THERMAL COMFORT:Heating and Cooling Systems

NOVEMBER 16, 2010

GABRIEL RODRIGUEZROMINA VIGNOLOJACQUELINE ESTEBANFRANCINE ROZENTAL

CASE STUDY: THE CHAPMAN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Fig 1. Aerial view of the Chapman Graduate School of Business, Miami, FL

“Romans developed the first centralized heating systems in the first century”

(Harper & Row, New York, 1989)

HISTORY OF HEATING SYSTEMS

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COOLING SYSTEMS

3000 BCE: Earliest known home air-cooling systems were in Egypt (Binggeli, 2010).

2000 BCE: Wealthy Babylonian merchant developed a home air conditioning system (Binggeli, 2010).

By the end of the 19th century large restaurants and public spaces used a method of embedding air pipes in a mixture of ice and salt to then be circulated with fans.

Energy Use: Today, cooling accounts about 20% percent of the energy use in the United States and about 40% in the Southern states alone.

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COOLING SYSTEMS

What is Air Conditioning? It is the treatment of air so that its temperature, humidity,

cleanliness, quality, and motion are maintained as appropriate for a building’s occupants, a particular process, or some object in a space (Binggeli, 2010).

Typically a fan sucks warm indoor air across a series of coils that contain refrigerants, removes the heat and blows it back into the room.

Important terms to know: Cooling Load: rate at which heat needs to be removed from air Capacity: ability of equipment to remove heat Heat gain: total load on a cooling system

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COOLING SYSTEMS

Other Present Day Cooling Strategies Ventilation Cooling

Natural Ventilation Cross Ventilation Stack Ventilation

Shades structures Screens Awnings Balconies Landscapes

Fans Ceiling fans Window fans

Fig 2. Site Plan

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HVAC SYSTEMS

HVAC – Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning

An HVAC system incorporates the heating, cooling, humidity, air purity, distribution, and motion of air in interior building spaces (Binggeli, 2010).

Local HVAC System

The Chapman uses this system in computer and equipment rooms where temperature may rise to unsafe levels in the space.

• Responds quickly to the need of the room

• Used limited in energy conservation

• Noisier units• Many local filters to maintain

Centralized HVAC System

The Chapman uses this system per floor.

• Equipment located outside of occupied space

• Energy is wasted when cooling an entire floor when only one zone is needed

• Air intake can be placed high above street pollution for higher air quality

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HVAC EQUIPMENT & PROCESS

Fig. 5 Air Handler Water SupplyFig. 3 Air Handler Fig. 4 Air Handler Unit

FRESH AIR

AIR HANDLER

CHILLED WATER PLANT

AIR HANDLER WATER SUPPLY

HUMIDIFIER

DISTRIBUTION

RETURN

EXITS BUILDING (EXHAUST

AIR)

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Most solar-heating systems can handle 40% to 70% of a building heating load.

Sun travels from East to West; usually east and west surfaces are the ones that receive the most heat that is why they have to be protected by light color materials, in order to reflect solar radiation.

Flooring in outdoor areas, such as pathways and exterior corridors have light colored ceramics.

Fig. 6 Site Plan showing solar pattern and landscaping

SOLAR HEATING

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SOLAR HEATING

Fig. 7 Wachovia Classrooms

Fig. 8 Water Feature Along Pathway

Fig. 9 Light Colored Ceramic Tiles

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SOLAR HEATING

Photosynthesis: process by which the sun maintains life by producing food

and converting carbon dioxide into oxygen

Natural daylight: provides illumination outside and inside buildings

Photovoltaic: cells convert sunlight directly into electrical energy

Thermal energy: used for space heating, domestic hot water, power

generation, distillation processes and the heating of industrial processes

Solar energy is available in four useful forms:

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Photovoltaic Cells Natural Daylight

SOLAR HEATING

Fig. 11 Main Entrance Curtain WallFig. 10 Photovoltaic Cells on Roof

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PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

Direct gain: sunlight enters space to warm exposed thermally massive

surfaces

Indirect gain: the sun strikes thermal mass then it is gradually passed

as heat to the space behind

Isolated gain: the sun gently heats a sunspace or green house which

then passes some of its heat to the space behind

Passive solar heating types:

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ACTIVE SOLAR DESIGNS

Use pipes for circulation and distribution

Protected from freezing with antifreeze solutions

Aluminum pipes require use of corrosion-retarding additive

Liquid active solar systems:

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ACTIVE SOLAR DESIGNS

Use ductwork requiring additional installation space

Larger collector surfaces required because air transfers heat less efficiently than liquids

Easier to use because leaking, corrosion and freezing are not problems

Air active solar systems:

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WINDOW TREATMENTS

Movable shading devices are favored to fixed shades because they can be adjusted seasonally

In the Chapman Building, most of its windows are fixed. These do not allow for natural ventilation. Fixed windows also does not assist in the removal off-gassing from the interior spaces.

Shading for solar-heat control and cooling:

Fig. 12 Different Types of Modern Shades

Fig. 13 Regular Shades

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AIR QUALITY Career Services Building

The building had a scent of new furniture. This is typically liked by

user’s, but that smell of “new room” is not actually a good thing as this is produced from the off gassing of the materials. These new materials should have a period of ventilation before or after installation and especially before users are exposed to these products.

Fig. 14 Career Services Center Lobby

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HYPOTHESIS:

Administrative

1. Dissatisfaction with the temperature of the air conditioner not being consistent temperature

2. Exposure to off-gassings producing headaches, dizziness or fatigue to the staff members because of the poor air quality

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HYPOTHESIS:

Students

1. Comfortable temperature in the lobby of the Office Depot Student Center because they have great natural light provided by the curtain walls

2. Dissatisfaction in the Computer Lab because of the heat produced by the equipment

3. Dissatisfaction because of lack of shading by vegetation, covered pathways or canopies

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HYPOTHESIS:

Maintenance:

1. Maintenance staff members who work on The Chapman Building are satisfied with the cool temperature in the mechanical rooms located on the second floor because when maintenance is performed on the equipment for extended amount of time, the cool climate keeps them satisfied to work.

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INTERIOR DESIGNER’S ROLE

Be aware of how heating and cooling equipment works as well as how equipment will affect the design, energy efficiency and client’s comfort.

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REFERENCES & FIGURES LISTREFERENCES

Binggeli, Corky. (2010). Building systems for interior designers. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons

LIST OF FIGURESFigure 1Alvah H. Chapman Jr. Graduate School of Business Florida University. (2008). [Web]. Retrieved from Chi Athenaeum Website: http://www.chiathenaeum.org/archawards/2008/alvahhchapman.html

Figure 2Site Plan

Figure 3Site Observation Photograph: Air Handler Unit

Figure 4Site Observation Photograph: Air Handler

Figure 5Site Observation Photograph: Air Handler Water Supply

Figure 6Site Plan showing solar pattern and landscaping

Figure 7Wachovia Classrooms

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FIGURES LIST Cont.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 8Water Feature Along Pathway

Figure 9Light Colored Ceramic Tiles

Figure 10Photovoltaic Cells on RoofReilly, E. (2010, may 22). Solar Shingles: an Alternative to Solar Panels. Retrieved from http://solarpowerauthority.com/solar-shingles-an-alternative-to-solar-panels/

Figure 11Main Entrance Curtain Wall

Figure 12Different Types of Modern Shades

Figure 13Regular Shades

Figure14Career Services Center Lobby

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