Air handler

Air handler
An air handling unit; air flow is from the right to left in this case. Some AHU components shown are:
1 - Supply duct
2 - Fan compartment
3 - Vibration isolator ('flex joint')
4 - Heating and/or cooling coil
5 - Filter compartment
6 - Mixed (recirculated + outside) air duct
A rooftop packaged unit or RTU

An air handler, or air handling unit (often abbreviated to AHU), is a device used to condition and circulate air as part of a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. An air handler is usually a large metal box containing a blower, heating or cooling elements, filter racks or chambers, sound attenuators, and dampers. Air handlers usually connect to ductwork that distributes the conditioned air through the building and returns it to the AHU. Sometimes AHUs discharge (supply) and admit (return) air directly to and from the space served without ductwork.

Small air handlers, for local use, are called terminal units, and may only include an air filter, coil, and blower; these simple terminal units are called blower coils or fan coil units. A larger air handler that conditions 100% outside air, and no recirculated air, is known as a makeup air unit (MAU). An air handler designed for outdoor use, typically on roofs, is known as a packaged unit (PU) or rooftop unit (RTU).

Contents

Air handler components

Blower/fan

Air handlers typically employ a large squirrel cage blower driven by an AC induction electric motor to move the air. The blower may operate at a single speed, offer a variety of set speeds, or be driven by a Variable Frequency Drive to allow a wide range of air flow rates. Flow rate may also be controlled by inlet vanes or outlet dampers on the fan. Some residential air handlers (central 'furnaces' or 'air conditioners') use a brushless DC electric motor that has variable speed capabilities.

Multiple blowers may be present in large commercial air handling units, typically placed at the end of the AHU and the beginning of the supply ductwork (therefore also called "supply fans"). They are often augmented by fans in the return air duct ("return fans") pushing the air into the AHU.

Heating and/or cooling elements

Air handlers may need to provide heating, cooling, or both to change the supply air temperature depending on the location and the application.

Smaller air handlers may contain a fuel-burning heater or a refrigeration evaporator, placed directly in the air stream. Electric resistance and heat pumps can be used as well. Evaporative cooling is possible in dry climates.

Large commercial air handling units contain coils that circulate hot water or steam for heating, and chilled water for cooling. Coils are typically manufactured from copper for the tubes, with copper or aluminium fins to aid heat transfer. Cooling coils will also employ eliminator plates to remove and drain condensate. The hot water or steam is provided by a central boiler, and the chilled water is provided by a central chiller. Downstream temperature sensors are typically used to monitor and control 'off coil' temperatures, in conjunction with an appropriate motorized control valve prior to the coil.

Filters

Air filtration is almost always present in order to provide clean dust-free air to the building occupants. It may be via simple low-MERV pleated media, HEPA, electrostatic, or a combination of techniques. Gas-phase and ultraviolet air treatments may be employed as well.

It is typically placed first in the AHU in order to keep all its components clean. Depending upon the grade of filtration required, typically filters will be arranged in two (or more) banks with a coarse-grade panel filter provided in front of a fine-grade bag filter, or other 'final' filtration medium. The panel filter is cheaper to replace and maintain, and thus protects the more expensive bag filters.

The life of a filter may be assessed by monitoring the pressure drop through the filter medium at design air volume flow rate. This may be done by means of a visual display, using a pressure gauge, or by a pressure switch linked to an alarm point on the building control system. Failure to replace a filter may eventually lead to its collapse, as the forces exerted upon it by the fan overcome its inherent strength, resulting in collapse and thus contamination of the air handler and downstream ductwork.

Humidifier

Humidification is often necessary in colder climates where continuous heating will make the air drier, resulting in uncomfortable air quality and increased static electricity. Various types of humidification may be used:

  • Evaporative: dry air blown over a reservoir will evaporate some of the water. The rate of evaporation can be increased by spraying the water onto baffles in the air stream.
  • Vaporizer: steam or vapour from a boiler is blown directly into the air stream.
  • Spray mist: water is diffused either by a nozzle or other mechanical means into fine droplets and carried by the air.
  • Ultrasonic: A tray of fresh water in the airstream is excited by an ultrasonic device forming a fog or water mist.
  • Wetted medium: A fine fibrous medium in the airstream is kept moist with fresh water from a header pipe with a series of small outlets. As the air passes through the medium it entrains the water in fine droplets. This type of humidifier can quickly clog if the primary air filtration is not maintained in good order.

Mixing chamber

In order to maintain indoor air quality, air handlers commonly have provisions to allow the introduction of outside air into, and the exhausting of air from the building. In temperate climates, mixing the right amount of cooler outside air with warmer return air can be used to approach the desired supply air temperature. A mixing chamber is therefore used which has dampers controlling the ratio between the return, outside, and exhaust air.

Heat recovery device

A heat recovery device heat exchanger of many types, may be fitted to the air handler between supply and extract airstreams for energy savings and increasing capacity. These types more commonly include for:

  • Recuperator, or Plate Heat exchanger: A sandwich of plastic or metal plates with interlaced air paths. Heat is transferred between airstreams from one side of the plate to the other. The plates are typically spaced at 4 to 6mm apart. Can also be used to recover coolth. Heat recovery efficiency up to 70%.
  • Thermal Wheel, or Rotary heat exchanger: A slowly rotating matrix of finely corrugated metal, operating in both opposing airstreams. When the air handling unit is in heating mode, heat is absorbed as air passes through the matrix in the exhaust airstream, during one half rotation, and released during the second half rotation into the supply airstream in a continuous process. When the air handling unit is in cooling mode, heat is released as air passes through the matrix in the exhaust airstream, during one half rotation, and absorbed during the second half rotation into the supply airstream. Heat recovery efficiency up to 85%. Wheels are also available with a hydroscopic coating to provide latent heat transfer and also the drying or humidification of airstreams
  • Run around coil: Two air to liquid heat exchanger coils, in opposing airstreams, piped together with a circulating pump and using water or a brine as the heat transfer medium. This device, although not very efficient, allows heat recovery between remote and sometimes multiple supply and exhaust airstreams. Heat recovery efficiency up to 50%.
  • Heat Pipe: Operating in both opposing air paths, using a confined refrigerant as a heat transfer medium. The 'pipe' is multiple sealed pipes mounted in a coil configuration with fins to increase heat transfer. Heat is absorbed on one side of the pipe, by evaporation of the refrigerant, and released at the other side, by condensation of the refrigerant. Condensed refrigerant flows by gravity to the first side of the pipe to repeat the process. Heat recovery efficiency up to 65%.

Controls

Controls are necessary to regulate every aspect of an air handler, such as: flow rate of air, supply air temperature, mixed air temperature, humidity, air quality. They may be as simple as an off/on thermostat or as complex as a building automation system using BACnet or LonWorks, for example.

Common control components include temperature sensors, humidity sensors, sail switches, actuators, motors, and controllers.

Vibration isolators

The blowers in an air handler can create substantial vibration and the large area of the duct system would transmit this noise and vibration to the occupants of the building. To avoid this, vibration isolators (flexible sections) are normally inserted into the duct immediately before and after the air handler and often also between the fan compartment and the rest of the AHU. The rubberized canvas-like material of these sections allow the air handler to vibrate without transmitting much vibration to the attached ducts.

The fan compartment can be further isolated by placing it on a spring suspension, which will mitigate the transfer of vibration through the floor.

European Market

The European market of air handling units (AHU) is dominated by Germany and the Northern Countries, where are located the main manufacturers, and reaches a total of 1 343.06M€. The number of units sold, by range of capacity, is split as following [1]:

  • ≤ 5.000 m3/h : 55%
  • 5.001 - 15.000 m3/h : 31%
  • 15.001-30.000 m3/h : 10%
  • 30.001 - 50.000 m3/h : 3%
  • ≥ 50.001 m3/h : 1%

The market by country is split in 2010 as following:

Countries Sales Volume in M€ [2] Share
Benelux 111.06 8.3%
France 94.34 7.0%
Germany 323.00 24.0%
Italy 76.08 5.7%
Portugal 23.81 1.8%
Russia, Ukraine and CIS countries 130.59 9.7%
Scandinavia and Baltic countries 240.60 17.9%
Spain 49.58 3.7%
Turkey 38.53 2.9%
UK and Ireland 102.88 7.7%
Eastern Europe 152.60 11.4%

Major manufacturers

References

  1. ^ Eurovent Market Intelligence https://www.eurovent-marketintelligence.eu/
  2. ^ Eurovent Market Intelligence https://www.eurovent-marketintelligence.eu/

See also


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • air handler — fan blower, heat transfer coil, filter, and housing parts of a system …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • Handler — may refer to:a person who handles something: ** animal handler, person who conducts animal training or is a wrangler (profession). ** a sports handler, a coach (sport) or sports agent of a sports player, or a promoter (entertainment) ** agent… …   Wikipedia

  • Air conditioner — For general aspects of air conditioning, see Air conditioning. A typical home air conditioning unit. An air conditioner (often referred to as AC) is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The… …   Wikipedia

  • Air safety — is a term encompassing the theory, investigation and categorization of flight failures, and the prevention of such failures through regulation, education and training. It can also be applied in the context of campaigns that inform the public as… …   Wikipedia

  • Air Force Security Forces — AFSC Enlisted: 3P0X1, Officer: 31PX) (formerly named Air Police, then Security Police; colloquially called cops by USAF personnel), are the military police of the United States Air Force. Airmen in this field go through 13 weeks of initial… …   Wikipedia

  • Air Force Blues — (abbreviated as AFBlues) is a comic strip available on the internet, created by Staff Sergeant Austin “Farva” May, a cartoonist on active duty in the United States Air Force. The events in the strip take place mainly at the fictional Elmendork… …   Wikipedia

  • Air North — Infobox Airline airline=Air North logo=AirNorthLogo.jpg logo size=218 fleet size=6 destinations=8 IATA=4N ICAO=ANT callsign=AIR NORTH parent=Joseph Sparling founded=1977 headquarters=Whitehorse, Yukon key people=Joseph Sparling, CEO and President …   Wikipedia

  • Air traffic control — For the Canadian musical group, see Air Traffic Control (band). Airport Traffic Control Towers (ATCTs) at Amsterdam s Schiphol Airport, the Netherlands …   Wikipedia

  • Air Group — Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW 3) im Februar 2008 an Deck der USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Ein Carrier Air Wing (CVW) oder eine Carrier Air Group ist ein Geschwader von Kampfflugzeugen der US Navy, welches auf einem Flugzeugträger stationiert ist.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Air Car — Ein Druckluftauto (engl. Aircar) ist ein Fahrzeug, das mit Hilfe von stark komprimierter Luft und einem Gasexpansionsmotor angetrieben wird. Die komprimierte Luft wird in Druckbehältern mitgeführt und dem Motor von außen zugeführt. Derartige… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”