HVAC Load Explorer

p
V1.0
http://www.mae.okstate.edu/hvac/
p
Dr. Ahmed Farouk Elsafty
Mechanical and Marine Eng. Dept.
College of Engineering and Technology
Arab Academy for Science, Technology
and Maritime Transport
Email: aelsafty@aast.edu

Content Notes

Minimum Requirements
Weather data (explain selection and non-July)
Zoning (rooms)
Geometric description (inside dimensions or outside dimensions? Also simplification.)
M t i l properties
Material
ti (i
(include
l d radiative
di ti properties)
ti )
Describing walls and roofs.
Describing stud walls.
How to describe attic type spaces.
Describing windows
Describing doors
Internal heat gains (levels and schedules)
D
Describing
ibi th
thermall mass
Infiltration and Ventilation
Specifying system parameters
Practical things about program why
why does it do backup instead of save? How to get
output. Download latest version from website.
Heating Load Calculations
Check end of chapter for other items?

Minimum System Requirements

* Windows 95
* Pentium
Pentium-compatible
compatible processor running at 100 MHz or
faster
* 32MB RAM
* Hard drive with at least 30MB free space
* SVGA monitor,, 800 x 600
* Windows-compatible mouse or pointing device
* CD-ROM drive
* Adobe Acrobat(tm) Reader 3 (Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0
included on CD)

HVAC Load Explorer

This software uses the heat balance
methods
Developed under ASHRAE Research
Project 875
875, for calculating cooling/heating
loads in building.
The heat balance method is the most
scientifically precise method now
available.

Heat Balance Method

Based on heat balances for exterior zone
surfaces, interior zone surfaces, and zone
air.
air
Assures conservation of energy (which is
not guaranteed for approximate methods).

LW Long Wave
SW Short Wave

Software Setup
Start your computer.
computer If your computer is already running,
running
close all applications.
Insert the CD-ROM in yyour CD-ROM drive
In Windows Explorer, locate the CD-ROM drive and go
into the directory containing the program that you wish to
install.
install
Double-click on the file "Setup.exe".
Follow the instructions in the installer. (This may require
re-booting
b i your computer.))
If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, use the Windows
Explorer to find the root directory of the CD. DoubleDouble
click on the file "ar40eng.exe" and follow the instructions.
Restart your computer.

Try now to Run the program

Unfortunately, the program will not RUN
!!!!
Y need
You
d to
t gett some files
fil to
t solve
l this
thi
problem

HVAC Load Explorer

Summary of Revisions and Known Bugs (New: 2-21-03)

2 21 03)
Load Calculations Seminar (New 10-17-03)
Download latest version (1.0.19,
(1 0 19 October 29,
29 2003)
If you have installed the software from the CD, and have not previously
downloaded any of the software, you will need to download the files listed
below. You should right-click on each file name and choose "Save Target
A " (in
As"
(i Mi
Microsoft
ft Explorer)
E l
) or "Save
"S
Link
Li k A
As"" (i
(in N
Netscape),
t
) th
then save th
the
file in a temporary directory. When all files have been downloaded, you
should copy the files into the specified directories. (Most will go into the
HVACLoadExplorer directory; TimeZone.txt must be copied into the textfiles
di
directory,
under
d your main
i HVACL
HVACLoadExplorer
dE l
di
directory.template.mdb
l
db must
be copied into the Database directory, under your main HVACLoadExplorer
directory.)
If you have already downloaded a previous version from this website, you
should check the dates on the files below. Any files listed below that are
newer than the files on your hard drive should be downloaded.

Download:
File Name

Date

Directory

HvacLoadExplorer.exe

(New 10-29-03)

HVAC Load Explorer

HVACLOADEXPLORE
R.HLP

(New 10-29-03)

HVAC Load Explorer

HvacLoadExplorer cnt
HvacLoadExplorer.cnt

(New 10
10-29-03)
29 03)

HVAC Load Explorer

HBFORT15.dll

(New 2-21-03)

HVAC Load Explorer

DFORRT.DLL

(New 6-1-00)

HVAC Load Explorer

TimeZone.txt

(New 12-1-00)

HVAC Load
Explorer\textfiles
p

template.mdb

(New 4-28-03)

HVAC Load
Explorer\database

Add d
Addendum.pdf
df

(N 22-21-03)
(New
21 03)

Note: (4
(4-1-03)
1 03) Some computers may also need an additional file
file,
mschrt20.ocx.
Solution :
Computers that do not already have the file mschrt20.ocx
mschrt20 ocx will need
to download the file, and then store it in the following directory,
depending on your operating system:
Windows 95/98 - C:\WINDOWS\system
Windows NT/2000 - C:\WINNT\system32
y
Windows Me
- C:\WinMe\System
Windows Xp
- C:\WINDOWS\system32
To download the file,, right-click
g
on the link above and choose "Save
Target As" (in Microsoft Explorer) or "Save Link As" (in Netscape)

Download a Sample File

Thi
This fil
file can b
be used
d tto calculated
l l t d th
the
conduction transfer function coefficients
for Example 8-1: Example 8-1.mdb
The 9 room Chicago
g office building
g ((see
Load Calculations Seminar) is here.
Bug Reports
Bugs should be reported to Prof. J.D.
Spitler at spitler@okstate.edu
spitler@okstate ed

Load Calculations
Heat Balance Method -Application
Application

Weather Data: Cooling

Three types
Th
t
off design
d i days
d
Based on p
peak dry
y bulb temperature:
p
room loads.
Based on peak wet bulb: cooling towers
towers,
evaporative coolers, ventilation
Based on peak dew
dew-point:
point: humidity
control.
See 2001 ASHRAE Handbook of
Fundamentals for further information.

Weather Data: Cooling

Month: Usually July
July, but not always
always.
Some rooms can have peak loads in other
months,
th even JJanuary.
Example:
a p e Sout
South facing
ac g hotel
ote rooms
oo s with
t
large windows may have peak loads in
January.
January

South-Facing
South
Facing Window

Simple scheme: window collects energy

energy, insulation
does not let it go, thermal mass stabilizes against
large fluctuations
overhang defeats mechanism for summer months

Zoning/Rooms
In HVAC Load Explorer terminology:
Room: one or more rooms with similar
temperatures, loading, and controls.
IIn large
l
b ildi
buildings,
it may be
b desirable
d i bl tto combine
bi
multiple rooms into a single room description.
(Often called a zone in heat balance literature
literature.))

Zone: provided in HVAC Load Explorer for

convenience;
i
it iis a way off adding
ddi up lloads
d ffor a
group of rooms. (e.g. All rooms served by a
single
i l air
i h
handler)
dl )

Dimensions
Outside or Inside?
Corner effects are usually small
small, hence it
doesnt make that much difference.
Inside
I id dimensions
di
i
may slightly
li htl
underestimate load.
Outside dimensions may slightly
overestimate load
load.
Simplify geometry when possible.

Describing Walls and Roofs

Described layer by layer from the outside in.
properties
p
for each layer
y ((k, ,
cp)
p) from
Material p
MPS 127-132
Solar absorptivity and thermal emissivity
important for inside and outside layers.
Do not specify surface conductances in heat
balance method.
Surface tilt and orientation must be specified for
solar radiation purposes.

Zone North Axis:

Wall Information Dialog Box

Tilt is the angle made by the wall with the
g
horizontal in degrees.
Default is 90o.

90o

Elevation

Wall Information Dialog Box

Facing
F
i direction
di ti iis th
the angle
l made
d b
by
the normal vector of wall with the
north in the clockwise direction
north,
direction, in
degrees.

Default is 0
0(facing
(facing north)
north).
East facing wall will have facing direction
of 90,,
South facing wall will have facing direction
of 180.
West facing direction will have facing
direction 270.

E
S

Roof and floor Information

Roof
R f default
d f lt is
i 0.
0

Roof 0

Floor of 180
180.

Floor 180

External Boundary Condition

IImportant!!
TOS: normal outside
conditions
TA: conditioned space on
other side
TG:
TG ground
d temperature
t
t
on
other side
TSS: outside temperature,
p
,
but no sun
TB: special, user-defined
boundary temperature on
other side.

Thermal mass
Represents interior furnishings, interior
partitions not elsewhere described.
p
Necessarily approximate.
Has
H ttwo effects:
ff t
Thermal storage
g ((slows room response)
p
)
Radiative/convective exchange (speeds room
response)

Example