Heat load is the amount of heat that must be removed from a space to control its temperature. It is determined by various factors such as location, usage, appliances, materials, and weather conditions. Heat load calculations can be done manually or with software to choose an appropriate air conditioner.
A heat load is a calculated heat quantity used to determine the size of an air conditioner needed to effectively control the temperature in a building or space. Essentially, the term heat load refers to the amount of heat that must be removed from any space in a given period to meet the user’s needs. This thermal characteristic of buildings or individual rooms is the product of numerous structural, environmental and usage factors which all must be considered. Very few individual spaces will exhibit identical thermal properties, so heat load calculations should ideally be done for each individual air-conditioned area. Heat load calculations can be performed manually using tables of known values or by using heat load calculation software.
The thermal characteristics of any space are a complex combination of many factors. The location of the space, its usage, the number of people using it, and the number and type of appliances within the area all play a role. Rarely will two identical spaces, even if directly adjacent to each other, produce the same load. For example, a bedroom that houses three children each with their own computer will have a different heat load than the identical bedroom of a single young adult right next door. This would be particularly noticeable if one of the rooms received direct sunlight most of the day.
The materials used in the construction of the space, the number of windows and doors in the space, and the prevailing weather conditions play a significant role in defining thermal loads. The single largest contributor to any area’s heat gain is solar radiation. Whether the area receives direct sunlight and how long each day are important variables in heat load calculations. The number of exterior doors and windows also plays an important role. The materials used in construction and the type of insulation are also critical considerations.
The thermal loads are also influenced by the number of people who regularly inhabit a room. The number and type of electrical appliances regularly operating in the space are also essential parts of the calculation. If the space is used as a storage area, the type and amount of materials stored and the materials of which they are stored should be included in any heat gain estimate. This is particularly important when calculating the heat load for freezers and cold rooms.
Thermal load calculations can be performed manually or with software applications. Manual estimates require tables listing known mean values for the thermal latency of commonly encountered variables. Thermal loads are expressed as a British Thermal Unit (BTU) value and each item on the chart has its own BTU signature. These are added together to arrive at a total BTU rating for the space and an air conditioner with a suitable rating chosen. This allows heating and air conditioning units to be adapted to the application requirements, thus preventing over- or under-rated systems.
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