Basic Concepts of Air

Conditioning

Prepared exclusively
for
COACH LEATHERWARE
 Panel
Moderator:
Bob Keingstein
Boss Facilities Services

Slide 2
 COOL
COIL AIR

HEAT

SOURCE OF
COOL AIR
• COIL •

Slide 4
 TYPICAL ALL-AIR SYSTEM

S.A. DUCT

COOL
COIL AIR

HEAT
S.A.
FAN

Slide 5
 TYPICAL ALL-AIR SYSTEM

S.A. DUCT S.A.

TERMINAL

COOL
COIL AIR

HEAT
S.A.
FAN

Slide 6
 TYPICAL ALL-AIR SYSTEM

R.A. GRILL
S.A. DUCT S.A.
TERMINAL

COOL WARM AIR

COIL AIR

HEAT
S.A.
FAN

Slide 7
 TYPICAL ALL-AIR SYSTEM

R.A DUCT
R.A. GRILL
S.A. DUCT S.A.
TERMINAL

COOL
COIL AIR

HEAT
S.A.
FAN

Slide 8
TYPICAL ALL-AIR SYSTEM

R.A.
FAN R.A DUCT
R.A. GRILL
S.A. DUCT S.A.
TERMINAL

COIL COOL
AIR
HEAT
S.A.
FAN

Slide 9
 TYPICAL ALL-AIR SYSTEM

R.A.
FAN R.A DUCT
R.A. GRILL
S.A. DUCT S.A.
TERMINAL
R.A. DAMPER
COIL COOL
AIR
FRESH
OUTDOOR HEAT
AIR S.A.
FAN

O.A.
DAMPER
FILTER

Slide 10
 TYPICAL ALL-AIR SYSTEM

EXHAUST E.A.
AIR DAMPER R.A.
FAN R.A DUCT
R.A. GRILL
S.A. DUCT S.A.
TERMINAL
R.A. DAMPER
COIL COOL
AIR
FRESH
OUTDOOR HEAT
AIR S.A.
FAN

O.A.
DAMPER
FILTER

Slide 11
 Economizer

• Provides cooling to space when outdoor air

temperatures are below 55 degrees
• Switches over automatically from mechanical
cooling
• Adjusts R.A. and F.A. dampers to maintain space
temp
• May incorporate enthalpy control
• Mandatory in some states based on unit capacity

Slide 12
 TYPICAL ALL-AIR SYSTEM
EXHAUST E.A.
AIR DAMPER R.A.
FAN R.A DUCT
R.A. GRILL
S.A. DUCT S.A.
TERMINAL
R.A. DAMPER
COIL COOL
AIR
FRESH
OUTDOOR HEAT
AIR S.A.
FAN

O.A.
DAMPER WATER PIPING
FILTER

CHILLED
WATER WATER
PUMP CHILLER

Slide 13
 TYPICAL ALL-AIR SYSTEM
EXHAUST E.A.
AIR DAMPER R.A.
FAN R.A DUCT
R.A. GRILL
S.A. DUCT S.A.
TERMINAL
R.A. DAMPER
COIL COOL
AIR
FRESH
OUTDOOR HEAT
AIR S.A.
FAN

O.A.
DAMPER WATER PIPING
FILTER

HEAT

COOLING
TOWER
CHILLED
WATER WATER
PUMP CHILLER
CONDENSER
PUMP
Slide 14
 TYPICAL ALL-AIR SYSTEM
EXHAUST E.A.
AIR DAMPER R.A.
FAN R.A DUCT
R.A. GRILL
S.A. DUCT S.A.
TERMINAL
R.A. DAMPER
COIL COOL
AIR
FRESH
OUTDOOR HEAT
AIR S.A.
FAN

O.A.
DAMPER WATER PIPING
FILTER

HEAT
BOILER

COOLING
TOWER
CHILLED
WATER WATER
PUMP CHILLER
CONDENSER
PUMP
Slide 15
 Equipment Types

• ROOFTOP PACKAGE UNIT

• SPLIT SYSTEM
• CHILLED WATER AIR HANDLER
• VARIABLE AIR VOLUME (VAV)
• AIR TO AIR HEAT PUMP
• Life expectancy 10 to 12 yrs for rooftop and split systems
• Expect increase in repair costs as equipment ages
• Typically largest expense to operation of store, energy/repair costs
• Repair or Replace?

Slide 16
 Single Package Roof Top Unit

•Most common
•Entire hvac system is
located on mall roof
•Most common to have
roof leaks from roof
curb, condensate
overflow or roof
punctures
Slide 17
Single Package Roof Top Unit
HEAT

COMP CONDR ELECTRIC

HEATER
COIL
O.A.
FAN

E.A. S.A. DUCT

S.A.
R.A. DUCT TERMINAL

HEAT

Slide 18
 Single Package Roof Top Unit

• Rooftop package unit

• Mounted on adaptor
curb
• Power exhaust and
economizer installed

Slide 19
 Split System

• HVAC system split into 2 pieces

• Condensing unit located on roof (houses
compressor, condenser coil, condenser fan motor)
• Air handler located in space above ceiling (houses
blower assembly, evap coil, air filters)
• Connected electrically and with refrigerant piping
• Most prone to refrigerant leaks especially if long
distance between components
• Many times refrigerant lines are buried in
construction and inaccessible

Slide 20
 SPLIT SYSTEM
CONDENSING UNIT HEAT
REFRIGERANT C
LINES C O
O N
M
D
AIR
P
R

AIR HANDLING
UNIT
COIL
O.A. POSSIBLE
FAN ELECTRIC
HEAT

E.A. S.A. DUCT

R.A. DUCT

HEAT OPTIONAL
SUPPLEMENTARY
HEATING
SYSTEM

Slide 21
SPLIT SYSTEM

Slide 22
 Split System

• Air cooled condensing

unit
• Compressor, condenser
coil and condenser fans
• Connected to indoor air
handler

Slide 23
 VAV BOX
Variable Air Volume
• Consists of VAV terminal
box located in the space
above ceiling
• May have supplemental
blower motor for positive
airflow to space
• May have air filtration
• Has a damper inside that
opens and closes on
demand from thermostat
to allow more or less
airflow to space
Slide 24
 Major System Components

• Compressor
• Condenser coil
• Evaporator coil
• Condenser fan motor
• Evaporator fan motor
• Thermostatic expansion valve
• Evaporator blower assembly
• Economizers (Optional)

Slide 25
 HEAT REJECTION
95F DB
(“HIGH TEMPERATURE”) 78F DB
HEAT
95F
105F
CONDENSER
CONDITIONED
SPACE 85F COOLING
TOWER
 
COMPRESSOR

95F 55F
75F
35F
COOLER
45F REFRIGERATION
MACHINE
HEAT GATHERING (REFRIGERATION CYCLE)
(“LOW TEMPERATURE”)

Slide 26
 Compressor

• This component is the heart of the system..

• Pumps refrigerant and oil throughout
system
• Separates the high pressure side of the
system from the low pressure side
• If compressor fails, no cooling is possible

Slide 27
 Condenser

• Condenser coil is what gets rid of the heat in the

system
• Can be water or air cooled, however most are air
cooled in retail application
• Located outdoors (air cooled)
• Fins on coil are subject to corrosion in salt water
environment. Special coatings can be applied.
• Fins are subject to damage from hail
• Traps dirt and requires periodic cleanings

Slide 28
 Evaporator Coil

• Provides cold air to the space

• Located after the system air filters
• Return air is blown over the coil and chilled
• Removes moisture from air (condensate)
• Traps dirt that gets past air filters, reducing
cooling capacity (95% is bacterial)
• Requires periodic chemical cleaning

Slide 29
 Evaporator Fan Motor

• Located behind condenser coil

• Draws ambient air across condenser coil
• System may have up to 4 or more motors based on
system capacity
• Motors are direct drive with fan blades attached
• Requires little if any maintenance (sealed
bearings)

Slide 30
TXV Thermal Expansion Valve

• Located at the evaporator coil

• Provides the correct amount of refrigerant to the
evaporator coil for proper cooling
• Separates the high pressure side of the system
from the low pressure side
• Failure could cause compressor failure and loss of
system cooling capacity
• Frequently overlooked in diagnosing system
problems
• Requires manual setting of superheat for proper
operation.
Slide 31
 Evaporator Blower Assembly

• Consists of:
• Blower motor
• Pulleys and fan belts
• Bearings
• Fan shaft
• Fan wheels
• Housings
• Can be located indoors or outdoors

Slide 32
 Control Types

• CONVENTIONAL THERMOSTAT
• DIGITAL PROGRAMMABLE
THERMOSTAT
• PNEUMATIC
• LCD SYSTEM
• MALL INTERFACE

Slide 33
 Low Ambient Controls

• Low ambient controls

• May be added to air cooled systems that must
operate when outdoor temperatures are below 55
degrees
• Cycles condenser fan/s to maintain correct system
pressures
• Used when economizer is not present
• Much less costly to install
• Much more costly to operate

Slide 34
 Conventional Thermostat

• Completely manual operation

• Will maintain a single heat or cool setting
• System must be switched from heat to cool
• No energy savings
• Will allow system to operate all night while store
is closed wasting energy
• Easy to tamper with
• Least expensive to install

Slide 35
 Programmable Thermostat
• Provides auto
changeover from heat
to cool
• Provides up to 4
heat/cool settings per
24 hour period
• Can provide different
weekend settings
• Keyboard can be
locked out
• Set it and forget it
Slide 36
 Pneumatic Thermostat

• Uses air provided by mall to operate

thermostat
• Very commonly used with VAV systems
• Least commonly found in malls
• Parts are fairly expensive

Slide 37
 LCD Thermostat

• Used in newer stores

• Programmable type
• Can be dialed into by monitoring company
for data

Slide 38
 Rules Of Thumb

1HP = 1KW = 1KVA 1KW = 3413 BTU

1 Ton Cooling = 12,000 BTU 1 Ton = 400 CFM

Retail = 380 SQ FT/ Ton cooling

Delta T = 18°F across coil cooling Delta T = 25°F for heating

CFM = Building Volume in Cubic Feet

Minute/Air Change

Delta T = Difference between entering and leaving DB = ΔT

Slide 40