Cooling Load

Contents

Principle of cooling load

Why cooling load & heat gains are different
Design conditions
Understand CLTD/CLF method
An example

Cooling Load
It is the thermal energy that must be removed
from the space in order to maintain the
desired comfort conditions
HVAC systems are used to maintain thermal
conditions in comfort range

Purpose of Load Estimate

Load profile over a day

Peak load (basis for equipment sizing)
Operation Energy analysis
HVAC Construction cost

Principles of cooling Load Estimate

Enclosure heat transfer characteristics
Conduction
Convection
radiation

Design conditions
Outdoor & indoor

Heat Gains
Internal
External or Solar

Thermal capacity

Space Characteristics

orientation
Size and shape
Construction material
Windows, doors, openings
Surrounding conditions
Ceiling

Space Characteristics

Occupants (activity, number, duration)

Appliances (power, usage)
Air leakage (infiltration or exfiltration)
Lighting (W/m2)

Indoor Design Conditions

Basic design parameters
Air temperature
Typically 22-26 C

Air velocity
0.25 m/s

Relative humidity
30-70 %

See ASHRAE 55 2004 Comfort Zone

Indoor Design Conditions

Indoor air quality
Air contaminants
Air cleaning

Acoustic requirements
Pressurization requirements

Outdoor Design Conditions

Weather data required for load calculation
Temperature & humidity
Wind speed, sky clearness , ground reflectance etc

Design outdoor conditions data can be found

in ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook

Outdoor Design Conditions

ASHRAE Fundamentals 2001
Design severity based on 0.4%, 1%, & 2% level
annually (8760h)
For example at 1% level, the value is exceeded in
0.01x8760h = 87.6 h in a year

Outdoor Design For Cooling

Criteria: 0.4% DB and MWB
Station

Cooling DB/MWB

Miri
Malaysia

0.4%

1%

2%

DB (C ) MWB (
C )

DB

MWB

DB

MWB

32.2

31.8

26.3

31.4

26.2

26.3

Source: ASHRAE Fundamentals 2001

Terminology
Space- a volume without partition or a group
of rooms

Room- an enclosed space

Zone- a space having similar operating
characteristics

Heat Gain
Space Heat gain
The instantaneous rate at which heat enters into ,
out of, or generated within a space. The
components are:
Heat gains
Convective
Radiant (%)
Sensible gain
Latent gain

(%)
Solar
radiation
with internal
shading

42

58

Fluorescent
lights

50

50

People

67

33

External wall

40

60

Heat Gain

Cooling Load
Space Cooling load
The rate at which heat must be removed from a
space to maintain air temperature and humidity at
the design values

Cooling load differs from the heat gain due to

delay effect of conversion of radiation energy to
heat
Thermal storage lag

Heat Gain = Cooling Load

Heat Gain = Cooling Load

Thermal storage and Construction Type

Time of the Day: Solar Radiation

Time-delay Effect: Lighting

Extraction Rate
Space Heat extraction rate
The actual heat removal rate by the cooling
equipment from the space
The heat extraction rate is equal to cooling load
when the space conditions are constant which is
rarely true.

Heat Balance
The principal terms of heat Gains/Losses are indicated below .

(Source: ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals 2005)

Coil Load
Cooling coil load
The rate at which energy is removed at the cooling
coil
Sum of:

Space cooling load (sensible + latent)

Supply system heat gain (fan + supply air duct)
Return system heat gain (return air duct)
Load due to outdoor ventilation rates (or ventilation
load)

External Loads
1. Heat gains from Walls and roofs
sensible

2. Solar gains through fenestrations

Sensible

3. Outdoor air
Sensible & latent

Internal Loads
1. People
Sensible & latent

2. Lights
sensible

3. Appliances
Sensible & latent

Total Cooling Load

Cooling Load Components

Space cooling load
Sizing of supply air flow rate, ducts, terminals and
diffusers
It is a component of coil load
Bypassed infiltration is a space cooling load

Cooling coil load

Sizing of cooling coil and refrigeration system
Ventilation load is a coil load

Refrigeration Load
The capacity of the refrigeration system to
produce the required coil load.

Profiles of Offshore Systems Cooling

Loads
Components

% Load
LQ (L)

%Load
LQ (U)

%Load
CCR

%Load
SG/MCC

Solar Transmission

Occupants

Lights

Equipment

10

29

21

Outdoor air bypassed 7

Outdoor air not

bypassed

72

79

48

64

Total

100

100

100

100

Heat Load Components

Outdoor air &

Electrical Equipment loads
(77-85% )
People: 3%
Lighting: 4-8%
Solar Transmission: 3-7%
Infiltration : 5-8%

Calculation Methods
1. Rule of thumb method
Least accurate
eg 100 btu/ft2 for a space

2. Static analysis (Room temperature is

constant)
CLTD/CLF method

3. Dynamic analysis
Computer modeling

CLTD/CLF Method
Cooling load is made up of
Radiation and conduction heat gain
Convection heat gain

Convective gain is instantaneous

No delay
Heat gain equals cooling load

Conductive and radiation heat gains are not

instantaneous
Thermal delay
Heat gain is not equal to cooling load
Use CLTD & CLF factors

CLTD/CLF Method (ASHRAE 1989)

Cooling load due to solar & internal heat gains
Glazing (sensible only)
Radiation & conduction
Convection (instantaneous)

Opaque surface ( wall, floor, roof) load (sensible only)

Conduction
Convection (instantaneous)

Internal loads (sensible & latent)

Radiation & conduction
Convection (instantaneous)

Cooling Load Temperature Difference

CLTD
Compare
Q transmission = UA (T o T i )
Q transmission = UA (CLTD)
CLTD is theoretical temperature difference
defined for each wall/roof to give the same heat
load for exposed surfaces to account for the
combined effects of radiation, conductive
storage, etc
It is affected by orientation, time , latitude, etc
Data published by ASHRAE

Cooling Load Factor (CLF)

This factor applies to radiation heat gain
If radiation is constant, cooling load = radiative
gain
If radiation heat is periodical, than
Q t = Q daily max (CLF)
CLF accounts for the delay before radiative gains
becomes a cooling load

Glazing
glass

Q = A (SC) (SHGF) (CLF)

A= glass area
SC= shading coefficient
SHGF= solar heat gain factor,
tabulated by ASHRAE
CLF= cooling load factor,
tabulated by ASHRAE

Q = U x A x CLTD
U= surface U-factor
A= surface area
CLTD= cooling load temperature
difference

Solar ray

transmitted

reflected
absorbed

Opaque Surfaces
Q 2 = UA (CLTD)
U= surface U-factor
A= surface area
CLTD= cooling load temperature difference

Tabulated or chart values for CLTD can be

referred
Offshore enclosure
Light weight
Metal frame with insulation
Group G wall with U-value about 0.5-1.0 W/m2 K

CLTD for Sunlit Wall Group G

Source: ASHRAE Fundamental

Opaque Surface Calculations

Use Table for wall CLTD
Use Table for roof CLTD
Select wall/roof type
Look up uncorrected CLTD
Correct CLTD
CLTD c=(CLTD+LM)+ (25.5-t r) + (t m-29.4)

LM= latitude /month correction (Table )

T r = indoor temperature (22C)
T m= average temperature on the design day = (35+22)/2 =
28.5 C
Eg. If CLTD=40 C, LM=-1.7 (west face)
CLTD c= (40-1.7) + (25.5-22)+ (28.5-29.4) = 40.9 C

Types of Internal Load

Internal loads are
People
Lights
Equipment or appliances

Consist of convective and radiant components

Light (mostly radiant)
Electrical heat (radiant and convective)
People (most convective)

Time-delay effect due to thermal storage

Internal Load- Lighting

Heat gain (lighting)
= 1.2 x total wattage x CLF
Or based on light power
density ranging from 10-25
W/m2
(average density, say=20
W/m2)
Where light is continuously
on, CLF=1

Area
Office
Corridor
Sleeping
CCR
MCC/SG
Kitchen
Recreation

Light Power
Density W/m2
25
10
10
25
25
25
20

Internal Loads- People

Q people-s = No x sensible heat gain/p x CLF
Q people-L = No x latent heat gain/p

Internal Load Equipment Heat

Cooling of electrical equipment in MCC/SG is an important
function of HVAC system offshore. The components
include:

Transformers
Motors
Medium/high voltage switchgears
Cables & trays
Motor starters
Inverters
Battery chargers
Circuit breakers
Unit panel board etc

Heat dissipation from these equipments are mainly based

data published by the manufacturers

Typical Outdoor & Indoor Design

Conditions Used Here
Conditions

Dry-bulb
temperature (C)

% RH

Moisture content,
kg/kg

Outdoor air

35

70

0.025

Indoor air

22

55

0.009

Difference

13

0.016

ASHRAE fundamental Handbook published data, at 0.4%, 1% and 2% design

level. At 0.4% design level, Miri has only 35h (out of 8760 h a year) at 32.2 DB &
26.3 WB or higher

Infiltration Air is Cooling Load

Load due to Ventilation air into the space
Sensible load, (W)
= mass flow rate x specific heat x (T)
= 1.23 x l/s x (To T i) or (1.08 x cfm x T)
Where To = Outside temperature, C
Ti = indoor air temperature, C

Ventilation Cooling Load

Ventilation latent load, (W)
= mass flow rate x latent heat of vaporization x
(humidity difference)
= 3010 x l/s x () or (4840 x cfm x )

Where
= Inside-outside humidity ratio difference
of air ( kg/kg)

Total Cooling Load

This is also call the Grand total load
Sum of
Space heat gain
System heat gain

Room Total Load

load due to outdoor air supplied through the air

handling unit
Air bypassed the coil
Air not bypassed the coil

System Heat Gain

These are sometimes external to the air
conditioned space
HVAC equipment also contributes to heat gain
Fan heat gain
Duct heat gain

Bypass Factor
Bypass factor is an important coil characteristic
on moisture removal performance .
Its value depends on:
Number of rows/fins per inch
Velocity of air

Bypass Factor of the coil

When air streams across the
cooling, portion of air may
not come into contact with
the coil surface
BPF = un-contacted air flow
total flow
BPF is normally selected at
0.1 for offshore cooling and
dehumidification.

Typical Coil Bypass Factor

14 fins/inch

Row Deep
Face velocity=

2.5 m/s

3 m/s

2 m/s
1

0.52

0.56

0.59

0.274

0.31

0.35

0.076

0.10

0.12

0.022

0.03

0.04

Source: Refrigeration and Air Conditioning by CP Arora

Effect of Bypass Factor

on Ventilation Load
Coil load due to outdoor air
SH= (OASH)(1-BPF)
LH= (OALH)(1-BPF)

Effective room load

ERSH=RSH+(OASH)(BPF)
ERLH=RLH + (OALH)(BPF)

Cooling Load Classroom Exercise

Estimate the cooling load
of a portal cabin shown
here:
Assuming that
Outdoor condition is 35C,
70% RH
Indoor condition is 22C ,
55 % RH
U-factor=0.5 W/m2 K
Occupied by 2 persons
Electrical equipment heat
is 3 kW
100l/s leakage due to
pressurization

4x4
Platform
x 3 h Lower Deck

Cooling Load Calculations

Items

Procedures

Transmission- sensible
Wall- West side
Wall- East side
Wall North
Wall- South
Roof
Floor
Total (T1)

Q = UA (CLTD)

Internal load- sensible

People
Equipment
Light
Total (T2)
Safety Factor (5% of T1+ T2)
Fan heat & supply Duct Gain (7 % of T1+T2)
RSH (Total of the above)

Coil Load Calculations

Items
Room Latent Heat (RLH)
People

Room Total Heat

RSH + RLH

Procedures

Cooling Load Calculations

Items

Procedures

Design conditions

Outdoor 35C, 70% RH

Indoor 22C, 55 RH

Ventilation- sensible
Bypass air (0.1 bypass factor)
Sensible heat of bypass air

Ventilation - Latent
Latent heat of bypass air

10% x outdoor air

Cooling Load Calculations

Items

Procedures

Design conditions

Outdoor 35C, 70% RH

Indoor 22C, 55 RH

ERSH
RSH
Sensible heat of air bypass
Effective Room Sensible Heat
ERLH
People
Latent heat of air bypass
Effective Room Latent Heat
Effective Room Total Heat (ERTH)
ERSH+ESLH

Coil Load Calculation

Items

Procedures

Design conditions

Outdoor 35C, 70% RH

Indoor 22C, 55 RH

Coil Load Sensible

Effective Room Sensible Heat
SH of Outdoor air not bypassed
Total (Coil Sensible heat)
Coil Load Latent
Effective Room Latent Heat
LH of Outdoor air not bypassed
Total (Coil latent heat)
Total coil load (GTH)

Sensible Heat Factor (SHF)

SHF
RSHF
ESHF
GSHF

Sensible Heat Factor (SHF)

Ratio of sensible to total heat
SHF = Sensible heat/ total heat

= SH/ (SH + LH)

A low value of SHF indicates a high latent heat load,
which is common in humid climate.
In the above example,
Calculate the SHF of the room (RSHF)
Calculate the effective room sensible heat factor
(ESHF)
Calculate the SHF of the coil (GSHF)

Selection of Air Conditioning

Apparatus
The necessary data required are:
GTH ( Grand total heat load)
Dehumidified air quantity
Apparatus dew point

These determine the size of the apparatus and

refrigerant temperature.