Humidity Control Design Tips R. Mark Nunnelly, PE, CxA, LEED AP President
AIA Quality Assurance The Building Commissioning Association is a Registered Provider with The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems (AIA/CES). Credit(s) earned on completion of this program will be reported to AIA/CES for AIA members. Certificates of the Completion for both AIA members and non-aia members are available upon request. This program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product. Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation. BCxA Conference Nashville, TN October 2018 2
Learning Objectives 1. Understanding how to establish an accurate Customer s Facility Requirement as it pertains to humidity control expectations. 2. Gaining a useful working knowledge of a very basic, yet important tool available to the design engineer and the mechanical contractor the Psychrometric chart. 3. An understanding of how the available Climatic data from ASHRAE can be used in the design of the facility s HVAC system to ensure proper Temperature and Humidity control. 4. This presentation will help the audience to better understand the differences between Absolute Humidity Control and Relative Humidity Control. BCxA Conference Nashville, TN October 2018 3
Humidity Control Design Tips Understanding the Design & Operations Intentions of the Project s HVAC Systems
Our Role as CxA in Humidity Control Not to design the HVAC, but to work with the HVAC Engineer during the design phase to ensure the Owner s facility requirements will be achieved. Evaluate and provide thorough functional performance testing to verify that the HVAC system will function as intended by the Design Engineer. Provide or coordinate adequate functional and operational training for the Owner s facilities maintenance personnel to understand how to achieve and maintain the space requirements. The purpose of this seminar is not to train all of the attendees to design the HVAC systems for controlling humidity, but to understand some of the process that the HVAC Engineer must go through to achieve the proper systems design.
Why the Emphasis on Humidity Control? While many parts of the country do not have significant issues regarding excessive humidity within the buildings, a significant part of the country does especially in the warm and humid southeastern part of the United States. Lack of adequate absolute humidity control can, and does, reap very negative consequences.
Why do we air-condition our buildings? Control Temperature Control Humidity/Moisture Control Air Movement Control Air Quality
Why do we air-condition our buildings? Control Temperature Control Humidity/Moisture Control Air Movement Control Air Quality CONTROL the Environment
Why is it so hard to control HUMIDITY? Lack of understanding of PSYCHROMETRICS Unaware of published ASHRAE Weather data (since 1997 Fundamentals Handbook) Installing inappropriate equipment for the task (selection type and/or capacity)
PSYCHROMETRICS Definition: Is the study of the physical and thermodynamic properties of air and water vapor mixtures. All the air we breathe contains some amount of moisture.
Psychrometric Chart
Dry Bulb Temperature The temperature of air as measured by a thermometer with a dry sensing bulb
Wet Bulb Temperature The temperature at which water will evaporate into the air sample. Physically the temperature of air when measured by a thermometer with a wetted wick over the sensing bulb.
Relative Humidity The amount of water vapor in the air, compared to its maximum capacity at that specific dry bulb temperature Relative measurement not absolute
Why is Understanding Relative Humidity Beneficial? Many charts, tables and standards use Relative Humidity as a reference or guideline. BCxA Conference Nashville, TN October 2018 15
ASHRAE Human Comfort Zone (2013 ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals, Ch. 9)
Building Indoor Air Quality The Mold Square Molds and mildew are fungi that grow on the surfaces of objects, in pores, and in deteriorated materials. They can cause discoloration and odor problems, deteriorate building materials, and lead to allergic reactions in susceptible individuals, and other health problems. The following conditions are necessary for mold growth to occur on surfaces: Temperature between 40 F and 120 F Nutrient base (most surfaces contain nutrients) Moisture FOOD Mold spores SPORES MOISTURE TEMPERATURE
Absolute Humidity: Humidity Ratio The weight of water vapor divided by the weight of the dry air (lb w /lb a ) - an absolute measurement lb w /lb a x 7000 = grains of water per lb of air
Dew Point The temperature at which the moisture contained in the air will begin to condense (i.e., the temperature at which the air sample would be 100% RH). Another absolute measurement of moisture
Why is it important to understand dewpoint?
Raining in the Operating Rooms!
What happens when the dewpoint temperature of the air is greater than the surrounding surfaces temperature?
Absolute Humidity vs. Relative Humidity Consider the balloon of 1 Ft 3 volume at ambient temperature with an absolute amount of water of 1 gallon. What happens when the balloon is either heated or cooled? What is the new relative volume of water? What is new absolute volume of water?
Enthalpy Total Amount of Energy in the air BTU/# Dry Air
Heat Load Formulas Total Load (i.e., Sensible + Latent) QT = 4.5 x (Enthalpy Difference) x cfm Sensible Load QS = 1.08 x (Temperature Difference) x cfm Latent Load QL= 0.68 x (Humidity Ratio Difference) x cfm QT = QS + QL
Vapor Pressure A measure of how high the water vapor can lift a column of mercury due to its pressure.
Moisture travels from the HIGHER Vapor Pressure to the LOWER Vapor Pressure. The difference in Vapor Pressure is the driving force behind moving water vapor.
Applied Psychrometrics What is the Vapor Pressure of the air inside a building at the conditions of 75 F drybulb and 50% RH? 0.438 HG What is the Vapor Pressure of the air outside a building at the conditions of 82 F drybulb and 77 F wetbulb? 0.883 HG Vapor Pressure Differential of 0.445 HG (x 13.596 = 6.052 WG)
Influence of Vapor Pressure Vapor Pressure 0.883 hg Vapor Pressure 0.883 hg Vapor Pressure 0.883 hg Vapor Pressure 0.438 hg Vapor Pressure 0.883 hg (0.883-0.438) X 13.596 = 6.052 wg Bernoulli s Equation: Dynamic Velocity Rate = 4005 6.052 = 9,852.6 FPM = 112 MPH
Outside Air Design Conditions Understanding ASHRAE Weather Tables
Typical Ambient Conditions
2017 ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook Climatic Conditions
Ambient Design Conditions, 2017 ASHRAE 1% Occurrences Nashville, TN
Ambient Design Conditions, 2017 ASHRAE 1% Occurrences Nashville, TN Cooling Dehumidification Drybulb 92.3 F 81.8 F Wetbulb 74.6 F 76.4 F Hum. Ratio 100.9 gr/# 129.3 gr/# Dewpoint 67.3 F 73.9 F Enthalpy 38.0 Btu/# 39.9 Btu/# Vapor Pressure 0.6753 hg 0.8595 hg
Divide and Conquer
Divide and Conquer
Dry Ventilation Air Dries The Building
What is Latent Heat Gain? Lg = 0.68 x ( Wr Ws) x CFM Where: Ws = Humidity Ratio Required of Supply Air (grains moisture / # dry air) Wr = Humidity Ratio of Return Air (Space) (grains moisture / # dry air) Lg = Latent Gain (total, or per person) (BTU/hr) CFM = Ventilation Air Requirement (total, or per person) (cubic feet / minute)
Calculating for the Supply Air Humidity Ratio Ws = Wr Lg / (0.68 x CFM) Where: Ws = Humidity Ratio Required of Supply Air (grains moisture / # dry air) Wr = Humidity Ratio of Return Air (Space) (grains moisture / # dry air) Lg = Latent Gain (total, or per person) (BTU/hr) CFM = Ventilation Air Requirement (total, or per person) (cubic feet / minute)
Example: Supply air requirement for an Office Building Given: Design Space Condition of 73 Fdb / 50% RH Latent Gain per employee of 200 BTU/hr Ventilation Rate of 20 CFM/person At 73 Fdb / 50% RH, the Humidity Ratio (Wr) is equal to 60.6 grains moisture / # dry air Ws = 60.6 200 / (0.68 x 20) = 45.89 gr. moist. / # dry air = 45.9 F dewpoint = 0.0066 # moisture / # dry air
Example: Supply air requirement for a School Building Given: Design Space Condition of 73 Fdb/50% RH Latent Gain per student of 200 BTU/hr Ventilation Rate of 15 CFM/person At 73 Fdb / 50% RH, the Humidity Ratio (Wr) is equal to 60.6 grains moisture / # dry air Ws = 60.6 200 / (0.68 x 15) = 40.99 gr. moist. / # dry air = 43.0 F dewpoint = 0.0059 # moisture / # dry air
Example: Supply air requirement for an Operating Room Given: Design Space Condition of 60 Fdb/50% RH Latent Gain per person of 200 BTU/hr Ventilation Rate of 30 CFM/person At 60 Fdb / 50% RH, the Humidity Ratio (Wr) is equal to 38.5 grains moisture / # dry air Ws = 38.5 200 / (0.68 x 30) = 28.7 gr. moist. / # dry air = 33.9 F dewpoint = 0.0041 # moisture / # dry air
Space Design Conditions Comparison of Engineering Best Practice with AIA Guidelines and ASHRAE Handbook Function Space Operating Room Operating Room Operating Room (100% Outside Air System) (Recirculating Air System) Surgical Cystoscopic Rooms Minimum Air Changes of Outdoor Air / Hour Manual * 5 5 ASHRAE Handbook 15 5 * AIA Guideline * * 3 Minimum Total Air Changes / Hour Manual * 25 25 ASHRAE Handbook 15 25 * AIA Guideline * * 15 Relative Humidity, % Manual * 30-60 30-60 ASHRAE Handbook 45-55 * * AIA Guideline * * 30-60 Design Temperature, F Manual * 68-75 68-75 ASHRAE Handbook 62-80 * * AIA Guideline * * 68-73 * No Value Given
There are only 2 ways to remove moisture from the air Adsorb / Absorb it out Condense it out
Dehumidification Technologies Desiccant-based Systems: Adsorbs/Absorbs moisture out of the air Solid Desiccants (i.e., wheels) Liquid Desiccants Mechanical-based Systems: Condenses the moisture out of the air Chilled Water Direct Expansion (DX) Choose the right equipment for the job!
What is a Desiccant? A material that possesses an affinity for moisture vapor greater than that of the surrounding air.
Adsorb / Absorb it out Actively regenerated desiccant dehumidifier (solid rotor-type, or liquid-type) Desiccant material adsorbs (solid) or absorbs (liquid) water vapor from the process airstream. The heat from sorption is removed via cooling coils or heat exchanger after the desiccant rotor.
or Condense it out Mechanical Dehumidification system The cooling coil cools the process airstream down to, or below, the air s Dewpoint temperature. Supply air Dewpoint dependent upon coil temperature. Any warming required (i.e., tempering) of this processed air is done after the cooling coil. This is done through a reheat coil (e.g., HW, Steam, Electric, HGRH, etc.) or HX.
Mechanical-based Chilled Water Direct Expansion (DX) Heat Pipes Hot Gas Bypass Sub-cool Reheat Etc.
Hybrid Desiccant Systems
When to use Desiccant vs. Mechanical? (personal opinion)
OA Dampers and HGRH Lessons Learned on Cx Projects Are OA dampers closed during unoccupied times? Do dampers open only when compressor is ON? Do dampers respond to CO 2 levels properly? Does HGRH coil function properly? (i.e., via DDC controls or AHU s internal controls?) BCxA Conference Nashville, TN October 2018 61
Lessons Learned on Cx Projects VRF Systems Limited Latent Capacity Are the T/H Sensors that are actually controlling in the Cassettes or on the Wall-mounted stat? Understand Dry mode How are OA dampers controlled? BCxA Conference Nashville, TN October 2018 62
Lessons Learned on Cx Projects What does 100% OA damper Open actually mean? To Controls Installer Dampers are open to 100% of available capacity of damper (i.e., possibly > scheduled capacity) To Installing Mechanical Contractor Economizer / OA = SA capacity To Engineer Maximum OA flow as scheduled on the drawings (i.e., scheduled amount max) TAB Contractor & CxA need to communicate with ALL to make certain accurate adjustments made Extremely important to know for humidity control!! BCxA Conference Nashville, TN October 2018 63
Lessons Learned on Cx Projects Through-the-Wall Units (TWU) Wall penetrations appropriately sealed? Enthalpy Wheel HX Included? Dehumidification Mode Included? If so, Staged Heating? CO2 Controlled? BCxA Conference Nashville, TN October 2018 64
Through-the-Wall Units Seal wall penetrations BCxA Conference Nashville, TN October 2018 65
R. Mark Nunnelly, PE, CxA, LEED AP Nunnelly & Associates, Inc. 3603 Pine Lane SE, Suite A Birmingham, AL 35022 205/425-0060 (office) 205/516-4064 (cell) mnunnelly@nunnellyengineering.com www.nunnellyengineering.com BCxA Conference Nashville, TN October 2018 66