HVAC Applications

A new intermediate-level course to allow enrollees in the Fundamentals of HVAC course to return to EPD for more advanced training on issues of interest in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). This course is an alternate to, or in addition to, the other new course, which is more focused on design (HVAC Design and Analysis). It is recommended that students first take the Fundamentals of HVAC course, although the first few hours of this course will provide a review to bring everyone up to speed on the basics. 

The material covers many of the functions of HVAC systems to efficiently achieve comfortable, safe and healthy indoor environments, presented in the context of specific facility applications. For example, we will discuss resilience as related to IT equipment, de- and humidification systems in athletics facilities and for indoor plant growth, air quality and energy conservation in high-performance schools, air pressurization and water treatment in hospitals and laboratories, temperature and relative humidity effects on materials preservation, acoustics as related to the performing arts, smoke control in tall buildings, air filtration in treatment plants, etc. 

Learning objectives include: 

• Apply the relevant codes and standards to the respective facility types 
• Understand the changing design criteria, particularly as related to energy 
• Compare and contrast HVAC systems typically specified for each application 
• Gain confidence when asked to work on a different building type for your firm 

• Project engineers or managers working on projects in one of these specific facilities 
• HVAC system designers interested in learning about a broad range of applications 
• Mechanical, electrical, or civil engineers transitioning to HVAC from other disciplines 
• General contractors and construction managers needing to collaborate with their clients
• Facilities managers looking for more details than can be found in an introductory HVAC course

Review of HVAC Systems

• Abbreviations and references
• Survey of ASHRAE standards
• Use of a psychrometric chart
• Weather data and climate
• Vapor compression refrigeration
• Chilled water system components

Indoor Swimming Pools

• Wall construction / fenestration
• Duct designs
• Chemistry
• Exhaust
• Load calculations
• Equipment

Ice Skating Rinks

• Facility construction
• Conditions for various surfaces
• Load calculations and equipment

Laboratories

• 2023 HVAC Applications – Chapter 17
• Equipment requirements
• Laboratory ventilation
• Chemical fume hood testing
• Exhaust fans and air dispersion
• Energy conservation measures

Healthcare

• Healthcare codes and standards
  • 2023 HVAC Applications – Chapter 9
  • FGI – Facility / Guidelines Institute
  • ASHRAE 170 – Ventilation of Health Care Facilities
  • NFPA 99 – Health Care Facilities Code
• Examples of requirements
  • Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA)
  • Water treatment and circulation
  • Indoor Air Quality and air filtration
  • Air pressurization requirements
  • Humidity requirements
    • Steam humidification
    • Adiabatic humidification
  • Emergency power / Standby
• Authorities Having Jurisdiction
  • Governing agencies
• Facility types
  • Hospitals
  • Outpatient facilities
  • Nursing homes and residencies
• Healthcare specific design considerations by space type

Museums and Libraries

• 2023 HVAC Applications – Chapter 24
• Temperature and relative humidity
• Material preservation considerations
• Collection storage and display

Data Centers

• 2023 HVAC Applications – Chapter 20
• ASHRAE thermal guidelines
• ASHRAE Standards 90.1 and 90.4
• Airflow configurations
• CRAC and CRAH units
• Liquid cooled equipment
• Air and water-side economizers

Indoor Plant Growth

• Purpose of growing indoors
• Plant physiology and Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD)
• Facility construction
• Loads
  • Lighting
  • Evapotranspiration
• Outdoor air use
• CO₂ supplementation
• Controls and psychrometrics of indoor plant growth
• Duct designs and air distribution
• Equipment
  • Types
  • Redundancy
  • Remote monitoring and security
  • Humidification
  • Commissioning and PM

Net-Zero Energy Buildings

• Definition (ASHRAE Standard 228)
  • Site boundary
  • Different fuel types and source energy
  • Net-Zero carbon buildings – what is the difference?
• Process
  • Defining and setting goals
  • Conservation and generation
  • Operation
• Solar basics
  • Photovoltaic (PV)
  • Solar thermal
• Case study (Wisconsin school)

Svein Morner

Svein Morner is a founding principal of Sustainable Engineering Group, LLC which has now merged with HGA. He has over 20 years’ experience in commissioning, retro-commissioning, energy efficiency engineering and research. Dr. Morner has served as a Commissioning Authority for commercial, school, institutional, and governmental buildings. He has also developed quality procedures, policies and strategies for new construction to achieve energy-efficient and environmentally friendly buildings. Dr. Morner has conducted extensive solar and energy storage research and lead the team that created the ASHRAE Design Guide for DOAS. He was also on the team that created the ASHRAE Laboratory Design Guide.

Dr. Morner received his Mechanical Engineering degrees from Norwegian University of Science and Technology and completed a two-year post doctorate at the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Morner is an active member of TC2.8 Building Environmental Impacts and Sustainability, TC6.7 Solar and Other Renewable Energies, and TC7.9 Commissioning

Craig Burg

Craig Burg is the Vice President of Engineering for Desert Aire LLC.  He has worked for Desert Aire for over 20 years designing and leading product development as well as application efforts.  He currently oversees research and development, custom system engineering, product testing, manufacturing engineering, and quality.

Craig attended Milwaukee School of Engineering for Mechanical Engineering.  He is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, & Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), a voting member and former committee chair and current Standard Subcommittee chair for ASHRAE TC 8.10 – Mechanical Dehumidifiers and Heat Pipes, and currently is chairing ASHRAE SPC 198 Method of Testing for Vapor Compression Cycle Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems.  He is a member of AHRI Dehumidification Section Engineering Committee and is also active on the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) X653 standard writing committee.  

Craig has designed a wide variety of air conditioning and dehumidification systems from small residential to very large commercial units.  He currently holds two patents and additional patents are pending related to efficient vapor compression cycles and air reheating.

Mark Malkin

Mark P. Malkin, PE, is a program director in the Office of Interdisciplinary Professional Programs in the College of Engineering at UW-Madison. He is a registered Professional Engineer with over 25 years of experience in university facilities project management and HVAC systems design. His course offerings include HVAC, plumbing and fire protection fundamentals, building code reviews, and design and operation of science labs, data centers, museums and libraries. Mark received his bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, and his MS in Mechanical Engineering from UW–Madison.

Deanne Walz

Deanne is a Project Manager at Affiliated Engineers, a MEP engineering consultant with 16 offices. Originally a member of the firm’s Washington DC office, Deanne provided mechanical engineering design services for several projects at the National Institutes of Health campus. After relocating to Madison, Deanne’s recent project work has been focused on the healthcare industry. She is currently leading the new, 332,000 sf hospital at Bay Area Medical Center (Marinette WI) and recently completed MEP/utility infrastructure planning on the Froedtert Hospital (Milwaukee WI) campus and led the mechanical design of the 452,000 sf expansion of the Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children (Wilmington DE). Deanne is a registered engineer and a LEED Accredited Professional.