Although there are several type of Commercial HVAC Systems in the industry, few of the most commonly used examples are packaged rooftop units, split systems, self-contained units, water sourced heat pumps, chillers, VRV/VRF Systems and Wall Mount units.
Packaged rooftop units are one of the largest and most important type of air conditioning systems in hvac industry that provide complete air conditioning and heating solutions to any commercial building. They are popular primarily for their all-inclusive design, low cost, application flexibility, ease of installation and widespread use. Packaged rooftop units are usually available from 1½ tons through 200 tons and are designed to accommodate today’s comfort demands, superior indoor air quality, straightforward installation and minimized energy consumption. Dedicated digital controls enables the use of building management systems to allow for efficient operation and system monitoring to ensure performance to design.
Similarly a self contained commercial air conditioning and heat pump is a one easy to install outdoor unit only, it does not require indoor air handler. Whereas in case of split system you have an outdoor unit and an indoor unit also known as air handler. The outdoor cabinet contains the condenser and compressor and typically sits on a concrete slab outside your home. The indoor cabinet contains the evaporator and is usually located in the attic or a closet. The indoor and outdoor units are connected by a refrigerant line.
Water Source Heat Pumps are also called a one pipe system, a single pipe carries water through the building which the individual water source heat pumps use for their heat source or heat sink. Typically the water in the loop pipe is about 80 F. This system requires a boiler to raise the loop water temperature and a cooling tower to lower the loop water temperature. Each zone, then, has a dedicated water source heat pump that is located inside the building. One of the benefits of this system is the ability to have a heat pump needing cooling and putting heat into the loop water while another heat pump calls for heating and takes heat out of the cooling loop. This system is extremely energy efficient during those times of the year. The main drawback is probably all the compressors located all through the interior, both for noise and maintenance.
VRF is a short form of Variable Refrigerant Flow air conditioning systems, while VRV is a short form of Variable Refrigerant Volume air conditioning systems. Similar to VRV, a VRF air conditioning system is a type of heat pump air conditioning system in which one outdoor unit is connected to multiple indoor units. Each indoor unit is individually controlled by its user and a variety of indoor unit styles can be mixed & matched to suit individual tenancy requirements e.g. wall mount indoor unit, ceiling cassettes and ducted units. The outdoor unit can be made up of a number of modules to create the required capacity. The compressors can be operated at variable speed, so the VRF units work at only the rate needed to meet the prevailing heating or cooling requirements, considerably enhancing their efficiency. A large building can have in the order of 50-60 indoor units, and up to 4,000 feet of refrigerant piping to connect them to their outdoor units. Each ‘outdoor unit’ can be made up of up to three modules, each could have up to 3 compressors. Large buildings can have up to 30 or 40 compressors in total.
The Wall-Mount commercial air conditioner is a self-contained energy efficient system, which is designed to offer maximum indoor comfort at a minimal cost without using valuable indoor floor space or outside ground space. It is a one piece equipment. This unit is the ideal product for versatile applications such as: new construction, modular offices, school modernization, telecommunication structures, portable structures or correctional facilities. Factory or field installed accessories are available to meet specific job requirements.
All the above systems are all considered Direct Expansion (DX) systems because the units provide for direct expansion of the refrigerant in the air cooling coils. Chillers, on the other hand, make cold water that gets distributed by pipes to air cooling coils. Chiller systems also require boilers to make hot water for the heating cycle. A two pipe system either cools or heats and a system changeover must occur to go from cooling to heating. In the cooling cycle, the one pipe supplies the cold water while the other pipe returns the warmed water (warmed by passing through the cooling coils with air blowing over the coils). A four pipe system doesn't need a system changeover, as each cooling coil unit has both a hot water supply and return and a cold water supply and return piped to it. The energy efficiency of these systems and the excellent control options are the biggest benefits, while initial cost and maintenance complexity are the drawbacks.
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