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Photo 1 (left): Rental DOAS equipment at a Texas high school. Photo 2 (right) Temporary DOAS distribution ductwork.
U
sing dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) within the HVAC market as outside air, while maintaining equal or
better control of the indoor relative hu-
the primary means of moisture removal has consistently gained a higher midity than the systems without DOAS.
The average total volatile organic com-
market share worldwide. Providing a comfortable and healthy indoor environment pound (TVOC) concentrations tended to
be lower in schools with dehumidified
has been a difficult task for many commercial applications where ventilation rates air. The school showing the highest air
exchange rate used a rotary desiccant
are high, such as hospitals, schools, theaters, retail stores, hotels, restaurants, system, and had the lowest carbon diox-
nursing homes, and office buildings.
About the Authors
Humidity control plays an important Fresh Air Ventilation Michael D. Larraaga, Ph.D., P.E., is Simplex
role in establishing and maintaining Introducing pretreated fresh air into a Professor and department head of the School of
Fire Protection and Safety at the Oklahoma State
a comfortable indoor environment. 1 building can improve the IAQ and elimi-
University, School of Fire Protection and Safety
Using a DOAS in series or parallel nate many problems associated with poor Engineering Technology, Stillwater, Okla. Mario G.
with non-DOAS HVAC systems of- ventilation and lack of fresh air. Bayer Beruvides, Ph.D., P.E., is professor and director
fers cost-effective humidity control notes that IAQ improves when using of the Center for Systems Solutions at Texas Tech
when compared to dehumidification active humidity control and continuous University, Department of Industrial Engineering,
Lubbock, Texas. H.W. Holder is an independent
schemes using cooling coils and re- ventilation in schools2 to meet the re-
building and construction consultant at Assured In-
heat. And, it provides the capability to quirements of Standard 62.1. In a study door Air Quality, LP, Dallas. Enusha Karunasena,
meet the outside air ventilation rates of 10 schools in Georgia, Bayer noted that Ph.D., is a post-doctoral fellow in the department
as per ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1, of the five schools having HVAC systems of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech Uni-
Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air without DOAS, none supplied outside air versity, Department of Animal Science and Food
Technology, Lubbock, Texas. David C. Straus,
Quality. In most applications, using at the ASHRAE recommended 15 cfm
Ph.D., is a professor of medical microbiology
DOAS in parallel with non-DOAS (7.08 L/s) per person. The schools with and Immunology at Texas Tech University Health
HVAC systems is the preferred method desiccant DOAS dehumidification were Science Center, Department of Microbiology and
of application. delivering as much as three times more Immunology, Lubbock, Texas.
36 A S H R A E J o u r n a l May 2008
Investment Perception of DOAS Demand control ventilation control strategy with vari-
The main disadvantage of dedicated outdoor air systems able air volume (VAV) was incorporated in the design. Four
is the perceived high first cost. The high initial cost is bal- chilled water outside air units with electric reheat were
anced by operational advantages discussed previously and replaced with four of the desiccant units to provide the
application flexibility.13 Regarding the appropriateness of proper amount of conditioned outside air for the existing
desiccant drying systems for air-conditioning applications, classroom fan-coil units. The other four desiccant units
the United States Department of Energys National Renew- provided conditioned outside air to the RA/OA mixing box
able Energy Laboratory maintains: of 12 existing air-handling units serving other areas of the
Conventional vapor-compression cooling systems are building. Variable frequency drives were added to eight VAV
not designed to handle temperature and humidity loads handling units. The existing DDC system was replaced with
separately. Consequently, oversized compressors are a system sufficient to manage control and operation of the
installed to dehumidify the incoming air. And to meet central plant and DOASHVAC system.
humidity requirements, vapor-compression systems are The HVAC system retrofit took place while the school con-
often operated for long cycles and at low temperatures, tinued to hold classes for the approximately 2,500 students.
which reduces their efficiency and requires reheating This was accomplished by installing multiple rental chillers,
the dry, cold air to achieve some degree of comfort. pre-cooling coils, active desiccant drying equipment, and
Both consequences are costly. Desiccant systems, post-cooling coils for temporary DOAS while the permanent
however, can supplement conventional air conditioners. systems were installed (see Photos 1 and 2).
By working together, they tackle the temperature and The purchase, retrofit, and installation cost of the desiccant
humidity loads separately and more efficiently. Heating, and air-conditioning systems was $2.1 million (~$17.50/cfm
ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) engineers can of OA [$37.08 per L/s]). Building utility (electricity, gas,
then reduce compressor size [when subcooling and/or and water) operating consumption (costs) for the calendar
reheat are eliminated from the system] and eliminate year prior to the retrofit was compared to the calendar year
excess chiller capacity. Desiccant cooling systems are following the retrofit. As a result of the desiccant installa-
energy efficient and environmentally benign....Desiccant tion, the school reduced its building operating costs from
systems also displace chlorofluorocarbon-based cooling $117.25/operating hour to $53.49/operating hour while
equipment, the emissions from which contribute to the increasing ventilation rates to meet Standard 62.1. The
depletion of the Earths ozone layer....Desiccant dehu- payback period for the initial $2.1 million investment was
midification could reduce total residential electricity 3.75 years. The present worth of the investment was $5.8
demand by as much as 25% in humid regions, providing million dollars based on an interest rate of 4% and a service
a drier, more comfortable, and cleaner indoor environ- life of 20 years without an adjustment for increasing energy
ment with a lower energy bill. Desiccant systems allow costs. This retrofit project shows the application of desiccant
more fresh air into buildings, thus improving indoor air technology as an IAQ control strategy in humid climates can
quality without using more energy. provide significant economic benefits to building owners
A supply air dew-point temperature setting of 45F (7C) and the community.
was used on a high school HVAC system retrofit project As described previously the payback period associated
with active desiccant dehumidification,19 which resulted with providing a desirable indoor environmental quality is
in significant energy savings for the district. The authors short.4 Fischer indicated that the many benefits listed would
provided criteria for the design and installation to address be recognized year after year, whereas the costs associated
concerns associated with chronic high indoor humidity at a with providing the desirable indoor environmental quality
high school in a hot and humid southern valley of Texas. are a one-time expense with minimal maintenance costs. The
The high school had a 1,000 ton (3517 kW) central plant expected benefitswhich included reductions in absentee-
with water-cooled centrifugal chillers and a primary/sec- ism and health-care costs; positive impacts on productivity
ondary chilled water distribution system. Non-DOAS air- and alertness; decreased incidences of drowsiness, allergies,
handling units and fan-coil units were equipped with electric and illness; avoidance of property damage and remediation;
resistance heaters for heating and/or reheat. Controls were and reduced maintenance costsquickly exceeded any ini-
minimal direct digital control (DDC). tial expense associated with facilitating an improved indoor
The criteria called for eight active desiccant-based air environment.2
desiccant units with chilled water coils to cool the air to Kumar and Fisk proposed that costs associated with pro-
55F60F (13C16C) prior to the airstream entering viding additional ventilation may be more than offset by the
the desiccant wheel. Approximately 50% of the cooled air savings that result from reduced employee sick leave, and
was bypassed around the desiccant wheel and mixed with that increasing ventilation rates above the minimum rates
the desiccant dried air to result in a neutral leaving air specified in Standard 62.1, can yield substantial benefits,
temperature (70F75F) (21C24C) at a dew point of including the reductions of the incidence of allergy and
45F (7C). asthma in building occupants.20
40 A S H R A E J o u r n a l May 2008