1. For a healthy living and efficient working "human comfort" is extremely important.

What is your
opinion in this regard ? Explain its with suitable examples.

One of the most important considerations when designing a building is the extent to which it provides an
environment that is comfortable for its occupants. Comfort in the built environment is affected by a
great number of different factors which can, if not addressed properly, can lead to poor levels of
comfort, discomfort, or can even cause harm and ill health to occupants. Aspects of comfort include;
personal factors, health and wellbeing, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, visual comfort, noise
nuisance, ergonomics, and so on.

Personal factors

Personal factors that can affect the level comfort in a building include:

Age.

Gender.

Level of health.

Clothing worn.

Type of activity and level of intensity.

Access to food and drink.

Acclimatisation.

Psychological state.

For example, older people tend to feel the cold more than younger people.

Health and wellbeing

Comfort is closely related to wellbeing, which was defined by Dodge et al (2012) as ‘…when individuals
have the psychological, social and physical resources they need to meet a particular psychological, social
and/or physical challenge’. Wellbeing incorporates other factors such as employment and relationship
status, rather than just physical comfort within an environment.

2. What are the various methods and equipments used for mechanical ventilation in a building ?Write
in details.

Houses have become considerably tighter during the past 15-20 years as a result of changing codes,
energy efficiency programs and an overall desire to reduce energy use.

Benefits of whole-house mechanical ventilation include:

· A steady supply of outdoor air for improved indoor air quality and resident comfort
 · Regulation over the amount and source of outdoor air

· Thinning of indoor contaminants, such as odors and allergens

· Helps control relative humidity and decrease moisture accumulation during the heating or
temperate seasons

Different Types Of Mechanical Ventilation

There are three types of whole-house mechanical ventilation systems: exhaust-only, supply-only, and
balanced. Each system uses a combination of fans, ducting, dampers and controls, and they each have
different pros, cons, and costs accompanying them.

Exhaust-Only Ventilation

Exhaust-only ventilation tends to consist of a fan, commonly a bath fan, exhausting indoor air. Outdoor
makeup air is drawn into the house through leaks in the building’s enclosure.

Pros/cons/cost:

· Contaminants may be drawn into the house from an attic, garage, crawlspace or wall cavity

· Possible to draw moist outdoor air into the wall cavity that could condense during the cooling
season and cause moisture problems, particularly in hot and humid climates

· Can cause or contribute to back-drafting of combustion appliances

· Lowest installed cost and low operating cost

Supply-Only Ventilation

Supply-only ventilation consists of a fan drawing outdoor air into the house. Indoor air escapes through
the building enclosure and exhaust fan ducts.

Supply-only can be a dedicated system, or more commonly a central-fan integrated (CFI) system. With a
CFI system, outdoor air is ducted to the return plenum of an HVAC air handler that draws in and
distributes the outdoor air.

Pros/cons/cost:

· Reduces contaminants entering through the building enclosure

· Outdoor air is drawn from a single, known location for best air quality

· Potential to drive moist indoor air into the wall cavity that could condense and cause moisture
problems during the heating season in colder climates

· Low installed cost, however for a CFI system, the electronically commutated motor may increase
 the initial cost and operating cost may be higher

Balanced Ventilation

Balanced ventilation systems are a combination of exhaust and supply methods roughly providing equal
indoor exhaust and outdoor supply air flows (e.g. an exhaust fan combined with a supply fan or passive
inlet vents).

A balanced system could include a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) or an energy recovery ventilator (ERV).

Pros/cons/cost:

· An HRV transfers a portion of the heat between the exhaust air and the fresh air; an ERV
transfers heat and moisture

· An HRV or ERV provides the benefits, but limits the drawbacks, of supply-only and exhaust-only
methods

· Commonly, an HRV is recommended for dry, cold climates and an ERV is recommended for
moist, warm climates

· Highest installed cost for HRV or ERV due to equipment and additional ducting

There are pros and cons to each type of mechanical ventilation but one type may work better for your
home than the other two. By consulting a certified professional, you can better your home’s air quality
with the right mechanical ventilation system. All of these systems have air filters that have to be
replaced. Make sure you do it at exactly the right time with a FILTERSCAN WiFi Air Filter Monitor from
CleanAlert.

3. Describe different types of air-conditioning systems. Explain various components of airconditioning

unit in order.

air conditioning includes the cooling and heating of air, cleaning and controlling its moisture level as well
as conditioning it to provide maximum indoor comfort.

An air conditioner transfers heat from the inside of a building, where it is not wanted, to the outside.
Refrigerant in the system absorbs the excess heat and is then pumped through a closed system of piping
to an outside coil. A fan blows outside air over the hot coil, transferring heat from the refrigerant to the
outdoor air. Because the heat is removed from the indoor air, the indoor area is cooled.

An air conditioning system generally consists of five mechanical components:

Compressor

Fan

Condenser Coil (Hot)

Evaporator Coil (Cool)

Chemical Refrigerant

Most central air conditioning systems include a “hot” side, outside your home, and a “cool” side, inside
your home. The “hot” side generally consists of a condensing coil, a compressor and a fan.

The “cool” side is usually located within your furnace. The furnace blows air through an evaporator coil,
which cools the air, and routes this cool air throughout your home using a series of air ducts.

The cleaning function of air conditioners is performed by filters, which remove dust and contaminants
from the air. In some systems, the filters are permanent and can be washed periodically to remove
accumulated dirt. Most systems have disposable filters which can be replaced. When filters become
clogged, they restrict the flow of air and cause the system to operate inefficiently.

HOW A HEAT PUMP WORKS

A heat pump is like a conventional air conditioner except it also can provide heat in the winter. In the
summer, the heat pump collects heat from the house and expels it outside. In the winter, the heat pump
extracts heat from the outside air and circulates it inside the house. The heat pump works best when the
outdoor temperature is above freezing. Below that, supplementary heat often is needed. A heat pump
can save 30 to 60 percent less energy to supply the same heat when compared to an electric furnace
with a resistance heating element.

COOLING CYCLE

Refrigerant passes through the indoor coil, evaporating from a liquid to a vapor. As the liquid evaporates,
it absorbs heat, cooling the air around the coil. An indoor fan pushes this cooled air through ducts inside
the house. Meanwhile, the vaporized refrigerant laden with heat, passes through a compressor which
compresses the vapor, raising it’s temperature and pressure. The reversing valve directs the flow of hot,
high pressure vapor to the outdoor coil where the heat released during condensation is fanned into the
outdoor air, and the cycle begins again.

Heating Cycle

During the heating cycle the refrigerant flows in reverse. Liquid refrigerant now flows to the outdoor coil
picking up heat as it evaporates into a low pressure vapor.

The vapor travels through the compressor where it is compressed into a hot, high pressure vapor, then is
directed by the reversing valve to the indoor coil.

Then vapor turns into liquid as it passes through the indoor coil, releasing heat that is pushed through
the ducts by the indoor fan.
5. Explain the use of psychometric chart in air-conditioning process and mention the details that can
be found from the chart.

What is Psychrometric Chart?

Psychrometric charts are graphic representations of the psychrometric properties of air. By using
psychrometric charts HVAC engineers can graphically analyze different types of psychrometric processes
and find solution to many practical problems without having to carry out long and tedious mathematical
calculations.

The psychrometric chart looks complicated with vast numbers of lines and curves in it, but is very easy to
understand if you know the basic properties of air. You will also understand its worth when you actually
use it considering the fact that you won’t have to use any formulae to find the properties of air in
different conditions, all you will have to know is two parameters of air and the rest are easily found on
the chart.

Various Lines and Curves in the Psychrometric Chart

All the properties of air indicated in the psychrometric chart are calculated at the standard atmospheric
pressure. For other pressures relevant corrections have to be applied. The psychrometric chart looks like
a shoe. The various lines shown in the chart are as follows (please refer the figs below):
1) Dry Bulb (DB) Temperature Lines:

The dry bulb temperature scale is shown along the base of the shoe shaped psychrometric chart forming
the sole. The DB temperature increases from the left to the right. The vertical lines shown in the chart
are the constant DB temperature lines and all the points located along a particular vertical line have
same DB temperature.

2) Moisture Content:

Moisture content is the water vapor present in the air and is measured in gram per kg of dry air (gm/kg
of dry air). The moisture present within the air is indicated by the vertical scale located towards the
extreme right. The horizontal lines starting from this vertical scale are constant moisture lines.

3) Wet Bulb (WB) Temperature Lines:

The outermost curve along the left side indicates the Wet Bulb (WB) temperature scale. The constant
WB temperature lines are the diagonal lines extending from WB temperature curved scale downwards
towards the right hand side of the chart. All the points located along the constant WB temperature line
have the same temperature.

4) Dew Point (DP) Temperature Lines:

Since the dew point temperature of the air depends on the moisture content of the air, constant
moisture lines are also constant DP temperature lines. The scale of the DP and WB temperature is the
same, however, while the constant WB temperature lines are diagonal lines extending downwards, the
constant DP temperature lines are horizontal lines. Thus the constant DP and WB temperature lines are
different.

4. Explain the two main components of cooling and imposed on air-conditioning plant operating
during hot weather and discuss in details any two sources of sensible heat gain and latent heat gain
each.

The total heat required to be removed from the space in order to bring it at the desired temperature by
the air conditioning and refrigeration equipment is known as cooling load.

The purpose of a load estimation is to determine the size of the air conditioning and refrigeration
equipment that is required to maintain inside design conditions during periods of maximum outside
temperatures.

The design load is based on inside and outside design conditions and it is air conditioning and
refrigeration equipment capacity to produce and maintain satisfactory inside conditions.

Components of a Cooling Load

The two main components of a cooling load imposed on an air conditioning plant operating during hot
weather are as follows:

1. Sensible heat gain. When there is a direct addition of heat to the enclosed space, a gain in the
sensible heat is said to occur. This sensible heat is to be removed during the process of summer air
conditioning. The sensible heat gain may occur due to any one or all of the following sources of heat
transfer:

(a) The heat flowing into the building by conduction through exterior walls, floors, ceilings, doors and
windows due to the temperature difference on their two sides.

(b) The heat received from solar radiation. It consists of

(i) The heat transmitted directly through glass of windows, ventilators or doors, and

(ii) The heat absorbed by walls and roofs exposed to solar radiation and later on transferred to the room
by conduction.

(c) The heat conducted through interior partition from rooms in the same building which are not
conditioned.

(d) The heat given off by lights, motors, machinery, cooking operations, industrial processes etc.

(e) The heat liberated by the occupants.

(f) The heat carried by the outside air which leaks in (infiltrating air) through the cracks in doors,
windows, and through their frequent openings.

(g) The heat gain through the walls of ducts carrying conditioned air through unconditioned space in the
building

(h) The heat gain from the fan work.

2. Latent heat gain. When there is an addition of water vapour to the air of enclosed space, a gain in
latent heat is said to occur. This latent heat is to be removed during the process of summer air-
conditioning. The latent heat gain may occur due to any one or all of the following sources:

(a) The heat gain due to moisture in the outside air entering by infiltration.

(b) The heat gain due to condensation of moisture from occupants.

(c) The heat gain due to condensation of moisture from any process such as cooking foods which takes
place within the conditioned space.

(d) The heat gain due to moisture passing directly into the conditioned space through permeable walls or
partitions from the outside or from adjoining regions where the water vapour pressure is higher. The
total heat load to be removed by the air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment is the sum of sensible
and latent heat loads as discussed above.

Note: When the outside air is introduced for ventilation purposes, there is a sensible heat gain as well as
latent heat gain. The sensible heat gain is due to the temperature difference between the fresh air and
the air in space whereas the latent heat gain is due to the difference of humidity.

Sensible Heat Gain through Building Structure by conduction The heat gain through a building structure
such as walls, floors, ceilings, doors and windows constitutes the major portion of sensible heat load.

Consider a building wall composed of a single homogeneous material. A little consideration will show
that the heat passing through a wall is first received at the wall surface exposed to the region of higher
air temperature by radiation, convection and conduction. It then flows through the material of the wall
to the surface exposed at the region of lower air temperature. Now the heat is dispersedthrough the
processes of radiation. Convenction and conduction.