Air System Basics

Air handling systems have been designed, and installed in nearly every building currently in use and will be utilized in almost every building design still on the drawing board today. Air systems in buildings are used principally as a means to transport energy or to remove contaminants although their functions are actually much more complex than these restricted definitions. The energy required for the movement of air for these purposes represents one of the largest categories of electrical consumption in most modern facilities. Thus, a fundamental knowledge of the physics underlying the function and operation of air handling systems is vital to every practicing HVAC engineer today.