Is there a risk of condensation as cool supply air flows over the thermal mass of the structural slab?
In humid climates, outside air must be properly dehumidified before delivering supply air to the underfloor plenum where condensation may occur on the cool structural slab surfaces. While humidity control of this sort is not difficult, due to the large surface area of the structural slab in the underfloor plenum it is important that it be done correctly. If a higher cooling coil temperature is used (allowing an increased chiller efficiency) to produce the warmer supply air temperatures needed in UFAD systems, the cooling coils capacity to dehumidify will be reduced. To achieve the required higher supply air temperatures while still maintaining humidity control the following approach, called side-stream bypass, is often used. Cooling coil temperatures are typically in the range of 10-13C (50-55F) for dehumidification purposes. Only the incoming outside air and a portion of the return air is dehumidified (minimum amount needed for humidity control). The remaining return air is bypassed a
Related Questions
- Are there any problems with condensation with TermoDeck, especially in hot climates, as the supply air temperature could be as low as 13-14 degree C when entering the hollow core slab?
- Why does your air conditioner disburse an initial blast of warm air before cool air flows out?
- What is the normal cool supply air temperature of a healthy air-conditioner?
