Space-by-space Carrier HAP load analysis for a 14-zone institutional building at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, including equivalent-volume modelling of a glass dome. 180,179 Btu/hr cooling, 8,500 CFM.
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Cooling & Heating Load Analysis: Center for Spirituality & Sustainability, SIUE
The Center for Spirituality & Sustainability at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) is a mixed-use institutional building with a unique central gathering space capped by a glass dome, a non-rectangular geometry that standard rectangular room models cannot represent directly in load software. The client required a full space-by-space cooling and heating load analysis, including the dome, fed by campus chilled water utilities.
The Challenge: Modelling a Glass Dome in Carrier HAP
Fluxiss solved the geometry problem with an equivalent-volume method. Using spherical cap geometry, the dome (14 ft 2 in height, 20 ft 0.5 in diameter) was calculated at an effective volume of 3,283 ft³ and converted to an equivalent 15 ft cube for HAP modelling. All vertical surfaces were modelled as transparent acrylic glass windows and the roof as a skylight, with the resulting load superimposed onto the large central hall zone.
The Analysis: 14 Zones, Space by Space
- Full space-by-space HAP v4.90 analysis across all 14 zones at ASHRAE summer and winter design weather
- Six private offices, three conference rooms, library, admin office, storage, and restrooms all sized individually
- Glass dome: 51,515 Btu/hr cooling, 30,069 Btu/hr heating, 2,674 CFM
- Large central hall: 128,664 Btu/hr cooling, 5,825 CFM
The Results
- Total cooling load: 180,179 Btu/hr
- Total heating load: 156,248 Btu/hr
- Total supply airflow: 8,500 CFM
- Heating loads fully documented for campus chilled water connection sizing
The deliverable gave the university a defensible, zone-level load basis for equipment selection and campus utility connection, with the building's signature architectural feature modelled honestly rather than approximated away.