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168 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back

absorptivity

the property of a material's surface by which it acquires radiant energy from another body

british thermal unity (btu)

the quantity of heat energy required to raise one pound of water one degree fahrenheit at a specified temperature

conduction

a process of heat transfer within a material or between two materials in contact, by communication of the kinetic energy (motion) from particle to particle without a net displacement of particles, requires physical contact

conductance (C)

the rate of heat flow through a single material of specified thickness

conductivity (k)

the rate of heat flow through a single material per inch of thickness

convection

a process of heat transfer between a solid material and a moving fluid, requires a fluid medium

emissivity

the property of a material's surface by which it transmits radiant energy to another body

enthalpy

the sum of sensible heat plus latent heat, also called 'total heat'

film coefficient

a coefficient that accounts for the conductive heat transfer that takes place at the inside (fi) and outside (fo) surfaces of an assembly

heat

the kinetic energy associated with random motion of the molecules, atoms and sub-atomic particles that compose matter

heat transfer

the transfer of heat (the kinetic energy associated with the random motion of the molecules, atoms and sub-atomic particles that compose matter) from on material to another

infiltration

air leakage into a building

latent heat

heat released or absorbed as matter changes its state or phase

radiant flux

rate of transfer (by either absorption of emission) of radiant energy

radiation

a process of heat transfer by electromagnetic waves or particles, does not require a material medium

relative humidity

the ratio of the amount of water vapor present in the air to the maximum amount possible at the same temperature, expressed as a percentage

resistance (R)

a materials ability to retard heat transfer for a specified thickness

resistivity (r)

a materials ability to retard heat transfer per one inch of thickness

sensible heat

heat energy that we can observe and measure directly

specific heat

the number of btu's required tor raise one pound of a material one degree fahrenheit

stack effect

rising warm air creates a positive pressure as it tries to expand, warm air will push out and cold air will flow into the lower part of the space replacing it

stagnation

a condition in which warm air collects at the top of a space and stops the circulation of air currents

temperature

the method used to quantify the level of energy in a medium

ton of air conditioning

the unit used to express refrigeration loads, one ton is the equivalent amount of energy required to convert one ton of ice at 32 degrees fahrenheit to one ton of water at 32 degrees fahrenheit in 24 hours, which is equal to 12,000 btuh, or 288,000 btu per day

transmissivity

the property of a material that allows radiant energy to pass through it

u-value

the calculated conductance of an assembly including radiation and convection in internal cavities and conductance at the inside and outside surfaces of the assembly

isolation

radiant heat gain through glazing materials

mean radiant temperature

the weighted average of the temperature of all the surfaces visible from a given point

passive solar building

a building intentionally designed to collect energy from sunlight, store energy in the thermal mass of the building, and release it as heat when it is needed

shading coefficient

a coefficient that accounts for the effect of shades, draperies and blinds in reducing solar radiation

solar constant

the amount of the sun's radiant energy falling on one square foot of a plane perpendicular to the sun's rays outside of the atmosphere, 429.2 btuh/ft sq.

thermal mass

in a passive solar building, a dense solid, liquid in a container, or phase change material, strategically located to collect energy in the form of sunlight and store it as heat, the stored heat energy is released at a later time when it is when it is needed

trombe wall

an indirect gain passive solar system, where glazing is placed several inches in front of a mass wall

biogas

a system that converts biological materials into methane gas using an anaerobic microbial digestion process

boiler (steam or hot water)

a furnace that usually uses fossil fuel to heat water in a heat exchanger and pumps to circulate either hot water of steam through a building

chiller (refrigeration machine)

a machine that uses the refrigeration cycle to cool a medium for use in air conditioning

damper

a device located within a duct or terminal device used to adjust the rate of air flow to match the design criteria

commissioning

a process done during project closeout by which an independent agent verifies that all the building systems are performing in accordance with their design criteria

diffuser

a terminal device in an HVAC system that controls the volume and distribution of tempered air introduced into a room

electric resistance heating

a heating system that produces heat through the electrical resistance in a heating element

fan coil unit

a room heating and air conditioning unit that contains a water to air heat air exchanger and a circulating fan

fan-powered box

a mixing box in a variable air volume system that contains a fan to increase the rate of air flow

forced air furnace

a furnace that usually uses fossil fuel to heat air in a heat exchanger and a fan to move air through a duct system in a building

geothermal system

a heating system that takes its energy from underground reservoirs such as geothermal springs, common in areas with active volcanic geology

general gas law

a law that states the relationship between the pressure, volume, and temperature of a gas: PV/T = r




P=pressure


V=volume


T=temperature


r= a constant

ground water source heat pump

a water source heat pump that extracts heat and cold from deep water aquifers. it gets its efficiency from the thermal stability of the aquifer, which allows the equipment to be designed for optimum operation in a very narrow temperature range

heat pump

a heating and air conditioning unit that uses the refrigeration cycle to provide both heat and air conditioning

hydronic heating

water or steam circulated through convective baseboards, radiators, fan-coil units or radiant ceilings and floors by a circulator pump

ice storage cooling

an air conditioning strategy that uses refrigeration equipment to manufacture ice that is later used for air conditioning; it is advantageous when it can take advantage of energy that would otherwise be wasted, or electricity that is generated at a favorable rate periods in the electric utilities daily cycle

mixing box

equipment in a variable air volume system that is supplied with both heated and cooled air; heated and cooled air are mixed within the box at a ratio required to meet the thermostat setting, before being supplied to a room or zone

performance-based code

a code that regulates by defining minimum performance criteria for a material, product or system

plenum

an air filled space within a structure, especially one that is part of the air distribution system

prescriptive code

a code that regulates by specifying materials and assemblies

radiant heating (cooling)

a heating (cooling) system that uses radiant heat transfer to deliver heat (cold) to a room or space

refrigeration cycle

the cycle of the refrigeration machine that utilizes the physical process described by the general gas law (PV/T=r) and the property of latent heat to extract sensible heat from room air and release it to the outside air

return air

the hvac terminal device that removes air from a room or space and returns it to the heating and cooling equipment, or the returning air stream itself

variable air volume system

an hvac system in which both heated and cooled air is delivered to each room or zone, where it is combined by a mixing box in a ratio determined by the zone controls, to deliver air of the appropriate temperature to the zone

catch basins

a reservoir for collecting and retaining large amounts of surface storm water runoff from a large area, and in which sediments may settle out of the water

cess pool

an underground reservoir for disposal of raw sewerage, consisting of a masonry or concrete tank with openings that allow the liquid to slowly leech into the soil

chlorination

a water treatment process that kills bacteria and animal organisms in the water by adding chloride compounds - sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), calcium hypochlorite (Ca[ClO]2)

cleanout

a fitting with a removable plug located at strategic points along a soil line, which permits a plumber to clean or "snake" an obstructed or clogged line

detention base

man-made depressions or impoundments that collect large amounts of storm water runoff and slowly discharge it to natural watercourses; prevent flooding in periods of intense precipitation

downfeed water supply

a water supply system that pumps water from the public utility service to a tank in the penthouse or on the roof of the building, and uses the pressure of gravity to move the water vertically and horizontally through the building

effluent

sewerage and water water discharged into the environment, the outflow of a sewerage treatment system

fixture unit

a unit of quantity of liquid discharge used to size waste and soil pipes; every fixture has a number assigned based on the quantity of liquid discharged into the drain; the diameter of the line is determined from a nomogram, based on the sum of fixture units on the line

fluoridation

fluoride compounds added in the water treatment process to prevent tooth decay - sodium fluoride (NaF), hexafluorosilicic acid (H2Sif6), or sodium fluorosilicate (Na2Sif6)

hard water

ground water with a high mineral content in the form of positively-charged ions; is formed when rain water percolates through deposits of rock containing calcium and magnesium; it is portable water that is health to consume, but prevents soap from lathering and causes scaling in pipes, boilers, cooling towers and other water-handling equipment; is removed with equipment called "water softeners" that usually use ion exchange resins to de-ionize the water

"gray" water

waste water that does not contain organic material or human waste (laundry water, bath water), toxic or unhealthy materials, and can be used for non-potable purposes (flushing toilets, irrigation)

pneumatic tank supply

a water supply system that uses pumps to pressurize a water tank, and distributes water throughout the building from the tank

sanitary sewer

a sewer that carries sanitary waste

sanitary waste

a waste water system containing water contaminated by human use, human or animal excrement, industrial processes or other toxic contaminants

seepage pit

an underground tank similar to a cesspool, but pre-treated liquid sewerage is discharged into it and leeches into the soil

septic tank

an underground tank for treating sewerage, configured with a series of baffles that direct water into chambers where solid material settles out and is digested by aerobic (active without air) bacteria

soil line

a waste water line that carries human waste from water closets and urinals, garbage or other contaminants that contain toxic or unhealthy material

soil stack

a larger diameter vertical pipe running through multiple stories that collects sanitary waste from horizontal waste lines at each story

stack vent

the extension of the vent stack above the roof

storm drains

a drain for collecting storm water runoff from impervious paved surfaces and landscaped areas and conveying it to a point of disposal; it does not collect sewerage or industrial waste

storm sewer

a sewer that carries storm water only

swale

a depression or 'V'-shaped channel that directs water over the ground surface

tankless water supply

a water supply system that uses variable speed pumps to move water vertically and horizontally through the building

trap

a "u"-shaped section of pipe in a sanitary or waste line that is always filled with water and prevents sewer gas from rising out of the drain and entering the building

fixture trap

located at the drain of each fixture

house trap

the final trap within the building just before the soil line exits to the municipal sewer from entering the building soil lines

tile leeching field

an array of buried perforated pipe connected to a septic tank or other primary sewerage treatment system that allows the treated liquid to discharge into the soil

upfeed water supply

a water supply system that uses the water pressure in the public utilities supply main to move water to horizontally and vertically through the building

vent line

a pipe that connects to the soil line or waste line downstream from the trap, to equalize the pressure behind the water slug as it runs down the waste line and prevent water from siphoning out of the trap; it also vents sewer gas to the outside

vent stack

a larger diameter vertical pipe running through multiple stories that connects to horizontal vent lines at each story

waste line

a waste water line that carries gray water

aerosol

a suspension of very fine solid or liquid particles in a gas (smoke and fog), or a substance dispensed from a pressurized container as a fine mist

deluge sprinklers (water curtain)

a dry sprinkler system installed in the ceiling at openings in floors and walls to inhibit the passage of fire and hot gasses from one space to another; heads are always open and the water release is initiated by a local detector; the water flow creates a curtain of water and floods the area

fire class

the national fire prevention associate (NFPA) classifies fires according to their fuel source:


class a fire-ordinary materials (wood,paper, fabrics, plastics)


class b fire-flammable liquids that float on water (cooking oil, petroleum distillates such as lubricants, diesel and gasoline fuels, detergents and degreasing chemicals)


class c fire-electrical equipment


class d fire-flammable metal (potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorous)

fire pump

a pump located within the building to increase the water pressure and flow to the automatic fire suppression systems (sprinklers)

fire shutter

a motor-driven rolling shutter that closes over an escalator opening to prevent smoke from passing between floors; it is activated by a signal from a local temperature sensing element in the opening

flashover

the point in time or temperature at which an entire room or space appears to spontaneously burst into flame; it is caused by fire or hot gasses that raise the material temperature of the enclosing surfaces to ignition temperature

ignition temperature

the temperature at which combustion begins in a material

oxidizer ot oxidizing agent

generally, a substance that supports combustion by releasing oxygen; as defined in building and fire codes: "a material that readily releases oxygen of other oxidizing gas, or that readily reacts to promote or initiate combustion of combustible materials and, if heated or contaminated, can result in vigorous self-sustaining decomposition."

precipitate

a substance separated from a solution or suspension by chemical or physical change, usually as an insoluble solid

pyrophoric

a chemical with an auto ignition temperature in air at or below a temperature of 130 degrees fahrenheit

siamese or triamese

a fitting located at street level that is the point of connection between the fire department equipment and the building's internal fire fighting water distribution system

smoke curtain

a vertical element extending down from the ceiling and surrounding an escalator or other opening through the floor above, which prevents smoke rolling across the ceiling from entering the opening and passing to the floor above. a smoke curtain is usually combined with a deluge system and sometimes also with a smoke pickup that pulls the smoke into a duct system and evacuated it from the space with an exhaust fan

standpipe

vertical pipe rises within the building that distribute fire-fighting water to each floor and zone and provide points of connection for fire hoses

candela (cd)

the measure if the intensity of a light source


1 candela=1 candlepower

circuit

the complete path of electrical current including and the source and all the resistances

series curcuit

a linear circuit in which all the resistances are connected in a line

parallel circuit

a circuit in which the resistances are individually connected to the hot and neutral conductors, like rungs on a ladder

circuit breaker

an electro-mechanical current interruption device used to protect a circuit against a current overload, and can also be used as a switch

color temperature

a method of quantifying color hue by relating it to the theoretical emission of a "black body" at a specific temperature, in degrees on the kelvin scale

current

a flow or electrical charge

direct current

flows in one direction through the circuit

alternating current

flows through the circuit in two directions

fluorescence

instantaneous luminance produced by absorption of radiation of radiation at one wavelength followed by re-radiation usually at a different wavelength

foot-candle

a unit of quantity of light arriving at a surface, abbreviated "fc".


1fc = 1 lumen falling on a surface of area 1 ft sq

foot-lambert

a unit of quantity of light reflected from a surface, abbreviated "fl"

fuse

a simple current interruption device used to protect a circuit against current overloads, consisting of a conducting metal alloy with low melting point that breaks when it exceeds a pre-determined temperature

incandescence

light emission by a heated substance produced solely by virtue of its temperature

illumination

the amount of light arriving at a surface (quantified in units of foot-candles)

intensity

the quantity of light produced by a light source (quantified in units of candelas)

law of inverse square

a law from spherical geometry that relates intensity to distance from a source point; intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance




I=1/d^2


I=intensity


d=distance

lumin (lm)

the amount of light from a one candle power source passing through an imaginary plane of 1 square foot area at a distance of 1 foot from the source

luminance (E)

the amount of light reflected off a surface (quantified in units of foot-lamberts)

luminous flux

the amount of light flowing through an imaginary surface, in lumens

ohm's law

the law that relates current, potential and resistance:




I=V/R




I=current in amperes (A)


V=potential or voltage in volts (V)


R=resistance in ohms

panelboard

a metal cabinet that contains a main circuit breaker or fuse and subsidiary circuit breakers or fuses for a number of circuits

phase

alternating current is generated in three overlapping cycles or phases; large equipment and motors use 3 phase power to compensate for the reduced power in the alternating cycles

potential

the work required to move a unit positive charge from a reference point to a second point; (measured in volts)

power factor

a multiplication factor that compensates for AC current's alternating potential and gives a true measure of its power (ability to do work)

resistance

the opposition of a material offers to the passage of electricity through it (measured in ohms)

specular surface

a mirrored or highly reflective surface

switchgear

free-standing electrical equipment consisting of assemblies of switches, fuses and circuit breakers that connect a main power source to panelboards

transformer

electrical equipment used to change voltage

watt

an absolute unit of power (work or transfer of energy) done by one ampere across a potential of one volt.




W=AxV


W=watts


A=amperes


V=volts

absorption

conversion of the mechanical energy in a sound wave to heat energy in a material as the sound wave impacts the material's surface; relates to the reflection of sound off a surface and its quantified as the "Noise Reduction Coefficient" (NRC)

amplitude

loudness of sound measured in decibels (db)

attenuation

conversion of the mechanical energy in a sound wave to heat energy in a material as the sound wave passes through the material; relates to the transmission of sound through a material or assembly and is quantifies as "Sound Transmission Coefficient" (STC)

decibel

the logarithmic units in wich sounds intensity level is measured

frequency

the number of sound wave crests passing a point in one second; quantified in cycles per second (cps) or Hertz (Hz)

reverberation

the persistence of sound reflections in a space after the sound at the source stops; is quantified in terms of its duration or period in seconds

sound

mechanical energy transmitted through a medium

sound power level

sound energy as measured at the source

sound pressure level

energy exerted by a sound wave as a force on a surface

embodied energy

a measurement of the amount of energy consumed to produce a specific amount of a material

hypothalamus

acts as a thermostat within the human body

zeolite process

used to soften water that has a high mineral contect

chlorination

used to disinfect drinking water

lightning protection system

designed to provide a continuous path from a building to the ground

preaction sprinkler system

admit water to the sprinkler pipes after the system detects a fire, as the water enters the pipe a system sounds the alarm, the delay between the detection and activation allows little time for the fire to be found and extinguished before the sprinkler heads open

wet pipe sprinkler system

are always filled with water and are activate by the sprinkler heads through use of a fusible link or other heat sensitive controls; water is immediately discharged in the area where the fire is detected

dry pipe sprinkler system

are filled with compressed air until the system is activated, and then water fills the popes and exits through the sprinkler heads

deluge sprinkler system

is filled with water, like a wet pipe system, but all of the heads discharge at once; used where flammable materials are stores, or where a fire could spread rapidly

photoelectric smoke detectors

pass a beam of light onto a sensor, if the beam is obscured by smoke, the alarm sounds

declination angle

the angle of the earth's axis in comparison to the position of the sun

CPVC (chlorinated polybinyl chloride)

plastic pipe suitable for both hot and cold water supply lines

ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)

rigid, black pipe that is typically used for drainage lines

PVC (polyvinyl chloride)

can be used for potable water distribution, for waste pipes, and as conduit; should never be used for compressed gases

static head

is the amount of pressure required to lift water through a piping system in a building; 0.433 psi can lift water 1ft.

creep

the reflection of sound along a curved surface

diffusion

where sound is scattered all around a room as it is reflected from convex surfaces

specular reflection

is the reflection of sound off hard, polished surfaces

stack vent

the portion of the soil stack above the highest plumbing fixture

vent stack

a collection of vents from a number of fixtures that share on exterior outlet

cleanout

an area of plumbing that can be accessed to clear obstructions from the system

vacuum breaker

is a flap that opens to admit air if there is suction in a water pipe, which prevents siphoning of wastewater back into the clean water supply system

tone

a sound composed of a single frequency

chord

a combination of notes played simultaneously

note

represents a specific frequency of wavelength

pitch

is the number of complete wave forms per second

specific heat

the amount of heat in BTU required to raise the temperature of one unit of mass one degree of temperature

brightness ratio

the relationship between the illumination levels of the surfaces within a person's field of vision; the max ideal brightness ration level between a task and the adjacent surroundings should be under 1:1/3