OAU Dehumidification System Selection

Kecha Thirakomen
ASHRAE Fellow member
CEO, EEC Engineering Network Co.,Ltd.
Somjin Disawas
Chief Mechanical Engineer
EEC Engineering Network Co.,Ltd.

Topics

Introduction to OAU and DOAS

Dehumidification technology

OAU arrangement description and comparison

System design consideration
 HVAC System Requirements

- Good IAQ
- Healthy body
- High productivity
- Energy Saving
- Global warming issue
- Energy crisis
- Cost competitive

Key Factor to Good IAQ

 Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS)

Key to Control Humidity in Hot/Humid Climate

Supply air shall be dry enough

To absorb moisture

To stable room condition

How dry is dry enough?

More dry air means more energy
 Outdoor Design Condition

Max Latent
Load

Which condition should be Max Sensible

Load
selected for design conditions? Max Total
Load

OUTDOOR / INDOOR DESIGN CONDITION

31.3 CDB/27.5 CDP

34.3 CDB/28.8 CWB

dh
Max. acceptable moisture
level to be determined.
How dry do we need to 37.1 CDB/26.5 CWB

supply the air to the room?

22 – 26 Cdb / 50 – 60 %rh
Design point = ?

dw

1. Find humidity ratio rise

2. Find the leaving Dew dw(gr/lb) = LH(Btu/hr)/(0.68 x CFM)
Point Temp of FA dw(kg/kg) = LH(Watt)/(3010 x L/s)
 Optimum Humidity Range

Dehumidification Technology

- Liquid - Run around coil

- Solid - Plate heat exchanger
- Heat pipe horse shoe

Desiccant: a material that can

attract and hold moisture.
 Solid Desiccant

Active type

Require external heat source

Can get very low dew point temperature

Electronic factory, packaging room, etc.,

Passive type

Use room exhaust to dry outdoor air

Outdoor air does not drier than room exhaust air

Common commercial building

Solid Desiccant

Require external heat source

 Pre-cool & Reheat Device

Dehumidification Technology

- Suitable for dew point - Higher energy efficiency than

less than 10 Cdp desiccant
- Supply air at higher - Suitable and economical for
temperature, require dew point more than 10 Cdp
cooling (21 Cdb/50%rh)
- Supply air dew point temp.
Typical Condition for Commercial Building depend on coil temp. (CHWS),
CHWS : 6 @ 7 deg. C
- Approach temp for cooling coil : 4 - 5 deg. C coil configuration and coil face
- Leaving coil condition : 10 @ 12 deg. Cdb / 95 @ 100 %rh velocity
- Room dew point : 13 deg. Cdp
 Energy Point of View

Hot / Humid Climate

High ventilation load/Operation cost although the year

Humidification technology selection

Improve dehumidification with a low operation cost

Active desiccant require external heat, passive
desiccant do not.

Heat pipe and plate heat exchanger do not require
external heat.

Run around coil require pump to work.

Energy Point of View

We can set room

temp. at higher if we
can control lower %rh
to get same thermal
comfort…….
Energy saving
 Conventional CAV System

-Respond according to
sensible heat
-Latent capacity is by-
product
-FA is constant
average/proportional to SA,
สํานักงาน not equal to requirement
-Coil is design to deal with
peak sensible heat, not
latent
หองอาหาร
-Peak sensible not occur at
the same time to peak latent
-High %rh when part load
หองประชุม -DOAS is solution

Conventional VAV System

-Respond according to sensible heat
-Latent capacity is by-product, but
better than CAV
-FA is proportional to SA, not equal to
requirement, and not constant/not
relate to requirement
สํานักงาน -FA is depend on return plenum
pressure (fan pressure)
-Coil is design to deal with peak
sensible heat, not latent
หองอาหาร
-Peak sensible not occur at the same
time to peak latent
-High %rh when part load, but better
หองประชุม than CAV
-DOAS is solution
OAU Arrangement

OAU Arrangement
OAU Arrangement

OAU Arrangement
 OAU Arrangement

Technical Data Comparison for Each Arrangement

 Technical Data Comparison

Note: 1. Arr = Arrangement, HR = Heat Recovery Unit, TH = Total Cooling Load, SH = Sensible Cooling Load, LH =
Latent Cooling Load
2. Use arrangement 1 as reference for calculate reduction capacity

OAU Coil Capacity Comparison

450.0
Total capacity
400.0 Sensible capacity
Latent capacity
350.0
OAU coil Capacity, kW

300.0

250.0

200.0

150.0

100.0

50.0

0.0
1 2 3 4 5 6

OAU Arrangement
 OAU Coil Reduction Capacity Comparison

180.0

160.0
OAU coil Reduction Capacity, kW

140.0 Total capacity

Sensible capacity
120.0
Latent capacity

100.0

80.0

60.0

40.0

20.0

0.0
1 2 3 4 5 6

OAU Arrangem ent

FRESH AIR LEAVING OAU CONDITION FOR EACH ARRANGEMENT

Require reheat if leaving condition

lower than room dew point, to
avoid outlet condensation

ARR1,3,5 ARR4,6 ARR2

 Design Considerations
-Outdoor design condition
-Room design moisture level
-CO2 sensor to vary fresh air
-Cross contamination concern
-Building positive pressure
-Where to feed fresh air into, directly into the room or into return plenum
-Duct work if recovery unit to be used
-Room sensible heat offset from fresh air supply
-Fresh air outlet condensation, if directly feed into the room

Thank you for your attention