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HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) is a major sub discipline of mechanical engineering.The goal of HVAC design is to balance indoor environmental comfort with other factors such as installation cost, ease of maintenance, and energy efficiency.
An air conditioning system, or a standalone air conditioner, provides cooling and/or humidity control for all or part of a building. Air conditioned buildings often have sealed windows, because open windows would work against the system intended to maintain constant indoor air conditions.
An air handler, or air handling unit (often abbreviated to AHU), is a device used to regulate and circulate air as part of a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system. [1] An air handler is usually a large metal box containing a blower , furnace or A/C elements, filter racks or chambers, sound attenuators , and dampers . [ 2 ]
During winter months, for example, an air conditioning register can be closed to prevent cold air from being pulled from the room. This allows the hot air to mix more completely with the cold air in the room, improving the efficiency of the HVAC system. [7] (The return should be efficient enough to draw off the cooler air.) [10] [11]
The second category of furnace is the forced-air having atmospheric burner style with a cast-iron or sectional steel heat exchanger. Through the 1950s and 1960s, this style of furnace was used to replace the big, natural draft systems, and was sometimes installed on the existing gravity duct work.
Air changes per hour, abbreviated ACPH or ACH, or air change rate is the number of times that the total air volume in a room or space is completely removed and replaced in an hour. If the air in the space is either uniform or perfectly mixed, air changes per hour is a measure of how many times the air within a defined space is replaced each hour.
Electric heaters are usually part of a fan coil which is part of a central air conditioner. They circulate heat by blowing air across the heating element which is supplied to the furnace through return air ducts. Blowers in electric furnaces move air over one to five resistance coils or elements which are usually rated at five kilowatts.
Displacement ventilation systems supply air directly to the occupied zone.The air is supplied at low velocities to cause minimal induction and mixing. This system is used for ventilation and cooling of large high spaces, such as auditorium and atria, where energy may be saved if only the occupied zone is treated rather than trying to control the conditions in the entire space.