Time Schedule:
Keith Elder
M E 425
Seattle Campus
Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning of built environment. Human comfort, psychometric processes, load computations, fluid distribution, and controls. Design analysis of HVAC system is taught in the lectures and applied in the class project. Prerequisite: M E 323; M E 331.
Class description
The focus of the course is application of the engineering skills students have already learned in their core classes. Air Conditioning design requires some understanding of thermodynamics, fluids, heat transfer, and systems dynamics. Breadth, not depth is the emphasis, as students learn to apply this knowledge to design problems.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
The course is not taught with a traditional textbook, but uses the standard industry reference: "ASHRAE Handbook of Funamentals." Basic course topics are covered Monday through Wednesday, with Friday reserved for design and industry-related topics.
In addition to the academic subjects, special industry sessions in the past have included lectures such as: Introduction to Consulting Engineering Marketing of professional services Design phases and design relationships Introduction to codes Ethics for consulting engineers Sustainable design in the built environment Employment opportunities in consulting engineering
All lectures and design sessions ultimately are aimed at developing the student's skills sufficiently to complete the course design project: An environmental control system for a project currently under design by a local architect.
Recommended preparation
Recent familiarity with principles of heat transfer and fluids will be an asset. General principles and application will be emphasis, not mathematics.
Class assignments and grading
Non-textbook homework problems developed by the instructor, plus preliminary and final submittals of design project.
40% exam, 20% homework, 40% project.
