Questions tagged [hvac]

Questions about air heating, ventilation, and conditioning, including indoor air quality (IAQ).

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13 votes
10 answers
6k views

How do heat pumps output more heat kW than the electrical kW used to run the heat pump?

I understand that a 2 kW electric heater will use 2 kW of electricity and output 2 kW of heat (apart from small losses of energy as infra red, vibration etc.. but let's exclude those for this example ...
  • 239
0 votes
1 answer
33 views

heat accumulation tank: hot water IN from top or bottom?

should heated water from a wood boiler enter a vertical cylindrical heat accumulation tank from the top or the bottom? mine goes in from the top and can barely achieve more than 60C, whilst the boiler ...
  • 215
0 votes
0 answers
21 views

What factors limit the effiency of heat pumps to well below the Carnot efficiency?

Aircon SEER values top out around 23. SEER is an anachronistic unit, but it can be converted into a coefficient of performance (COP) by multiplying by 0.293. This gives a value of around 6.7, which ...
11 votes
6 answers
4k views

Why isn't heatpump technology used for solar collector panels and boiler tanks?

All solar collector and boiler tank systems that I can find on the market use a liquid to circulate the heat between solar collector panels (or PVT panels) and boiler tanks. Is there a reason why they ...
0 votes
0 answers
30 views

Air conditioner efficiency?

So I've been learning a lot about latent heat, and how the refrigerant is actually based on this concept. Just like dissolving water into air converts sensible heat into latent heat, spitting out ...
1 vote
0 answers
26 views

How does compressor ensure that rfgnt exiting the compressor exits at sufficient pressure such as its condensation tmp is always > otsd air temp?

I have very basic knowledge of the refrigerant cycle. I am talking about a Split system Home AC with an air cooled condenser. Assume a basic AC reciprocating or scroll compressor (i.e NOT a variable ...
0 votes
1 answer
51 views

Why is there not a large power or performance difference between these two air conditioners?

My parents have these two window air conditioners that are the same brand and look the exact same on the outside. The control interface is the exact same as well. I'm not sure how old they are but I'm ...
0 votes
1 answer
31 views

How would a gas flow switch react to falling pressure in the gas supply?

There's currently an ongoing discussion (not decision!) in Germany if households could be cut off from gas supply come winter, to make more natural gas available for industry. Of course media is full ...
  • 4,671
0 votes
0 answers
12 views

Can the Air Velocity v. Static Pressure Drop table for 48"x48" Louver be used to guesstimate values for a 90"x78" louver?

I can't seem to find Air Velocity v Pressure Drop tables for varying sizes. The table I'm reading off of seen here: https://www.c-sgroup.com/files/tech-center/louver/performance/pdf/RSV-5700.pdf ...
1 vote
3 answers
58 views

Why would you put covers in front of the output of the condenser fan on these mini-split units?

Seems like this would be bad for airflow and hurt efficiency? I'd think you would want to blow that hot exhaust air as far away from the intake as possible, and with as little static pressure as ...
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1 vote
1 answer
48 views

portable humidifier (balancing a bucket of water on a bicycle)

I built a (relatively) portable air-blowing device that purifies room-temperature ambient air (HEPA, carbon filter), and then heats and humidifies it to 37 °C and RH85%. I use the machine to do ...
1 vote
1 answer
51 views

Can airflow through an HVAC duct be considered inviscid? Does viscid flow ever occur for HVAC?

Can airflow through an HVAC duct be considered inviscid? Does viscid flow ever occur for HVAC? If the answer to (1) is yes, how do we know airflow in an HVAC pipe is inviscid? In general, what's a ...
  • 167
0 votes
0 answers
33 views

Compressor ratio and addition of battery cooling loop (chiller) in the existing HVAC circuit

Imagine if i want to change my IC car to an electric vehcile, with the obvious addition of battery, how can i use existing HVAC loop to cool the battery using a chiller. HVAC was obviouly desinged ...
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1 vote
3 answers
25 views

Intra-facility Heat Pump? (HVAC)

Does anyone know if there exists a type of heat pump for moving heat from one indoor area to another? In this scenario there is a room where excess heat is being generated and could be used in heating ...
0 votes
1 answer
63 views

Heating pump/refrigerator - calculate efficiency

I'm wondering how I can calculate the overall thermal efficiency of my heating/refrigerator pump. Actually I have this AC/heating pump unit from Samsung (P/N: AR09TXFYBWKNEE). I've placed a power ...
  • 101
0 votes
3 answers
306 views

Can an AC compressor used as a Hydraulic pump?

Can a car ac compressor be used as a Hydraulic pump ? Does it require some modifications to do so or is it impossible to begin with and the compressor can't handle the oil?
  • 103
4 votes
2 answers
92 views

Cooling system to maintain 0.5 °C at 95% humidity

I am looking for some guidance on a redneck cooling system. I need to store seeding trees at a temperature just above freezing, and at a humidity of close to saturation. I only need the system for ...
-1 votes
1 answer
60 views

Is this HVAC design incorrect?

Pic for reference - any HVAC pros around? https://imgur.com/e9JfLFO The return duct matches the supply duct width, but the intake drop looks so small in comparison. Do I need to get this fixed with a ...
  • 1
-1 votes
1 answer
70 views

Identify this textbook

I would really like to buy this textbook, but only see a scan of one chapter online. Could anybody help me identify the book? Thanks!
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5 votes
1 answer
211 views

Is it feasible to build a pedal-powered air conditioning booth?

Imagine it's hot and humid outside. You see a pedal-powered air conditioning booth. You get in the booth, close the door, and start pedaling. The pedals are connected to a shaft-driven (automotive-...
1 vote
1 answer
63 views

What is the efficiency of direct electric heating versus water heated via electricity?

I am attempting to keep plants warm in a greenhouse. Therefore, I assume that heating the soil should be most efficient, as that's what plants seem to care about the most (i.e. the temperature of the ...
2 votes
0 answers
72 views

What would happen if the air conditioning failed in a skyscraper for an extended period?

I'm writing some fiction which involves the AC in a modern glass curtain skyscraper (50-80 floors?) in an American city failing for a period of weeks, maybe even for up to two months. Could anybody ...
0 votes
2 answers
115 views

Can Peltier Modules be used as an Air Conditioner? [duplicate]

Air Conditioners are very expensive so I'm planning to build a split type air conditioner using Peltier modules for my sealed room that is 6.5 length, 7 feet height, and 5.6 wide. I plan to use nine ...
0 votes
0 answers
341 views

Is the use of direct-expansion split systems to heat or cool exit enclosures permitted under the US model building Codes?

Most multistory buildings have enclosed exit stairways somewhere within them to provide safe egress from their non-discharge floors. In a building that relies on hydronic heating/cooling, steam ...
1 vote
0 answers
36 views

HVAC Condensor Liquid Level/Ratio Estimate

Let's say I have a simple condenser inside of a HVAC system with 1 point of entry(Super-heated Vapour) and 1 point of exit(Saturated Liquid) for my refrigerant r134a. A pipe passes through it with ...
2 votes
1 answer
32 views

Pressure loss of a shape change of an ar duct, keeping the area the same

I have an air duct 400x400 mm that will attach to an engine with a ventilation opening 981 x 167 mm. I assume a smooth funnel of about 500m length between the two shapes (that's about as much space as ...
  • 4,671
4 votes
0 answers
71 views

Why is there limited use of Y (Wye) fittings in a refrigeration system?

I'm a Mechanical Engineering intern currently working in HVAC and Refrigeration for grocery stores. I'm looking into ways, with lower energy losses, to encourage equal flow distribution at liquid pipe ...
1 vote
1 answer
82 views

What is the max speed and duty cycle of an air conditioner's magnetic clutch?

I am considering using an automobile ac compressor to control the resistance of an exercise machine by engaging and disengaging the magnetic clutch to let it slip. The max torque should be about 500 ...
1 vote
0 answers
38 views

Why does my heat pump condenser outlet make a single pass through the evaporator before the expansion valve?

I'm hoping to modify a hot water heat pump to capture both the hot and cold side. I'd work with an HVAC shop to make the modification but want to understand the circuit. It's not the simplest of units ...
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0 votes
2 answers
56 views

Cooling airflow calculation

I want to unplug my refrigerator in the winter, and cool it down by taking air from outside. The idea is to lead cool air from the outside through a pipe into the fridge, then let hot air out of the ...
1 vote
4 answers
100 views

Can a vacuum in a room increase the pressure in a tube?

Ok, So I work as a Marine Engineer but I do not have an engineering degree so I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this problem. So currently on my ship we had a minor spill overboard from ...
1 vote
1 answer
53 views

Nitrogen purging via outdoor unit: Gas not going thru?

I'm installing a new Daikin 4MXL (36K BTU) outdoor compressor, with 24K and 9K indoor unit (I previously installed a smaller dual zone Daikin) One of new indoor unit's lineset will be behind drywall, ...
1 vote
3 answers
3k views

What is the maximum temperature that could be achieved by a heat-pump and will it affect its efficiency?

I did some research and found out that one of the applications of a heat pump is as a water heater which means that it could achieve a temperature of about 100-degree Celsius. Will changing the ...
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0 votes
0 answers
301 views

What is the pressure of water-dew resulted from cooling of atmospheric air down to dew point temperature?

Suppose, In a room, Air is at 1 atm presssure. So should be the pressure of any water surface in the room. If the room temperature is cooled downed to dew point temperature, vapor (moisture) will ...
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1 vote
3 answers
75 views

Practicality of energy recovery from HVAC systems?

I've been thinking about ways to maximize efficiency in large buildings, and one thing I thought of was to place some sort of turbine in the exhuast vents or smokestacks of factories, power plants, ...
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2 votes
2 answers
1k views

Does venturi effect helps in reducing temperature of a room?

I clearly didn't understand how this works, but the explanation and claim that it reduce the temperature of room by 5°c made me wonder, here I am trying to understand the Venturi-effect on temperature ...
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Throttle vs Choke vs Damper vs Valve?

Throttles, chokes, dampers, and valves all restrict fluid flow. Aside from specific terminology/usage in internal combustion engines, are these really interchangeable terms, or do they have some ...
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3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Why do a swamp cooler and dehumidifier effectively cool a room when paired together in an enclosed space?

I've read in more than one place (e.g., here and here) that a swamp cooler (a.k.a., evaporative cooler) can be effectively paired with a dehumidifier to cool an enclosed space, but this makes no sense ...
  • 163
0 votes
0 answers
115 views

Axial fan for HVAC with HEPA filters

I have a background in mechanical engineering but HVAC is not my specialization. I am trying to properly size an axial fan to get a determined airflow from a duct. Both inlet and outlet are at ...
  • 160
2 votes
0 answers
37 views

Electrical component most likely to fail in window AC unit after power surge?

I have a window AC unit, 115 VAC, 10 amps. Power went out earlier in the week due to the big storm on the east coast and once it came back on every LED on the control panel was lit (not typical) and ...
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2 votes
2 answers
100 views

RV HVAC and Fridge Freezer on the same coolant loop?

Given the space, weight, and power constraints of an RV it is useful to make as much use as possible out of every component. Is there an engineering reason why a refrigerator / freezer and an air ...
3 votes
0 answers
58 views

Do high speed trains use ventilation and filtration systems similar to aircraft?

This article discusses the ventilation and filtration in aircraft: Ventilation rates provide a total change of air 20 to 30 times per hour. Most modern aircraft have recirculation systems, which ...
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1 vote
2 answers
68 views

Climate control in data centers

I'm a student currently working on a market research project on the HVACR industry, and I'm having trouble nailing down a simple answer to these questions (it may be there are no simple answers, as so ...
1 vote
1 answer
344 views

How can you maximize air flow through a sound maze in a HVAC transfer grille?

My house has several transfer grilles like this: Except they have no baffles inside them, so light and sound come through into our bedrooms quite easily. I'd like to put in a sound maze like this to ...
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5 votes
2 answers
12k views

Can Peltier Modules be practically used to cool a room?

I am thinking of building a indirect Peltier AC to cool a room of approx size 30m3. Single/multiple Peltier modules will be used to cool a insulated box with water inside. The box will be kept outside ...
1 vote
3 answers
69 views

HVAC Bag Filter Backwash

I need to install a replacement air handler in a facility that has an area where a large volume of particulates are in the air. Unfortunately, the previous designer tried to get away with the ...
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2 votes
0 answers
25 views

Energy/Efficiency Calculations for Large Multi-stage Package HVAC

I frequently use the Equivalent Full Load Hour (EFLH) estimation method to calculate the expected energy usage for commercial HVAC equipment. While not ideal, it works well enough to given an order ...
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1 vote
1 answer
40 views

energy unit conversions

This is an HVAC mechanical engineering question on a document from a manufacture where they convert units of electrical energy to therms of natural gas. Carrier has writeups for building energy ...
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0 votes
1 answer
366 views

How does indoor temperature factor in when determining ideal relative humidity in a home?

I am having trouble understanding how indoor temperature plays into what a healthy indoor relative humidity level should be. Most sources I have come across searching the topic online provide a range ...
  • 111
1 vote
0 answers
29 views

How does plant evapotranspiration reduce the required size of a chiller used to control the climate of an indoor farm?

When HVAC companies estimate the required size of a chiller unit for a greenhouse or an indoor farm, they reduce the estimated load by plant "transpiration cooling." I understand how transpiration ...