Program Overview

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS AND ENERGY PERFORMANCE AUDITS

Overview

The Technical Plants course deals with plant engineering topics aimed at an in-depth understanding of all issues relating to heating and air conditioning systems, and water-sanitary systems. The second part of the course is focused on Energy Management, with particular attention to Energy Diagnosis in the civil and industrial fields.

Aims and Content

Learning Outcomes

The first part of the course presents the fundamental elements for the knowledge and correct design of HVAC systems. The second part is aimed at training the figure of the energy manager. The issues of energy efficiency, economic analysis, traditional and innovative techniques and diagnosis are dealt with reference to the identification of efficient solutions, their evaluation and planning.

Aims and Learning Outcomes

The course allows the students to learn the techniques, the theoretical and applied basis necessary for sizing the main heating and air conditioning systems, the hydraulic networks for the distribution of hot and chilled water and the aeraulic networks for air conditioning. Besides, the course also provides the main information to understand and deepen the regulation methods of the aforementioned systems, to size the thermal and refrigeration plants necessary for the production of hot and refrigerated fluids. In addition, the regulatory aspects relating to the most frequent activities (design, sizing, performance calculation) will be dealt with.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for accessing the final exam.

Teaching Methods

Lectures and exercises also with the help of a PC. The didactic innovation project adopted by the Degree Course in Mechanical Engineering, innovative tools will be used for active student learning.

Syllabus/Content

• Wellbeing conditions in confined spaces: thermohygrometric wellbeing; comfort indexes; average radiant and operating temperature.
• Calculation of thermal loads in winter; transmittances, thermal bridges, ventilation, intermittent operation, high temperature gradients.
• Calculation of thermal loads in summer: response factor method; effective frontal mass, primary and secondary effective mass; average parameters of the environment; simplified method (Thermal load for transmission, Thermal load for internal radiative sources and solar radiation, Thermal loads for ventilation, internal convection and crowding).
• Plant solutions for heating systems: centralized water systems with concentrated or extended heating bodies, autonomous water systems, steam systems, air circulation systems.
• Air conditioning systems: recall of the thermodynamics of humid air; transformations; construction of the psychrometric chart; sizing of a full-air system in summer conditions.
• Design of a full-air system in winter conditions.
• Full-air systems: constant flow (single zone and multizone) and variable flow; mixed air-water systems; direct expansion systems.
• Sizing of air conditioning systems: air distribution, elements of introduction into the environment, recovery; sizing of air ducts with the constant linear pressure drop method and with the static pressure recovery method.

Recommended Reading/Bibliography

• Manuale degli impianti di climatizzazione. Editore: Tecniche Nuove
• Manuale del termotecnico. Fondamenti, riscaldamento, condizionamento, refrigerazione, risorse energetiche, Editore: Hoepli
• Energy management. Fondamenti per la valutazione, la pianificazione e il controllo dell'efficienza energetica. Editore: Franco Angeli
• Diagnosi e certificazione energetica. Editore: Maggioli

Teachers and Exam Board

Teacher

• ANNALISA MARCHITTO

Exam Board

• ANNALISA MARCHITTO (President)
• ANTONELLA PRIARONE
• GUGLIELMO LOMONACO (President Substitute)

Lessons

Lessons Start

The timetable for this course is available on the Portale EasyAcademy.

Exams

Exam Description

The exam consists of an oral interview, preceded by the delivery of the exercises and projects proposed during the course, which are the subject of discussion during the interview.

Assessment Methods

After passing a preliminary design or written test, oral examination, based on a specific subject among those tackled during the taught course, with in addition a couple of small synthetic questions on other one/two subjects.

Exam Schedule

• 07/01/2026 | 09:00 | GENOVA | Orale
• 09/02/2026 | 09:00 | GENOVA | Orale
• 16/06/2026 | 09:00 | GENOVA | Orale
• 13/07/2026 | 09:00 | GENOVA | Orale
• 26/08/2026 | 09:00 | GENOVA | Orale