ComfortAir® HVAC Software

Overview of ComfortAir® HVAC Software

The Need for a Comprehensive Heating and Air Conditioning Load Analysis Tool.
There was a time when the only people who would probably have an interest in the heating and air conditioning loads of a building were the engineers designing those systems. Furthermore, it was unlikely that their interest would go beyond having just the peak loads, because that was sufficient to enable them to size the equipment for the buildings. In the world of today, where the efficient use of energy in buildings is a major design and operational objective, the engineer needs to know more than just the peak loads in order to optimize his or her design. Hourly air conditioning loads are required for example, in the design of thermal storage A/C systems where the capacity of the storage in ton-hours (or kilowatt-hours) has to be determined. As another example, hourly loads are also required in order to estimate the energy consumption of an air conditioning system over a specific time period.

Today we are also seeing other professional groups such as architects, energy auditors and building managers taking an increasing interest in the air conditioning and heating loads of buildings. The architect may need to keep abreast of the load contributions made by various building elements such as the roof, windows or walls as the design of the building progresses. That way, adjustments to enhance the energy efficiency of the building can be made in a timely manner. The energy auditor, assessing the energy use in an existing building, will also need to obtain a detailed breakdown of the air conditioning loads on an hourly and monthly basis. With this information, the energy consumption, based on the part load characteristics of the equipment, can be determined.

An ordinary HVAC software, which can only calculate the peak load of a building or zone, cannot satisfy the requirements exemplified above. What is really needed is an application that can deliver a much more detailed analysis of the loads, not only on an hourly and monthly basis, but also on the bases of the sources of the loads and how they enter the space. What is needed is an analytical tool such as the ComfortAir software.

What is ComfortAir?
ComfortAir has been developed as a heating and air conditioning load analysis application, with the needs of the engineer, architect, energy auditor, building manager and contractor in mind. Whether the need is to obtain a summary report for the peak conditions, or to obtain detailed hourly information in graphical or tabular forms, ComfortAir will have the required information readily available. There is a rich array of useful reports and graphs which can be viewed. This includes cooling reports, cooling graphs, heating report, glass shading reports and glass shading graphs.

But the ability to provide detailed cooling and heating load information is not the only noteworthy attribute of ComfortAir. The application is also extremely easy to use and it is very flexible. The user friendliness is enhanced by the provision of two wizards and three dialogs which greatly simplify the normally complex and lenghty tasks of data entry. Another wizard, which is always accessible when you need it, is also available to offer you valuable assistance in carrying out the routine task of calculating U-values.

The flexibility of the application is demonstrated in its ability to allow the user to work either in English or Metric units. In fact, both input and output units can be selected independently, and it is easy to switch units at any time while working on a project. In addition, because ComfortAir was developed as a multiple document interface (MDI) application, several projects can be opened and worked on simultaneously.

• For Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP
  
  
• The ComfortAir HVAC Software was designed to be used by engineers, architects, contractors and energy auditors for calculating, assessing and analysing heating and air conditioning loads in commercial buildings.
  
  
• Input and output units can be set independently to English or Metric units.
  
  
• Database contains weather data and other necessary data from 1,071 weather stations in 110 countries throughout the world, thus making the software applicable to virtually any city or locality in the world.
  
  
• The ComfortAir HVAC Software is very user-friendly and powerful. All project data entries and other routine tasks such as U-value calculation, are carried out using wizards and dialogs. This ensures accuracy, completeness and unbelievable ease in using the product.
  
  
• Whether you just need to have a summary report for peak conditions, or you require more indepth information for elaborate project analysis and design, ComfortAir HVAC Software will deliver what you are looking for. With Version 3.2 or later, you can now copy ComfortAir output tables and reports, and paste them into other Windows applications such as Excel and Word, for further processing and documentation. Program output includes:
  
  
  • Peak cooling load summary report for entire building or space.
    
    
  • Heating load summary report for entire building or space.
    
    
  • Tables and line graphs of hourly cooling loads for all months (cooling load profile), for the space and for individual building elements such as roof, windows, walls, etc. . Cooling load profiles are also available for individual heat sources such as solar radiation, conduction, infiltration, occupants, etc. A graphical cooling load profile example is shown in the diagram above.
    
    
  • Tables and line graphs of hourly glass areas in direct sunshine for all months, for different orientations. This information will indicate the effectiveness of external shading devices such as fins and overhangs.
    
    
  • Tables and line graphs of hourly percentage glass areas in direct sunshine for all months, for different orientations. This information will also indicate the effectiveness of external shading devices such as fins and overhangs.

  
  ComfortAir HVAC Software was developed as multiple document interface (MDI) allowing the user to open and work on several projects simultaneously.
  
  Context Sensitive Help system, illustrated with diagrams where appropriate, provides task related information on the click of a button.

Features of ComfortAir® HVAC Software

• Units Flexibility - ComfortAir is probably the only software of its kind that can be configured to work in either English or Metric units. The user only has to select the preferred units from the Options menu to configure the application according to his or her requirements. Furthermore, input units and output units can be selected independently, thus allowing users to work with the input units of their choice, and then generate output reports, tables and graphs in whatever units their clients prefer. International consultants will love this flexibility.
  
  
• ComfortAir is User-Friendly and Powerful - Another noteworthy feature of ComfortAir is its user-friendliness, which is the result of several factors:
  
  
  • First, the program was developed as a multiple document interface (MDI) type of application, which has the same type of architecture as many popular Windows applications. This makes it very easy for one to learn how to use ComfortAir. Of course, the MDI architecture also means that with ComfortAir, you can work on several projects simultaneously.
    
    
  • Secondly, ComfortAir provides a helpful set of dialogs and wizards, which painlessly guide the user through the tasks of entering project data and completing other important processes. Without these wizards, data entry for example, could prove to be a long and tedious process, prone to errors and omissions. However, with the use of the wizards, these problems are significantly reduced and project data can be entered with greater accuracy, speed and comfort.
    
    
  • Thirdly, ComfortAir provides output in three different formats. These are (1) summary reports for peak conditions, (2) tabular reports giving loads for every hour of the day for every month of the year, and (3) graphs which show hourly load profiles, also glass areas and percentage glass areas in direct sunshine as the day progresses. One instance in which the hourly load tables can be useful is in doing ton-hour (kilowatt-hour) calculations for sizing thermal storage air conditioning systems for energy conservation purposes. In any situation, the user can examine results for the entire building, or for individual building elements such as the roof, the windows, and the walls; or for individual heat sources such as the lights, the occupants, infiltration, solar radiation, etc.; or for whatever he or she needs to focus on. In this way for example, architects who design energy efficient buildings can keep abreast of the contributions made by various building elements to the air conditioning loads, and make timely changes to maximise the energy efficiency of the building as the design progresses. Engineering and Architecture students will find the capability of detailed analysis, a very useful tool in learning how fins, overhangs, different building materials, and just about any building feature, impact on the overall cooling load of a building.
• Context-Sensitive Help - ComfortAir has the standard context-sensitive Help system, which on the click of a button, provides the user with ready information on the action currently being taken. The information provided by the Help system is also illustrated by diagrams where appropriate, to further promote the user friendliness of the application. The Help system also provides quick start information and a handy tutorial to teach new users how to use the software quickly and effectively.
  
  
• ComfortAir is Applicable Worldwide - ComfortAir contains weather and other necessary data for 1,071 cities and localities in 110 countries across the globe. This means that the application can be used for virtually any location in the world. The user only has to click on the name of the city in which the project building is located and all the necessary data for that city becomes available and automatically used in the calculations.
  
  
• Load Calculation Methodology - The load calculation methodology used by ComfortAir, is based on ASHRAE's CLTD/CLF method, which uses cooling load temperature difference and cooling load factors. Note that ComfortAir is a single-zone application. If the project building consists of more than one zone, the application is run separately for each zone.

More Info   $309

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