Air Conditioning Processes and Cycles

Heating / Cooling Coil

Sensible heating/cooling processes

ma, hA, tA

ma, hB, tB

A B Sensible heating A B' Sensible cooling

B'

B hB

hB'

tB'

tA

tB

Cooling Coil

ma, wA, hA, tA

ma, wB, hB, tB

hA
Condensate, mw

A wA

Cooling and de-humidification

when the coiling coils surface temperature is below the dew point temperature of the entering air;
hB

wB B

tB

tA
3

sensible / total heat ratio = (hB - hB) / (hA - hB)

1.0 B
hB'

hA A wA

hB wB B B'

tB

tA
4

hA A

h -h h = A B w wA - wB

hB' hB

wA

wB B B'

tB

tA

Line ratio indicator on an ASHRAE psychrometric chart

Sensible Heat Total Heat

= Qs Qt

Enthalpy = h Moisture content w

Cooling Coil (surface temperature = tc

(apparatus dew point)

'On' state

'Off ' state

Bypass factor =

hA A wA

line BC hB hC wB wC tB tC = = line AC hA hC wA wC t A tC
hB

(1 - ) is called the contact factor.

wB wC

tC tB

tA
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B S
Air duct Cooling coil Fan Room

Heat gain arising from fan power causing air temperature increase from tB to ts
Fan energy = FTP V / = V C pa T (energy imparted to air) t = ts tB (C ) = FTP / C pa
tB ts

A wA

B s

wB

tA

Adiabatic mixing of two air streams

ma1 h1 w1 1 ma2 2 h2 w2 3 ma3 h3 w3
h3 h1 1 3 w3 w1

h2 2 w2

t1

t3

t2
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Adiabatic mixing of two air streams

ma1 h1 w1 1
h1 h3 h2 2 w2 3 w3 w1 1

ma2 2 h2 w2

ma3 h3 w3
t1

t3

t2

Mass balance: ma1 + ma2 = ma3 Energy balance: ma1 h1 + ma2 h2 = ma3 h3 Moisture balance: ma1 w1 + ma2 w2 = ma3 w3
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Adiabatic mixing of two air streams

h3 h1 1

h2 2 w2 3 w3 w1

From the three equations:

t1 t3 t2

& h3 h1 w3 w1 ma 2 V2 = = & & h2 h1 w2 w1 ma1 + ma 2 V1 + V2

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Adiabatic mixing of two air streams

h3

h2 2 w2 3 w3 w1 1

In the psychrometric chart:

h1

Segment (3 1) h3 h1 w3 w1 = = Segment ( 2 1) h2 h1 w2 w1

t1

t3

t2

& Segment (3 1) ma 2 V2 = & & Segment ( 2 1) ma1 + ma 2 V1 + V2

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Adiabatic humidification process

ma, t1, h1 , w1 ma, t2, h2 , w2

1
mw = m (w2 - w1)

2 follows a constant wet bulb line twb 2 1

h1

h2 = h1 + (w2 - w1) (hf) at twb h2 h1

Required for winter air conditioning when there is a cooling load and the weather is dry.

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Adiabatic humidification process

ma, t1, h1, w1

ma, t2, h2, w2

2 follows a constant wet bulb line twb 2 1

mw = ma (w2 w1)

h1

h2 = h1 + (w2 - w1) (hf) at twb h2 h1

Required for winter air conditioning when there is a cooling load and the weather is dry.

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Humidification by steam injection

m, h1, t1
2

m, h2, t2 Steam humidifier

1

Heat balance: ma h2 = ma h1 + ms hs Mass balance: ms = ma (w2 - w1)

t1

h2 = h1 + (w2 - w1) hs t = t2 - t1, which is small

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Tutorial problem:
Saturated water vapour at 100 oC is used to humidify a stream of moist air. The air enters the humidifier at 13 oC db and 5 oC wb at a flow rate of 3 kg/s. The pressure is 101.3 kPa. Determine (a) the mass flow rate of the steam required to saturate the air; and (b) the temperature of the saturated air.
(Ans. 0.0249 kg/s, 14.3 oC)

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Space air conditioning process

s
Vs ma hs ws ts Room Space

r
Qs QL mw

ma hr wr tr Vr =Vs

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Space conditioning process

s

ma , Vs ts , ws , hs Supply air Heat balance: tr , wr , hr

r : Space conditioning process

m wm

r s

ws

Room air state

ma hs + Qt = ma hr
i.e. Qt = space total cooling load = ma (hr - hs) = Vs (hr - hs)

tc

ts

tr

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Space conditioning process

r : Space conditioning process

m wm

r s

Heat balance:

ws

hs = cpa ts + ws hfg hr = cpa tr + wr hfg

tc ts tr

Qt = ma (hr - hs) = ma cpa (tr - ts) + ma (wr - ws) hfg

Space sensible load, Qs Space latent load, QL

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Sensible-total heat ratio (SHR)

s

SHR = Qs / (Qs + Ql)

r : Space conditioning process

m wm

c s SHR

ws

1.0
tc ts tr

SHR

Parallel to the line s-r ; called the Room Ratio Line

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If the supply air state changes at part-load, whilst tr is maintained, the resultant room RH will shift away from the design condition.

Room ratio line

1.0 SHR s

s"

r" r r'

s' 0

ts

tr
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Calculate the required supply air flow rate

r : Space conditioning process

m wm

r s

ws

Based on the design space sensible load: Qs = Vs cpa (tr - ts)

tc ts

tr

Vs =

Qs C pa (t r - t s )

m 3/s

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Calculate the required humidity ratio of supply air

Based on the design space latent load: QL = Vs (wr - ws) hfg

r : Space conditioning process

c s

wr ws

tc

ts

tr

ws = w r -

QL Vs h fg

kg / kg dry air

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Summer Air Conditioning Processes i) Cooling & dehumidification, o s

Room O. A. O S Cooling coil

ho o hr wo

r
hs

ma ho

ma hs ts

r ws s

ts

to

Coils load, Qc = ma (ho - hs) = ma (ho - hr) ventilation load + ma (hr - hs) space cooling load
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Summer Air Conditioning Processes ii) Cooling & dehumidification + Reheat , o c s

Cooling coil Re-heat coil Conditioned room

o
Outdoor air

Fan

s
Supply air

r
tr

Chilled water

Hot water
Coil's load

ho Ventilation load o hr hc hs c s r ws wo

Reheat load Space cooling load tc ts tr

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Summer Air Conditioning Processes ii) Cooling & dehumidification + Reheat , o c s

ho
Cooling coil Re-heat coil

Ventilation load
Fan

o
Outdoor air

s
Supply air

Conditioned room

Coil's load hr hc hs c s r

o wo

r
tr

Chilled water

Hot water

ws

Reheat load

Coils load, Qc = ma (ho - hc) = ma (ho - hr) + ma (hr - hs) space load +
tc ts

Space cooling load tr

ma (hs - hc) re-heat load

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ventilation load

Summer Air Conditioning Cycles iii) Mixing + Cooling & dehumidification + Reheat (o + r) m c s
Cooling coil Outdoor air o Re-heat coil

Fan

Supply air

Conditioned room

r
tr

Exhaust air

Return Air

a) Mixing outdoor air with return air : (o + r) b) Cooling + dehumidification : c) Reheat at off design conditions: m c c s

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Summer Air Conditioning Cycles iii) Mixing + Cooling & dehumidification + Reheat (o + r) m c s ho
Cooling coil Outdoor air o Re-heat coil

Fan

Supply air

Conditioned room

hm hr hc hs c s r
Room ratio line

o m

r
tr

wo

Exhaust air

Return Air

wr ws

Coils load, Qc = ma (hm - hc) = mo (ho - hr) + ma (hr - hs) space load +
tc ts tr

ma (hs - hc) re-heat load

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ventilation load

Space cooling with latent load

Space heating with latent load

0

SHR 1.0 1.0 SHR

SHR =

Qs Qs + Q L

Room ratio line

m wm

SHR
c s SHR r ws

2 O m

r 3
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tc

ts

tr

Winter Air Conditioning Processes (space heating) i) Pre-heat + Humidification + Reheat o123
ma, to, ho
O 1 2

ma, t3, h3
3

Sensible-total heat ratio = Qs / Qt

Room ratio line

Preheat coil

Water spray chamber

Re-heater coil
O

r 2 1 3

Heating coils and spray Chamber

Required in winter situations when: outdoor air is cold and dry; net sensible heat loss in space; the space has moisture gain
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Winter Air Conditioning Processes (space heating) i) Pre-heat + Humidification + Reheat o123
ma, to, ho
O 1 2

ma, t3, h3
3

Sensible-total heat ratio = Qs / Qt

Room ratio line

Preheat coil

Water spray chamber

Re-heater coil
O

r 2 1 3

Heating coils and spray Chamber

o 1 : pre-heat outdoor air to twb 1 2 : adiabatic humidification at constant twb 2 3 : reheat air to t3 ( > tr ) to provide space heating
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Winter Air Conditioning Processes (space heating) ii) Mixing + Humidification + Reheat (o + r) m 2 3
Outdoor air O m Reheat coil

tr
Room, r Water spray chamber Return Air
r 2 O m 3

r
Exhaust air

Preheat can be eliminated or reduced by allowing recirculation air to mix with the cold outdoor air.

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Winter Air Conditioning Processes (space cooling) ii) Mixing + Humidification + Reheat (to give cool supply air) (o + r) m 2 3
Outdoor air O m Reheat coil

Room ratio line

tr
Room, r

r 2 3 m

Water spray chamber Return Air

r
Exhaust air

o
In moderately cold but dry days,

supply air has to be humidified because the O.A. is dry; space cooling may be required (hence t3 < tr i.e. cool supply air) because of large internal heat gain;
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