Milton Hershey School Mechanical Redesign
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shahas nahasMilton Hershey School Mechanical Redesign
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Powered by AIThe original heating load profile demonstrates a high demand for continuous heating of terminals and AHU pre-heat coils via the boiler plant. In contrast, the redesigned profile shows an increase in peak heating load by about 200 MBH because the new system requires heating of cold outdoor air without recirculation, as used by VAV systems. This is because the redesigned system employs dedicated outdoor air units that necessitate direct heating from a lower inlet temperature. Additionally, a parallel water source heat pump system performs most space heating, making the boiler plant supplement rather than continuously supply heat .
The redesigned mechanical system at the Milton Hershey School Supply Center reduces cooling loads by replacing traditional VAV/CAV air handling units with Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS) and utilizing a water source heat pump system for parallel cooling . This redesign allows for the use of recovered waste heat from walk-in freezers to assist in managing the cooling requirement of the condenser water loop, thus lowering the base cooling demand on the chilled water plant. These changes lead to a load profile with less peak cooling demand, due to enhanced integration of building systems and energy recovery techniques .
Carrier’s Hourly Analysis Program (HAP) plays a crucial role in evaluating the redesign by providing detailed data on the building’s load profiles. It helps in accurately modeling and visualizing changes in thermal load demands due to systemic redesigns, thus allowing for effective planning and verification of anticipated energy savings and efficiencies . This software facilitates the analysis of redesigned plant load profiles to ensure that the integration strategies meet the expected outcomes .
Waste heat from the walk-in freezers at the Milton Hershey School Supply Center is recovered and used to add heat to the water source loop, pre-heating domestic hot water and reducing the need for additional heating from the chiller-heater system . This integration minimizes the cooling load by shifting some of it to heating, thereby optimizing energy efficiency through heat recovery. Benefits include decreased reliance on the chilled water plant and reduced overall energy consumption due to the lowered base load and synergy between systems .
During operational hours, the Milton Hershey School Supply Center shows peak cooling demand, typical of most buildings . However, due to the redesign, this demand is less pronounced because of the Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS) and water source loop integration, which lower peak load requirements during these times. The integration provides a steadier load profile by reducing spikes in demand through efficient heat recovery and system synergy .
The interaction between the water source heat pump system and the redesigned chilled water plant at the Milton Hershey School Supply Center enhances efficiency by sharing the cooling and heating load between systems. The water source heat pump works alongside the DOAS to minimize additional cooling load; meanwhile, waste heat recovery pre-heats domestic water, thus reducing reliance on the chiller plant . By redistributing thermal loads, the total system operates more efficiently, resulting in lower energy consumption and balanced operational demands .
The introduction of DOAS in the redesign increases heating requirements as these systems bring in cold outside air that requires heating to 55°F without recirculation, unlike VAV systems which pre-heat return air. This necessitates more energy from the boiler plant to reach the desired air temperature, thus altering the heating load profile by increasing the peak heating demand by around 200 MBH .
Even though water source heat pumps handle most heating requirements, the boiler plant's involvement during winter is necessitated by the need to maintain the water source loop temperature at 68°F . Since the dedicated outdoor air system lacks air recirculation, it depends more on direct heating, requiring the boiler plant to supplement heating during the coldest periods, ensuring system reliability and comfort .
The redesign affects the structural system by potentially introducing new loads or changes due to the installation of DOAS and water source heat pump systems, which could require structural reinforcements or alterations. Electrical service might also need upgrading to accommodate changes in energy use patterns and additional demands from new mechanical equipment. Overall, these changes necessitate comprehensive cost analyses to ensure that any modifications maintain system integrity and economic viability .
Economic implications of the redesign involve complex cost analyses due to altered structural and electrical service requirements stemming from the mechanical changes. While the redesign promises energy savings and efficiency gains, components with longer than 2 to 4 years of payback period may not be justified unless offset by substantial operational savings. The project's profitability largely depends on effectively reducing base loads and utilizing efficiencies from system integration and waste heat recovery .
