Current research projects are summarized below.

1199-RP UPDATING THE ASHRAE/ACCA RESIDENTIAL HEATING AND COOLING LOAD CALCULATION PROCEDURES & DATA

This project developed two new residential loads calculation procedures:

• Residential Heat Balance (RHB), a detailed heat balance method that requires computer implementation; and
• Residential Load Factor (RLF), a simplified procedure that is suitable for hand or spreadsheet use.

The report documents the development and testing of the methods.

RHB is based on first-principles heat balance models.  A research-oriented FORTRAN implementation of RHB, designated ResHB, was developed using ASHRAE Loads Toolkit as a starting point.  ResHB extends Toolkit capabilities to multiple rooms and zones, so it can perform load calculations for real buildings.  Also added were infiltration, internal gain, and duct loss models appropriate for residential problems.

Project has been completed. An update to the Residential Chapter was prepared although it was beyond the scope of the project. 

1282-RP LIGHTING HEAT GAIN DISTRIBUTION IN BUILDINGS

April 2004 - November 2005
Oklahoma State University
Principal Investigator, Daniel E. Fisher

Lighting is a major contributor to the heat gain in all buildings. The magnitude of the heat gain from a specific fixture is not difficult to determine because wattage of specific lamps is very well documented. The magnitude is not the only factor relevant to the cooling load and energy calculations. Radiant convective split can affect the time and the magnitude of the peak-cooling load. Another important consideration is the amount of heat from the light fixture that is dissipated to the space vs. the amount of heat dissipated to the ceiling plenum. The objective of this research is to better document the interaction of the heat generated by a light fixture and the surrounding space. Data will be developed for the most typical arrangements and presented in tables and graphs to enhance the ability to engineers to perform load calculations and energy evaluations for conventional and under floor air distributions systems.

1311-RP Improving Load Calculations for Fenestrations with Shading Devices. 

September 2004 - September 2005

University of Waterloo

Principal Investigator, John L. Wright

The users of fenestration data, represented by TC 4.1 and TC 4.7, need comprehensive and reasonably accurate procedures to calculate realistic loads, including the effects of shading. This makes it of first importance to integrate the new information about glazing products with some level of information about the behavior of shading devices. Further, this integrated information must offer a suitable interface for inclusion in loads calculation procedures. Characterizing fenestrations solely by their U-factor and SHGC is not adequate.

1326-RP APPLICATION MANUAL FOR NON-RESIDENTIAL LOAD CALCULATIONS

September 2005 - December 2007

Oklahoma State University

Principal Investigator, Jeffrey Spitler

The objective of this research is to develop a Load Calculation Manual to fully present the RTS and HB methods. This manual will be developed as both a teaching aid and an applications manual. In the RTS part, the RTS method is not intended to be a manual method and this manual will not give engineers the ability to simply fill in some numbers and get a load. This manual will provide a discussion of all underlying principles allowing it to be a teaching aid and will additionally present sufficient applications data to allow practicing engineers to perform a "semi-manual" load calculation with only a modest amount of spreadsheet programming. A practicing engineer's ability to perform "semi-manual" calculations would be enhanced by spreadsheet routines currently available through ASHRAE.

The manual will also present the relationship between RTS and the fundamental physics of building loads represented by the HB method. Heat Balance concepts will be presented to demonstrate the relationship of RTS implementation to the physics of the building load and the HB method will be used to show the limits of the RTS method.

The work involved includes some level of research and analysis to further refine some of the methodologies of RTS. Research will also be required to develop and consolidate the data that must be presented to allow the RTS method to be readily applied. These consolidated data will also enhance the ability to apply the HB Method. It is the goal of this research to present as much data as possible in a format that allows direct application into a load calculation. Preparation and organization of this data is part of the research that will be required to develop this manual.

RTAR - Update Kitchen Equipment Information

 TC5.10 has asked TC4.1 to co-sponsor an RTAR that deals with capture, containment, emissions and heat release from kitchen equipment using ASTM protocol.  The product would include an update to Table 5 in Chapter 29 and include information on radiant and convective heat transfer. The heat gain rates from typical commercial cooking appliances currently published in the ASHRAE Handbook were obtained in research project 391-RP completed in 1984 (Alereza and Breen 1984). These rates were determined by applying adjustment factors to cataloged appliance energy input ratings. Design engineers have expressed concern with the accuracy of this information. A small number of revisions have been made to the Heat Gain Table 5via an industry-developed heat gain measurement protocol (Fisher 1998).

The work statement needs to be developed.