Designing Either Chilled Beam

or VAV Systems for High Performance

John Murphy, LEED AP BD+C

Applications Engineer
Trane
Ingersoll Rand
La Crosse, Wisconsin

High-Performance Systems

Brief review of todays technical session

Overview of chilled beam systems
Assess marketed advantages of chilled beams vs. VAV
Discuss challenges of applying chilled beam systems
High-performance chilled beam systems
High-performance VAV systems

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
1
 Passive or Active Chilled Beams
primary air

nozzles

coils

ceiling

induced air
induced air +
primary air
active chilled beam
water coil perforated
pipes metal casing

passive chilled beam

active chilled beams

Primary Air System

primary
OA air handler
RA
EA active
PA PA chilled beam

RA RA RA

Primary air must be sufficiently drier than space:

to offset space latent load, and
to keep space DP below chilled beam surface temp

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
2
 active chilled beam systems compared to VAV systems
Summary of Todays Technical Session
Potential advantages of ACB Challenges of ACB
Smaller ductwork and High installed cost
smaller air handlers Need to prevent
Primary airflow < supply airflow, condensation
but likely > outdoor airflow Risk of water leaks
Low sound levels No filtration of local
Impact on overall system energy? recirculated air
Primary airflow < supply airflow, Limited heating capability
but constant airflow
Warm water for beams,
but cold water primary AHU
Increased pumping energy
No DCV, limited airside
economizing

Example Energy Analysis

Houston Los Angeles Philadelphia St. Louis
12,000,000
Use, kBtu/yr

10,000,000 Pumps
Fans
Heating
Annual Building Energy U

8,000,000 Cooling
Plug Loads
Lighting
6,000,000

4,000,000

2,000,000

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
3
 office building
Example Energy Analysis
Baseline chilled-water VAV system
ASHRAE 90.1-2007, Appendix G (55F supply air)
Active chilled beam system
Four-pipe active chilled beams
Separate primary AHUs for perimeter and
interior areas (with SAT reset and economizers)
Separate water-cooled chiller plants
(low-flow plant supplying primary AHUs)
High-performance chilled-water VAV system
48F supply l air
i (d
(ductwork
t k nott downsized)
d i d)
Optimized VAV system controls
(ventilation optimization, SAT reset)
Parallel fan-powered VAV terminals
Low-flow, water-cooled chiller plant

High-Performance Systems

Brief review of todays technical session

Overview of chilled beam systems
Assess marketed advantages of chilled beams vs. VAV
Discuss challenges of applying chilled beam systems
High-performance chilled beam systems
High-performance VAV systems

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
4
 High Performance Chilled Beam Systems
How can active chilled beam systems be designed
differently for high performance?

ACB challenges
High Installed Cost

Limited cooling capacity = lots of ceiling space

Warmer water temperature requires
more coil surface area
Induction with low static pressures requires more
coil surface area to keep airside pressure drop low

eight
i h (8) active
i chilled
hill d beams,
b
each 4-ft long x 2-ft wide
four (4) active chilled beams,
each 6-ft long x 2-ft wide

Example: 1000-ft2 office space Example: 1000-ft2 classroom

10

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
5
 System design Impact on installed cost Impact on performance
variable of the chilled beams of the overall system
2-pipe versus 4-pipe A 2-pipe beam provides more cooling Using 2-pipe beams requires a separate
chilled beams capacity than a 4-pipe beam because more heating system, otherwise it can result in
coil surface is available poorer comfort control because either cold
water or warm water is delivered to all zones

Primary airflow rate Increasing the primary airflow rate through Increasing the primary airflow rate increases
(cfm) the nozzles results in more air being primary AHU fan energy use, increases noise
induced from the space
space, which increased in the space
space, and requires a larger primary
the capacity of the chilled beam coils AHU and larger ductwork

Inlet static pressure Increasing the static pressure at the inlet to
of the primary air the nozzles results in more air being
induced from the space, which increased
the capacity of the chilled beam coils
Dry-bulb temperature Delivering the primary air at a colder
of the primary air temperature means that less of the space
sensible cooling load needs to be offset by
the chilled beams
Increasing the inlet pressure increases
primary AHU fan energy use, and increases
noise in the space
Using a colder primary-air temperature may
cause the space to overcool and low sensible
cooling loads, thus requiring the chilled beam
(or separate heating system) to add heat to
prevent overcooling space

Entering water Supplying colder water to the chilled beam Using a colder water temperature requires the
temperature increases the cooling capacity of the beam space dew point to be lower to avoid
condensation, which means the primary air
needs to be dehumidified to a lower dew point

Water flow rate Increasing the water flow rate increases the Increasing the water flow rate increases pump
(gpm) cooling capacity of the beam energy use and requires larger pipes and
pumps 11

High Performance Chilled Beam Systems

How can active chilled beam systems be designed
differently for high performance?
Use
U ttwo-pipe
i b beams as much
h as possible
ibl
Use primary air system for morning warm-up
Consider using a separate heating system

12

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
6
 System design Impact on installed cost Impact on performance
variable of the chilled beams of the overall system
2-pipe versus 4-pipe A 2-pipe beam provides more cooling Using 2-pipe beams requires a separate
chilled beams capacity than a 4-pipe beam because more heating system, otherwise it can result in
coil surface is available poorer comfort control because either cold
water or warm water is delivered to all zones

Primary airflow rate Increasing the primary airflow rate through Increasing the primary airflow rate increases
(cfm) the nozzles results in more air being primary AHU fan energy use, increases noise
induced from the space
space, which increased in the space
space, and requires a larger primary
the capacity of the chilled beam coils AHU and larger ductwork

Inlet static pressure Increasing the static pressure at the inlet to
of the primary air the nozzles results in more air being
induced from the space, which increased
the capacity of the chilled beam coils
Dry-bulb temperature Delivering the primary air at a colder
of the primary air temperature means that less of the space
sensible cooling load needs to be offset by
the chilled beams
Increasing the inlet pressure increases
primary AHU fan energy use, and increases
noise in the space
Using a colder primary-air temperature may
cause the space to overcool and low sensible
cooling loads, thus requiring the chilled beam
(or separate heating system) to add heat to
prevent overcooling space

Entering water Supplying colder water to the chilled beam Using a colder water temperature requires the
temperature increases the cooling capacity of the beam space dew point to be lower to avoid
condensation, which means the primary air
needs to be dehumidified to a lower dew point

Water flow rate Increasing the water flow rate increases the Increasing the water flow rate increases pump
(gpm) cooling capacity of the beam energy use and requires larger pipes and
pumps 13

active chilled beams

Determining Primary Airflow Rate

Primary airflow (PA) is PA

b
based
d on llargestt of:
f
Minimum outdoor airflow
required (ASHRAE 62.1)
Airflow required to offset
space latent load
(depends on dew point of PA) RA

SA SA
Airflow needed to induce
sufficient room air (RA) to
offset the space sensible
cooling load

14

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
7
 active chilled beams
Determining Primary Airflow Rate
Example: office space
Minimum OA per ASHRAE 62.1 0.085 cfm/ft2
(to achieve LEED IEQc2) (0.085 1.3 = 0.11 cfm/ft2)
ACB
C system
Airflow required to offset space 0.085 cfm/ft2 (DPTPA = 47F)
latent load 0.11 cfm/ft2 (DPTPA = 49F)
0.36 cfm/ft2 (DPTPA = 53F)

Airflow needed to induce 0.36 cfm/ft2 (55F primary air)

sufficient room air to offset (four, 6-ft long beams)
space sensible
ibl cooling
li lloadd
VAV system
Airflow needed to offset space 0.90 cfm/ft2
sensible cooling load (55F supply air)

15

example office space

Cold vs. Neutral Primary Air

Cold (55F) primary-air temperature

PA
four ((4)) ACBs,, each 6-ft long
g x 2-ft wide
0.36 cfm/ft2 primary airflow at design conditions = 0.36 cfm/ft2
55F total water flow = 6.0 gpm
RA

Neutral (70F) primary-air temperature

PA
six (6) ACBs, each 6-ft long x 2-ft wide
0.50
0 50 cfm/ft
f /ft2 primary
i airflow
i fl att design
d i conditions
diti = 0.50
0 50 cfm/ft
f /ft2
70F total water flow = 9.0 gpm
RA

16

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
8
 High Performance Chilled Beam Systems
How can active chilled beam systems be designed
differently for high performance?
Use
U ttwo-pipe
i b beams as much
h as possible
ibl
Use primary air system for morning warm-up
Consider using a separate heating system
Minimize primary airflow required
Deliver primary air at a cold (rather than neutral) temperature
Use multiple, smaller primary AHUs to allow SAT reset
(maximize cooling benefit
benefit, minimize need for reheat)

17

active chilled beams

Determining Primary Airflow Rate
Example: K-12 classroom
Minimum OA per ASHRAE 62.1 0.47 cfm/ft2
(to achieve LEED IEQc2) (0.47 1.3 = 0.61 cfm/ft2)
ACB
C system
Airflow required to offset space 0.47 cfm/ft2 (DPTPA = 44F)
latent load 0.61 cfm/ft2 (DPTPA = 47F)
1.20 cfm/ft2 (DPTPA = 51F)

Airflow needed to induce 0.47 cfm/ft2 (55F primary air)

sufficient room air to offset (eight, 4-ft long beams)
space sensible
ibl cooling
li lloadd
VAV system
Airflow needed to offset space 1.20 cfm/ft2
sensible cooling load (55F supply air)

18

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
9
 ACB challenges
Need to Prevent Condensation

Primary air system used to limit indoor dew point

(typically
(t i ll below
b l 55F)
Warm chilled-water temperatures delivered to beams
(typically between 58F and 60F)

19

space 75F DB
50% RH
180
55F DP
humidity ratio, grains/lb of dry air

65 gr/lb 80 160

primary 45-53F DP 140

air (PA) 44-60 gr/lb 120
70
100

60 80
space
60
50
40
30
40 PA
20
Qlatent,space = 0.69 CFMPA ((Wspace WPA)
30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
dry-bulb temperature, F

Primary air must be

sufficiently drier than the space

20

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
10
 active chilled beams
Primary Air System

OA
primary air handler
EA
with series desiccant wheel

RA
active
PA PA chilled beam

RA RA RA

21

Primary AHU for ACB Systems

total-energy preheat series desiccant

wheel coil dehumidification wheel

OA OA' MA MA'

EA CA

PA
RA
cooling
coil

22

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
11
 OA 95F DB
118 gr/lb
series desiccant requires:
OA' 81F DB less cooling tons
81 gr/lb no reheat
RA 75F DB warmer coil temperature
50% RH than cool + reheat 180
55F DP

hum
160
MA 76F DB

midity ratio, grains/lb of dry air

80
68 gr/lb 140
MA' 72F DB
79 gr/lb OA 120
70
CA 51F DB 100
52 gr/lb MA' OA'
60 80
PA 55F DB
41 gr/lb
CA MA 60
50
43F DP RA
40 40
30 CAreheat PA 20

30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
dry-bulb temperature, F

primary AHU with series desiccant wheel

23

High Performance Chilled Beam Systems

How can active chilled beam systems be designed
differently for high performance?
Use
U ttwo-pipe
i b beams as much
h as possible
ibl
Use primary air system for morning warm-up
Consider using a separate heating system
Minimize primary airflow required
Deliver primary air at a cold (rather than neutral) temperature
Use multiple, smaller primary AHUs to allow SAT reset
(maximize cooling benefit
benefit, minimize need for reheat)
Deliver primary air at a lower dew point
(may even allow for the delivery of colder water to beams)

24

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
12
 System design Impact on installed cost Impact on performance
variable of the chilled beams of the overall system
2-pipe versus 4-pipe A 2-pipe beam provides more cooling Using 2-pipe beams requires a separate
chilled beams capacity than a 4-pipe beam because more heating system, otherwise it can result in
coil surface is available poorer comfort control because either cold
water or warm water is delivered to all zones

Primary airflow rate Increasing the primary airflow rate through Increasing the primary airflow rate increases
(cfm) the nozzles results in more air being primary AHU fan energy use, increases noise
induced from the space
space, which increased in the space
space, and requires a larger primary
the capacity of the chilled beam coils AHU and larger ductwork

Inlet static pressure Increasing the static pressure at the inlet to
of the primary air the nozzles results in more air being
induced from the space, which increased
the capacity of the chilled beam coils
Dry-bulb temperature Delivering the primary air at a colder
of the primary air temperature means that less of the space
sensible cooling load needs to be offset by
the chilled beams
Increasing the inlet pressure increases
primary AHU fan energy use, and increases
noise in the space
Using a colder primary-air temperature may
cause the space to overcool and low sensible
cooling loads, thus requiring the chilled beam
(or separate heating system) to add heat to
prevent overcooling space

Entering water Supplying colder water to the chilled beam Using a colder water temperature requires the
temperature increases the cooling capacity of the beam space dew point to be lower to avoid
condensation, which means the primary air
needs to be dehumidified to a lower dew point

Water flow rate Increasing the water flow rate increases the Increasing the water flow rate increases pump
(gpm) cooling capacity of the beam energy use and requires larger pipes and
pumps 25

Waterside Economizer

chillers

57F 42F

variable-flow
pumps

bypass for
minimum flow mixing variable-flow
valve pump
T

primary 42F 58F

air handlers

54F
63F chilled beams
from
cooling tower waterside economizer
heat exchanger
26

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
13
 water chillers

58F 42F

variable-flow
i bl fl
pumps

bypass for 42F

minimum flow primary
AHU coils

54F
mixing
valve

from variable-flow
cooling tower pump
waterside economizer
heat exchanger T
63F 58F
active
chilled beams

27

High Performance Chilled Beam Systems

How can active chilled beam systems be designed
differently for high performance?
Use
U ttwo-pipe
i b beams as much
h as possible
ibl
Use primary air system for morning warm-up
Consider using a separate heating system
Minimize primary airflow required
Deliver primary air at a cold (rather than neutral) temperature
Use multiple, smaller primary AHUs to allow SAT reset
(maximize cooling benefit
benefit, minimize need for reheat)
Deliver primary air at a lower dew point
Incorporate a waterside economizer, if possible

28

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
14
 High-Performance Systems

Brief review of todays technical session

Overview of chilled beam systems
Assess marketed advantages of chilled beams vs. VAV
Discuss challenges of applying chilled beam systems
High-performance chilled beam systems
High-performance VAV systems

29

High Performance VAV Systems

How are VAV systems being designed
differently today for high performance?
Optimized
O ti i d VAV system
t controls
t l

30

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
15
 Fan-Pressure Optimization

static
pressure
sensor
supply
fan P

VFD VAV terminals

with DDC controllers

system-level controller

31

Supply-Air Temperature Reset

system-level controller

T T

T T T T

32

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
16
 Ventilation Optimization
air-handling (or rooftop) unit
with Traq dampers
Reset outdoor airflow

SA RA

CO2 TOD CO2 OCC TOD OCC

system-level controller VAV controllers

New OA setpoint Required ventilation (TOD, OCC, CO2)
per ASHRAE 62 Actual primary airflow (flow ring)
Calculate OA fraction

33

High Performance VAV Systems

How are VAV systems being designed
differently today for high performance?
Optimized
O ti i d VAV system t controls
t l
Cold air distribution

34

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
17
 Lower Supply-Air Temperature

Reduces supply airflow

Less supply fan energy
and less fan heat gain
Smaller fans, air handlers,
VAV terminals, and ductwork
Can reduce HVAC installed cost
Can reduce building construction cost
Improves occupant comfort
Lowers indoor humidity levels
Lowers indoor sound levels

35

High Performance VAV Systems

How are VAV systems being designed
differently today for high performance?
Optimized
O ti i d VAV system t controls
t l
Cold air distribution
Parallel fan-powered VAV terminals

36

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
18
 Parallel Fan-Powered VAV

heating coil
(second stage of heat)

cool primary air from

VAV air-handling unit

warm air recirculated

from ceiling plenum
(first stage of heat)

37

High Performance VAV Systems

How are VAV systems being designed
differently today for high performance?
Optimized
O ti i d VAV system t controls
t l
Cold air distribution
Parallel fan-powered VAV terminals
High-performance chilled-water system

38

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
19
 High-Performance Chilled-Water System

Low flow, low temperature

Ice storage
Variable primary flow
High-efficiency chillers
Optimized plant controls
Waterside heat recovery
Central geothermal

39

Summary

Chilled beam and VAV systems

each
hhhave advantages
d t and
dddrawbacks
b k

We need to move toward designing

high-performance systems
not just the way its always been done!

40

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
20
 Advanced Energy Design Guides
www.ashrae.org/freeaedg

Funded by U.S. Dept of Energy

Climate-specific
p recommendations
for achieving 30% or 50% energy savings
(envelope, lighting, HVAC, water heating)
Based on building energy simulations

41

Advanced Energy Design Guides

AEDG for Small or Medium Office Buildings

High-performance rooftop VAV systems are included
as an option to achieve 50% energy savings
AEDG for K-12 Schools
Both rooftop VAV and chilled-water VAV systems are
included as options to achieve 30% energy savings
AEDG for Small Hospitals
p and Healthcare Facilities
Both rooftop VAV and chilled-water VAV systems are
included as options to achieve 30% energy savings

42

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
21
 Additional Resources
Understanding Chilled Beam Systems, Trane
Engineers Newsletter ADM-APN034-EN (2009),
www.trane.com/engineersnewsletter
Chilled-Water VAV Systems, Trane
application manual SYS-APM008-EN (2009)
Cold Air Distribution System Design Guide,
ASHRAE (1996)
Advanced Energy Design Guide series,
ASHRAE, www.ashrae.org/freeaedg

43

2010 Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand

Trane, in proposing these system design and application concepts, assumes no responsibility for the performance or desirability of any
resulting system design. Design of the HVAC system is the prerogative and responsibility of the engineering professional.
22