Research

Current Previous

Current Research

Development of Safe Building Technologies

Building HVAC systems are a leading candidate for the deployment of emerging chemical and biological sensors. The current generation of HVAC equipment, however, has not been designed for containment or mitigation of the contaminants resulting from a chemical or biological attack. Plans are underway to integrate the ongoing development of HVAC simulation technologies at OSU with enhanced building automation and security hardware. The Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Laboratory for secure building systems will figure prominently in the development of the next generation of HVAC automation and security systems. It will be used to develop simulation models, system response protocols and HVAC components for the next generation of secure building systems.

ASHRAE RP-1282 Lighting Heat Gain Distribution in Buildings

The energy dissipated by lights is a significant contributor to the space heat gain and the space cooling load in many commercial buildings. To account for the heat gain due to lights, both of ASHRAE's new cooling load calculation procedures require two lighting heat gain parameters, the conditioned space/ceiling plenum split and the radiative/convective split, as input data. However, existing data are limited and may be obsolete due to recent advancements in lighting technologies. The current project addresses the need to provide relevant lighting heat gain parameters for a range of common luminaires. The primary objective of the study is therefore to accurately measure these lighting heat gain parameters under realistic operating conditions in a full-scale experimental room. An additional objective is to provide the experimental results in a format that can be readily applied to the ASHRAE cooling load procedures.

Optimal A/C cycles for 21^st Century Refrigerants

This project consists of a joint effort between the York Advanced Technology Group and the Building Environmental and Thermal Systems Research Group (BETSRG) in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University. The two groups bring complementary expertise and resources to the project and will work closely together in a synergistic research environment to develop innovative unitary air conditioning equipment that uses advanced and natural refrigerants. Project duration 10/2002-10/2005.

Simulation of Ground Source Heat Pump Systems

For several years, we have been developing models for ground loop heat exchangers, heat pumps, and other related components. These models are aimed at being used in component-based modular simulation environments such as TRNSYS or HVACSIM+.

The Geothermal Smart Bridge

Research into the geothermal smart bridge is ongoing at Oklahoma State University, with the close cooperation of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The project is aimed at the development of a bridge deck heating system to eliminate preferential icing.

Standing Column Well Design and Modeling

Standing column wells are used for direct (i.e. open-loop) heat exchange with the earth. The objectives of this project include studying the characteristics of standing column wells for the purposes of establishing firm guidelines for their siting and design; developing analysis tools to strengthen these guidelines and to provide the basis for computer codes which can supply ready prediction of required well depth; and outline field tests which can provide monitoring data to verify the codes.

Previous Research

Experimental Validation of the Heat Balance and Radiant Time Series Cooling Load Calculation Procedures ASHRAE 1117-RP

Two full scale test cells will experimentally determine room heat extraction rates under various environmental and operating conditions. The measured sensible cooling load will be compared to the load predicted by heat balance and RTS calculation procedures.

Development of a Modular, Loop-Based, HVAC System Simulation

The EnergyPlus HVAC simulation environment is under developed as a hybrid implementation of component based and system based environments. A �fluid loop�, which is an abstract representation of a piping or duct system, will provide the structural framework characteristic of system based models.

In Situ Measurement of Ground Thermal Properties

Determination of the ground's thermal conductivity is a significant challenge facing designers of Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems applied in commercial buildings. The number of boreholes and the depth and cost of each borehole are highly dependent on the ground thermal properties.

Evaluation of the Effects of Groundwater Flow on Closed Loop Ground Source Heat Pump Systems

Aquifer flows are widely thought to have a beneficial effect on closed loop ground source heat pump systems. However, there has been little, if any work done to quantify the effects of the groundwater flow.

Energy Analysis of the Williams Center

The Bank of Oklahoma Tower, part of the Williams Center, a 52 story multipurpose building located in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. The goal of this project is to investigate system modifications that would be economically feasible and result in lower energy costs.

Development of an Analytical Verification Test Suite for Whole Building Energy Simulation Programs - Building Fabric ASHRAE 1052-RP

This project involves the development of an analytical test suite, covering a variety of heat transfer mechanisms, for use in validating building simulation programs.

Development of a Two-Dimensional Transient Model of Snow-Melting Systems, and Use of the Model for Analysis of Design Alternatives ASHRAE 1090-RP

The objective of this project was to develop a 2-D transient model of a snow-melting system; develop a library of storms; use the model with both steady-state data and actual storms to perform a parametric analysis of heat input requirements for various configurations, weather conditions, and free area ratios.

Comparison of Cooling Load Calculation Methods (ASHRAE 942-RP)

This project was the first joint CIBSE-ASHRAE research project. The objective was to study the differences between current UK and US cooling load calculation methods.

Cold Air Distribution in a Factory Built Home
Over the last three decades development of energy conservation measures for residential buildings have focused on measures that have been most applicable to colder climates where heating requirements dominate the residential energy budget. These measures while generally beneficial, do not address some of the energy related building and system design issues important in the varied climates of Oklahoma.