Underfloor Air Distribution:

Cooling Load Calculations and

Energy Modeling

UFAD Mini-Conference
U.S. Green Building Council – Colorado Chapter
Denver, CO
September 18, 2009

Fred Bauman, P.E.

Center for the Built Environment (CBE)
University of California, Berkeley
 Outline of presentation

 Energy performance issues

 Cooling airflow design calculations
 Interior zone design tool
 Updated design tool for both perimeter and interior zones
 Energy modeling of UFAD with EnergyPlus
 EnergyPlus validation
 Whole-building prototype model
 Comparison of UFAD and overhead system energy performance

Sponsor: California Energy Commission PIER Program

 Energy performance issues
 Fan energy
 About 1” lower central fan static pressure than
conventional overhead (except for ducted systems)
 Perimeter fans can offset central fan savings

 Economizer, cooling energy

 Extended period when mechanical cooling not required
due to warmer supply air temperatures
 Humid climates may reduce or eliminate savings

 Reheat
 Higher heating discharge temperatures reduces air flow
 Higher plenum supply temperature and reduced airflow
lowers reheat
 Plenum air to fan coil increases reheat
 Energy modeling of UFAD systems
 Goal/Significance
1. Develop a version of the whole-building energy simulation program,
EnergyPlus, capable of modeling UFAD systems
2. Develop practical design tool to estimate cooling airflow quantities for
UFAD systems
 These are the first validated UFAD energy simulation program and
cooling airflow design tool
 Project details
 CBE, UC San Diego, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, JCI/York
 Sponsor: California Energy Commission PIER Program
 Project start: November 1, 2002
 First phase complete: December 31, 2006
http://www.cbe.berkeley.edu/research/briefs-ufadmodel.htm
 Improved UFAD module included with EnergyPlus v3.1
released in April 2009
 Heat transfer in overhead system
Simplified illustration of distribution of room heat gains for multi-story
overhead building at steady state

Light heat to return

~10%

Room air
extraction
~90%
Total system (RCLR)
heat gain
100%

 Room cooling load ratio (RCLR) =

Ratio of room cooling load to total system heat gain
 Cooling airflow design calculations

Overhead System

Q × RCLR
CFM =
1.08 × ∆T
 Where:
 Q= total heat gains to room, including lights (Btu/hr)
 CFM = total room airflow (ft3/min)
 ∆T = temperature difference between the room setpoint
temperature and the supply air temperature (°F)
 RCLR = ratio of room cooling load to total system heat gain

Assumes complete mixing

 Sample airflow calculation
(change SAT)

Q × RCLR
CFM =
1.1× ( Btu / hr ⋅ cfm ⋅ ° F ) × ∆T
Overhead UFAD
Supply Temp: 55°F Supply Temp: 65°F

Room Setpoint: 75°F Room Setpoint: 75°F

Space Heat Load: 17,297 Btu/hr Space Heat Load: 17,297 Btu/hr

RCLR: 0.9 RCLR: 0.9

(17,297 Btu / hr ) × (0.9) (17,297 Btu / hr ) × (0.9)

CFM = CFM =
1.1× ( Btu / hr ⋅ cfm ⋅ ° F ) × (75° F − 55° F ) 1.1× ( Btu / hr ⋅ cfm ⋅ ° F ) × (75° F − 65° F )
= 708 CFM = 1,415 CFM (double)

Assumption of complete mixing is incorrect!

 UFAD room air temperature profile

RAT
Height
Ceiling

∆Troom
Temperature
at head height

Head (67 in.)

Toz,avg Tstat

Tstat (48 in.)

Occupied
Temperature zone (OZ)
SAT near the floor

∆Toz
Ankle (4 in.)
Temperature
Room air stratification
Heat transfer in UFAD environment

Slab-supply plenum conduction/convection

Slab
Return
Treturn Return-slab convection
Plenum
Ceiling-slab radiation Return-ceiling convection
Troom, near ceiling
Tceiling

Ceiling and floor radiation

Room

Raised Floor Troom, near floor

Panels Tcarpet Floor-room convection

Floor-supply plenum conduction/convection

Supply
Tplenum
Plenum
Slab-supply plenum conduction/convection
Slab

Return Plenum Treturn

 Heat transfer in UFAD systems
Interior zones

Heat gain into (loss from) return plenum –(10-15%)

From To
Through
Total system Room air Ceiling-slab ceiling
heat gain extraction radiation
Perimeter 100% 60-70%
Ceiling-floor AHU
zone (RCLR) radiation

Through Through
slab floor
65°F
To From

Heat gain into supply plenum 35-45%

 Sample airflow calculation
(change SAT, ∆T, and RCLR)

Q × RCLR
CFM =
1.1× ( Btu / hr ⋅ cfm ⋅ ° F ) × ∆T
Overhead UFAD
Supply Temp: 55°F Supply Temp: 65°F

Room Setpoint: 75°F Return Temp: 79°F

Space Heat Load: 17,297 Btu/hr Space Heat Load: 17,297 Btu/hr

RCLR: 0.9 RCLR: 0.7

(17,297 Btu / hr ) × (0.9) (17,297 Btu / hr ) × (0.7)

CFM = CFM =
1.1× ( Btu / hr ⋅ cfm ⋅ ° F ) × (75° F − 55° F ) 1.1× ( Btu / hr ⋅ cfm ⋅ ° F ) × (79° F − 65° F )
= 708 CFM = 786 CFM (12% higher)

Estimated UFAD airflow is about 10% higher than overhead

 Design tool flow diagram

Standard Overhead
Load Calculation

Example Example Outputs

UFAD User Inputs
Modeling Airflow
Room cooling
Engine Occupied zone ΔT
Diffuser type load ratio
(Empirical Thermostat setting
Diffuser supply temp lookup
correlations) Plenum inlet temp
Desired Toz,avg
Equivalent OH airflow

Bauman, F., T. Webster, and C. Benedek. 2007. “Cooling Airflow Design

Calculations for UFAD.” ASHRAE Journal, October.
 Airflow design tool: Predicted profile
Swirl diffusers, interior zone
120

100

80
Height (inches)

60

40
3 W/sf
65°F SAT
2.8°F ΔToz
0.54 cfm/sf
20 0.9 diffuser/WS
(Original design)

0
66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80
Temperature (°F)
 Predicted plenum inlet temperature
Cooling load = 3.0 W/ft2

68
P lenum Inlet T emperature (°F )

66 Average diffuser
discharge = 67°F
64
62
60
Average diffuser
58 discharge = 65°F

56
54
52
50
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
2
A irflow (c fm/ft )

Assumes 40% of total system heat gain enters underfloor plenum

Impact of supply temperature on stratification
Cooling airflow design tool
120 3 W/sf
68°F SAT
0.7°F ΔToz
0.86 cfm/sf
0.9 diffuser/WS
100 (100% load, actual SAT)

80
Height (inches)

60

40 3 W/sf
Both profiles are
65°F SAT controlled to
2.8°F ΔToz
0.54 cfm/sf
Toz,avg = 74°F
0.9 diffuser/WS
20
(Original design)

0
66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80
Temperature (°F)
 Cooling airflow design calculations
 Must account for impact of thermal decay in plenum

 Depending on climate, different plenum operating

strategies may be considered
 Mild, no humidity control – increase airflow to allow higher
plenum inlet temperature (maximize economizer)
 Humid – reduce airflow to maximize fan energy savings, since
no economizer potential

 We expect UFAD peak system cooling loads (at coil)

to be similar to overhead systems (ongoing
research)
 UFAD cooling airflow design tool
 Current project scheduled for completion in April
2010
 Includes new perimeter zone stratification model
 Interior and perimeter plenum zones may be
configured in different arrangements
 Updated load splits for supply plenum, room, and
return plenum based on EnergyPlus simulations
 Excel-based user interface
 Presentation at 2010 ASHRAE Winter Meeting
in Orlando
Possible plenum configurations
 Distribution of cooling load
Perimeter and interior zones
Heat gain into return plenum 5%

To

Room air
extraction Room air
75% extraction
Total system 60% AHU
cooling load
100%
Perimeter Interior
zone zone

From

Heat gain into supply plenum 20% Heat gain into supply plenum 35%
 Energy modeling of UFAD systems
Why this work is important Supported by CEC/PIER
BERG Program
 Can UFAD systems save energy
…and if so, how much? 45
Objectives 40
35
 Quantify energy and demand Total HVAC

EUI, kBtu/sf/yr
13.6
30
 Isolate impact of UFAD system
25
Approach 20 Lighting
15.9
 Compare energy performance of UFAD 15

to overhead (OH) VAV for 3 California 10

Equipment
cities using EnergyPlus 5
9.9
0
 Performance metric: Annual site HVAC
Building
Energy Use Intensity (EUI), kBtu/sf/yr
 What is EnergyPlus?
 Detailed energy flow
calculation engine that
uses a
thermodynamically
correct “heat balance”
method

 Modular software
structure that allows
for upgrades and
modifications

 Not yet in wide use in

the industry due to
lack of comprehensive
user interfaces
 EnergyPlus UFAD modeling

Return plenum

Upper zone
Stratification height

Lower, occupied zone

h
Tstat
Underfloor plenum

Temperature
Room air stratification modeled as two Plenum Diffuser
inlet SAT
zones separated at stratification height, h
What are the UFAD module inputs and outputs?

Inputs Outputs
 Supply Conditions  Supply Plenum
 Supply Plenum
Temperature
Configuration  Room Occupied Zone
 Air Temperature Temperature
 Room Conditions  Room Upper Zone
Temperature
 Thermostat Setting / Height
 Heat Sources  Return Plenum
Temperature
 Diffusers
 Surface Temperatures
 Type (Swirl or VA)
 Airflow Rate
 Number
UFAD module development and validation
 2+ Year Effort

 Theoretical Work

hs=0 hs=1/8D

 Bench-Scale
Testing and hs=1/4 D hs=1/2 D

Validation
(Salt Tanks)
Heat Source Cooling Vent
Interior zone full-scale testing and validation
Test chamber cross section
 Energy model of test chamber

Return
Plenum

Room

Supply
Plenum
EnergyPlus validation – Temperature profile

Roof
 Interior zone,
measured data vs.
Return
full scale test
plenum
chamber simulation Ceiling

 Closely simulates
air and surface
temperatures in
Layer
room and supply Room
Interface
plenum
Measured
Simulated

Raised floor
Supply
plenum Slab
 Whole-building prototype
 Three story, six zones per floor (incl. service core @ 15%)
 20,000 ft2 floorplates, 1.5 aspect ratio
 One model for both UFAD and OH systems
Simulated UFAD system
Early morning, system off
System startup
Warm-up
Occupants arrive
Solar peaking, east perimeter zone
Mid morning
Late morning
Mid day
Mid afternoon
Occupants leave
Occupants left
System off
Prototype baseline design parameters

Item Overhead UFAD

Floor plate size, ft2 20K 20K
Floor to floor height, ft 13 13
Return plenum height, ft 3.3 1.9
Supply plenum height, ft NA 1.3
Skin/glazing T-24/low-e T-24/low-e
Window/wall ratio 40% 40%
Room setpoints, Occ (Unocc), °F 75/70 (90/55) 75/70 (90/55)
Internal loads: Lights, W/ft2 1.0 1.0
Equipment, W/ft2 0.8 0.8
People, ft2/Person 240 240
Central AHU Central AHU
HVAC System/plant VAV/Reheat Floor diffusers/FCU
Screw chiller Screw chiller
 Study parameters
Baseline HVAC parameters
Input parameter OH Base 1 OH Base 2 UFAD Baseline
AHU supply temp, °F 57 57 63
AHU Static press, iwc 4.5 4.5 3.0
AHU part load shutoff, iwc 1.0 1.5 0.5
Outside air, cfm/sf 0.15 0.15 0.15
System cycle at night No No No
Zone Min airflow, % max Opt* 30% minimum Opt
Supply air heat gain No Yes Yes
#Diffuser/person NA NA 1.5
Interior zone reheat Yes Yes No
*Opt = Optimized for 0.15 cfm/sf (CA Title-24)

OH Base Case 1 = Good design practice

OH Base Case 2 = Common Title 24 prescriptive practice
Impact of AHU supply air temperature
Supply Air Temperature
16

14 0.5
0.7
Site Annual HVAC EUI (kBtu/sf/yr)

12 2.9
3.2 0.4
0.4 0.6 0.5 0.4
10 0.6 0.4 2.5
2.6 0.6 0.6 2.0 2.1
8 2.8 3.3 4.3 1.8
0.4 2.2 2.1
0.3 Aux
0.4 0.3
1.8 6 3.9 3.6
6 3.4 1.7 1.9 2.2 4.0
3.8 Fan
Chiller
4 3.0
2.9 2.4
2.0 5.4 5.4 5.2 4.9
Boiler
6.2
4.4 4.5 4.8
2
3.1 3.4 3.8 4.3
2.6 2.2 2.6
1.4 1.3 1.6 1.9
0
UFAD 57
UFAD 60
UFAD 63

UFAD 57
UFAD 60
UFAD 63

UFAD 57
UFAD 60
UFAD 63
OH BC 1
OH BC 2

OH BC 1
OH BC 2

OH BC 1
San Francisco Los Angeles OH BC 2
Sacramento
 Impact of stratification
Sacramento
16 60
Aux
14 55
Site Annual HVAC EUI (kBtu/sf/yr)

Supply Fan Nominal Power (kW)

12 50 Fan
0.4 0.4 0.4
10 0.4 45
2.5 2.6 2.6
2.1
8 40 Chiller
3.6 3.6 3.6 3.2
6 35
Boiler
4 30

2 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 25

Supply Fan
0 20 Nominal
UFAD Base DDR=0.5 DDR=0.33 Fixed Power [kW]
Case Phi=0.4
(DDR=1)
 How to get EnergyPlus
 EnergyPlus available for download from DOE:

http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energyplus

 April 2009 release (v3.1) contains the latest UFAD

module with both interior and perimeter
stratification models, underfloor plenum model,
and other HVAC enhancements.
 Check EnergyPlus website every 6 months
 Energy use summary
 New EnergyPlus/UFAD now complete and released in
v3.1 (April 2009)
 Interior and perimeter zone models
 Engineering documentation
 Simulation study comparing UFAD and overhead
annual HVAC energy use
 Up to 33% savings compared to Common practice
 Up to 8% savings compared to Good practice
 Surprises
 Lowest UFAD energy use for SAT = 57°F
 Trade offs between cooling and fan energy not as large as
expected
 System type has little effect on overall performance
 Reheat/heating larger issue than expected
 Ongoing CBE research
 Cooling airflow design tool (April 2010)
 Perimeter zone testing in full-scale laboratory
 Update EnergyPlus with new lab data
 Developing improved EnergyPlus capabilities for
modeling advanced building technologies
 UFAD
 Displacement ventilation
 Radiant slab systems
 Natural ventilation
 Personal environmental control systems
 Questions?

 Fred Bauman
fbauman@berkeley.edu

 CBE website
www.cbe.berkeley.edu

 EnergyPlus website
http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energyplus