Heating and Cooling Loads in Autodesk Revit MEP 2010: Building Service Type

If you’ve been calculating heating and cooling loads in Revit MEP 2010, you may have wondered how the new Building Service parameter affects the analysis.

Heating and cooling load calculations are affected by variables that are extrapolated from the Building Service type. The most important variable is the Calculation Type, which is set to either Constant Volume, Variable Air Volume, or Radiant.

 

Most of the building service types are Constant Air Volume or Radiant (almost the same). The Variable Air Volume types include the acronym “VAV” in their naming convention. 

There are also smaller characteristics determined by the service type, such as whether Use Reheat or the Fan Configuration (Blow Through or Draw Through) is used. These inputs help determine some of the zone-specific loads.  Currently all of the service types use draw-through as the fan configuration.

 

The following table indicates the Building Service type variables that affect the heating/cooling load calculations.

 

Building Service Type Variables

Building Service Type	Calculation Type				Fan Configuration
	Constant Air Volume	Variable Air Volume	Radiant	Use Reheat	Blow Through	Draw Through
Central Heating: Radiators			x			x
Central Heating: Convectors			x			x
Central Heating:  Radiant Floor			x			x
Central Heating:  Hot Water	x					x
Other Room Heater	x					x
Radiant Heater – Flue			x			x
Radiant Heater – No Flue			x			x
Radiant Heater – Multi-burner			x			x
Forced Convection Heater – Flue	x					x
Forced Convection Heater – No Flue	x					x
VAV – Single Duct		x				x
VAV – Dual Duct		x				x
VAV – Indoor Packaged Cabinet		x				x
VAV – Terminal Reheat		x		x		x
Fan Coil System	x					x
Induction System	x					x
Constant Volume – Fixed OA	x					x
Constant Volume – Variable OA	x					x
Constant Volume – Terminal Reheat	x			x		x
Multi-zone – Hot Deck / Cold Deck	x					x
Constant Volume – Dual Duct	x					x
Radiant Cooled Ceilings			x			x
Active Chilled Beams			x			x
Water Loop Heat Pump	x					x
Variable Refrigerant Flow	x					x
Split System(s) with Natural Ventilation	x					x
Split System(s) with Mechanical Ventilation	x					x
Split System(s) with Mechanical Ventilation with Cooling	x					x

Information in this post provided by Dylan Reid, Martin Schmid and Michael Lavoie

Comments

[Todd M. Shackelford]

Dave,

This is good stuff. keep it coming.

[gabe cottam]

Question, - is there a legend somewhere that will tell us what each of the different colors in the 3D analytical model are referencing?

[PhillyP]

I have not got round to mastering Revit MEP 2010 yet but this post has stoked my interest. Thanks, great work

[central heating installation]

I currently use a woodstove to preheat water for a propane-fired radiant heat system. We are thinking of our next step up the sustainability ladder,

[phentermine]

Well done! I am gratified that you have shared this important news with me. Thanks!