ASHRAE Journal - October 2014 - 96

RESEARCH REPORT

transmission, and in at least two high occupant density transportation environments that
are at risk for infectious disease transmission.

1604-RP Demand Controlled Filtration for Cleanrooms

September 2011 - December 2014; Engsysco, Inc.; Principal Investigator, Wei Sun; TC 9.11, Clean Spaces

Very little research has been done on dynamic control of airflow to control particles
in cleanrooms-matching airflow to the desired contamination limits. The high energy
use and resulting cost for typical systems today and concern over availability of electricity suggests that the ventilation rate should be adjusted in order to achieve the desired
cleanliness yet minimizing excess airflow.
Up till now, this technology was not applied, as real time particle measurement
systems did not have both sufficient precision, reliability, and cost effectiveness, and
controls did not have adequate reaction time. Also owners and operators of industrial
cleanrooms have been hesitant to make changes to the air exchange rates in cleanrooms
due to misconceptions that varying flow rates through cleanroom filters will disrupt the
flow and cause particle counts to increase.
The main objective of this project is to establish a scientific approach to implement
demand controlled filtration (ventilation rate) for cleanrooms for the two cleanroom
classes (ISO, 7 and 8, (10 000 and 100 000) that have the broadest application. For example, these two classes comprise 85 to 90% of pharmaceutical class rooms. Based on
the results of this research, a future project could well research applying this approach
to other more stringent classes.

are occupied and operating normally. Natural, hybrid and mechanical solutions will be
compared in terms of thermal control, levels of airborne pollutants and OAS, the energy
required by each system in a reference year, and, crucially, whether they actually improve
children's performance of schoolwork.
An Evaluation of the
Performance of Small Office and
1627-RP K-12 School BuildingsActual EnergyAccordance with the 30% ASHRAE
Designed in
Advanced Energy Design Guides
September 2014 - February 2016; Group 14 Engineering, Inc.; Principal Investigator, Xia Fang; TC 2.8, Building Environmental
Impacts and Sustainability; Co-sponsors: AEDG Steering Committee

The objective of this project is to compare Energy Utilization Indices (EUIs; site energy use per unit area per year), normalized based on standard hours of operation and
plug load energy use, for a sample of small office and K-12 school buildings designed in
accordance with the first (30%) ASHRAE AEDGs to the modeled EUIs of small office and
K-12 school buildings in the same climate zone that meet the requirements of ASHRAE
Standard 90.1-1999. The normalized EUIs of a "control group" of buildings designed in
accordance with Standard 90.1-1999 will also be calculated and compared to those of the
buildings designed in accordance with the AEDGs. Determine the factors common to
relatively well-performing buildings, as well as the factors common to relatively poorlyperforming buildings, based on building surveys. Provide recommendations for how
future AEDGs for small office and K-12 school buildings could be made more effective
in achieving better energy performance than required by ASHRAE Standard 90.1 while
providing acceptable indoor environmental quality.

1606-RP Laboratory Testing of Flat Oval Transitions to Determine Loss 1629-RP
Coefficients
September 2011 - January 2015 (P) University of Illinois - Champaign; Principal Investigator, Yuanhui Zhang; TC 5.2, Duct Design

More reliable data and/or a large database of fitting loss coefficients will help ASHRAE
members and others to better design ductwork for their clients, enabling more accurate
pressure drop calculations and less safety factor. This will allow fans to be sized properly,
reducing energy consumption and wasted material. It should also generate an increase
in sales for the ASHRAE Duct Fitting Database.
The objective of this research is to test flat oval transition fittings to determine their
total pressure loss coefficients, and update the ASHRAE Duct Fitting Database (2009). The
tests are to be conducted in compliance with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 120-2008, "Method
of Testing to Determine Flow Resistance of HVAC Ducts and Fittings", except (1) the flow
measuring station velocity shall not exceed 1.5 m/s (300 fpm), and (2) the entrance duct
length to the test fitting shall be increased from 10 hydraulic diameters to 12 diameters.

Testing and Modeling Energy Performance of Active Chilled Beam
Systems

December 2013 - May 2015; University of Colorado; Principal Investigator, John Zhai; TC 5.3,. Co-sponsored by: TC 4.7, Energy
Calculations

Quantifying the operational performance of active chilled beams and the resulting sensible
cooling capacity is necessary to correctly design, model or implement this equipment as part of
building mechanical systems. Energy modeling software packages include chilled beam models,
but no published data exist that document the range of accuracy achieved for these components.
The results of the project will provide a detailed assessment of the simulation capabilities of building energy simulation programs to predict the performance of active chilled
beams and the resulting system performance of net-zero energy design strategies. Recommended modeling improvements will be available for program developers to implement
in their respective energy simulation programs.

Update the Scientific Evidence for Specifying Lower Limit Relative
1609-RP Defining the Capabilities, Needs and Current Limitations of Building 1630-RP Humidity Levels for Comfort, Health and IEQ in Occupied Spaces
Information Modeling (BIM) in Operations and Maintenance for
HVAC&R
September 2013 - February 2015; Hitchcock Consulting; Principal Investigator, Robert J. Hitchcock; TC 7.3, Operation and Maintenance Management; Co-sponsors: TC 1.5, Computer Applications; TC 7.1, Integrated Building Design; TC 7.8, Owning and Operating
Costs; SGPC20, Documenting HVAC&R Work Processes and Data Exchange Requirements

As the use of BIM technologies gains momentum across the industry, ASHR AE
members, including mechanical system design engineers, product vendors, software
developers, controls engineers, commissioning authorities, facility managers, researchers
and academic instructors will all be impacted by BIM. ASHRAE seeks to meet the needs
of ASHRAE members and the HVAC design, installation and operations communities by
"committing the resources and developing specific goals to establish comprehensive, consistent HVAC&R terminology, data dictionaries, rule sets, and schema for its Handbooks,
Standards and Guidelines to support the HVAC&R and building industry" (ASHRAE
2009). Given the $10.5 billion cited as potential savings in the NIST interoperability study
(Gallaher et al. 2004) improvements in interoperability are likely to have a continual and
quantifiable impact across a large cross-section of ASHRAE and its partner organizations.

1616-RP Revise Load Calculation Application Manual (2009)

April 2012 - August 2014; Oklahoma State University; Principal Investigator, Jeff Spitler; TC 4.1, Load Calculation Data and
Procedures

The objective of the project is to revise the Load Calculations Application Manual, 1st
edition to produce a second edition. The second edition will: Incorporate results from
recently completed ASHRAE research projects RP-1453, RP-1363, RP-1311 and RP-1362.
Consider incorporating results from ASHRAE research projects RP-1482 and RP-1416, due
to be completed in 2010 and 2011 respectively, if completed in time and if they provide
relevant data for the Manual. Update the example problems to utilize floor plan and construction data for the renovated ASHRAE HQ building. Update the software spreadsheets
included with the manual to incorporate the new load calculation procedures. Produce
separate IP units and SI Units versions of the manual.

1624-RP Effective Energy-Efficient School Classroom Ventilation for Temperate Zones
June 2014 - February 2017; Technical University of Denmark; Principal Investigator, Jorn Toftum; TC 2.1, Physiology & Human Environment; Co-sponsors: TC 2.4, Particulate Air Contaminants and Gas Contaminant Removal Equipment; TC 5.3, Room Air Distribution

This project will identify affordable, efficient and effective solutions for achieving good
classroom ventilation, by performing field intervention experiments in classrooms that

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September 2014 - May 2015; Kansas State University; Principal Investigator, Melanie Derby; TC 5.11, Humidifying Equipment;
Co-sponsors: TC 9.6, Healthcare Facilities

The objective of this project is to determine and quantify the effect of low level of
relative humidity (10-40%) on the comfort, health, and IEQ for humans in residences and
non-industrial workplaces, including adolescents and the population over 65 years old.
The project will entail comprehensive literature review, detailed data analysis, developing
conclusions and recommendations, and preparation of the final report.

1631-RP

Countertop Commercial Appliance Emissions

April 2014 - March 2015; Syracuse University; Principal Investigator, Jianshun Zhang; TC 5.10, Kitchen Ventilation;
Co-sponsors: TC 4.1, Load Calculation Data and Procedures; SSPC 154, Ventilation for Commercial Cooking Operations

The value of this research to ASHRAE, the HVAC industry, restaurant designers,
consulting engineers, and end-users is significant though only quantifiable after the
research is performed. The research will ensure that ASHRAE increases the expertise
it currently maintains in providing design guidance for commercial kitchen ventilation
systems. This knowledge is crucial for directing future revisions of the handbooks, design
guides, codes, and standards that impact kitchen ventilation. Restaurant designers and
consulting engineers will benefit by gaining a better understanding of impacts on IEQ
and energy when deciding if an appliance should be unhooded or hooded. Results will be
translated into better operating kitchens for owners and customers. Restaurant owners
may experience reduced energy costs and better indoor air quality, but even more importantly, the project can facilitate development of standard designs within the foodservice
industry. The results of this research will also allow the various model codes and standards
to clearly identify which appliances may be unhooded or which require kitchen hood.

1633-RP

Data and Interfaces for Advanced Building Maintenance and Operation

July 2011 - August 2014; KGS Buildings LLC; Principal Investigator, Stephen Samouhos; TC 1.4, Control Theory and Application;

Develop a set of standard data-driven metrics, interfaces and dashboards for advanced
building operation and management, segmented by building typology and stakeholder
needs; prototype those dashboards, document methods of data collection, and test those
metrics with real building data. Provide this body of work to help fill the void in standards
literature for informing designers and practitioners on how they can use building data
to improve building operations, energy efficiency, comfort, and sustainability. Perform
fundamental field work by evaluating EMCS data and interfaces in 50+ buildings across
ASHRAE Journal - October 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - October 2014
