What is an HVAC system?
What is HVAC?
The word HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Sometimes the word “R” Refrigeration is also added and the phrase becomes “HVACR”.
HVAC is basically controlling the climate of a certain space to satisfy the needs of people or goods inside that space.
HVAC is not just about heating or cooling the air but is also concerned with maintaining interior air quality (IAQ).
Air heating is usually used for winter while air cooling is usually used for summer.
The HVAC system works based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer.
All of these areas play an important role in many HVAC equipment. IAQ indoor air quality is the air quality inside buildings or structures that must focus on the health of users or the quality of goods stored inside. IAQ changes when internal factors change.
HVAC systems are applied to heat or cool apartments, buildings, factories, vehicles and many other fields. With time, the application of HVAC is increasing and more research is being conducted in this field.
The HVAC business is also growing at the same pace as the development of applications.
What is HVAC system?
The HVAC system is essentially a combination of various types of equipment installed together to heat or cool the air of a controlled space. The HVAC system includes mechanical, electrical and I&C equipment to provide comfort to users or to preserve goods and products stored inside a building or a certain space.
HVAC cooling and heating systems can be integrated together or they can be installed individually depending on the design. HVAC systems also serve on an industrial scale to help operate production machinery by maintaining the temperature of the room or space where these machines are installed. The HVAC water chiller system has become extremely important for industries because of its diverse applications.
Basic equipment of HVAC system
An HVAC system may include the following equipment or details:
- HVAC (water chillers and heaters) water cooling or heating system
- Water heater or furnace
- Chiller water pump
- Cooling water pump
- Cooling tower
- Pipe for chiller and cooling water or for condensate water pipe
- Valve for chiller or cooling water system
- Air handling unit (AHU), heating or cooling coil (heating coil and cooling coil)
- Air duct for ventilation system (including supply air and return air)
- Air cooling unit (FCU) and temperature regulator
- Air intake system HVAC
- HVAC control system
- HVAC control software for the building or building management system (BMS)
- The combination of all the above elements will create the HVAC system
Working principle of HVAC system
Basically in the HVAC system, water cooled by the water chiller will circulate throughout the building or workspace, and enter the AHUs or FCUs. The fan in the AHU and FCU will blow cooled air through the heat exchange process with the cooling coil in the AHU and FCU to the outside to cool to create a comfortable feeling for the user or help the process of preserving products or goods become better.
Air is supplied through the supply air duct system and returned to the AHU through the return air duct. The chiller pump and cooling pump provide energy to circulate chiller water and cool the system.
The HVAC valve system is installed at many points in the piping system to help control the system or make system maintenance easy.
Heating air can be generated from HVAC heat pumps, water heated by water heaters or simply furnaces. Some industrial chillers can serve as a form of heater in the winter, in which case the cooling coils become heating coils.
Costs for HVAC systems vary across applications because the space or environment that needs to be cooled or heated is different from project to project. Finding cheap HVAC systems requires research and choosing the right technology and supplier because choosing the wrong system and contractor can lead to wasting a lot of money.
Abridged translation: Khanh An
