2024 HVAC Design Calculations
The main objective of the HVAC design calculations project is to provide correctly sized heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for the building. The team is to calculate heating and cooling loads and design the selected HVAC system for the building, while demonstrating compliance with the latest editions of ASHRAE Standards 55, 62.1, and 90.1. It is expected that students shall demonstrate this compliance by illustrating examples of this compliance in their illustrated calculations; points will be awarded for this demonstration with details of compliance. Also, the design of the building must comply with the Owner’s Project Requirements document that has been provided.
For this competition, the owner prefers to use a variable air volume (VAV) air handling unit (AHU) for the building. The use of alternate systems or comparison with alternate systems is not required by this competition and will not be taken into consideration during the judging. The source of the cooling and heating for the VAV AHU is to be determined by the student design team, but must follow the standards and guidelines from ASHRAE and local code.
Assume the building envelope meets the recommendations of ASHRAE Standard 189.1. All internal loading is as described in this OPR. Assume the building is oriented as shown on the schematic plan provided by the Owner.
ASHRAE student teams must locate the building in São Paulo, Brazil. DO NOT MOVE THE BUILDING TO ANOTHER LOCATION. Teams that relocate the building to another location will be disqualified.
It is suggested that the Student Design Team work together with a local consulting engineer and YEA members as mentors on this project. Your local ASHRAE Chapter Student Activities Chair will support you in this endeavor by providing willing mentors from its ranks in the consulting community to assist you, at your request. Contact Katie Thomson (ASHRAE Assistant Manager, Student Activities), for assistance with locating your chapter chair at KThomson@ashrae.org.
Design Calculations Competition Submittal Requirements
The submission for the HVAC Design Calculations category must be in PDF format only! No separate visual aids will be accepted (PowerPoint, YouTube, etc). Deliverable presentations should only consist of a 35-page maximum technical report either Times New Roman or Arial font at 11 point minimum in PDF format only.
Required technical information to be included in the PDF documents:
- Cover sheet
- Listing of team members and advisors
- Table of contents
- References and Appendices
- Schedules for all major equipment components selected, including listed equipment efficiencies and demonstrated compliance to ASHRAE Standard 90.1
- Mechanical floor plans showing general equipment layout and single line duct size and layouts, piping sizes and layouts, terminal units, diffusers, grilles, registers, thermostats, humidistats and any other pertinent devices or equipment. Include at least one detailed example of design detail in compliance with ASHRAE references.
- Schematic flow diagram indicating components and accessories and piping sizes and examples of how this system is designed in accordance with ASHRAE manuals
- Heating and Cooling Load Calculations: Provide checksum reports for each system, design cooling and heating block load reports for selection of cooling and heating plants
- Summary table of ventilation calculations to demonstrate compliance with ASHRAE 62.1
- Illustrations of compliance to with stated ASHRAE Standards
- Standard 55
- Standard 62.1
- Standard 90.1