Air condition system for old buildings 2

[brillito]

My company restores old buildings. This one was originally constructed in 1920. We want to keep as much as we can from the original architecture (5 stories high). We need to design an air conditioning system for it. What would be the best option? we are considering chillers or cooling towers. I don’t have to much space at all. Maybe some in the roof or in a basement. In the roof will need a special structure reinforcement that can be a bit difficult.

 

[DonPhillips]

What does your mechanical engineer recommend?

Don Phillips

http://worthingtonengineering.com

 

[brillito]

I am moving ahead the mechanical engineer because i want to be sure the options i have and not only by his sugestions.

 

[dvd]

Window units might look nice.

 

[gepman]

brillito
you need to post this on the HVAC/R engineering Forum

 

[willard3]

snip
I am moving ahead the mechanical engineer because i want to be sure the options i have and not only by his sugestions.
snip


So......you don't trust your Mechanical Engineer to make good choices? Maybe he should make your Civil Engineering decisions inasmuch as you want to make Mechanical decisions.

 

[GMcD]

Do like the Euros do with a huge stock of older buildings that don't have the infrastructure for a conventional all-air HVAC system: applied capillary tubes into plaster walls and ceilings, for radiant heating/cooling, and reduce the air system to a small dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS).

Other options are to use small distributed four-pipe fan-coils from a condensig boiler and an air cooled chiller, maybe even (yechh) a variable refrigerant flow system to minimize the infrastructure requirements, (but you'll still need the DOAS).

 

[brillito]

Sorry, and don't take me wrong Willard3.

I am in Panama, Central America and we only have a few choices of air systems and there is very limited new technology which is not easy to find here. Our local mechanical engineers are not always updated with the new products. For this building, my company is looking for a new solution or technology even if we have to bring it from another country and that’s why I am doing my homework. Panama is a country of tropical climate all year round, so we don’t need heating only cooling.

 

[GMcD]

Ahhh, better information- I think the VRF system would be a good application as it would minimize the hacking into the existing structure for big ducts for an "all-air" air conditioning system. Google Daikon or Mitsubishi products. Alternatively a two-pipe cooling only fan-coil system may be a good approach as well, less technical to maintain compared to a VRF system, and an outdoor mounted air cooled chiller would be a reasonable cooling plant. The issues with any kind of small distributed fan-coil type system is getting the condensate drains out and keeping them clean.

 

[AbbyNormal]

Geez GMcD the guy is in Panama,

Take the "V" out of HVAC and you are left with a HAC(k) job.

 

[GMcD]

AbbyNormal- I got that after his second post regarding his location. There was no information in the original post about the location. Hot'n'humid climate- stick to ventilation and de-humidification with air supply temps held around dewpoint so the structure doesn't cool off below dewpoint.

 

[AbbyNormal]

got any approximate short cuts sans view factors on operative temperatures.Application an office space with too much lights, averages around 100 foot candles with parabolic flourescents, was just going to add 1.5 degrees to dry bulb temp

Take the "V" out of HVAC and you are left with a HAC(k) job.

 

[GMcD]

AbbyNormal: the 1.5F adder would be reasonable without more info on lamp and ballast type, assuming overhead full mixing air supply. I'd use 2F myself just for the average of the lamp plus ceiling surface temperature.

 

[AbbyNormal]

Thanks GM, have a star

Take the "V" out of HVAC and you are left with a HAC(k) job.