Industrial HVAC Systems Course

Lesson 1 • Industrial HVAC System Overview

Introduces major system categories: central air handling, distributed units, and process cooling. Provides context for how each type serves industrial facility requirements.

Lesson 2 • Psychrometrics and Air Properties

Teaches dry-bulb, wet-bulb, dew point, and humidity ratio using psychrometric charts. Connects air property analysis to load calculations and equipment selection.

Lesson 3 • Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer Basics

Covers laws of thermodynamics, conduction, convection, and radiation as they apply to HVAC. Establishes the physical principles underlying all subsequent system analysis.

Lesson 4 • Fluid Mechanics for HVAC

Covers airflow and water flow principles including pressure, velocity, and flow rate. Prepares students to analyze duct and piping system behavior.

Lesson 1 • Steam and Hot Water Distribution

Covers steam generation, distribution piping, and condensate return systems. Links proper distribution design to system efficiency and equipment longevity.

Lesson 2 • Electric and Infrared Heating

Introduces electric resistance heaters, heat pumps, and radiant infrared systems for industrial use. Evaluates each technology against energy cost and application suitability.

Lesson 3 • Heating Load Calculations

Teaches manual and software-based methods for calculating industrial heating loads. Accurate load data drives correct equipment sizing and energy budgeting.

Lesson 4 • Heating System Selection and Sizing

Applies load data to select and size heating equipment for industrial facilities. Integrates fuel availability, redundancy needs, and lifecycle cost into decisions.

Lesson 1 • Condenser and Heat Rejection Options

Compares air-cooled, water-cooled, and evaporative condensers for industrial applications. Guides selection based on water availability, climate, and energy efficiency targets.

Lesson 2 • Chiller Types and Operation

Covers centrifugal, screw, scroll, and absorption chillers used in industrial plants. Connects chiller selection to capacity range, efficiency, and utility availability.

Lesson 3 • Cooling Load Calculations

Teaches heat gain analysis including solar, internal, and process loads for industrial buildings. Accurate cooling loads prevent oversizing and reduce capital and operating costs.

Lesson 4 • Cooling Tower Systems

Examines counterflow and crossflow cooling towers, drift eliminators, and basin design. Links tower performance to condenser water temperature and chiller efficiency.

Lesson 1 • Ventilation System Testing and Balancing

Teaches airflow measurement, traverse methods, and system balancing procedures for ventilation. Ensures designed performance is verified and documented after installation.

Lesson 2 • Hazardous Contaminant Control

Addresses control of dusts, fumes, vapors, and biological contaminants in industrial facilities. Integrates exposure limits and hierarchy of controls into ventilation design decisions.

Lesson 3 • Industrial Ventilation Principles

Establishes dilution ventilation, local exhaust ventilation, and make-up air concepts. Provides the theoretical basis for contaminant control strategies used throughout the chapter.

Lesson 4 • Local Exhaust Ventilation Design

Covers hood design, duct sizing, fan selection, and capture velocity for local exhaust systems. Directly addresses contaminant capture at the source before worker exposure occurs.

Lesson 1 • Piping System Design for HVAC

Addresses chilled water, hot water, steam, and refrigerant piping layout and sizing. Proper pipe sizing minimizes pressure drop and ensures adequate flow to all terminal units.

Lesson 2 • Duct Materials and Construction

Examines sheet metal, fiberglass, flexible, and stainless steel duct materials for industrial use. Links material selection to temperature, pressure, chemical exposure, and hygiene requirements.

Lesson 3 • Duct and Pipe System Testing

Teaches pressure testing, leak detection, and flow verification for duct and piping systems. Validates installation quality before system commissioning and occupancy.

Lesson 4 • Valves, Fittings, and Accessories

Covers gate, globe, ball, butterfly, and control valves used in HVAC piping systems. Correct valve selection ensures controllability, isolation, and system protection.

Lesson 1 • Building Automation System Integration

Addresses BAS architecture, open protocols, and integration of HVAC with other building systems. Enables centralized monitoring, trending, and fault detection across the facility.

Lesson 2 • Control System Fundamentals

Introduces open-loop and closed-loop control, setpoints, and feedback principles for HVAC. Establishes control theory vocabulary used throughout automation and commissioning topics.

Lesson 3 • Sensors and Actuators

Covers temperature, humidity, pressure, CO2, and flow sensors used in industrial HVAC. Accurate sensing is the foundation of reliable automatic control and energy management.

Lesson 4 • Direct Digital Control Systems

Examines DDC controllers, programming logic, and sequence of operations for HVAC equipment. Connects controller configuration to energy efficiency and occupant comfort outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Measurement and Verification

Teaches M&V protocols for confirming energy savings after efficiency measures are implemented. Documented savings support financial reporting and continuous improvement programs.

Lesson 2 • Variable Speed Drive Applications

Covers VSD technology, fan and pump affinity laws, and payback analysis for industrial HVAC. VSDs are among the highest-impact efficiency measures in industrial facilities.

Lesson 3 • Chiller and Boiler Plant Optimization

Addresses chiller sequencing, condenser water reset, and boiler staging for plant efficiency. Optimized plant operation reduces energy cost without compromising process reliability.

Lesson 4 • Energy Auditing for HVAC Systems

Teaches walkthrough, Level I, and Level II energy audit procedures for industrial HVAC. Audits identify baseline consumption and prioritize efficiency improvement opportunities.

Lesson 1 • Refrigerant Management and Compliance

Covers refrigerant recovery, reclaim, recycling, and phase-out compliance for industrial systems. Proper refrigerant management reduces environmental impact and avoids regulatory penalties.

Lesson 2 • Predictive Maintenance Techniques

Introduces vibration analysis, thermographic imaging, and oil analysis for HVAC equipment. Predictive methods detect developing faults before failure, reducing downtime and repair costs.

Lesson 3 • Systematic Troubleshooting Methods

Teaches fault isolation, root cause analysis, and diagnostic decision trees for HVAC systems. A structured approach reduces diagnostic time and prevents repeat failures.

Lesson 4 • HVAC Safety Practices

Addresses lockout/tagout, confined space entry, refrigerant handling, and electrical safety for HVAC. Compliance with safety procedures protects technicians and meets regulatory obligations.