Print this page An Introduction to Air Conditioning Systems
J. Paul Guyer, P.E., R.A., Fellow ASCE, Fellow AEI
Course Outline
1. INTRODUCTION
2. LOAD CALCULATIONS
2.1 General
2.2 Heating Load
2.3 Cooling Load
3. AIR CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT
3.1 Cooling Systems
3.2 Heating Systems
3.3 All-Air Systems
3.4 System and Equipment Performance
4. AIR DISTRIBUTION
4.1 Duct Design for HVAC Systems
5. RULES OF THUMB
5.1 General
5.2 Air Conditioning Capacity
5.3 Heating Capacity
5.4 Chilled Water Circulation
5.5 Hot Water
5.6 Condenser Water
5.7 Steam
5.8 Condensate
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Learn how to calculate heating and cooling loads;
- Learn about the different types of air conditioning equipment;
- Learn some important concepts of air distribution ductwork design;
- Learn some rules-of-thumb for estimating heating and air conditioning capacity;
- Learn rules-of-thumb to determine chilled, hot and condenser water requirements; and
- Learn some rules-of-thumb for determining steam and condensate requirements.
Intended Audience
This course is intended for all of the engineers, architects and construction professionals on the building design team….except mechanical engineers. This is your opportunity to learn about the issues, technologies and strategies your mechanical engineering partners in the building design process address on real projects. This course will make you a more productive, involved part of the building design and construction team.
Benefit for Attendee
This course will make you a more informed member of the building design team, and will increase your value to your agency or company.
Course Introduction
This is an introduction to the fundamentals of air conditioning design. It will give you a basic introduction to air conditioning system design so you can better understand the technology, concepts and terminology. It will help you to be a better partner in the building design and construction process.
About Course Author
Paul Guyer is a registered mechanical engineer, civil engineer, fire protection engineer and architect with over 35 years experience in the design of buildings and related infrastructure. For an additional 9 years he was a senior-level advisor to the California Legislature on infrastructure and capital outlay issues. He has designed and supervised the design of hundreds of construction projects requiring the preparation of detailed working drawings and specifications for federal, state and local public agencies and private companies. He is a graduate of Stanford University and has held numerous national, state and local positions with the American Society of Civil Engineers and National Society of Professional Engineers.
Course Content
The course content is contained in the following PDF file:
An Introduction to Air Conditioning Systems
Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.
Course Summary
This course will give you a basic introduction to air conditioning system design so you can better understand the technology, concepts and terminology. It will help you to be a better partner in the building design and construction process.
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
