AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2

Module for 1st Sem 2020-2021

Module 2 – UNIT 3: Cooling Systems

Buildings are cooled by removing heat. Air cooling systems are designed to control
temperature and humidity and also supply fresh filtered air to an interior. As with
heating systems, design begins with the identification of zones to be serviced,
followed by the sizing and location of distribution and return air ducts. You are
expected to compare the types and application of mechanical cooling systems in
buildings (TLO 8) at the end of your learning experiences in this unit.

LECTURE NOTES
 COOLING SYSTEMS
 Systems that remove heat from buildings
 Heat can be transferred in one direction only – from warmer objects to
cooler objects
 To cool a building – warm air is carried away from rooms to an air-
conditioning unit (ACU)
o Air filter removes dust and other impurities
o Cooling coil – contains a refrigerant that absorbs heat from the air
passing around it
o Blower – pulls the warm air from the room &
 Pushes cooled air back to the rooms
o Size of ACU or air-conditioning equipment – rated in BTUs
 Example: Building area = 2,000sqft (186sqm)
ACU size = 24,000 to 36,000 BTUs
Larger homes = 60,000 BTU or more
 Air cooling systems are designed to control:
o Temperature
o Humidity

 Air cooling systems supply

fresh filtered air to an interior
 Similar to heating systems,
design begins with:
o Identification of zones
to be serviced
o Sizing and location of
distribution and return
air ducts
o Planning of type, size
and location of the
central control unit
o Planning piping and
wiring support
o Provide for air movement, filtering and outside power, fuel and air
supply

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 AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for 1st Sem 2020-2021

 COMBINED HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS

 Cooling systems may be:
o Separate or
o Share blowers, ducts and outlets with heating systems
 Like heating units, cooling systems are positioned as:
o Upflow
o Downflow
o Horizontal flow
 Drawings of combined systems – use the same duct patterns and outlets
as for heating plans
 HEAT PUMPS
 Work like a reversible refrigeration system
 Can both cool and heat buildings
o In warm weather – a heat pump removes heat from indoor air
through a closed refrigerant cycle
o In cold weather – heat is drawn from the outside air, water or
ground and transferred inside
 Air-source heat pumps – effective in warm or mild climates
o Do not heat efficiently when temperatures are below 30°F (-1°C)
 Ground-source (geothermal) – water-source heat pumps
o Extract heat from the earth
o More effective for heating in cooler climates
o Heat exchangers extract heat from the subterranean ground or
water
o Heat is delivered from the geothermal source to the heating system
of a building
o Types:
 Open-loop system
 Closed-loop system
 Heat pump systems consists of:
 Inside air handler
 Outside heat pump
 Ducts
 Outlets
o Provide space for heat pump and air handler
o Ducts and outlets are drawn the same as warm air ducts and
outlets
o Classified by BTU capacity or by tons = 1 to 5 tons
Insert drawings
 MAJOR CATEGORIES OF COOLING SYSTEMS (Lechner, 2014)
 Refrigeration machine – pumps heat from the various rooms into a heat
sink
 Heat sink – usually the outdoor air, but can be a body of water or the
ground
 How the heat from the refrigeration machine is dumped into the
atmosphere heat sink:
o In small buildings, by blowing outdoor air over the condenser coil

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 AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for 1st Sem 2020-2021

 Water can be sprayed over the condenser coil to make

heat transfer more efficient

Air, water or the ground can act as the heat sink for a building’s cooling system.

Cooling systems vary mainly in how heat is transferred to and from the refrigeration machine.

o Medium sized buildings, use an evaporator condenser

 Small amount of water is continuously supplied to replace
the water lost by evaporation
 Evaporative condenser cannot be more than 18m from the
compressor and evaporator coil

In evaporative condenser, water is sprayed over the hot condenser coils.

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 AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for 1st Sem 2020-2021

o Large buildings, cooling towers dumps heat into the atmosphere

via the evaporation of water
 Evaporating water is used to cool more water rather than
refrigerant
 Cooling water is pumped to the refrigeration machine where
it cools the condenser coil
 Make-up water is again required to replace the water lost by
evaporation
 Cooling towers are usually placed on roofs or at grade when
land is available
• A decorative fountain can effectively substitute a
cooling tower

A cooling tower cools water via evaporation.

The cooling water is then used to cool the condenser coil located elsewhere.

 The following systems describe how heat is transferred from building

spaces to the refrigeration machine:
o Direct Refrigerant Systems (or DX – direct expansion)
 Simplest form – consists of the basic refrigeration machine
plus two fans
 Indoor air is blown directly over the evaporator coil and
outdoor air passes directly over the condenser coil
 Appropriate for small to medium size spaces requiring their
own separate mechanical units

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 AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for 1st Sem 2020-2021

o All-Air
Air Systems
 Air is blown across the cold evaporator coil and delivered by
ducts to the rooms that require cooling
 Effectively ventilate, filtrate and dehumidify air
 Bulky ductwork

All-Air System
o All-Water
Water Systems
 Water is chilled by the evaporator coil and then delivered to
fan-coil
coil units in each space
 Piping in the building takes up very little space
 Fan-coil
coil units in each room require some space
 Possible ventilation, dehumidification and filteri
filtering
ng or air – not
as effective with air system

All-Water System
o Combination Air
Air-Water Systems
 Bulk of cooling is handles by the water and fan-coil
fan coil units
 Small air system completes the cooling
 Ventilates, dehumidifies and filter the air
 Most of the cooling is accomplished by the water systems
 Air ducts can be quite small

Air-Water System

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 AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for 1st Sem 2020-2021

 AIR CONDITIONING FOR SMALL & LARGE BUILDINGS

 Research:
o AC for Small Buildings
 Through-the-wall Unit
 Packaged Systems
 Split System
 Ductless Split System
o AC for Large, Multistory Buildings
 All-Air System
 Air-Water System
 All-Water System

READING & STUDY GUIDE

 READING
 Read the following sections or articles and identify important concepts:

 The Illustrated Guide to Mechanical Engineering Services by Tom De

Saulles:
 Air Conditioning, page 23 – 28
 Archtoolbox, Technical and Professional Practice Reference for Architects
 HVAC Basics of Building Heating and Cooling
 HVAC Chilled Beams and Chilled Ceilings
 HVAC Duct Shaft Layout
 HVAC How Air Conditioners Work
 HVAC Refrigerants Used in Buildings and HVAC Equipment

 MAKE YOUR NOTES

 Make your notes from the readings in this module. Notes can be written
(and drawn) on A4 size bond papers or electronically using any word
processing software.

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 AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for 1st Sem 2020-2021

ASSESSMENTS/EVALUATION
Assignment 8
M2-U3-TLO8 “Research”
Due date: on or before October 24, 2020, 11:59pm

Research the following air conditioning systems for small buildings:

a. Through-the-wall Unit
b. Packaged Systems
c. Split System
d. Ductless Split System
 Describe and illustrate the corresponding HVAC components in a residential
building in plan and section.
 Title all drawings and label parts.
 Identify the books or references you used.
 Present your solution:
o Page 1: cover sheet, portrait orientation
o Page 2: Through-the-wall Unit
o Page 3: Packaged Systems
o Page 4: Split System
o Page 5: Ductless Split System
 Format of Presentation
You are encouraged to be innovative and creative in the presentation of
your project. Draw manually in pen & ink (optional colored – any medium)
over the printout. For purposes of uniformity, the following format must be
observed:
 A4 paper size
 Custom margins – 2cm top, 1cm side and bottom (in 0.1 pen)
 Color code – BLUE
 Text – use Century Gothic Font size 11, double spaced (or 4mm high
architectural lettering and spacing) in all major texts, Bold all Headings
 Scan your drawing.
 Convert your document to pdf
 Naming the e-file or pdf file of the project - class code, course number
(as enrolled), assignment number, student’s surname - as follows:
2205_2206_AR3181_ M2-U3-TLO8_Research_SORIANO.pdf
 Submission
 If OBL, upload your file directly under the specified assignment in
Google Classroom
 If CBL, include the assignment (printout) in the package you will send
me through express mail correspondence at the end of the term

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This is the property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing,
uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or
otherwise of any part of this document, without prior written permission of SLU is strictly prohibited. [Ar MCPSORIANO]