ASHRAE Journal - October 2022 - 68

RESEARCH REPORT
Research Projects
1604-RP Demand Based Flow Control for Cleanrooms
(The Research Strategic Plan is available at www.ashrae.org/research.)
September 2011- February 2022; 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 classrooms. Based on the results of this research,
a future project could well research applying this approach to other more stringent classes. Status: Active Project TC 9.11
is reviewing the draft final report for approval.
1644-RP Smoke Control in Long Atria
September 2019 - July 2022 (P); Jensen Hughes; Principal Investigator, Jennifer Wiley; TC 5.6
(Control of Fire and Smoke)
An increasing number of large building complexes are being constructed to include long atrium spaces. Airport terminals,
shopping malls, conference centers, hotels, and sports arenas are examples of facilities with long atria, and all these facilities
have high population concentrations. With the present level of knowledge, it is impossible to provide fact-based guidelines
for the maximum size of smoke reservoirs for such buildings before dangerous conditions occur that are not predicted by
current tools. It is also impossible to provide guidance for the design of cost-effective and energy efficient smoke control
systems for such spaces. Without better information, building designs that include long atria may unknowingly expose the
public to hazardous conditions during a fire, which will result in liability issues for the designers of the HVAC and Life Safety
systems. Status: Active Project with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2022.
1661-RP Development and Validation of Dynamic Models
For the Control of Chiller Plants with Water Side
Economizer
August 1, 2017 to April 2022 (P); University of Colorado, Principal Investigator, Wangda Zuo, TC
4.7, Energy Calculations
This project will evaluate the performance of current control sequences for water side economizers published in ASHRAE
publications and recommend a new near-optimal control sequence. It will also provide validated dynamic models to ASHRAE
and will demonstrate their use for control sequence evaluation. The project allows the close interaction among experts in
energy modeling (TC 4.7), controls (TC 1.4) and smart building systems (TC 7.5) using dynamic modeling of energy transports,
control systems and smart control algorithms. Status: Active Project TC 4.7 is reviewing the draft final report for approval.
Still need TC approval vote and Disposition of ASHRAE Research results form.
1675-RP Guidance for CFD Modeling of Data Centers
April 2016 - March 2022 (P); Florida International University; Principal Investigator, Cheng-Xian
Lin; TC 4.10, Indoor Environmental Modeling; co-sponsored by: TC 9.9, Mission Critical Facilities,
Data Centers, Technology Spaces and Electronic Equipment
The primary objective of this research project is to provide CFD modeling guidance for data center applications. The
guidance will be based on experimental and CFD analyses of several data center configurations to be conducted as part of this
study as well as other work available in the literature. Status: Active Project: Still need technical paper deliverable from P.I.
1683-RP Experimental Evaluation of Two-Phase Pressure
Drop and Flow Pattern in U-Bends with Ammonia
April 2020 - September 2022; GIK Institute of Engineering and Technology Natural Fluids
Refrigeration Center; Principal Investigator: Ahmad Abbas, Co-PI: Lorenzo Cremaschi
The refrigeration community worldwide depends on ASHRAE to provide basic information and knowledge for all types
of working fluids, including ammonia. Ammonia is already a preferred refrigerant in commercial food and beverage applications
and many industrial refrigeration applications. Because ammonia is a natural refrigerant with near-zero GWP, it is
currently being considered for use in many non-traditional commercial refrigeration and air-conditioning applications. In
traditional air-to-refrigerant heat exchangers, the refrigerant passes through a series of tubes connected through a U-bend
or a return bend. The pressure drop caused by this U-bend is not properly studied in the case of ammonia as the refrigerant.
Basic research to develop correlations for pressure drop in U-bends with ammonia is needed. Engineers working to design
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ammonia evaporators and condensers will be able to make use of this new information to predict refrigerant pressure drop
more accurately thereby improving equipment designs for increased efficiency and performance. Status: Active Project - Still
need all project deliverables provided by P.I.
1703-RP Performance of Vapor Retarder Systems Used on
Mechanical Insulation
September 1, 2022 - August 1, 2023 (P); R&D Services, Inc; Principal Investigator, Michael
Joyce PE
The scope of this research is to measure water vapor transmission rates of assemblies of pipe insulation materials with
various joints and sealant techniques. Most of the research is on various sheet and film vapor retarding technologies that
are widely used in the below ambient mechanical insulation industry. Several low permeance materials that are used with
or without facers will also be evaluated. Consensus test methods ASTM E96 and a modified version of European Standard
EN 13469 will be used to evaluate the materials. Status: Active Project - Still need all project deliverables provided by P.I.
1707-RP Annoyance Thresholds of Tones in Noise as Related
To Building Services Equipment
September 2018 - August 2020 (P); Purdue University; Principal Investigator, Patricia Davies;
TC 2.6, Sound and Vibration; Co-sponsored, TC 2.1, Physiology and Human Environment
As problems with noise can impact building owners, designers, developers, contractors and policy makers, this research
has great value to the society. We estimate that a large part of the society in total will be affected within 10 years, as the data
gathered in this project are embedded into the ASHRAE Handbooks and eventually into design criteria, regarding noise from
building services equipment. A further benefit is that manufacturers of building services equipment will have quantitative
guidelines with which to benchmark their equipment. Eventually the data will lead to or inform the development of an industryaccepted
metric to quantify the tonal nature of equipment noise. The likelihood of this progress is high and is expected to be
adopted by the industry smoothly as there is currently a vacuum of information. We do not foresee any intellectual property
rights resulting from this project. Status: Project Completed all project deliverables provided by P.I. and approved by TC 2.6.
1720-RP Validation of Gas Phase Air Cleaner Performance
Test Method Standard 145.2 by Laboratory Testing
Of Commercially Available Filtration
September 2017 - February 2022 (P); RTI International; Principal Investigator, Kathleen Owen;
TC 2.3, Gaseous Contaminants/Removal Equipment, Co-sponsored by: SSPC 145: Test Methods
for Assessing Performance of Gas Phase Air Cleaning Equipment & SSPC 62.1: Ventilation for
Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
Validating the 145.2 Standard will facilitate the use of the IAQ Procedure ASHRAE Standard 62.1 " Ventilation for
acceptable indoor air quality " by providing the quantitative information from this test validation of gas phase filters that
can be used during the IAQ Procedure and provide the end user with quantitative information for gas phase filter selection.
Potentially a large percentage of ASHRAE's engineer members could be influenced, in addition to building operators, HVAC
contractors, and equipment installers. The results from this project will also facilitate development of an improved gas-phase
filter Users' Guide for engineers, contractors and installers, and guidelines for laboratories wishing to implement the Standard
and incorporate the filters. Status: Active Project. Still need all project deliverables from P.I.
1721-RP Oil Return and Retention in Unitary Split System
Gas Lines with HFC and HFO Refrigerants
April 2017 - July 2022 (P); Purdue University; Principal Investigator; Eckhard Groll, TC 8.11,
Unitary and Room Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps, Co-sponsored by: TC 10.3 Refrigerant Piping,
Controls and Accessories; TC 3.4, Lubrication
The objective of this project will be to develop rules for sizing refrigeration interconnecting gas piping in unitary split
systems to ensure oil return to the compressor in both air-conditioning and heat pump applications. Both horizontal and vertical
lines would need to be addressed. The rules that are developed would be such that they would be applicable to all existing
refrigerant-oil combinations currently in use as well as new. Status: Active Project. Still need all project deliverables from P.I.
1733-RP Develop Design Criteria for Psychrometric Air
August 2018 - February 2022 (P); Oklahoma State University; Principal Investigator: Christian
Bach; TC 8.11, Unitary and Room Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps
Sampler and Mixer Apparatus for Use in ASHRAE
Test Standards

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ASHRAE Journal - October 2022

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