ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a discussion of the identifying basic types of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The discussion includes HVAC system types which provide the normal heating, ventilating, and air conditioning functions in a building as well as systems which provide special ventilation functions such as for smoking lounges and during construction activities. The chapter deals with these systems from a macro perspective. One important fact to remember is that the quantity of outdoor air entering the HVAC equipment will be a function of both the net open area of the outdoor air dampers and the negative pressure with respect to the outdoors that exists in the mixing box. Included in the proper functioning of HVAC systems, therefore, is the requirement of maintaining these systems and the building at appropriate pressures with respect to the outdoors. A typical decentralized HVAC system consists of individual unit ventilators dispersed around the perimeter of the building.
