What Is the Chilled Water Cooling Coil Capacity & Flow Calculator?
The Chilled Water Cooling Coil Capacity & Flow Calculator sizes cooling thermal duties and required hydronic flow rates for HVAC air handling systems.
How Does the Chilled Water Cooling Coil Capacity & Flow Calculator Work?
It computes moist air mass flow rate, evaluates total enthalpy change across the coil, and balances heat transfer against the chilled water loop temperature difference.
Chilled Water Cooling Coil Capacity & Flow Calculator Formula & Variables
The core mathematical equation utilized by this calculator is expressed as:
First law of thermodynamics coupling psychrometric airstream enthalpy drop to hydronic coolant temperature rise.
How to Use the Chilled Water Cooling Coil Capacity & Flow Calculator
- Enter design airflow volume rate in m³/s.
- Specify entering and leaving air dry-bulb temperatures and enthalpies.
- Input chilled water supply and return temperatures.
Step-by-Step Example Calculation
4.5 m³/s Commercial Office AHU Coil
Input Values:
Understanding Your Result
Total Cooling Duty: Overall thermal heat extraction in kW and Tons of Refrigeration (TR).
Sensible Cooling: Heat removal directly responsible for air temperature drop.
Required Water Flow: Hydronic flow rate needed in L/s and US Gallons Per Minute (GPM).
Factors That Affect the Result
- Humid ambient air requires heavy latent cooling, lowering the Sensible Heat Ratio.
- Wider water ΔT reduces required pipe sizes and circulation pumping energy.
When Should You Use This Calculator?
- HVAC air handling unit selection, chiller plant piping sizing, control valve Cv calculations, and retrofit coil audits.
Assumptions & Limitations
- Assumes standard atmospheric air density (1.204 kg/m³) and constant water specific heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Calculation Accuracy & Reference Note
Adheres to ASHRAE Handbook - Fundamentals and AHRI Standard 410.