Air Conditioning Basics - LEM

T - Theoretical; TP - Theory and practice; PL - Laboratory; S - Seminar; OT - Tutorial.

• Objectives of the curricular unit and competences

  Objectives:

  The main objective of this curricular unit is to introduce the fundamentals of air conditioning. Each studied chapter will make use of application examples related with the related subjects. 

  Specific Skills:

  The skills to be acquired by students throughout the semester will allow a physical understanding of the particular phenomena present in a air conditioning system, their effects, the required calculations needed  to quantify them and the way how requested conditions are obtained.

• Syllabus

  1. Fundamental concepts

  • Properties of wet air as a mixture of perfect gases.
  • Psycrometric and Mollier chart for wet air.

  2. Processes

  • Sensible cooling and heating.
  • Humidification with steam.
  • Cooling with humidification.
  • Cooling with dehumidification.

  3. Cooling Loads

  • External and internal conditions.
  • Sensible load.
  • Latent load.
  • Sensible heat factor.

  4. Approach to air conditioning technology

  • Individual systems.
  • Central systems.
  • DX central systems. 

  5. Experimental Laboratory Program

  • “AHU” technology and tests with application of related relations.
  • Cooling load calculation without software resource
• Demonstration of the syllabus coherence with curricular unit’s objectives

  This Curricular Unit aims to provide students with HVAC knowledge to determine the thermal loads from one place to aircondition, and the domain of the techniques to use, in order to obtain the required environmental conditions at that location, taking into account the applied rules for comfort conditions, environmental hygiene and the associated energy consumption.

• Teaching methodologies (including evaluation)

  This Curricular Unit has both theoretical and practical components.

  The methodology of teaching intends to be eclectic, so it contemplates expositive lectures, exercises designed to apply the knowledge related to the contents and an oral or a written work performed by the students contemplating the experimental application of  the acquired knowledge.

  The assessment is carried out by means of a Final Test or Examination (90%) plus one Laboratory work (10%).

• Demonstration of the teaching methodologies coherence with the curricular unit’s objectives

  The teaching methodology allows students an easy progress in learning the Air Conditioning, providing the scientific bases which will be used in a graduation curricular unit: Air Conditioning Equipment Technologies and in a Master curricular unit: Special Technical Installations.

• Main Bibliography
  • Bilan thermique – Manuel Carrier.
  • Climatização – Frade, João / Francisco Severo.
  • Fundamentals of Psycrometrics.
  • Manual Carrier.