Hijend Hotel Models and Videos
The videos and SketchUp models below can be used for various self-study and classroom exercises that revolve around the Hijend Hotel central chilled water plant. Working with the models in SketchUp will provide the most rewarding and effective way to experience them. But some folks have issues with getting SketchUp to be loaded on a work computer due to IT security policies or getting it to run due to the memory and graphic requirements.
While there is not much I an do about IT policies, if you are able to download SketchUp, you may want to first check your system against the requirements SketchUp publishes on their support pages. They also offer the SketchUp Checkup application that will allow you to check a 64 bit Windows machine for compatibility issues with SketchUp 2017 and later versions.
If you are going to try using the SketchUp Mobile Application (iPad and Android devices), you will find information about the hardware requirements at this link. One benefit of using the mobile version of the viewer is that the tape measure tool is made available in it where-as it is not available in the desktop version. For most of our classroom work, this will not be an issue, but occasionally it is handy.
If you find that you cannot run the models on any of your devices you can still have some of the experience and do exercises with them using the fly-through videos that are provided below (page down to the "FLY-THROUGH VIDEOS" section). Currently (I am writing this on April 13, 2023), there are not videos for all of the models, but we are working to develop more so check back occasionally.
We are also working to see if we can load the models into the type of software that real estate agents use to provide virtual tours of homes that are for sale. This looks like a very real possibility and if we are successful in doing that, then it will be possible to have the full model experience without needing to use SketchUp and we will be developing those types of learning applications. So, you may want to check back to see where we are on that occasionally.
DESKTOP COMPUTER SKETCHUP MODELS
Note the following with regard to the desktop SketchUp application models.
With version 2021, SketchUp has done some work with their code that makes file sizes much smaller. So, I have started posting the models in both version 2021 format and version 8 format (the latter have the letters SUv8 appended to the file name). If at all possible, I suggest that you use the SketchUp viewer application so you can work with the smaller file size models as I believe they will be faster and easier to navigate in.
If you happen to have the current professional version of SketchUp, that will work also. But THE FREE VERSION WILL NOT WORK with some of the models because it runs as a web application and SOME OF THE MODELS ARE TOO LARGE TO UPLOAD INTO IT.
The only limitation I know of with regard to using the SketchUp viewer is that you need a 64-bit machine for it to run on. If you don't have a 64-bit machine, you will find information about how to get a legacy version of SketchUp that will run on a desktop on the SketchUp Resources page of the website.
For the files below, the most seamless way to explore the central plant is to use the plant_v44r2.skp file. But it is a very large file. If you have trouble working with that file, then you might want to try using the files plant_v44r2_no_tunnel_or_cw_pump_room.skp and plant_v44r2_-_tunnel_and_cw_pump_room_only.skp since they are subsets of the larger file. You may also want to try the iPad versions of the files (page down a bit more) since they have some features turned off to reduce the processing power required to navigate in them.
I currently do not have an Android device to test the models in. But the evidence suggests that if the models will run on an iPad, they will also run on an Android device.
Central Plant Desktop Computer Model Options
While there is not much I an do about IT policies, if you are able to download SketchUp, you may want to first check your system against the requirements SketchUp publishes on their support pages. They also offer the SketchUp Checkup application that will allow you to check a 64 bit Windows machine for compatibility issues with SketchUp 2017 and later versions.
If you are going to try using the SketchUp Mobile Application (iPad and Android devices), you will find information about the hardware requirements at this link. One benefit of using the mobile version of the viewer is that the tape measure tool is made available in it where-as it is not available in the desktop version. For most of our classroom work, this will not be an issue, but occasionally it is handy.
If you find that you cannot run the models on any of your devices you can still have some of the experience and do exercises with them using the fly-through videos that are provided below (page down to the "FLY-THROUGH VIDEOS" section). Currently (I am writing this on April 13, 2023), there are not videos for all of the models, but we are working to develop more so check back occasionally.
We are also working to see if we can load the models into the type of software that real estate agents use to provide virtual tours of homes that are for sale. This looks like a very real possibility and if we are successful in doing that, then it will be possible to have the full model experience without needing to use SketchUp and we will be developing those types of learning applications. So, you may want to check back to see where we are on that occasionally.
DESKTOP COMPUTER SKETCHUP MODELS
Note the following with regard to the desktop SketchUp application models.
With version 2021, SketchUp has done some work with their code that makes file sizes much smaller. So, I have started posting the models in both version 2021 format and version 8 format (the latter have the letters SUv8 appended to the file name). If at all possible, I suggest that you use the SketchUp viewer application so you can work with the smaller file size models as I believe they will be faster and easier to navigate in.
If you happen to have the current professional version of SketchUp, that will work also. But THE FREE VERSION WILL NOT WORK with some of the models because it runs as a web application and SOME OF THE MODELS ARE TOO LARGE TO UPLOAD INTO IT.
The only limitation I know of with regard to using the SketchUp viewer is that you need a 64-bit machine for it to run on. If you don't have a 64-bit machine, you will find information about how to get a legacy version of SketchUp that will run on a desktop on the SketchUp Resources page of the website.
For the files below, the most seamless way to explore the central plant is to use the plant_v44r2.skp file. But it is a very large file. If you have trouble working with that file, then you might want to try using the files plant_v44r2_no_tunnel_or_cw_pump_room.skp and plant_v44r2_-_tunnel_and_cw_pump_room_only.skp since they are subsets of the larger file. You may also want to try the iPad versions of the files (page down a bit more) since they have some features turned off to reduce the processing power required to navigate in them.
I currently do not have an Android device to test the models in. But the evidence suggests that if the models will run on an iPad, they will also run on an Android device.
Central Plant Desktop Computer Model Options
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Cooling Tower Desktop Computer Model Options
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Ball Room AHU Desktop Computer Model Options (Also the options for SketchUp Mobile; see below)
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SKETCHUP MOBILE APPLICATION (IOS AND ANDROID DEVICES)
If you download the SketchUp mobile applications for iPad and Android, you can use it to view SketchUp models even if you do not buy the subscription. I have been using it on my iPad pro and it really is a nice interface. But have also found it to be "buggy" and crash with the larger files associated with the central plant, probably due to their size and the level of detail and thus the processing power required to navigate in them.
That said, I also discovered that if I turned off a number of default settings in SketchUp that are associated with how the visual image is rendered, then it reduces the processing power to the point where the files will run successfully, especially if I use the versions where I have separated the utility tunnel and condenser water pump room out from the central plant.
The files below are the versions of the central plant files that will run on my iPad. The file plant_v44r2_ipad.skp is the full model that includes both plant, utility tunnel, and condenser water pump room. The other two files are the component files mentioned above.
The Desktop versions of the cooling tower and ball room AHU run on my iPad with out any modification, so I have not created special versions of them.
If you download the SketchUp mobile applications for iPad and Android, you can use it to view SketchUp models even if you do not buy the subscription. I have been using it on my iPad pro and it really is a nice interface. But have also found it to be "buggy" and crash with the larger files associated with the central plant, probably due to their size and the level of detail and thus the processing power required to navigate in them.
That said, I also discovered that if I turned off a number of default settings in SketchUp that are associated with how the visual image is rendered, then it reduces the processing power to the point where the files will run successfully, especially if I use the versions where I have separated the utility tunnel and condenser water pump room out from the central plant.
The files below are the versions of the central plant files that will run on my iPad. The file plant_v44r2_ipad.skp is the full model that includes both plant, utility tunnel, and condenser water pump room. The other two files are the component files mentioned above.
The Desktop versions of the cooling tower and ball room AHU run on my iPad with out any modification, so I have not created special versions of them.
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LEARNING TO USE SKETCHUP
To use the models for training activities, you only need the Viewer versions of the software, as was discussed above. And you only need to know how to navigate in the models, which is something most people seem to pick up fairly quickly. The basic techniques you will need for the desktop version can be found at these links.
These videos fly through the models so you can explore them that way. Some of them have a table of contents feature that will allow you to jump around to different points in the video. And if you see a link, it likely is a "hot link" meaning you can click on it to access the content associated with it.
This first video was created to support a system diagram exercise but gives you a pretty complete view of the chilled water portion of the central chilled water plant.
To use the models for training activities, you only need the Viewer versions of the software, as was discussed above. And you only need to know how to navigate in the models, which is something most people seem to pick up fairly quickly. The basic techniques you will need for the desktop version can be found at these links.
- Getting Started with SketchUp Desktop Viewer | SketchUp Help
- Viewing a Model in SketchUp Desktop Viewer | SketchUp Help
- Using Scenes
- Introducing the Mobile Interface | SketchUp Help
- Accessing Your Models | SketchUp Help
- Viewing Your Models | SketchUp Help
- Measuring Your Model | SketchUp Help
- Using Scenes (this is the same link as for the desktop version)
These videos fly through the models so you can explore them that way. Some of them have a table of contents feature that will allow you to jump around to different points in the video. And if you see a link, it likely is a "hot link" meaning you can click on it to access the content associated with it.
This first video was created to support a system diagram exercise but gives you a pretty complete view of the chilled water portion of the central chilled water plant.
This video takes you through the ball room air handling system, which is one of the loads on the central chilled water plant. The video was made with a previous version of the model compared to the file above, but the differences are minor.
Hijend Hotel Documents
Some of the Hijend Hotel SketchUp Model exercises include images of different documents associated with the facility. You may not be able to read them in the models or videos due to resolution settings in your machine. Or, you may just want to be able to study them more closely. The files below are copies of the various documents. The names are (hopefully) self explanatory.
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Variable Flow Plant Information
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This zip file contains general information about variable flow primary secondary chilled water plants including:
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Build Your Own Psych Chart Spreadsheet
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This is the spreadsheet behind the images on the string of blog posts I have about how to draw your own psych chart using basic physical principles.
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Bureaucratic Affairs Building Heating Hot Water System Logic Modification Exercise Answer
The files below provide the answers to the exercise. There are also informal videos available on the videos page of the site where I walk you through how to develop the answers using the logic diagram tool.
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The file hhw_logic_diagram_vweb_-_answer.xlsm is a copy of the Logic Diagram Tool with the "Answer" to the logic diagram exercise in it on the "HW Hx Cntrl Enhanced" tab.
The file Heat Exchanger Narrative Sequence - Answer v2.pdf is pretty much what the name indicates; the original narrative sequence modified to add the enhancements. | ||||||
The Point List - Answer vweb.zip file contains a .pdf of the revised point list in addition to the Excel spreadsheet tool version.
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If you are curious about what some of the other logic associated with the hot water system in the Bureaucratic
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Affairs Building might look like, the spreadsheet to the left is a copy of the logic diagram tool with tabs depicting:
- The logic controlling the finned tube radiation isolation valves, both prior to (the "FTR Cntrol Basic" tab) and subsequent to the EBCx effort (the "FTR Cntrol Enhanced" tab.
- Building occupancy control logic
- Hot water pump start/stop and lead/lag control logic
Duct Fitting Pressure Drop Calculation Examples
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This file contains calculations similar to the ones behind the table in the blog post.
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This file illustrates how you would string calculations similar to the elbow calculation together to project the pressure drop for a fairly large system. This is a calculation I did for a real system in a high-rise so I could compare the pressure drop you would anticipate based on the design documents with what we were measuring in the field.
Locations with differences were places we investigated to understand why there was more pressure drop than the design anticipated. Usually, it was because the details of the fitting fabrication in the field were different from the design documents. However on at least one project, the reason was a welding jacket that had been left in the duct during fabrication which subsequently was blown down the duct and became lodged on some turning vanes. | ||
You will find additional details on this topic as well as examples of how to go about doing the calculations in the materials from the Fans, Ducts, and AHUs; Design, Performance, and Commissioning Issues Class that I help with at the Pacific Energy Center.
VAV Terminal Unit K Factors
Most variable air volume terminals have calibration factor associated with their flow measuring elements that needs to be applied to calculate the flow from the box, which is generally termed the K factor. There are a number of different ways that the factor is intended to be applied, depending on the manufacturer. Examples of the relationships are shown below.
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The file to the right is a compilation of information I have accumulated over the years on this topic, including K factors for the sensors used by a number of different manufacturers.
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