Fundamentals of Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning

Catalog description

This course explores a variety of HVAC systems and presents methods of analyzing air-conditioning processes. HVAC systems maintain not only an acceptable level of thermal comfort within conditioned spaces, but also a healthy indoor environment. Hence, the conditions for a comfortable and healthy indoor environment, such as physiological considerations, environmental indices, and control of indoor air quality are also presented. Successful design of an HVAC system requires an accurate estimate of the peak rate at which thermal energy must be added to (heating load) or removed from (cooling load) a space. Accordingly, the various types of heat transmission in buildings and methods for estimating them are discussed to prepare students to estimate a building's energy consumption and size HVAC systems properly. By the end of the course, students will have an understanding of elements that influence HVAC design (such as, climatic conditions, building enclosure and factors of integrative design); attain fundamental knowledge of cooling load estimating; be knowledgeable about typical building HVAC systems (such as, steam, hydronic, and air systems); understand the psychrometric processes involved in maintaining indoor conditions for comfort and health; and evaluate the processes needed to maintain acceptable indoor air quality.