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2011 The Academy of HVAC Engineering Ltd. This PDF is made available for personal use only, subject to the
signed agreement. Any other use requires prior written consent from the copyright owner. Unauthorized use,
reproduction and/or distribution are strictly prohibited and violate applicable laws. All rights reserved.
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Contents
Guide overview. 5
1 General design criteria ................................... 7
2 Identifying space occupancy and heat gain sources ................................... 8
3 Design climate conditions ................................. 10
4 Design indoor comfort conditions ..... 15
5 Space noise criterion ................................................................. 20
6 Selection of air-conditioning system concept . 22
7 Comfort zoning ....... 29
8 Calculation of the space ventilation air requirements....... 31
9 Envelope thermal performance.... 34
10 How to calculate the space heat losses...... 39
11 How to calculate the space cooling loads... 45
11.1 The wall and roof cooling loads.... 47
11.2 The cooling loads from windows.. 51
11.3 The cooling loads from lighting and office equipment.. 56
11.4 The occupant cooling loads. 56
11.5 Total space cooling loads. 57
12 How to calculate the space supply airflow rate..... 58
13 How to calculate the zone supply airflow rate.... 60
14 How to calculate the system supply airflow rate.... 63
15 How to calculate the system-level outdoor airflow requirements.... 64
16 Sizing of the space air diffusion outlets ..... 67
17 Sizing of the ductwork .......... 72
18 Sizing of the supply air fan ... 79
19 Configuring the air-handling unit.. 87
20 The basics of psychrometric analysis ...... 90
21 Sizing of the central cooling coil. 92
22 Sizing of the central heating coil and humidifier... 101
23 Sizing of the zone and space heating units... 106
24 Sizing of the heating plant... 110
24.1 Calculation of the heating plant output.. 111
24.2 Sizing of the boilers..... 113
24.3 Sizing of the hot water piping.. 116
24.4 Sizing of the expansion tank 119
2011 The Academy of HVAC Engineering Ltd. This PDF is made available for personal use only, subject to the
signed agreement. Any other use requires prior written consent from the copyright owner. Unauthorized use,
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24.5 Sizing of the heating pumps. 120
25 Development of the air-conditioning system controls concept.. 122
26 Development of the HVAC drawings. 126
27 Example of the air-conditioning system design process...... 127
References
Tables R-1 to R-27 from ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals, 2005... 168
Tables R-28 and R-29 from ASHRAE Standard 55-2004.. 185
Tables R-30 and R-33 from ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2007 187
Tables R-34 to R-41 from ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007.. 191
Table R-42. General Design Criteria for Commercial and Public Buildings. 196
Appendix A. Imperial to Metric Unit Conversion Factors.. 197
Appendix B. Validation of the HVAC Engineering Book
Spreadsheets...............................
198
Appendix C. HVAC Drawings for the Sample Building. 200
Appendix D. DESIGN LOADS Spreadsheets Reports for the Sample
Building.
211
Appendix E. AIRFLOW Spreadsheets Reports for the Sample
Building.
220
Appendix F. WATERFLOW Spreadsheets Reports for the Sample
Building.
221
Nomenclature ........................... 223
ASHRAE Publications.... 226











2011 The Academy of HVAC Engineering Ltd. This PDF is made available for personal use only, subject to the
signed agreement. Any other use requires prior written consent from the copyright owner. Unauthorized use,
reproduction and/or distribution are strictly prohibited and violate applicable laws. All rights reserved.
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Guide overview
Originally, this guide was developed to assist junior mechanical engineers in learning the most
challenging aspect of central air-conditioning systems design- the streamlined calculations governing the
entire design process. The current edition of this guide expanded its original scope with the systems
arrangement, control principles, and drawings development. Some of the chapters and examples have been
revised for better clarity. The original guide name The HVAC Engineering Book has been changed to avoid
confusion while referencing to the supporting Excel spreadsheet suite having similar name.
ASHRAE handbooks present broad overviews of many, often alternative, calculation and design
methods. A junior engineer will be totally lost trying to figure out which of the methods to use and at what
stage. The guide constructs the most suitable and commonly used methods and routines from the ASHRAE
handbooks, standards and other sources into a system of interrelated computations and graphical works. The
design process is supported by:
A toolkit of Excel spreadsheets
Reference tables from ASHRAE handbooks and standards (courtesy of ASHRAE)
Online climatic database from ASHRAE Weather Tables (courtesy of ASHRAE)
Other online supporting materials.
Traditionally, HVAC engineering practices have included notebooks filing all calculation worksheets to
support the HVAC drawings and specifications. The spreadsheets serve the same purpose: they carry out the
calculations and keep track of the calculation inputs and outputs in electronic format. The toolkit of
spreadsheets has title The HVAC Engineering Book. The Toolkit includes the following spreadsheets:
THERMAL COMFORT- for prediction of thermal comfort at various indoor conditions
DESIGN LOADS- for calculating thermal loads of air-handling and terminal units
AIRFLOW- for calculating duct and air diffusion systems
WATER FLOW- for calculating piping systems
PSYCHROMETRICS- for calculation of the full set of moist air properties.
Existing computer HVAC related programs conceal their algorithms and interim calculation results,
often causing inadequate input data entry and misinterpretation of the outputs. To avoid these shortcomings,
the Toolkit organizes the calculations in interlinked electronic worksheets - tabs, placed in the order of the
design progress. The tabs expose the majority of the calculations accompanied by formula descriptions.
You have the option of integrating the Toolkit spreadsheets with your own existing spreadsheets.
The spreadsheets were tested against the examples in ASHRAE Fundamentals, 2005 /1/ and
standard /5/. The test results are presented in Appendix B.
The spreadsheets allow for design of constant and variable air volume systems with up to 50
individual comfort zones.
2011 The Academy of HVAC Engineering Ltd. This PDF is made available for personal use only, subject to the
signed agreement. Any other use requires prior written consent from the copyright owner. Unauthorized use,
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Chapters 1 to 26 describe the entire design process. The examples, at the end of each chapter,
illustrate the described methods. To demonstrate complicated and laborious routines, the examples use
relevant Toolkit spreadsheets and the HVAC drawings of a sample building in the drawing M-1A of Appendix
C.
The exemplar of the entire design process in Chapter 27 will guide you how to apply the described
methods for design of a constant volume air-conditioning system serving the sample building. The Toolkit
spreadsheets reports summarizing the calculation results for the sample building can be viewed at
Appendices D, E, and F.
Some of the reference tables are replicated in the Lookups tabs of the spreadsheets. The tables
gathered in the References section of this guide are not presented in full volume: they can be used for
learning purposes only. For real design, the source handbooks and standards are to be approached.
The sequence and interconnection of the engineering routines and calculations is an important part of
the professional knowledge, fluent command of which makes the HVAC engineer confident about solving
various tasks. Existing courses target only parts of the design, making it difficult to picture the entire design
process. To overcome this shortcoming, the guide systemizes the design steps in a general sequence
outlined below:
1. Establish general system design criteria
2. Gather building and space related data
3. Establish design outdoor and indoor air conditions
4. Develop the system design concept
5. Calculate the space ventilation air requirements
6. Calculate the space thermal loads and air supply requirements
7. Calculate the zone-level air supply requirements
8. Calculate the system-level outdoor and supply air requirements
9. Size the air distribution system and fans
10. Size the air-handling unit components
11. Size the zone and space terminal units
12. Size the boiler plant and hot water piping
13. Develop the HVAC controls strategies
14. Develop the drawings

The sequence illustrates where the design starts and where it ends. The general design process
remains mainly the same regardless of the system type and building category.
As you can see, the majority of the engineers work is calculations. However, memorizing the
numerous formulas that constitute the design process would be a poor learning approach. Instead, adopting
the engineering reasoning and the formulae logic is much more productive. This approach gives you clear
2011 The Academy of HVAC Engineering Ltd. This PDF is made available for personal use only, subject to the
signed agreement. Any other use requires prior written consent from the copyright owner. Unauthorized use,
reproduction and/or distribution are strictly prohibited and violate applicable laws. All rights reserved.
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understanding of the variables involved in the HVAC system design and their impact on the design results
and the ability to design virtually any types of air-conditioning systems.
Many existing HVAC software tools employ the methods described in this book. The understanding of
the calculation methods will allow you to efficiently use the existing and emerging software tools in your
professional practice.
Numerical values in this guide are given in both IP (Inch-Pound) and SI (Metric) units, while the
examples and figures are in IP units only. The main unit conversion factors can be viewed in Appendix A.
The chapters of the guide will explain the design procedures in the order of the general flow of the
design process as outlined in the sequence above.

Chapter 1. General design criteria
Design Progress
1 Establish general system design criteria 8 Calculate the system-level outdoor and supply air requirements
2 Gather building and space related data 9 Size the air distribution system and fans
3 Establish design outdoor and indoor air conditions 10 Size the air-handling unit components
4 Develop the system design concept 11 Size the zone and space terminal units
5 Calculate the space ventilation air requirements 12 Size the boiler plant and hot water piping
6 Calculate the space loads and air supply requirements 13 Develop the HVAC controls strategies
7 Calculate the zone-level air supply requirements 14 Develop the drawings

Get familiar with the standards governing the design process

Air-conditioning systems must meet a number of criteria set forth by industry standards, building
codes, and other documents. Usually, local building codes in Canada and The USA are based on the
following standards:
ASHRAE Standard 55-2004 /5/ sets forth design indoor conditions
Design climatic data from appropriate building code or ASHRAE Weather Tables /1/
ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2007 /6/ determines ventilation air volume requirements for various
occupancy categories
ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 /7/ sets forth the envelope, lighting, and HVAC equipment
performances to minimize the building energy consumption
ASHRAE Standard 134-2005 /8/ lists the HVAC related symbols recommended for use in the
course of the drawings development.
Each occupancy category requires a certain combination of indoor air temperature, humidity, and
other factors together providing the most productive and healthy indoor environment. The standard /5/
identifies the indoor comfort parameters affecting the occupant thermal comfort. The standard describes a
general method of thermal comfort prediction accounting for variations in the occupant metabolism rate,
clothing insulation, and other factors impacting thermal comfort. The ultimate goal of the standard is to
2011 The Academy of HVAC Engineering Ltd. This PDF is made available for personal use only, subject to the
signed agreement. Any other use requires prior written consent from the copyright owner. Unauthorized use,
reproduction and/or distribution are strictly prohibited and violate applicable laws. All rights reserved.
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determine the combination of the indoor air parameters that the air system has to be able to maintain.
Further this set of parameters, mainly air temperature and relative humidity, will be called design indoor
conditions.
The design climatic data provide the worst weather conditions (ambient temperature, humidity, solar
flux etc.) at which the HVAC system at hand must be capable of maintaining the design indoor conditions.
Further we will call these parameters design climate conditions. The climatic database replicated from the
Weather Tables /1/ can be viewed at www.hvac-academy.com.
Building synthetic materials and occupants are the primary sources of air contamination in public and
institutional buildings. The standard /6/ introduces the methods determining the space ventilation air volume
requirements sufficient to keep the indoor air contamination at an acceptable level.
Noise generated by HVAC systems is another important characteristic of the indoor environment.
Acceptable noise level varies depending on the space occupancy. For example, the acceptable noise level
for performing art halls is much lower than for concession areas of movie theatres. The noise level of certain
space categories is regulated by appropriate authorities. You can establish the acceptable noise level
criterion for public and commercial buildings by using Table R-42.
Soaring energy costs have forced governments and building owners to design buildings with low
energy use. The standard /7/ stimulates the engineers to design energy efficient HVAC and lighting systems
and building envelopes of high thermal resistance.
The mechanical drawings of HVAC systems use special graphical symbols to describe the system
layout and characteristics. To avoid misinterpretation of the drawings, the standard /8/ provides the lists and
definitions of HVAC-related symbols recommended for development of mechanical drawings.
If you design an HVAC system not compliant with the requirements of the standards above, the
system will not be permitted for construction.

Chapter 2. Identifying space occupancy and heat gain sources
Design Progress
1 Establish general system design criteria 8 Calculate the system-level outdoor and supply air requirements
2 Gather building and space related data 9 Size the air distribution system and fans
3 Establish design outdoor and indoor air conditions 10 Size the air-handling unit components
4 Develop the system design concept 11 Size the zone and space terminal units
5 Calculate the space ventilation air requirements 12 Size the boiler plant and hot water piping
6 Calculate the space loads and air supply requirements 13 Develop the HVAC controls strategies
7 Calculate the zone-level air supply requirements 14 Develop the drawings

Learn the building and space related data required to size HVAC system

HVAC systems assimilate the heat, moisture, airborne particles, and other pollutants produced by
building occupants and penetrated through the envelope. Identification of the pollutant sources and their
2011 The Academy of HVAC Engineering Ltd. This PDF is made available for personal use only, subject to the
signed agreement. Any other use requires prior written consent from the copyright owner. Unauthorized use,
reproduction and/or distribution are strictly prohibited and violate applicable laws. All rights reserved.
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emission rates is the first step of the HVAC system design. In commercial, institutional and public buildings
the main source of air pollution is the heat generated by the occupants, office equipment, appliances, and
lighting.
The occupants extract heat in proportion to their activity level. For example, a dancing person
produces 850 Btu/h (250W) of sensible and latent heat, whereas a theatre spectator gives up only 350 Btu/h
(100W). The occupant activity level and the maximum number of occupants per space can be identified using
the spaces name and furniture layout shown on the architectural drawings. If the furniture layout is not
available, the occupant number can be estimated based on the maximum occupant density per unit of floor
area as presented in Table R-30 for various space categories.
You can also use the architectural drawings to identify the type and layout of the space equipment
(computers, copier machines, etc.) and lighting fixtures. Tables R-5 and R-6 will help you to determine the
equipment heat production rates. The total heat production rates from occupants and equipment are
calculated in proportion to the number of occupants and the number of equipment units in the space.
Determine the space lighting power demand by multiplication of the number of lighting fixtures shown
on the architectural drawings by the power input of one fixture. For example, a common T-8 fluorescent two-
bulb 4ft fixture has a power input of approximately 50W. If the lighting layout is not available, use the lighting
power density per unit of floor area from Table R-41.
If the space has a distinctive daily occupancy profile, estimate the occupant, equipment, and lighting
time-of-day uses as a percentage of the associated total heat production rates.
The external sources of heat in spaces are direct and diffuse solar radiation penetrating through
windows and the heat transferred by conduction through the exterior walls, roof, and other opaque structural
elements. The exterior walls, roof, and window arrangements are shown on the architectural drawings. You
will use this information to calculate the heat flow rates transferring through the envelope.
Find the North direction shown on the drawing title. It indicates the position of the building on the
Earth. This information will be required to calculate the solar heat gain rates from the walls and windows with
different orientation.
Position of the lighting fixtures in relation to the suspended ceiling is another characteristic identified
from the drawings. If lighting fixtures are of a suspended type (to the left picture in Figure 1), all the lighting
heat enters the air-conditioned space below the ceiling.