| Return
to:
A Look at Food Service Buildings Return to:
|
Reference 2: Heating and Cooling Equipment Definitions Furnace: A type of space-heating equipment with an enclosed chamber where fuel is burned or electrical resistance is used to heat air directly without steam or hot water. The heated air is then distributed throughout a building, typically by air ducts. Heat Pump: A type of heating and/or cooling equipment that draws heat into a building from outside and, during the cooling season, ejects heat from the building to the outside. Heat pumps are vapor-compression refrigeration systems whose indoor/outdoor coils are used reversibly as condensers or evaporators, depending on the need for heating or cooling. Individual Space Heater: A type of space heating equipment that is a free-standing or a self-contained unit that generates and delivers heat to a local zone within the building. The heater may be permanently mounted in a wall or floor or may be portable. Examples of individual space heaters include electric baseboards, electric radiant or quartz heaters, heating panels, gas- or kerosene-fired unit heaters, wood stoves, and infrared radiant heaters. These heaters are characterized by a lack of pipes or duct work for distributing hot water, steam, or warm air through a building. District Heat: Steam or hot water produced outside of a building in a central plant and piped into the building as an energy source for space heating or another end use. The district heat may be purchased from a utility or provided by a central physical plant in a separate building that is part of the same multibuilding facility (for example, a hospital complex or university.) District heat includes district steam and/or district hot water. Boiler: A type of space-heating equipment consisting of a vessel or tank where heat produced from the combustion of such fuels as natural gas, fuel oil, or coal is used to generate hot water or steam. Many buildings have their own boilers, while other buildings have steam or hot water piped in from a central plant. For this survey, only boilers inside the building (or serving only that particular building) are counted as part of the building’s heating system. Steam or hot water piped into a building from a central plant is considered district heat. Packaged Unit: A type of heating and/or cooling equipment that is assembled at a factory and installed as a self-contained unit. Packaged units are in contrast to engineer-specified units built up from individual components for use in a given building. Some types of electric packaged units are also called “Direct Expansion,” or DX, units. Central Air Conditioner (Residential-Type): A type of cooling equipment in which there are four basic parts: (1) a condensing unit, (2) a cooling coil, (3) ductwork, and (4) a control mechanism, such as a thermostat. There are two basic configurations of residential central systems: (1) a “split system,” where the condensing unit is located outside and the other components are inside, and (2) a packaged-terminal air-conditioning (PTAC) unit that both heats and cools, or only cools. This system contains all four components encased in one unit and is usually found in a “utility closet.” If the residential type is a “PTAC,” it is considered a “Packaged air-conditioning unit.” Individual Air Conditioner: A type of cooling equipment installed in either walls or windows (with heat-radiating condensers exposed to the outdoor air). These self-contained units are characterized by a lack of pipes or duct work for distributing the cool air; the units condition only air in the room or areas where they are located. District Chilled Water: Water chilled outside of a building in a central plant and piped into the building as an energy source for cooling. Chilled water may be purchased from a utility or provided by a central physical plant in a separate building that is part of the same multibuilding facility (for example, a hospital complex or university). Central Chiller: A type of cooling equipment that is centrally located and that produces chilled water in order to cool air. The chilled water or cold air is then distributed throughout the building by use of pipes or air ducts, or both. These systems are also commonly known as “chillers,” “centrifugal chillers,” “reciprocating chillers,” or “absorption chillers.” Chillers are generally located in, or just outside, the building they serve. Chillers located at central plants are included under District Chilled Water.
Specific questions may be directed to: Joelle Davis Michaels
URL: http://www.eia.gov/emeu/consumptionbriefs/cbecs/pbawebsite/foodserv/foodserv_refhtclequip.htm Release
date: August 2, 2000
|