Climate Control
Heating and cooling, and regulating humidity of indoor air
Heating and cooling, and regulating humidity of indoor air
Climate control systems heat or cool the internal air temperature using a reversible vapour-compression refrigeration process. Dependent on external and internal conditions, these may also be used to regulate humidity levels, though in situations requiring exact humidity control humidifiers or dehumidifiers are required.
Vapour-compression refrigeration technology is the key methodology of any Comfort Cooling system. This utilises the circulation of liquid refrigerant through four stages of a closed pipe system, during which it is alternately compressed and cooled in the outdoor condensing system, then expanded and heated in the internal evaporative units, undergoing state changes from liquid to vapour. The refrigerant absorbs heat from inside and releases it outside, lowering the temperature of the inside space.
Water cooled systems operate differently to standard comfort cooling systems as the condenser unit is installed within the property, and uses water from the mains supply to absorb the heat drawn from the space within the refrigerant pipework. As all of the equipment is installed internally, the water-cooled system does not require planning permission and is suitable for installation in apartments, listed buildings and properties with limited space.
Close Control systems are capable of running continuously and maintaining ±1&C and ±5% RH at the return air sensor. They are typically installed into buildings that have a high heat load or house sensitive contents that require extremely accurate control of temperature and humidity such as museums & art galleries, computer rooms or archive stores.
Dependent on external and internal temperature and humidity, comfort cooling may lower the humidity level within the building by condensing air moisture on the internal evaporator coils from where it is removed through a drainage system. A correctly sized condenser and evaporator, with the correctly calculated temperature differential, and variably controlled fan speed is the best method of ensuring humidity is moderated. However, if accurate mid-range humidity levels are critical for health reasons, then Humidification & Dehumidification systems should be considered.
Air and ground source heat pumps, using similar technology to comfort cooling, can be used for heating and cooling. These also constitute a renewable heating system, unlike gas and oil boilers which release carbon into the atmosphere. ‘Two-pipe’ Variant Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Comfort cooling systems have the ability to switch from cooling to heating mode during winter months without additional equipment, whilst ‘three-pipe’ systems are able to simultaneously cool and heat different zones.
Case Studies
A fully refurbished Penthouse Apartment amalgamated from two neighbouring apartments in the Grade II listed Eaton Square.
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