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AIRCONDITIONING

Introduction
The primary function of an air-conditioning system is to maintain conducive conditions for human comfort. Comfort air-conditioning, is defined as the process by which simultaneously the temperature, moisture content, movement and quality of air in enclosed spaces, intended for human occupancy may be maintained within required limits. In order to satisfy the stipulated requirements, a complete air-conditioning system is to perform the following functions: Cooling and dehumidification for summer conditioning. Heating and humidification for winter conditioning. Air filteration and proper ventilation the year round. Necessarily, these functions involve control of temperature, humidity, purity and movement of air.

Comfort Conditions
There is nothing like a best temperature for human comfort since it depends on several factors. These factors are: Season of the year Temperature differential between outside and inside Psychological condition of the human being Physiological condition of the human being Dressing style However, the universally accepted temperature range for comfort is 72 F to 78 F during summer and 62 F to 68 F during winder. The humidity for human comfort should be between 40 and 60 per cent.

Unit of Air-conditioning Capacity


The capacity of air-conditioning plants is always expressed as so many Tons of Refrigeration (TR). One ton of refrigeration is defined as the amount of cooling yielded by melting one ton of ice (assumed as 2,000 lbs) at 32 F to water at 32 F over a 24-

Induction Course (General) hour period. When one pound of ice at 32 F melts, it absorbs 144 BTU (British Thermal Units). So, when one ton of ice at 32 F melts, it absorbs 2,000 X 144 = 288,000 BTU. Therefore, one ton of refrigeration (TR) is equal to 288,000 BTU over a 24-hour period or 12,000 BTU over an hour 200 BTU over a minute. The metric equivalent is 3,000 kCal/hour.

Refrigerant Cycle
The refrigerant cycle line diagram has been shown in fig. 1. Mechanical refrigeration is achieved by alternately compressing and expanding the refrigerant with the help of a compressor and pressure reducing device (such as expansion valve). Compressor serves two purposes; first it draws the refrigerant from the evaporator (cooling coil) and forces it into the condenser and secondly it increases the pressure of the refrigerant. By sucking the refrigerant, the compressor reduces the pressure in the cooling coil and maintains it at a level low enough to permit the refrigerant to boil or vaporize and consequently absorb heat in the process. (The refrigerant boils at a relatively low temperature when pressure is reduced).

Fig. 1 Refrigerant Cycle Line Diagram

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System Types
Basically, all air conditioning systems can be divided into two broad categories: i) DX type System : In DX system, the air is cooled by the refrigerant flowing inside the evaporator coil. ii) Chilled Water System : In chilled water systems, air is cooled by means of chilled water flowing inside the coil. DX type can be further classified as follows: (a) Self Contained Window type (or room air conditioners), commonly available in 1, 1.5 and 2 TR capacities. These are invariably air-cooled. Package type, commonly available either as air-cooled or water cooled models. (b) Split type Either air cooled or water cooled. Available capacities are 2.0, 3.5, 7.5 and 10 TR. (c) Central or Built up Type. Either air cooled or water cooled, commonly available above 10 TR upto 200 TR.

System Components
Compressor The equipment used for compression of the refrigerant forms the heart of the refrigeration unit, and the positive displacement refrigerating compressor is the compression system most commonly used today. All reciprocating compressors consist of one or more cylinders, suitable valves for suction and discharge of the refrigerant gas and reciprocating pistons for compression. The design of the cylinders are of multi-cylinder type with automatic capacity control mechanism. Compressors are usually equipped with forced lubrication system involving a separate oil pump to maintain circulation.

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Condenser It is a heat exchanger and it is in the condenser that the refrigerant must give up the heat absorbed in the evaporator plus the heat added by compressor. Good design further provides for some sub cooling of the liquid refrigerant before it leaves the condenser. The pressure of the refrigerant in the condenser is slightly less than at the compressor discharge, where it is higher than at any other part in the system. Hence, the condenser and other equipment in the system between the compressor discharge and expansion valve are often referred to as high pressure side equipment. There are three types of refrigeration condensers: air cooled condenser, water cooled condenser and a combination of air and water cooled condenser (evaporative condenser)

Air Cooled Condenser: Unit upto 10 TR are predominately air cooled. Main advantages are simplicity and low installation cost. Even some units having 30 TR capacity are air cooled. Water Cooled Condensers: Water cooled condensers are used with compressors of 10 HP or larger. This usually constitutes the most economical and efficient choice of condenser where an adequate supply of clean water having minimum chemical components causing scale formation and corrosion is available. Evaporative Condenser: This type of condenser was designed to combine the functions of a condenser and a cooling tower and is used where high cost of water is a serious objection and use of cooling tower is not practical.

Cooling Tower and Spray Ponds


Cooling towers may be classified as atmospheric draught or natural and as mechanical draught. Natural draught cooling towers are either installed away from buildings or at the top of the buildings to enable free flow of atmospheric air through the louvres fitted inside. Natural draught cooling towers are installed in places where reasonable flow of air movement will be there throughout the year for better efficiency. Natural draught cooling tower requires more space for installation compared to mechanical one. Mechanical draught cooling towers can be classified as follows: a. b. Forced draught Induced draught

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In mechanical tower, water from the condenser output is pumped to cooling tower and is allowed to reach the sump through headers, spreaders and louvers through gravity. Air from atmosphere is forcibly flown inside the tower with the help of a fan and escapes back to atmosphere through the top of the tower after absorbing the heat from the water which flows down through louvres. Forced draught cooling towers are normally used for lower tonnage capacity plants. In induced draught, atmospheric air is sucked by the fan fitted on the top through the air inlet opening provided in the tower. Air passing through the louvres takes away the heat from the water which flows down through louvres. When air is used to cool water, the role of heat transfer depends upon the difference between air wet bulb temperature and the water temperature. the area of the water surface exposed to the air. the relative velocity of the air and the water. In order to provide a greater area of exposed water surface, ponds are developed. For this, nozzles are located so as to spray the discharge water into the air. They should break up the water into droplets but not into a mist which would easily drift off.

Evaporator (Cooling coil)


This is a component that is common to both the air cycle and refrigerant cycle. It is the cooling coil where heat from circulating air is absorbed by the refrigerant. The cooling coil serves as a heat transfer device. Heat is transferred from the air to the coil surface and then to the refrigerant in the coil.

Expansion Valve
The expansion valve reduces the pressure of the refrigerant liquid and in doing so, cools the liquid. The refrigerant enters the valve under pressure. As it passes through the small valve port, it enters the low pressure area of the cooling coil. The valve port acts as metering device between a high pressure area (condenser) and low pressure area (evaporator).

Air cycle
Indoor air may be too cold, too hot, too dry, too wet, too drafty or too still. These conditions are changed by rotating the air and these treatments are provided in the airconditioning air cycle. Air distribution system directs the treated air from the air conditioning equipment to the space to be conditioned and then back to the equipment.

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The main components in the air cycle are (i) (iii) (v) (vii) Fan Supply Outlets Return duct Cooling coil (or heating coil). (ii) (iv) (vi) Supply duct Return outlets Filter

The total resistance of these components to the flow of the air plus the friction resistance caused by the air passing through the duct run are major factors in determining the size of the fan and fan motor and the amount of air pressure that is required. For a Broadcast Studio set up this resistance is of the order of 25 mm to 50 mm of water gauge. Centrifugal fan is most commonly used in commercial and residential installations. It consists of a scroll, a shaft and a wheel. The scroll is actually a housing for the shaft and wheel and the shaft serves as an axle for the wheel. The wheel is cylindrical in shape and has many blades. Centrifugal fans are available with forward or backward curved blades. A forward curved fan can deliver a required quantity of air at low fan speed. The air velocity and speed of the fan wheel (tip speed) not only play a large part in determining the efficiency of the fan but also affect the level of noise generated by the fan. High tip speed and high velocity usually result in more noise. Remote location of the fan reduces the noise but the system become more expensive. Ducts may be circular, rectangular or square in shape. From the appearance and practical point of view, rectangular ducts are generally adopted. Ducts are fabricated from a wide variety of materials. Ducts made of sheet metal are very common. The ducts are lined with glass wool or mineral wool slabs of 25 mm thickness wrapped in copper naphthanate treated cloth. Outlets are another major part of the air distribution system. They are important from the point of view of appearance, functions and performance. The primary function of the outlets is to provide properly controlled distribution of air to the room and removing the air from the room. Ceiling diffusers, grilles and registers are used as supply outlet and grilles are used as return outlets.

Cooling load capacity selection


The air-conditioning plant should be of adequate capacity to maintain comfort condition during periods of maximum outside temperature. The plant should take care of all the heat load coming from different sources.

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Outdoor Heat Source Solar heat enters the structure either directly through glass which is immediately absorbed in the room or the conducted heat through walls and roof which is not immediately absorbed in the room. The effect of the conducted heat may not be felt for several hours depending upon the thermal properties of construction material used. Infiltration of air entering the conditioned space through cracks, crevices, opening, closing of doors for dilution of unwanted odour also make a significant contribution towards the load.

Indoor Heat Source


Human occupancy, lights and electrical equipments are indoor heat sources. Occupant's load depends upon the number of people working inside and their activities. The heat given off by incandescent lights is directly related to its wattage.

Heat Load Reduction


Several methods of reducing the heat load are available. Proper orientation of the building reduces considerable load; use of double pan glass, insulating walls and roofs, and false ceiling help to a large extent in heat reduction. It may be noted that heat load contributed by various sources do not have the peak value at the same time. For example, transmission heat load due to outside-inside temperature difference attains peak value at about 1 p.m., whereas heat due to solar heat through walls and roof is mostly felt at about 7 p.m. Human occupancy may be maximum at 11 a.m. All these aspects have to be seen for proper load estimate.

Operation
Before starting the plant, ensure that proper functioning of safety controls including interlock circuit have been checked and correctly set, and that all motors are meggertested, direction of rotation verified, all bearings lubricated and refrigeration system fully charged. The crank case heater must be energised well in advance. Proceed step by step for operating the system as follows: Start the air handling unit, ensuring that dampers in the supply duct are fully open. Open all water valves and start the water pump. condenser inlet and outlet. Observe pressures at

Open hot-gas valve on the condenser and the discharge service valve on the compressor. Open discharge gauge valve to read the pressure.

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Follow the same procedure and read the suction pressure. Open liquid line valve. Observe standing pressure on the gauges. This should be approximately 7.03 kg/cm2(100 psi) for R-12 and 10.5 kg/cm2 (150 psi) for R22 to indicate that the system is tight with no leakage. Open suction service valve and start the compressor. Observe the refrigerant and oil pressures. Check the current drawn by the compressor motor, observe the oil level in the compressor sight glass. Oil should be clear without foam after operation has stabilised.

Compressor Pump-Down
It is essential to collect the refrigerant in the condenser with isolation to prevent its loss before opening the compressor or any other part of the system. This is called pumpdown and the operation involves the following procedure: Short the low pressure switch with a temporary jumper wire so that the compressor does not stop before the refrigerant from it is emptied. Slowly close the suction valve with the compressor running. When the suction pressure drops to about 0.15 kg/cm2 (2 psi), stop the compressor. Never pump the compressor below 0.15 kg/cm2 to prevent infiltration of moisture and dirt into the crank case. After a few minutes, the dissolved refrigerant will leave the crank case raising the suction pressure. This additional refrigerant can be pumped to the condenser by operating the compressor again for a short while. Repeat the above procedure till the suction pressure does not rise above 0.15 kg/cm2 after closing the service valves.

Removing Refrigerant from the System


It may be necessary to remove the refrigerant from the system into a cylinder if there is an excess charge or there is a leak in the condenser. Take the following steps for this operation: (a) (b) (c) (d) Connect a suitable line between the angle valve provided for charging and an empty refrigerant cylinder. Purge the air from the connection line. Keep the cylinder cold by immersing it in ice cold water to ensure a faster refrigerant flow from the system. Start the compressor and open the liquid line charging valve, allowing the liquid into the empty cylinder. If excess refrigerant is to be removed, hold the charging valve open only until the discharge pressure reaches the normal reading. After this operation, remove the charging line and close the charging valve.

Do not overcharge the cylinder as excessive pressure is dangerous. STI(T) Publication


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Purging Non Condensible Gases


Presence of non-condensibles gases such as air causes high discharge pressure, resulting in reduction of capacity and high power consumption. In case such symptoms are present, the following check should be done: Shut down the system overnight, long enough for the temperature of all components to level off. Read the standing pressure and compare it with the refrigerant saturation pressure corresponding to the temperature of the system. If the standing pressure exceeds the saturation pressure by 0.75 kg/cm2 (10 psi) or more, the non condensibles are excessive and must be removed. For example, if R-22 is used and the system temperature is 85o F (29.4o C) and standing pressure is 12.8 kg/cm2 (175 psi), then there is excess of non condensibles. Saturation pressure for R-22 corresponding to a temperature 85o F is 11 kg/cm2. The difference is 1.05 kg/cm2 more than 0.75 kg/cm2, indicating corrective purging. For purging, take the following steps: Pump down the system as described earlier. Immediately after stopping the compressor, close the compressor discharge valve. Run the water through the condensor for condensation of refrigerant vapour. Crack open the purge valve on the top of the condensor for an instant, shut it again. Allow the system to stabilize for a few minutes before reopening and closing the purge valve. Repeated purging and closing operation should clear the system of non condensible. Restore normal system operation, check the improvement in discharge pressure. Check refrigerant charge and compressor oil pressure.

Refrigerant Charging
A correct operating charge of refrigerant in the system is essential. Loss due to leakage in the system has to be made up. It may be necessary to replace the entire charge. An over charge results in unduly high temperatures, pressures and operating costs and may damage the system components. An undercharged system leads to insufficient cooling, high operating cost, and, in hermetic system, the compressor motor may fail. Refrigerant may be added to the system either as a vapour or liquid depending upon the location of charging point and quantity required. Generally, for adding make-up refrigerant, vapour charging method is more convenient. For total system charge, liquid charging at the high side followed by vapour charging at compressor low side will be quicker.

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Induction Course (General) Under no circumstances should liquid refrigerant be allowed to enter the compressor to avoid damage to the compressor. The procedure for vapour charge method is described below: Open the suction and discharge shut-off valves of the compressor. Install a gauge in the discharge gauge port and open the gauge line if a gauge port has not been provided. Connect a refrigerant cylinder and the connection with a compound gauge, to the charging valve provided on compressor suction line. Purge the air from the lines and tighten the connections. Admit the refrigerant by slowly opening the refrigerant cylinder. The cylinder should be kept in upright position to prevent the refrigerant from entering the compressor in liquid state. Start the compressor. As the cylinder gets emptied, its pressure will drop to the same level as the suction pressure. The remaining refrigerant can be drawn from the cylinder by closing the suction shut off valve and pulling a vacuum on the cylinder with the compressor running. Check the quantity of refrigerant charge by noting the difference in the weight of the cylinder and observing the pressure.

Water Treatment
Algae/slime scale and corrosion on the water side of the heat transfer equipment retards heat transfer causing general loss of efficiency and breakdowns. Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Sulphur Dioxide absorbed from the air and dissolved in water cause corrosion, reducing the capacity of lines, increasing frictional losses and pumping cost. Hard water causes scaling problem. When heated, the minerals are left behind, which form a deposit on the heat exchanger surface. The heat transfer rating of the scale is very much lower than metal. Retarded heat transfer results in increased discharge pressure causing loss in capacity and increased power consumption. Scaling of the condensor tubes in a re-circulated water system is unavoidable. Descaling has to be carried out as a preventive maintenance once every 12 months or earlier depending on the hardness of the water. De-scaling can be carried out quite conveniently by circulating mild inhibited acid solution with the help of a small pump connected across the condensor inlet and the water valves are closed to confine the circulation to the condenser only. Chemical compounds are available which suspend minerals of dissolved scale. Algae attach themselves to the surfaces, and since they are living plants, they grow until they clog the passages of the system. Bacteria forms slime and close the system in much the same way as algae. Algae/Slime is controlled by use of toxic. A specialist should be consulted to determine the algae/slime. The trouble should be diagnosed as accurately as possible before any repair is attempted. Definite symptoms will accompany a faulty operation in the system. The following trouble shooting chart will help in fault location and prompt correction:

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Nature of Trouble

Possible Causes Main switch open. Fuses blown.

Corrective Steps Close switch. Check electrical circuit and motor winding for short or ground. Investigate for possible overloading. Replace fuse after fault is corrected. Repair or replace. Determine type and cause of shut down and correct it before resetting safety switch. Check evaporator temperature. Lower the thermostat setting, if possible without freeze-up. Repair or replace. Check motor for open, short circuit, or burn out. Check all wire junctions. terminals screws. Check isolator. Relocate, add, or remove hangers. Overhaul compressor defective parts. and replace Tighten all

Compressor fails to start.

Defective contactor. System shuts down through safety devices. Thermostat set too high. Liquid line solenoid valve may not be opened. Motor (Electrical) trouble. Loose wiring. Improper isolation.

Compressor noisy or vibrating.

Improper piping support. Improper clearances. Flooding of refrigerant into crank case. Belts/coupling loose or misaligned. Discharge shut-off valve partially closed. Condenser water flow insufficient or temperature too high. System overcharged with refrigerant. Fouled condenser tubes. Non-condensibles in system.

Check rating and setting of expansion valve. Tighten/Realign.

Open valve. Check water shut-off valve. Investigate ways to increase water supply. Remove excess refrigerant. Clean. Purge the non condensibles.

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Induction Course (General) Adjust water shut-off valve to reduce water quantity. Open valve. Check for leaks, repair and add charge. See corrective steps for low suction pressure. See corrective steps compressor to load. for failure of

Low water temperature. Low discharge pressure. Suction shut-off valve partially closed. Insufficient refrigerant in the system. Low suction pressure. Compressor operating unloaded. Condenser too large Worn out piston rings. Worn out valve(s). High Suction pressure. Excessive load. Expansion valve over-feeding. Compressor operating unloaded. Chilled water pump not operating. Lack of refrigerant gas. Evaporator dirty or iced up. Clogged liquid line filter drier Clogged suction line or compressor suction gas strainers. Expansion valve malfunctioning. Condensing temperature too low Compressor will not unload. Evaporator fan not operating.

Check condenser rating table against the operation. Overhaul the compressor. Reduce load or add equipment. Check remote bulb. Regulate superheat. Check valve operation. Repair or replace, if necessary. See corrective steps compressors to load. Check and start pump. Check for leaks. Repair and add charge. Clean or defrost. Replace cartridge(s). Clean strainers. Check and reset for proper superheat. Repair or replace, if necessary. Check means for regulating condensing temperature. See corrective steps for failure of compressor unload. Check and start fan. check the circuit. If interlocked, for failure of

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Compressor does not unload. Compressor does not load

Solenoid valve in the oil line Repair or replace the valve after ruling stuck closed, not relieving oil out physical block due to foreign matter. pressure on the unloader mechanism. Repair or replace after ruling out other Faulty unloader mechanism. possibilities. Reduction in the compressor No action. capacity not called for. Defective automatic control. Check setting and verify operation. Rule out a clogged oil strainer and foam in the oil, failing which check the oil, Inadequate oil pressure. relief valve, and, as a last resort, verify the oil pump and moving parts clearance after disassembly. Solenoid valve in the oil line not Check whether solenoid coil is getting opening or letting oil flow. energised properly and plunger lifting. Faulty unloader mechanism. Defective automatic control. Repair or replace possibilities. ruling out other

Check setting and verify operation.

PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT
In order to assess the performance of an air-conditioning plant regularly, we should measure the refrigerating capacity (tonnage) delivered by the plant at regular intervals. As per AIR Manual, the tonnage is to be measured every 7 days. Theoretically, the tonnage can be measured by performing measurement on any of the following: The cooled medium (Air) The refrigerant (Gas) The intermediary medium (Water) Electrical parameters However, practically, it is more convenient and accurate to adopt the first option out of all the above. This method is called air-flow method and will be explained herein. Before explaining the procedure for the measurement of tonnage, it will be appropriate to understand the following terms: Dry Bulb Temperature: It is the temperature of air as measured by an ordinary mercury thermometer. It is expressed in degrees Fahrenheit.

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Wet Bulb Temperature: It is the temperature of air as measured by an ordinary mercury thermometer whose bulb is covered by a wet cloth so that water from the cloth can easily evaporate all around. It is expressed in degrees Fahrenheit.

In practice, both dry and wet bulb temperatures are measured by one composite instrument called Whirling hygrometer or Sling psychrometer, which is nothing but a combination of dry bulb thermometer and wet bulb thermometer mounted on a common rotatable spindle. Relative Humidity: This is the amount of moisture in the air expressed as a percentage of the maximum amount of moisture that the air can hold. A related term is Grains of moisture, which indicates the absolute content of moisture in the air. (One pound = 7,000 grains) Specific Volume: This is the volume occupied by one unit of mass of air and is the reciprocal of density. It is expressed in terms of cubic feet per pound. Enthalpy: This refers to the total heat content in the air and the moisture in the air. In air-conditioning calculations, we are only concerned with the difference in the heat content between two different conditions of air, but not the absolute heat content. It is expressed in terms of BTU per pound. All the above parameters are inter-related to each other. For example, if the dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures are fairly close to each other, it means that the air is highly saturated (leaving little scope for evaporation of the water around the wet bulb) and hence the relative humidity is high. Further, as the dry bulb temperature is increased, the volume of the air increases (for the same mass) and, hence, the specific volume goes up. Also, if the dry bulb temperature goes up, it leads to a higher enthalpy value. Fortunately, we have a wonderful graphical aid to compute any of these parameters if just any two parameters are known. This is called Psychrometric Chart. This chart summarizes the properties of air. A psychrometric chart is reproduced below. To start with, the various components of the psychrometric chart should be understood. All vertical lines in the chart represent constant dry bulb temperature. The readings of dry bulb temperature are indicated in the horizontal axis (increasing from left to right). The lines having gentle slope represent constant wet bulb temperature. They also represent constant enthalpy. The values of wet bulb temperature are indicated along the outermost curve, while the values of enthalpy are indicated in a scale by projecting the lines beyond the outermost curve in different blocks.

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Fig 2. PSYCHROMETRIC CHART

The horizontal lines indicate constant grains of moisture. The actual values are shown on the Y-axis both in grains of moisture per pound of dry air and pounds of moisture per pound of dry air increasing upwards. The parabolic curves represent constant relative humidity lines. The values are marked on the curves themselves and are in steps of 10%. The steeper lines indicate constant specific volume lines. Values are indicated by projecting the lines below the X-axis. All these are explained in figure below and can also be noticed from the main psychrometric chart.
85

20

20

105

CONSTANT DRY-BULB TEMPERATURE LINES

CONSTANT WET-BULB TEMPERATURE LINES

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100% RH

80% RH

20% RH

CONSTANT HEAT CONTENT (ENTHALPY) LINES

CONSTANT RELATIVE HUMIDITY LINES

180

12.5

13.0

13.5

14.0

CONSTANT SPECIFIC VOLUME LINES

CONSTANT GRAINS OF MOISTURE LINES

Fig. 3 PARTS OF PSYCHROMETRIC CHART

Thus, if any two independent parameters are known, we can mark a point on the chart representing the state of the air corresponding to those parameters. (Of course, frequently, we may need to interpolate between the lines and make judicious selection of the points). Once a point is plotted, we can judge the values of all other parameters from the chart. Now, using the chart, try to find out all the properties of air, given the following parameters: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. D.B. Temp 90 F and W.B. Temp 70 F. D.B. Temp 90 F and R.H. 50%. W.B. Temp 70 F and R.H. 100%. D.B. Temp 90 F and 100 grains of water vapour per lb. D.B. Temp 90 F and Total Heat 34 BTU/lb. D.B. Temp 90 F and W.B. Temp 100 F.

What was the result for the last plot, and why? Now that we are in a position to find out the heat content (or enthalpy) using the psychrometric chart, we can proceed with the actual tonnage calculation.

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Please recall that the actual cooling of the air takes place in the evaporator of the plant, through which the return air is passed by the blower of the Air Handling Unit. Hence, if we measure the dry and wet bulb temperatures on either sides of the evaporator coil, we shall be in a position to find out the heat lost to the refrigerant from the air. The only additional quantity required to calculate the tonnage is the quantity of air passing through the evaporator. This can be obtained by measuring the velocity of air with the help of a vane anemometer and then multiplying it with the cross sectional area. For example, let us say that the measured velocity is 50 feet per minute in the return duct and the dimensions of the return duct are 5 feet by 2 feet, then the volume of the air is 50 X 5 X 2 = 500 cubic feet per minute. Since the total heat content, enthalpy, is expressed in terms of BTU/lb, we have to know the mass of the air. However, since specific volume can be found out from the psychrometric chart (cft per lb), we can know the mass of air from the volume flow rate obtained earlier by dividing it by the specific volume. For example, if the specific volume in the above example is noted as 14.0 cft/lb, then the quantity of air is 500/14 or 35.7 lb per minute. Now, if the enthalpy difference noted across the evaporator is, say, 15 BTU/lb, then the heat lost is 15 X 35.7 = 535.5 BTU per minute. Again, recall that one ton of refrigeration is equivalent to 200 BTU per minute. Hence, the above results lead to a tonnage of 2.6775 TR. In summary, the formula for tonnage calculation can be stated as follows: Let H1 be the enthalpy at the inlet of the evaporator and H2 be the enthalpy at the outlet in BTU/lb. Let A be the cross sectional area at the evaporator input in sqft. Let V be the velocity of air measured at the inlet in ft/minute and let S be the specific volume as noted from the psychrometric for the inlet air in cft/lb.

Then , tonnage

A x V (H1 H 2 ) x S 200

If the values were in MKS system (enthalpy in kilocalories per kg, A in sqm, V in meters per minute and S in cubic meters per kg), then the formula is:

A x V (H1 H 2 ) x S 50 Now, can you calculate the tonnage for the following observations? Tonnage
Incoming air dry bulb temp is 95 F and wet bulb temp is 85 F. Outlet air dry bulb temp is 77 F and wet bulb temp is 67 F. Velocity of incoming air is 60 feet per minute and the cross sectional dimensions are 4 and 3 .

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While measuring tonnage, the following precautions should be taken: Each plant is to be tested separately. If, however, the load is such that normally more than one plant is to be run, then another set of test should be performed with the required number of plants. As far as possible, the test should be performed during a time when the wet bulb temperature of the outside air is between 65 F and 69 F, optimum being 67 F. Start the plants and pumps at least one hour before the measurements. Filters must be cleaned before the measurements. Efforts should be made to adjust the load on the plant under test to make it approximately equal to the rated capacity by noting the suction and discharge pressure readings. If the load is too low, the percentage of fresh air intake may be increased even to 100%, if necessary. If it is too high, fresh air intake may be cut below normal or the supply and exhaust of a few rooms may be blocked temporarily. Readings should be taken only after steady state is reached. Filters must be cleaned before the measurements. Care should be taken while measuring the air velocity. A number of readings should be taken to find the most representative value.

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