Large Building Industrial HVAC System
Maintaining a comfortable temperature and working climate inside a large commercial building requires industrial sized HVAC equipment for a happy workforce that is productive and effective.
The type of HVAC system you're likely to find in large commercial buildings is often quite complex. This equipment is responsible for managing the indoor temperature as well as the intake of air from outside.
Although every HVAC system shares some basic components, there are many options for optimizing and implementing them.
These elements are important for HVAC systems to perform well.
- Heating: Which fuel is used? Electricity? Gas? Oil?
- Cooling: What is the coolant or chiller? Refrigerant gas? Air conditioner or electric heat pump?
- Transport: What delivers the heating and cooling through the space? Water system? Ducted air?
- Air: What is the approach to ventilation? Dedicated ventilation system?
Although large HVAC systems often mix and match components, it is a good idea for you to review this checklist before any work on the system. You will be able to recognize potential faults and know exactly what you are dealing with.
HVAC System Function in Large Buildings
How does it all fit together?
Let's look at the cooling cycle of a common HVAC system.
- The refrigerant is compressed and its temperature is increased as is its pressure
- To liquefy the refrigerant, hot outside air is blown over it by the condenser
- The expansion valve converts refrigerant to a low-pressure liquid and cools it
- The evaporator transfers heat to convert the cool liquid into a warmer gas
Whatever the size of your building, the basic principles remain the same regardless. However, cooling towers or "free cooling" can complicate things. The heating cycle in an electrical system is very similar to that of the cooling cycle.
Different Types of Commercial HVAC Systems
A number of interconnected systems can be used to heat and cool commercial structures, with industrial air conditioners and heat pumps doing an enormous amount of work to maintain a stable, working climate.
You might see these solutions in a commercial HVAC system.
- Heat pumps: Take heat from water or air to heat - similar to a refrigerator reversed. A pipe is used to transport water through a structure in order to heat the pump
- Rooftop Units: These units can be found on the roof, ground or in the attic and duct the conditioned indoor air. They are very common in New York's commercial HVAC applications
- Heaters: There are two types of heaters. Common hot air furnaces use fuel to heat air. Radiant heaters use infrared radiation directly to heat objects
- Chillers: They produce cool water that is distributed via piping to air cooling coils
Modern Commercial HVAC
Most modern industrial air conditioners are either split or ductless. Cooling machinery, fans, compressors and cooling towers are all located outside of buildings or facilities.
They can be found on the roof or ground. Cooled air is actually discharged by compact units that are located in different rooms, offices, and other spaces within the building's interior.
These room units can be controlled separately via thermostats. This is the beauty and convenience of ductless air conditioners.
Ducted equipment on the other hand requires inefficient dampening louvers to maintain room temperature.
The design and size of the cooling facility will determine the capacity and size of industrial air conditioning equipment.
The typical size of these air conditioning units is between two tons (or 24,000 British Thermal Units, BTU), and 150 to 150 tons (1 800,000 BTU). BTU stands for the heat required to raise water temperature by one degree Fahrenheit.
For cooling capacities, the reverse is true. The most popular method to measure the HVAC equipment's capacity in the United States is the BTU.
To sum up, this article covered the main points of the workings of heavy air conditioning equipment and heating systems for industrial premises.
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