Air Conditioning Design - Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculation 1

Air Conditioning Design

Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculations

Air Conditioning Design

Keith E. Elder, P.E.

Coils
• Coils are the main devices for transferring energy
to/from the airstream in an air-handling system.
• Heat Transfer Media
– Hydronic Fluid (Water)
– Steam
– Direct Expansion
• Important Coil Load Concepts
– Apparatus Dew Point
– Bypass Factor

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Air Conditioning Design - Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculation 2

The Psychrometric Chart

Dry Bulb Temperature

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Air Conditioning Design - Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculation 3

Terminology
• Sensible Cooling
• Latent Cooling
• Space Sensible Cooling
• Space Sensible Heat Ratio (Factor)
• Grand Sensible Heat Ratio (Capacity)
• Apparatus Dew Point
• Bypass Factor

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Air Conditioning Design - Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculation 4

Sensible Heat Ratio (SHR)

The ratio of space sensible cooling to total

cooling is useful for plotting the slope of the
path that supply air travels after introduction
into the space.

SHR

Apparatus Dew Point

Apparatus dew point (ADP) is the coil surface

dew point temperature required to accomplish
a cooling/dehumidifying process.

Coil
Coil Entering
Appratus Leaving Air
Dew Point Air

Dry Bulb Temperature

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Air Conditioning Design - Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculation 5

Apparatus Dew Point

An ADP is essential to any cooling or

dehumidifying process. The chart below
shows an impossible process because there is
no ADP
Coil
Entering
Coil Air
Leaving
Air

Dry Bulb Temperature

Apparatus Dew Point

Relationship of ADP to Supply Air and
Chilled Water temperatures

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Air Conditioning Design - Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculation 6

Bypass Factor
Some of the air flowing through the coil impinges
on the water tubes or the fins and is cooled to the
ADP. Other air passes through unchanged.

Coil
Entering
Air

Fin

The percentage of air that passes through the coil

unchanged is called the bypass factor.

8-Row Coil
80 fpf /2 fps/44 EWT / WTR = 10
Coil Bypass

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Air Conditioning Design - Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculation 7

Coil Selection

• Start With Space Conditions

• Find the intersection of the SHR
with desired room temperature and
supply air temperature
Room
Supply
Air

Room Air
SHR Temperature

Dry Bulb Temperature

Supply
Air
Temperature

Coil Selection
Determine Outside Air Requirements Using
ASHRAE Standard 62

Offices 20 CFM per person

Schools 15 CFM per person
Bars 30 CFM per person
Smoking Lounges 60 CFM per person
Corridors 0.05 CFM/ft2

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Air Conditioning Design - Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculation 8

Plot Entering/Leaving Conditions

Outside Air
Coil
Coil Entering

Appratus Leaving Air

Dew Point Air Mixed Air

Room Air

Dry Bulb Temperature

Define Process in Complete Cycle

Outside Air
Coil

Coil Entering

Appratus Leaving Air

Dew Point Air Mixed Air

Room Air
SHR

Dry Bulb Temperature

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Air Conditioning Design - Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculation 9

Determine Required Coil Capacity

Entering
Air Enthalpy

h

Leaving
Air Enthalpy

Dry Bulb Temperature

Coil Capacity Requirement

Qcoil = 4.5 x CFM x h

Coil Load Calculation Example

Determine the minimum cooling coil load and required
chilled water flow for a system serving an office space with a
sensible cooling load of 30,800 Btu/h and a latent load of
8,500 Btu/h?
Indoor design conditions are 75oF/50% RH, and Outdoor
design conditions are 85oF DB/70oF WB.
The minimum ventilation air is 33% of the total supply air
which is delivered at 55oF. The fan selected is a 70% efficient
"draw-through" arrangement, and delivers air at 4.0 inches
total pressure.
No manufacturer’s coil data is available. Assume 10°F
chilled water temperature rise through the coil.

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Air Conditioning Design - Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculation10

Coil Load Example

CFM = 30,800 = 1400
1.10 (75 - 55)
30,800 = 0.80
SHR = 30,800 + 8,500

tfan = 0.363 x 4 = 1.95°F

0.7

Coil Load Example

• Plot Space Conditions of 75°F/50% RH

• Find the intersection of the SHR line with
space temperature and supply air
temperature
55°F

Room Air
SHR=0.70 75°F / 50% RH

Dry Bulb Temperature

Supply
Air
Temperature

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Air Conditioning Design - Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculation11

Coil Load Example

• Plot Outdoor Conditions of 85°F/ 70°F WB
• Locate Mixed Air Condition (33% OA)
• Account for Fan t
Outside Air
85°F / 70°F WB

55°F
53°F
Mixed Air

Room Air Design

SHR=0.80 75°F / 50% RH

tfan

Dry Bulb Temperature

Supply
Air
Temperature

Coil Load Example

• Determine enthalpy for coil entering and
leaving conditions

hEA = 29.8 Btu/lb

Outside Air
hLA = 21.5 Btu/lb 85°F / 70°F WB

Mixed Air

Room Air Design

SHR=0.80 75°F / 50% RH

Dry Bulb Temperature

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Air Conditioning Design - Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculation12

Coil Load Example

• qcoil = 4.5 x CFM x h
= 4.5 x 1400 x (29.8 - 21.5)
= 52,290 Btu/hr
hEA = 29.8 Btu/lb

Outside Air
hLA = 21.5 Btu/lb 85°F / 70°F WB

Mixed Air

Room Air Design

SHR=0.80 75°F / 50% RH

Dry Bulb Temperature

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Air Conditioning Design - Psychrometrics & Coil Load Calculation13

Determine Chilled Water Flow

qtotal = mCpT
For water at  = 62.34 lbm/ft3 and Cp = 1.0
qtotal = 500 x GPM x T

GPM= qcoil = 52,290

(500 x T) (500 x F)

= 10.5 GPM

Homework – Not Required

• Read 05F6.14-6.21
• What is the coil load for the following?
– Indoor 76 oF/45% RH - Outdoor 82/66oF
– Load (Btu/h) 100,000 Sensible - 40,000 Latent
– Supply air 55oF through draw-through fan
– Fan Total Pressure = 3 in w.c.
– Fan Efficiency = 60%
– Outside air = 50% of total supply
• Show your work on the psychrometric chart

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