Heating and Air Conditioning Industry
Introduction
The Heating and Air conditioning industry is growing fast because of the current technological developments in controlling climate. The effect of a diverse economy has been felt by key players, such as industry customers. Firms that fall in this industry mainly install and service ventilation, heating, and air-conditioning equipments. More so, appliances to be installed may be supplied by these firms. These industries also deal with repair and maintenance; construction of new projects; and modifications as well as alterations of existing premises. These industrial activities will range from installation at the site and duct fabrication to installing environmental controls together with refrigeration equipments (Rock & Zhu, 2002). This paper is going to examine the Heating and Air Conditioning Industry. The paper will conclude by looking at: the effects of the economy on the success of this industry; and the economic influences that negatively affects this industry. In doing so, the paper will follow this outline: backdrop; history; heating; ventilating; air conditioning; energy efficiency; and the industry should do.
Backdrop
The development of this industry started during industrial revolution. Most companies and investors were introduced system control, new techniques of modernization, and higher efficiency during that time. The correlation between air conditioning, heating and ventilation provided indoor air quality and thermal comfort, within realistic costs of maintenance, installation and functioning. The systems in these industry maintained pressure, minimized air-infiltration, and provided ventilation between spaces (Rock & Zhu, 2002).
The Heating and air conditioning industry is a multinational corporate, with job opportunities encompassing research and education; maintenance and operation; system development and implementation; and sales and manufacturing of equipments. Manufacturers of equipments of the Heating and Air Conditioning Industry usually regulate this industry. This regulation has been established for the industry to be supported and attain high standards.
History
The Heating, Ventilating and air conditioning industry was invented with regard to discoveries by Carnot Sadi, Faraday Michael, Rankine William, Carrier Willis, Joule James, Trane Reuben, and many others.
Role of the Industry in heating
This industry has a variety of heating systems that are standard. During cold climates, public buildings as well as private houses use central heating to heat the houses. These central heating systems have a heat pump, boiler, or furnace to heat air, water, or steam in a central location such as a large building mechanical room or a home’s furnace room. Moreover, the system has piping, which distributes the fluid that has been heated; a duct work, which forces air systems; and radiators, which transfers the heat to air. These radiators might either be buried underground (in the floor) to provide heat that is under-floor or might be mounted on the walls.
Resistance or electric can generate heat by using a filament, which becomes hot the moment electric current passes through it. This heat is can be produced by supplemental or backup heating system, electric base-board heaters, and electric heaters that are portable. The elements used for heating (such as vents or radiators) ought to be located in the room’s coldest part, particularly near windows so as to off-set formed convective air current as well as reduce condensation in the room. Air drafts that are cold can significantly contribute to instinctively feeling colder in comparison to the room temperature. Thus, it is vital to manage air-leaks from outside.
Role of the Industry in ventilation
Ventilating in this context can be defined as the process of replacing or altering air space so as to manage temperature, or remove carbon dioxide, odors, airborne-bacteria, smoke, dust and heat. Ventilating encompasses both the air circulation inside the building and exchange of air outside the building. Ventilation assists to maintain indoor-air quality that is acceptable in buildings. According to International code Council (2006), this industry has 2 methods used for ventilating a home or a building: natural and forced/mechanical types. Any excessive moistures as well as unpleasant air are removed through ventilation.
Role of Industry in air conditioning
The industries normally develop a stand-alone air conditioner, or an air-conditioning system that provides humidity, cooling, and ventilation control for part of a building or a house. The cooling effect can be created by the refrigerant cycle, which has 4 fundamental components. Compression for the system is usually provided by a compressor, which causes the cooling medium that has been vaporized to become denser. This vapor that has been compressed is cooled by heat-exchange to enable it condense to a fluid. This fluid will be pumped to the building into an evaporator, where the cooling is sprayed by small spray nozzles into a chamber, where the fluid will evaporate because of pressure drops. In view of the fact that the heat from the neighboring is absorbed through evaporation, the neighboring cools off. As a result, the heat will either be added or absorbed into the system. A metering system restricts evaporation so as to make sure the proper rate of flow of the refrigerant into the evaporator. The heat exchange rate in the evaporator will be maintained because the refrigerant will be hindered from going back to the refrigerator.
The industry has ensured that all air conditioning systems that are modern are fitted internal air-filters, which are with light weight element and ought to be reinstated as warranting conditions. If these filters are not replaced as per requirement, it will lead to lower rate of heat exchange. This will result to: high energy bills; energy wastage; and the life of the equipment will be shortened. In addition, filters that are plugged or very dirty can result to over-heating during the heating-cycle, and this may damage the furnace unit. On the outside, the air that is fresh is normally brought into the system and into the evaporator (by a vent). Alterations of the percentage-of-return of fresh air can be regulated by controlling the openings of the vent.
Energy efficiency
Manufacturers of the Heating and Air Conditioning equipments have for the last thirty years been attempting to implement systems that are more efficient. Initially, this was driven by rising costs of energy, but nowadays, it is driven by the escalated awareness regarding issues of the environment. For instance, in the United States this industry has imposed restrictions that are tighter. Also, the methods that this industry is using so as to become more efficient may encompass the following: heating energy; ventilation energy recovery; and air conditioning energy.
What the industry should do
With the Heating and Air Conditioning industry being availed with the current engineering and simulation techniques for analysis of their equipments, results that are measurable can be provided by: decreasing the costs of the material; providing an indoor ventilation that is consistent by modeling flows that are external, meeting specifications and optimizing design while analyzing diffusers, pumps, fans, compressors, and browsers; and improving safety in industrial applications as well as public buildings through the simulation of pollutant-diffusion, like fire spread and smoke.
Effects of the economy on the success of this industry
The success of this industry is from the ongoing technical advancements in the economy, which is mainly from repairing of refrigeration systems in hypermarkets to installation of split-systems in homes. The high market characteristics (such as Demand determinants and market linkages) have escalated the gross product, revenue, exports, establishments, total wages and imports of this industry. Therefore, the effect of adverse economy has been felt by industry players.
Economic influences that negatively affects this industry
This industry is not able to control moisture. Buildings that have been fitted with service ventilation, heating, or air-conditioning equipments can make its residents sick because of the growth of mold. As a result, the demand will decrease and this will have an effect on the market size. Moreover, the industry is affected by Taxation, price control, deregulation and regulation, labor intensity and capital control from the federal government. This usually has an effect on the operations of this industry.
Conclusion
In general, installers and mechanics that are employed in this industry are expected to grow faster, and can be deemed as a source of employment. In 2004, 270 thousand jobs were provided by this industry, with average earnings of about 17.43 dollars per hour (Global Foresight, 2006). However, the industry could struggle to create new employment opportunities if the demand in the economy declines, but this employment can be maintained through services for maintenance and repair. The resultant consequences on applications and equipment may alter the market characteristics.
References
Althouse, T & Bracciano (2003): Modern Air Conditioning And refrigeration, Wilcox Publisher, 16th edition
Global Foresight (2006): The future- Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning industry, Report. Accessed on 24th February, 2010 from http://www.tu-berlin.de/fb6/hri/dokumente/publikationen/f65.pdf
Hypocaust (2009): Encyclopedic Britannica. Accessed on 13th February, 2010 from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/279869/hypocaust
International code Council (2006): International Mechanical Code, Delmar Learning First edition
Rock & Zhu (2002): Designer Guide to Air Diffusion that is Ceiling-Based, ASHRAE, Atlanta, USA