ASHRAE Journal

Direct Expansion

Applying DX Equipment In Humid Climates

By Steve Doty, P.E. Associate Member ASHRAE

he DX dilemma is the loss of humidity control caused by the combination of natural cycling of direct expansion (DX) equipment and constant outside air ventilation. This article presents a simplified method of applying standard DX equipment systems in humid climates to predict humidity control effectiveness and to reduce the risk of humidity damage, including mold and mildew.
units. However, many projects have budget constraints that preclude their use. Reheat also works well, but adds an energy penalty. When systems of choice are ruled out due to cost, the engineers must do the best they can with the typical lower cost DX equipment. This article addresses that situation: constant volume, singlepath mixed air systems, using rooftop or split DX equipment. (Note: Some systems and equipment close off outside air whenever the compressors are not running as a strategy to improve humidity control. These systems do not meet ANSI/ ASHRAE Standard 62-1999, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality guidelines and are not recommended.)

Many software programs can determine the moisture loads in the space. The method presented here goes beyond the load calculations by evaluating equipment selections to see how they are matched to their moisture load. A spreadsheet compares the full-load and partload moisture intake rate of the system with the corresponding moisture removal rates for the equipment, and then rates the performance of the system on a scale of 1 to 10 based on moisture balance. A score of 5 indicates a balance of moisture in vs. moisture out, and should be the minimum acceptable score for a successful design. Scores of 5 or higher are considered acceptable for moisture control. The spreadsheet algorithms do not calculate relative humidity but will provide good indicators of humidity control and will alert the designer to systems likely to succeed as well as systems likely to have problems. The value of the spreadsheet is the ability to compare the dehumidification performance of different equipment during the design phase, and to avoid choosing one that will have humidity problems. (See sidebar, Basis of Calculations, Page 33). Other HVAC systems can provide better year-round humidity control than conventional DX equipment, such as VAV , face and bypass, and preconditioning
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The Problem The region identified by ASHRAE as a subtropical microclimate has a high number of annual wet-bulb hours and poses unique challenges to HVAC system designers. Climate references made in this article describe the central Florida area. However, other areas within the subtropical zone will behave in a similar fashion. In humid climates, with outdoor temperatures above 55F or 60F (13C or 16C), the outside air contains a significant amount of moisture. For example, a sensible design day in Orlando, Fla., (92F [33C] db/79F [26C] wb) has a

moisture level of 126 grains per lb (18 g/ kg). A dew point design day in Orlando has a dry-bulb temperature of 83F (28C) but a moisture level of 142 grains per lb (20 g/kg) (see 1997 ASHRAE HandbookFundamentals, Page 26.9). This is significant because the maximum moisture load occurs when the sensible loads are reduced. Another significant weather point in the Orlando area is a typical spring morning, which often is 75F (24C) dry bulb and 90% RH. The significance of this weather point is that the sensible loads through the building envelope are nearly zero (outside air temp = inside air temp), while the outside air intake has nearly the same moisture content as the design day. Sizing of DX equipment is critical, and most designers know that over-sizing should be avoided. Even so, this garden variety DX equipment application often results in excessive space humidity and subsequent mold and mildew damage due to the natural system operation with moderate-temperature, highhumidity part load conditions. This is especially true if the outside air represents a significant portion of the total supply airstream. To control humidity, the moisture removal rate must equal the amount of moisture being introduced into the space. Moisture sources include indoor and outdoor sources. The outdoor source is outside air, while indoor sources include people, plants, food, cooking, etc. In commercial applications where outside air intake is continuous, cooling equipment cycles off and on in response to a thermostat, which

About the Author Steve Doty, P.E., lives in Colorado Springs, CO, with 15 years prior HVAC design experience in humid climates.
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creates periods where the outside air and its moisture load enter the building unchallenged, raising humidity levels. This condition is amplified during moderatetemperature, high-humidity part load conditions, because the cooling equipment runs for shorter periods. Additionally, the capacity of the cooling equipment increases at the lower outdoor ambient temperatures, further reducing the run-time required to satisfy the thermostat. The standard DX system provides its best humidity control at full occupancy on a sensible design day, and provides progressively less humidity control as the sensible load drops off. tions. Next, determine the actual DX equipment capacity (sensible and latent) at the maximum and minimum conditions of the model. This usually requires that the manufacturer run the equipment selection at both sets of indoor and outdoor conditions. (Note: The success of this method often requires several iterations of equipment selections before a good fit is found. It is important to choose a manufacturers rep. who has patience.) Finally, compare the equipment capacities to the loads. This is where the whatif equipment combinations are put to the test. Systems with predicted performance of 5 or higher are considered viable, with the higher values being preferred. See sample spreadsheet, where several options were explored and a system chosen. sensible and latent equipment capacities to the loads they serve, both at part-load and full-load states. 2. This method is intended for DX systems with low percentages of outside air. High outside air percentages (more than 20% to 25%) will tend to have humidity problems in any event. In these cases, other systems or supplemental O/A preconditioning systems should be considered. 3. This method uses actual equipment performance numbers, and so any changes in conditions (including design changes and substitutions) will affect the results.

The Simplified Solution/Method First, define the maximum and minimum sensible and latent loads. This is done using load calculations at full load, and then re-running the loads with reduced internal loads and modifying the weather data to reAflect a moderate but clammy day like 75F (24C) and 90% RH. In other words, simulate the low sensible load conditions that create the DX dilemma. The assumption is made that if the system works at both extremes, it will work adequately between the two condi-

Limitations 1. Determining percent run-time or moisture removal rate is straightforward. However, determining the resulting relative humidity is a very complex subject. This spreadsheet does not predict actual space relative humidity. What this spreadsheet does is provide performance indicators, by relating ratios of

Conclusions The DX dilemma is the natural tendency of DX systems to lose control of space humidity in humid climates where there is continuous outside air ventilation. Since this system is normally applied in the commodity segment of the design market, design fees are low and the problem is even more of a dilemma. The method presented in this article provides a quick means to compare humidity control performance of different equipment combinations during partload and full-load conditions.

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Basis of Calculations
To make a fair assessment of humidity control, there must be consideration of all sources of moisture sources and sinks, including people, plants, food and beverages, spillage, processes, infiltration, outside air. For spaces cooled by DX equipment, moisture removal rate and percentage of run time are also determining factors. The most confounding part of humidity control predictions is that each component is dynamic. Refer to the psychrometric chart, and compare the three points shown. On a sensible design day, the dry-bulb temperature is the highest. Under this outside air condition, the space will experience the greatest sensible gains through the building envelope (skin load) and the greatest overall load. This value is used to determine the units total capacity. On a dew point design day, the moisture content of the outside air at its highest. Under this outside air condition, the outside air and infiltration components of the system moisture load will be its highest. The dry-bulb temperature is still above the room temperature, so there is still some amount of sensible gains through the building envelope. So, while the moisture load is at its peak, the run time (based on sensible gains) is at an intermediate value. On a Yardstick Test Point day, the moisture content of the outside air is similar to, but slightly less than, a design day. The outside air dry-bulb temperature is equal to the inside temperature (assuming a 75F [24C] thermostat setpoint) so the sensible gains through the building envelope are practically eliminated. The exact evaluation of dehumidification performance would require exhaustive analysis including weather conditions of a design day, a dew point design day, points in between and other points when cooling is active. Each of these points would then be evaluated at the different percentages of internal loads that could occur. The proposed yardstick method used in the spreadsheet makes assumptions to eliminate variables and simplify the design process. The outside air yardstick test point is used in the part load HVAC load calculations because it eliminates the skin load effect on equipment run time. In practice DX systems do a poor job of controlling humidity at this condition, because if moisture is in the air and the thermostat is not calling, the outside air comes in unchallenged. Other assumptions made include the following: a) Thermostat control, no humidistat, no reheat cycle. b) Re-evaporation of moisture from the DX coil, when the compressor is turned off, is ignored. c) If the chosen system has a balance of moisture-in vs. moisture-out (score of 5 or higher) for both full load and part load, then it is assumed to control humidity adequately for outside air conditions in between.
*F to C= 32 5 9 gr/lb to g/kg = 0.143 32 ASHRAE Journal
Dewpoint Design Day Yardstick Test Point

Humidity Ratio lbw /lba 80% 60% 0.025 0.020 40% 0.015 0.010 20% 0.005

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

Dry Bulb Temperature F *

Psychrometric chart for altitude of 0 ft and pressure of 29.92 in. Hg. (7444 kPa). Algorithms used in the spreadsheet: (A) SLOADFULL = Full Load Sensible Coil Load (B) SLOADPART = Part Load Sensible Coil Load (C) LLOADFULL = Full Load Latent Coil Load (D) LLOADPART = Part Load Latent Coil Load (E) SCAPFULL = Full Load Sensible Capacity at 95F (35C) ambient (F) SCAPPART = Part Load Sensible Capacity at 75F (24C) ambient (G) LCAPFULL = Full Load Latent Capacity at 95F (35C) ambient (H) LCAPPART = Part Load Latent Capacity at 75F (24C) ambient (I) RTIME FULL = Full Load Run Time = (SLOAD FULL)/ (SCAPFULL) (J) RTIME PART = Part Load Run Time = (SLOAD PART)/ (SCAPPART) (K) MR-EFFECTIVEFULL= Full Load Moisture Removal Effectiveness = (RTIMEFULL LCAPFULL) / LLOADFULL (L) MR-EFFECTIVEPART =Part Load Moisture Removal Effectiveness = (RTIMEPART LCAPPART) / LLOADPART (M) MR-SCOREFULL= Full Load Moisture Removal Score = 1) If MR-EFFECTIVEFULL >1, then MR-SCOREFULL = 5.0 + [(1 MR-EFFECTIVEFULL) 2.5] 2) If MR-EFFECTIVEFULL <1, then MR-SCOREFULL = 5.0 + [(1 MR-EFFECTIVEFULL) 5.0] (N) MR-SCOREPART= Part Load Moisture Removal Score = 1) If MR-EFFECTIVEPART >1, then MR-SCOREPART = 5.0 + [(1 MR-EFFECTIVEPART) 2.5] 2) If MR-EFFECTIVEPART <1, then MR-SCOREPART = 5.0
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DX Dilemma: Equipment performance comparison.

CHOOSE

CHOOSE

+ [(1 MR-EFFECTIVEPART) 5.0] (O) Explanation of items M and N (moisture removal scoring system): The calculation uses a scale of 1 to 10, with a baseline of 5.0. The basis for the scoring is the moisture removal effectiveness factor. The scoring is increased or decreased from the center point of 5.0 based on this factor. (P) For systems with a deficit in moisture removal effectiveness (MR-EFFECTIVE <1), the negative scoring will be calculated as a straight-line interpolation between 5.0 and 0.0, based on the deficiency amount. The algorithm assumes that the under-capacity of the dehumidification

appliance will have a direct effect on the space humidity. For systems with a surplus in moisture removal effectiveness (MR-EFFECTIVE >1), the positive scoring will be calculated as a 0.5 weighted straight line interpolation between 5.0 and 10.0, based on the surplus amount. The algorithm assumes that the over-capacity of the dehumidification appliance will have a direct effect on the space humidity, but will be selflimiting because the vapor drive through the building envelope will increase as the space tries to get drier. The assumption is made that only half of the apparent reduction in space humidity will be realized for this reason. Therefore, one of the terms has a 2.5 factor instead of 5.0.

*F to C= 32 5 9
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