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Mechanical Engineering vocabulary · HVAC

Cooling load

Meaning in mechanical engineering, with examples

nounCommon term

In mechanical engineering, cooling load means: The amount of heat that must be removed from a space to keep it at the design temperature and humidity. It comes from the sun, people, lights, equipment and outdoor air.

In Turkish: soğutma yükü

How it is used

Used in HVAC design to size chillers, air handling units and air conditioners. Engineers carry out a cooling load calculation, often with software, and separate sensible from latent load. Results are given in kW, or in the US in tons of refrigeration (1 ton ≈ 3.5 kW).

Example sentences

  1. The cooling load of the server room is about 40 kW, mostly from the equipment.

  2. Large west-facing windows increase the cooling load in the afternoon.

Common collocations

  • cooling load calculation
  • peak cooling load
  • sensible load
  • latent load
  • heating load
  • HVACShort for heating, ventilation and air conditioning: the systems that control temperature, humidity and air quality in buildings, vehicles and industrial spaces.
  • chillerA refrigeration machine that cools water or a water-glycol mixture, which is then pumped to air handling units, fan coils or process equipment.
  • air handling unitA large HVAC unit that filters, heats or cools, sometimes humidifies, and moves air through a building's ductwork, using fans, filters, coils and dampers.
  • heat transferThe movement of thermal energy from a hotter place to a colder one. It happens in three ways: conduction, convection and radiation.
  • ventilationSupplying fresh outdoor air to a space and removing stale or polluted air, either naturally through openings or mechanically with fans.

More terms: HVAC

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