This page covers some common concepts related to improving comfort through air control.
[ Work in Progress ]
Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling (HVAC) is the science of regulating Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) efficiently.
Important Indoor Air Quality parameters:
- (C/F) Temperature
- (%RH) Humidity
- (CO2)___Carbon Dioxide
- (CO)____Carbon Monoxide
- (PM2.5) Fine Particulates
- (O3)____Ozone
- (VOC)___Volatile Organic Compounds
- (Rn)____Radon
Temperature regulation 
is the most common type of comfort improvement
, right behind humidity regulation.
Example 1: Hot Day
It's
hot and you want to
cool down. Turn on the
Air Conditioner! How many
BTU/hr is it?
8,000BTU/hr ~ 12,000BTU/hr or
(0.6-1 Ton) for
window units
24,000BTU/hr ~ 60,000BTU/hr or
( 3-5 Ton) for
residential air conditioners
HVAC commonly uses
"Tons" of cooling meaning
12,000BTU/hr capacity per
1 Ton.
This refers to
1 Ton of ice ? providing
12,000BTU/hr cooling for 24 hours, as ice is a method of cooling.
For example:
2 Tons = 2 * 12,000BTU/hr = 24,000BTU/hr for 24 hours a day.
Watts is another unit of thermal energy, important and fundamental.
Related but *different* from electric watt!
3.412 BTU = 1 Watt thermal
100W is equal to about
340BTU/hr.
3500W is equal to
1 Ton is equal to
12,000BTU/hr.
Example 2: Cold Day
It's
cold and you want to
warm up. Turn on the
Heater! How many
BTU/hr is it?
1,000BTU/hr ~ 5,000BTU/hr for
electric AC heater via
1500W outlet
10,000BTU/hr ~ 100,000BTU/hr for
propane heaters
?
Humidity regulation ?️can make the same temperature more comfortable + generate grey water.
Example 3: Humid Day
It's
humid and you want to feel
more dry. Turn on the
Dehumidifier! How many
pints/hr is it?
0.5pint~3pints/hr for electric AC portable dehumidifiers
