using
filters or other devices) or by ventilation (i.e. the
introduction of outside air into the space to dilute the
concentration of contaminants). Often both filtration
and ventilation are used in an installation.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Air motion (i.e. air velocity and to where the air is

distributed) is controlled by appropriate air
distributing equipment.
• Sound control can be considered an auxiliary
function of an AC system even though the system
itself may be the cause of the problem. The AC
equipment may produce excessive noise requiring
additional sound attenuating devices as part of the
equipment.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Refrigeration (R, not explicitly included in HVAC)

is the process of removing thermal energy from a
space to maintain some selected air temperature
and humidity not achieved otherwise due to heat
flows from exterior environment, and from interior
heat and moisture sources. A refrigeration system
is normally part of AC system.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• In 1908, G.B. Wilson created what is thought to be

the first functional definition of air-conditioning.
This same definition is what Willis Carrier, the
father of air-conditioning, adhered to in his
manufacturing of air-conditioners.
1.Maintain a suitable degree of humidity in all
seasons and in all parts of a space/building.
2.Free the air from excessive humidity during
certain seasons.

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3.Supply a constant and adequate ventilation.

4.Efficiently remove all microorganisms, dust,
soot, and other foreign bodies from air.
5.An apparatus that will not be commercially
prohibitive in first cost (purchase) or cost of
maintenance.
• For the most part, these statements still accurately
define what modern AC systems accomplish today,
more than 100 years later.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• The given definition of air-conditioning is not meant to

imply that every HVAC system regulates all of the
conditions described. In the most general sense, air-
conditioning can refer to any form of technology that
modifies the condition of air (e.g. heating, cooling,
dehumidification, humidification, cleaning, ventilation,
or air movement). Occasionally this may simply
require moving air at an adequate velocity to enhance
convective cooling and evaporation from the skin.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• For example, a hot water or steam heating system

(boiler, piping, radiation devices and perhaps a pump)
controls only air temperature and only during the
heating season while a warm air system (furnace,
ducts, and air outlet registers) also controls air
temperature in winter only. However, by adding a
humidifier in the ducts, it may also control humidity in
winter. A complete HVAC&R system provides control
of temperature and humidity in both winter and
summer.

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 MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Some residences have combination air heating and

cooling equipment that provides control of
temperature and humidity in both winter and
summer. Air-type heating and cooling systems
provide some degree of control of air quality and
motion. AC systems used for newer commercial
and institutional buildings and luxury apartment
houses usually provide year-round control of most
or all of the air conditions described.

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 MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• To provide comfort, the HVAC&R system must be

designed to accommodate separate thermal zones
and provide each zone with its own control. A zone
is an area (e.g. a single conditioned space like an
audience seating area in a theatre stage) or a region
of a building (e.g. a row of offices) operated from a
single thermostat in one of the offices. Zoning is the
ability to have separate HVAC temperature controls
(thermostat’s) in different areas of a building.

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• It is a professionally installed zone control system

for each building room or zone and wired into a
central control panel that sequences each
thermostat’s call in the HVAC Unit.
• Zoning is helpful for spaces with inconsistent room
temperatures, and great for heating or cooling
individual spaces based on desired temperature
setting.

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• For example, it may not be possible to successfully

condition a below ground office area and a glass
enclosed atrium (large hall) from a single control
point because the dynamics of the thermal loads in
the two spaces are simply not compatible.
• Zoning is an architectural responsibility; it requires
an understanding of building function and
schedules.

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• The two key elements to consider when

establishing thermal zones are differential solar
radiation exposure (north versus east facade) and
differential operating schedules and loading
requirements (occasionally used assembly hall
versus normally occupied office suite). Thermal
zones must be established very early in the
HVAC&R system design process.

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• Main Benefits of Zoning

1.Enhanced comfort; a zoned HVAC system meets
the specific temperature and airflow requirements
of one area without affecting other areas.
2.Increased energy efficiency; a zoned system
helps save money on energy bills by setting
thermostats in zones not being used to prevent
them from becoming over heated/over cooled.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

3.Control convenience; zoning allows setting the

temperature in a used zone without require going to
another area to change the temperature (e.g. a person
in a bedroom at night ready to go to bed can adjust the
temperature he wants without going to the living room
or some other area).
4.Quiet Performance; a zoned system delivers peak
performance and efficiency without continually
operating at peak capacity (lower speeds and hence
less noise generated).

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Air-conditioning History
• Literature show that ancient Egypt have applied
the basic concept behind air-conditioning by
hanging reeds in windows and moistening them
with trickling water. The evaporation of water
from the reeds cool the air blowing through the
window. This process also makes the air more
humid (beneficial in a dry desert climate).

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Ancient Rome circulate water from aqueducts

(pipes or channels designed to transport water
from a remote source by gravity) through the walls
of certain houses to cool them. Other techniques in
medieval Persia involved using cisterns and wind
towers to cool buildings during the hot season. In
Europe, Leonardo da Vinci in the nineteenth
century designed a large evaporative cooler.

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• Modern air conditioning emerged from advances

in chemistry during the 19th century. Willis
Carrier, in 1902, invented the first large scale
electrical air-conditioner and used it to improve
manufacturing process control in a printing plant.
Carrier used his knowledge of steam heating and
reversed the process by blowing air through cold-
water coils instead of hot water coils.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• This process cools the air and thereby controls the

amount of moisture in the air, which in turn made
the humidity in the room controllable. The
controlled temperature and humidity helped
maintain consistent paper dimensions and ink
alignment, and increase productivity in the
workplace.

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• The first air conditioners employed toxic or

flammable gases such as ammonia, methyl
chloride, or propane. In 1928, Thomas Midgley
created, Freon, the first non-flammable non-toxic
chlorofluorocarbon gas.
• Air-conditioning using mechanical refrigeration
has grown into a major industry only in the 1950’s.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Air-conditioning applications
• Most AC systems are used for either enhancing human
comfort or providing conditions that some processes (e.g.
textile, printing, and photographic processing facilities,
as well as computer rooms and medical facilities) require
for successful operation (process control). Human
comfort applications aim at providing an indoor
environment that remains relatively constant despite
changes in external weather conditions or in internal
heat loads.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Air-conditioning makes deep plan buildings

feasible, otherwise, buildings have to be narrower
or with light wells, so inner spaces receive
sufficient outdoor air via natural ventilation.
• Air-conditioning allows high-rise buildings; wind
speed increases significantly with altitude making
natural ventilation impractical for very tall
buildings.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Air-conditioning engineers categorize human

comfort applications as:
1.Low-Rise Residential buildings, including
single-family houses, and small apartment
buildings.
2.High-Rise Residential buildings, such as tall
dormitories and apartment blocks.
3.Commercial buildings such as offices, malls,
shopping centers, restaurants, etc.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

4.Institutional buildings (e.g. governmental

buildings, hospitals, etc.).
5.Industrial buildings to provide thermal comfort
of workers.
6.Sports stadiums.
• In addition to buildings, many types of
transportation (motor cars and other land vehicles,
trains, ships, aircraft, etc.) can utilize comfort AC.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

• Process applications aim at providing suitable

environment for the process being carried-out
regardless of internal heat and humidity loads and
external weather conditions. Process needs, not human
preference, determine conditions. Process applications
include:
1.Hospital operating theatres; reduce infection risk by
filtering air to high levels and control humidity to
limit dehydration.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

2.Clean rooms; provide very high levels of air

cleanliness, temperature and humidity control for
pharmaceuticals, production of integrated
circuits, etc.
3.Laboratory animals breeding facilities; provide
animals normally reproduce conditions that
cause animals to reproduce year-round.
4.Aircraft air-conditioning; provide comfort for
passengers and cooling for equipment.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

5.Data centers.
6.Textile factories.
7.Physical testing facilities.
8.Plants and farm growing areas.
9.Nuclear facilities.
10.Chemical and biological laboratories.
11.Mines.

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12.Industrial environments.
13.Food cooking and processing areas.

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• HVAC&R System Components

• Heat always travel from a warmer to a cooler area.
In winter, there is a continual heat loss from within
a building to outdoors and heat must be continually
supplied to the air if the building is to be
maintained at a comfortable temperature. In
summer, heat continually enters the building from
the outside, and heat must be continually removed
to maintain the space at a comfortable temperature.

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• An AC system may provide heating, cooling or

both. Its size and complexity may range from a
single space heater or window unit for a small
room to a huge system for a building complex, but
the basic principles are the same.
• Most heating and cooling systems have at a
minimum the following basic components:
1.A heating source to add heat to a fluid.

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MEE51413 Design of AC Systems

2.A cooling source to remove heat from a fluid.

3.A distribution system (network of ducts/piping)
to carry the fluid to the spaces to be heated or
cooled.
4.Equipment (fans or pumps) for moving the air or
water.
5.Terminal units (i.e. devices for transferring heat
between the fluid and the space(s)).

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6.Other components (e.g. automatic controls,

safety devices, valves, dampers, insulation, and
sound and vibration reduction devices).
• AC systems in which heat is transported using
circulating water (i.e. use water as the heating or
cooling fluid) are called all-water or hydronic
systems, and those that use air are called all-air
systems. A system which uses both air and water is
called an air-water system.

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