Many engineers tend to avoid or delegate the nitty gritty of a ground source heat pump system, from soil moisture effects to building system (im) balance. It's time for designers to get in the loop. Learn more about Grounded In Reality in the December issue. Other topics in the December issue include health care HVAC, Boilders, check out the Back2Basics, and more.
Why do ground loops in moist soils sometimes perform better than expected? What ground loop design tactics can address building system imbalance? Engineers need to take more responsibility for their full GSHP designs, and these questions are a good place to start.
With a little guidance on ground-source heat pump design temperatures and a few rules of thumb for ground loop flow rates, most engineers are pretty comfortable designing the building side of a ground-source heat pump (GSHP) system.
A boiler plant that is constructed off-site and shipped offers some unique advantages for the design and construction process — and sometimes for the longer life of the facility, too. As you might imagine, the strategy also involves some unique engineering obligations and responsibilities along the way. Learn the essential components for getting high quality performance from a modular project.
Carilion Clinic is a not-for-profit health care organization based in Roanoke, VA. In line with their mission to improve the health of the communities they serve, and with the intent of becoming a teaching facility, Carilion Clinic set upon upgrading their operating rooms and related existing HVAC systems at the Carilion New River Valley Medical Center in Christiansburg, VA.
An advance investigation into the needs and preferences of the medical team proved in valuable for a Virginia hospital retrofit. The range of desired OR conditions was demanding, but for good reason. The designers, armed with this info, applied experience and mechanical muscle to provide the environmental flexibility to operate from one patient to the next.
Carilion Clinic is a not-for-profit health care organization based in Roanoke, VA. In line with their mission to improve the health of the communities they serve, and with the intent of becoming a teaching facility, Carilion Clinic set upon upgrading their operating rooms and related existing HVAC systems at the Carilion New River Valley Medical Center in Christiansburg, VA.
As I complete my transition from leading a practice focused on the design of integrated control systems to focusing on research efforts, it is time to bid farewell to writing this monthly column.