RESTAURANTS

Improve Indoor Air Quality

and Energy Efficiency

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Restaurant Design
Restaurants present a unique Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and ventilation challenge. A large amount of ventilation air is required for
both customers and the kitchens cooking exhaust. The dining area must also be positively pressurized relative to the kitchen and
restrooms. The restaurants HVAC equipment, therefore, must have adequate humidity control and pressurization to prevent humid
air from affecting customer comfort or causing humidity issues, such as slip & falls or musty odors.
Consequences of
Inadequate Humidity Control

HVAC Design Challenges

Kitchen Area
Ventilation based on cfm of hood exhaust to contain and remove unwanted effluents
Negative pressure relative to dining area to avoid the transfer of odors, heat, etc.
Space conditions at adequate level for productivity
Humidity control to avoid food spoilage, mold/bacteria, and slip & falls

Slip & Falls

Food Spoilage
Mold/Bacteria

Dining Area
Ventilation Air
Ventilation air requirement based on 15 cfm/person or .2 cfm/sqft
Conventional
750 cfm
Kitchen
Positive pressure
relative to the outdoors, kitchen and restrooms
RTU
Exhaustat comfortable level (avoid freezing customers)

Space temperature
3,500 cfm
Humidity control
to avoid slip & falls, musty odors, costly maintenance, condensation on

Energy Consumption
Ventilation Air
3,600 cfm

Toilet

Restaurant Comfort Exhaust

Hood Performance

400 cfm

windows or diffusers

Standard Approach

5,000 cfm

4,250 cfm

Kitchen

3,600 cfm

Dining

Unoccupied mode
3,600 cfm

cfm
Conventional design practices have used separate 3,500
HVAC
systems in dining and kitchen areas. The dining area is often treated
with a packaged DX system that treats mixed air, primarily recirculated with minimal ventilation air. Operation is based on the
space dry bulb temperature only, without regard to humidity.

The kitchen area uses exhaust hoods to remove unwanted effluents from the space. To make up the exhausted air, dedicated units
often supply up to 85% of the required ventilation (make-up) air, with only 15% transferred from adjacent spaces.
This common, but problematic, HVAC design in kitchens sometimes includes the use of internally compensating hoods or air
curtains. While these hoods introduce ventilation air at close proximity to the exhaust hood, this make-up air is untreated and
passes through at high velocities, causing the following problems to arise:

Inadequate hood performance

Insufficient humidity control causing unproductive conditions for kitchen staff and unsafe sanitation in food prep area
Inability to maintain kitchen at negative pressure leading to odor and humidity issues in adjacent areas

Kitchen
Exhaust
3,500 cfm

Ventilation
Kitchen
Intake
2,800 cfm

Ventilation Air
700 cfm
Conventional
RTU

3,500 cfm

Kitchen

2,800 cfm

Ventilation Air
700 cfm
Conventional
RTU

3,500 cfm

2,800 cfm
Dining

Gravity
Relief
Damper

Ventilation Air
700 cfm
Conventional
RTU

3,500 cfm

2,800 cfm

Toilet
Exhaust
400 cfm

AIR TRANSFER

HUMIDITY CONTROL

Ventilation airs velocity has a significant effect on the exhaust

hoods capability to capture and contain unwanted effluents.
Too often hoods and air curtains operate at higher than design
rates of ventilation air, resulting in
a short circuit effect that causes
poor IAQ and reduced C&C rates. To
overcome potential issues, ventilation
air velocity at the hood should be less
than 75 fpm and designers should
supply at least 40% of the required
ventilation air through transfer air.

Controlling humidity in restaurants has proven to be a significant

challenge due to the high quantities of ventilation air required.
Depending on the climate and occupancy load, the quantity of
ventilation air a conventional HVAC unit can treat ranges from
10-15% of the total supply. This limitation can result in the use
of multiple HVAC units to meet the latent load requirements,
oversizing of the equipment, freezing customers, and an increase
in the projects first costs, electrical requirements, structural
reinforcements and utility costs. In contrast, drying the ventilation
air with a dedicated unit allows for smaller cooling units, improved
IAQ and better humidity control throughout the entire facility.

Optimized Approach to Improve IAQ and Reduce Costs

A design approach that introduces treated make-up air and offers powerful humidity control can greatly impact exhaust hood
performance, HVAC sizing and utility costs while also improving worker/food safety and diner comfort.
Designing a dedicated make-up air unit with liquid desiccant technology allows for greater humidity control and lower operating
costs due to the lower dewpoint of the supply air and operating efficiencies associated with these systems (20-40% less energy
costs compared to vapor compression systems). Without the need to overcool the air to remove moisture, liquid desiccant units
deliver optimal air quality with lower operating costs and maintenance. These systems also work as a natural disinfectant, scrubbing
germs from the air and eliminating problematic water sources from wet coils and drip pans.
Furthermore, by incorporating a liquid desiccant system in conjunction with a conventional cooling system to control the air in
the dining area, one can save on operating costs by dehumidifying the space without cooling during unoccupied hours. When
the restaurant is closed, the liquid desiccant system can operate in 100% recirculation mode, dehumidifying the space to protect
furnishings/building integrity, prolong shelf life of food supplies and avoid spikes in humidity during occupied hours.
Conventional
RTU

Kitchen
Exhaust
3,500 cfm

Kitchen

5,000 cfm

Ventilation Air
3,600 cfm

Ventilation Air
750 cfm

4,250 cfm

3,600 cfm

Unoccupied mode
3,600 cfm

Dining

3,500 cfm

Toilet
Exhaust
400 cfm

DTRT

Comparison of Restaurant HVAC Systems

Liability Risk (slip &
falls, mold, bacteria, etc.)

Dedicated Outdoor Advantix Systems

Conventional A/C Air
System (Aaon, Addison)

Operating Costs
HVAC Maintenance

Ventilation
Kitchen
Kitchen
Facility Maintenance
Exhaust
Intake
(Furnishings, Carpets,
etc.)
3,500 cfm
2,800 cfm

First Costs

KEY BENEFITS

Ventilation Air
700 cfm
Conventional
RTU

Ventilation Air
700 cfm
Conventional
RTU

Gravity
Relief
Damper

Decrease liability risk from slip & falls or food spoilage

Increase C&C performance of exhaust hoods
Improve Indoor Air Quality in dining room and kitchen
Achieve greater humidity control for improved
customer
comfort
Ventilation
Air and staff productivity
700
cfm size, Toilet
Reduce
HVAC
electrical and structural requirements
Exhaust
400 cfm during full and part load
Lower operating costs
Conventional

RTUconditions

Sources:
Design Guide 3, Improving Kitchen Ventilation System Performance, Integrating Kitchen Exhaust Systems with Building HVAC, www.fishnick.com
Humidity Control Design Guide, for Commercial and Institutional Buildings, Harriman, Brundrett, Kittler
3,500 cfm 2,800 cfm
3,500 cfm 2,800 cfm
3,500 cfm 2,800 cfm
Kitchen

Dining

HOW IT WORKS

THE THERMODYNAMIC SHORTCUT

Advantix Systems dehumidification & cooling products are

based on liquid desiccants natural removal of moisture from air.
This non-toxic, brine solution
CONDITIONER
dehumidifies, cools, and cleans REGENERATOR
Exhaust Air
Treated Air
REGENERATOR
CONDITIONER
the air in a simultaneous
Exhaust Air
Treated Air
process (Conditioner). Under
normal conditions, the desiccant
does not carryover or need to
be replaced for any reason over
the lifetime of the system. When
heated, the liquid desiccant
Air
Air
releases the collected moisture (to be exhausted)
(to be treated)
Air
Air
to the external environment
(to be exhausted)
(to be treated)
(Regenerator). Liquid desiccant is also a natural disinfectant,
eliminating airborne microorganisms.

Liquid desiccant technology conditions the air

directly, eliminating the rework required of
conventional and solid desiccant systems.
190
85
180
50

45

85

80

90

80

30%

%
50

20%

40%

15

10% REL

HUMIDITY
ATIVE

25

30

35

40

45

15

IA

LA
8% RE

ITY
HUMID
TIVE
15

6%

30%

50

55

60

65

70

75

Chart by: HANDS DOWN SOFTWARE, www.handsdownsoftware.com

80

85

90

DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - F

20%

95

10% REL

80

130

110

60

70

55

60

50

50

45

40

40

30

35
30

20

25

10

100
105
HUMIDITY
ATIVE

110

8% RE
120
6%

115

10
MIDITY 0
E HU
LATIV
125

130

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

Chart by: HANDS DOWN SOFTWARE, www.handsdownsoftware.com

65

70

75

80

65

90
80

60

70
55

60
50

50

45
40
40
30

90

95

100

Solid
Desiccant

35
30

20

25

10

10
0

20

4%

85

70

100

2%
20

75

120

20

4%

2%

10

20

25

60

40%

20

25

15

10

25

70

60

50

20

65

90

Liquid
Desiccant Solid
Desiccant

30

70

100

140

DEW POINT TEMPERATURE - F

90

Liquid
Desiccant

70

25

H2 O
Captured

OA

35

30

80

150

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

110

Conventional
Cooling Coil
Conventional
Cooling Coil
IA

Liquid Desiccant

160
75

120

DEW POINT TEMPERATURE - F

OA

40

35

H2 O
Captured

170

140
130

Liquid Desiccant

Thermal
Energy

180

45

40

Liquid Desiccant

190

80

150

>
>
>
>
>
>

>
>
>
>
>
>

Thermal
Energy

200

170
160

>
>
>
>
>
>

>
>
>
>
>
>
Liquid Desiccant

200
50

105

110

115

120

125

130

DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - F

For more information on Advantix Systems liquid desiccant dehumidification systems,

visit www.advantixsystems.com or contact us at sales@advantixsystems.com /
888.818.5171

RES-APG-AE-011 2013-03

www.advantixsystems.com