THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MECE 4365: Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning

Spring 2015
Instructor: Stephen W. Crown, Ph.D.
Office: Engineering Building 3.234
Phone: Office: (956) 665-5015
E-Mail: swcrown@utpa.edu
Web Page: Blackboard Learn
F. C. McQuiston, J.D. Parker, and J.D. Spitler, Heating, Ventilating, and Air
Text: Conditioning – Analysis and Design, Sixth Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 2005.
[ISBN 978-0-471-47015-1]
Grading: Homework 10%, Projects (3) 30%, Midterm Exams (2) 40%, and Final Exam 20%
Prerequisites MATH 3336 Thermodynamics II with a minimum grade of “C”.
Regular office hours are Tuesday (9:00am-10:30am), Wednesday (2:00pm-4:00pm),
Office
and Thursday (9:00am-10:30am). If you are unable to come during scheduled office
Hours:
hours you may call for an appointment at least one day in advance.
Meeting Lecture: ENGR 1.242
Times: Tuesday and Thursday at 10:35am-11:50am

Course Description: Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration is a specific application
of the principles of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics to the design and analysis of
systems that maintain the environmental conditions of a controlled space. An emphasis is placed on the
practical application of principles to the design and analysis of HVAC systems in buildings and an
introduction to the use of HVAC software.

Homework: All homework assignments are due at the beginning of class on the given due
date. Homework should be turned as you enter class and will not be accepted late. If you are unable
to turn in an assignment on the given due date you may make arrangements to turn in the assignment
early. In solving the homework assignment, the following four steps should be carefully followed:

1. Briefly summarize the problem statement.

2. Provide a schematic diagram of the problem.
3. Solve the problem showing your work in detail by stating your assumptions and providing the
equations you used and the numerical values you obtained.
4. Write a sentence or two discussing your findings.
Failure to follow the aforementioned four steps will result in points deducted from your homework
assignment.

Midterm and Final Exams: All exams will be closed book and closed notes. A formula sheet and
appropriate tables may be provided.

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Class Schedule

Week Lecture Topic Reading

1 Introduction to HVAC / Overview of Air Conditioning Systems Ch. 1&2
2 Moist Air Properties Ch. 3
3 Conditioning Processes Ch. 3
4 Comfort and Health – Indoor Air Quality Ch. 4
5 Heat Transfer in Building Structures Ch. 5
6 Designing for Space Heating Loads Ch. 6
7 Exam #1 (Tuesday 3/3), Solar Radiation Ch. 7
8 Designing for Space Cooling Loads Ch. 8
9 Modeling Building Energy Use Ch. 9
10 Flows, Pumps, and Pumping Design Ch. 10
11 Design of Space Air Distribution Ch. 11
12 Fans and Building Air Distribution Ch. 12
13 Midterm Exam #2 (Tuesday 4/21), Extended Surface Heat Exchangers Ch. 14
14 Refrigeration Systems Ch. 15
15 Direct Contact Heat and Mass Transfer Ch. 13
th
Final FINAL EXAM: Tuesday, May 12 , 10:15am-12:00pm. The final exam
will cover all lecture material, reading assignments, and homework
assignments.

Design Projects: Three group (3-4 students)

design projects will be assigned throughout the
semester. Each project will include the
application of key course concepts, the use of
programming techniques to determine HVAC
parameters given dynamic inputs, and the
submission of a short report detailing the project
objective, theory and equations, sample
calculations, results, and conclusions. The first
group design project is the development of a
computer program that determines the load on a
cooling and reheat coil for a single zone system
given dynamic data for sensible and latent loads.
A second project involves the computer
modeling of building energy use given local
TMY (Typical Meteorological Year) data. A
third project is to develop and implement a
microcontroller that monitors and controls space
conditions for a single zone in a simple HVAC
system.

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 Course Outcomes & Assessment

At the conclusion of this course, students will:

1. Be able to model and design for space heating loads. (H, P, T)

2. Be able to model and design for space cooling loads. (H, T)
3. Understand and be able to analyze typical HVAC systems. (H, T)
4. Evaluate HVAC processes and systems and plot on psychrometric chart. (H, T)
5. Understand piping and ducting equipment and be able to design to meet specifications. (H, T)
6. Be able to evaluate and determine design specifications for basic refrigeration systems. (P, T)

Key: H-Homework, P-Project, T-Test

Program Educational Outcomes

It will be demonstrated that the student:

1. Is able to use knowledge of mathematics, basic sciences and engineering to analyze (identify,
formulate, and solve) problems in mechanical engineering.
2. Is able to design and conduct experiments and interpret the results.
3. Is able to design mechanical devices, systems or processes that meet given specifications.
4. Is able to function in multi-disciplinary teams.
5. Is able to communicate ideas effectively in graphical, oral and in written media.
6. Understands the professional responsibility of an engineer and how engineering solutions
impact safety, economics, ethics, politics, and societal, cultural and contemporary issues.
7. Understands the need for lifelong learning to keep abreast of current practice.
8. Is able to use state of the art computational hardware and software for analysis, design and
documentation (techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering
practice).

Program Specific Outcomes for Mechanical Engineering

Fundamentals in Science and Mathematics: It will be demonstrated that the student:
S1) Has knowledge of chemistry and calculus-based physics with depth in at least one.
S2) Has the ability to apply advanced mathematics to problems involving thermal and
mechanical systems.
S3) Has the ability to apply statistics and linear algebra to problems involving thermal and
mechanical systems.
Fundamentals in Engineering: It will be demonstrated that the student:
E1) Has the ability to create and annotate two-dimensional drawings, and generate three
dimensional computer based solid models of mechanical components.
E2) Has the ability to design and analyze components and systems for mechanical and energy
performance.
E3) Has the ability to specify and evaluate materials and manufacturing steps for mechanical
components.
E4) Has the ability to conceive and conduct experiments to measure the performance of
materials, components and systems and to communicate the results.
E5) Has the ability to acquire new skills and specialized knowledge from published sources.

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Mechanical Engineering Department Classroom Policies

Attendance:
1. Attendance will be taken every time the class meets. Any student arriving to class 5 minutes
after the class has started will not be allowed in class. Students will be allowed a maximum of 5
absences for the whole semester for classes meeting three times a week, 3 absences for classes
meeting twice a week, and 2 absences for classes meeting once a week. A point will be
deducted from the total (100%) for each unexcused absence exceeding the maximum allowable.
2. Students will not be permitted to leave the classroom during lectures and exams except for
extreme emergencies.

Homework and Exams:

1. Absolutely no assignments will be accepted late.
2. Make-ups for in-class exams for extreme emergencies will be scheduled at the end of the
semester.

Plagiarism:
Any instance of cheating or plagiarism will result in loss of credit for the work, and will be reported
to the Chair of the ME Department and/or the Dean of Students for appropriate action which may
include loss of credit for the course or dismissal from the University.

Drop Policy:
Students can withdraw from a course through the Office of the Registrar on or prior to:
 February 4th: Courses dropped by this date do not count toward the six course limit.
 February 18th: Last day to change course to non-credit.
 April 29th: Last day to drop a class or withdraw from the University with a grade of “DR” or
“W” recorded. After this date, student remains enrolled in course and receives whatever letter
grade he/she earns.

American Disabilities Act Statement:

Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Disability Services office for a confidential
discussion of their individual needs for academic accommodation. It is the policy of the University
of Texas-Pan American to provide flexible and individualized accommodation to students with
documented disabilities that may affect their ability to fully participate in course activities or to meet
course requirements. To receive accommodation services, students must be registered with the
Disability Services office (DS), University Center #108, 665-7005 or disabilityservices@utpa.edu.

Mandatory Course Evaluations period (Apr 15 – May 6):

Students are required to complete an ONLINE evaluation of this course, accessed through your
UTPA account (https://my.utpa.edu/); you will be contacted through email with further instructions.
The evaluation window closes at 11:59 pm on May 6th, the last day of Spring classes. Students who
complete their evaluations by May 6th will have priority access to their grades.