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Mechanical Engineering vocabulary · HVAC

Air handling unit

Meaning in mechanical engineering, with examples

nounCommon term

In mechanical engineering, air handling unit means: A large HVAC unit that filters, heats or cools, sometimes humidifies, and moves air through a building's ductwork, using fans, filters, coils and dampers.

In Turkish: klima santrali, hava işleme ünitesi, hava işleme santrali

How it is used

Used in commercial buildings, hospitals and cleanrooms, and usually shortened to AHU. Engineers specify the airflow, coil capacities and filter classes; technicians change filters and check belts and fans. A unit that handles only outside air is called a fresh air unit.

Example sentences

  1. The air handling unit on the roof supplies 12,000 m³/h to the office floors.

  2. Replace the bag filters in the air handling unit when the pressure drop reaches the limit.

Common collocations

  • AHU
  • supply air
  • return air
  • AHU filter
  • rooftop unit
  • HVACShort for heating, ventilation and air conditioning: the systems that control temperature, humidity and air quality in buildings, vehicles and industrial spaces.
  • ductworkThe system of metal or plastic ducts that carries air from fans and air handling units to rooms and back, including bends, branches, dampers and grilles.
  • ventilationSupplying fresh outdoor air to a space and removing stale or polluted air, either naturally through openings or mechanically with fans.
  • chillerA refrigeration machine that cools water or a water-glycol mixture, which is then pumped to air handling units, fan coils or process equipment.
  • pressure dropThe loss of pressure as a fluid flows through a pipe, filter, valve or other component, caused by friction and by changes in direction or cross-section.

More terms: HVAC

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