Contact Info/Tracks

• Track 1: Systems and Equipment

  Track Chair: Yunho Hwang

  Email: yhhwang@umd.edu

  Selection of equipment and systems is paramount to HVAC&R design. Choosing the best combination for a building can be a daunting task.  This track will discuss how to implement traditional, non-traditional, and hybrid systems to achieve successful HVAC&R systems design.  Considerations for designing systems and equipment for high performance, LEED certified and sustainable buildings will be emphasized.  Papers and programs in this track will assist designers, engineers, and operators in the design, selection, and operation of HVAC&R systems and equipment.

• Track 2: Fundamentals and Applications

  Track Chair: Dan Fisher

  Email: dfisher@okstate.edu

  Fundamentals are the foundation for understanding applications in engineering.  Key components of ASHRAE fundamentals include thermodynamics, psychrometrics, fluid and mass flow.  This track provides opportunities for papers and presentations of varying levels across a large topic base.  Concepts, design elements and shared experiences for theoretical and applied concepts of HVAC&R design are included.

• Track 3: Indoor Environmental Health/Indoor Environmental Quality

  Track Chair: Thomas H. Kuehn

  Email: kuehn001@umn.edu

  HVAC&R systems play a significant role in maintaining indoor environmental conditions. As people spend increasingly more time in the built environment, health concerns are becoming paramount to design. This track will seek papers and programs on developing, evaluating and predicting optimal indoor environmental conditions, especially as they pertain to environmental health. A subsection of this track includes case histories, lessons learned and advice to operators and designers about IEQ and disaster recovery in buildings affected by hurricanes and floods.

• Track 4: Building Information Systems; Integrating Technology for Control, Management, Optimization and Efficiency

  Track Chair: Kevin Gallen

  Email: kevin@gallenengineering.com

  The reach of building controls system has extended from just mechanical systems to now include lighting, water consumption, security, and other building systems, working toward the goal of "intelligent buildings". These systems are diverse by tradition, therefore; integration issues are of particular importance. Effective control of buildings systems requires integrated, flexible controls systems built on industry standards with the goal integrating systems and managing building for optimal efficiency. Papers and programs in this track will investigate how building control system technologies are integrated and used for building management, operation and efficiency.

• Track 5: International Design

  Track Chair: Samir Traboulsi

  Email: samir.traboulsi@mail.ashrae.org

  Design for various environmental elements, geography and culture demand that new and innovative strategies be developed.  As an international organization, ASHRAE strives to meet the needs of a global membership.  HVAC&R systems vary globally and this track provides an opportunity to share innovative and necessary design elements that can be shared internationally.

• Track 6: Improving Building Performance through Commissioning, Operation and Maintenance

  Track Chair: David E. Claridge

  Email: dclaridge@tamu.edu

  Modern HVAC&R systems are complicated and designed for high efficiencies.  In order to optimize their use and provide proper operation, commissioning is recommended.  This track provides an opportunity to provide papers and presentations surrounding building operation and commissioning practices as well as case studies in performance and commissioning.

• Track 7: Hydronic System Design for Efficiency and Large Buildings

  Track Chair: Douglas C. Cochrane

  Email: doug.cochrane@carrierenterprise.com

  Hydronic system innovation for energy and water efficiency is rapidly occurring and important to the HVAC&R industry. Incorporating efficient hydronic systems into the final engineered building impacts many areas of engineering and architecture. This track is designed for papers and presentations for innovative hydronic system design, components and research and case studies of their application, including unintended consequences.

• Track 8: Tall Buildings: Performance Meets Policy

  Track Chair: Wade Conlan

  Email: wade.conlan@exp.com

  This track will focus on performance of tall buildings or political challenges and opportunities in the design, development and operation of tall and super-tall buildings. Tall building performance includes resources utilization, strategies, technologies, tools, measured performance and optimal operations. Political considerations include barriers to implementation and innovative solutions, surrounding partnerships for success, performance accountability, bridging the gap between designers, owners and occupiers, security and wellbeing, innovative financing, policy mandates and incentives, policy on material transparency (embodied carbon, health issues etc.). Papers and presentation topics on performance will include, but not be limited to the discussion of the measured and measurable use of utilities, envelope (infiltration and exfiltration), building pressure, waste handling, elevators, carbon and adaptive reuse.

Conference Program Chair: Jon Cohen

Email: jcohen@hohwatertechnology.com

Staff Support

For information on the technical program, special events, special sessions and general conference inquiries
Tiffany D. Cox
Conference Program Administrator
Email: tcox@ashrae.org

Technical Support

For technical problems or for help in submitting an abstract online, email Tech Support

Submission Process

The submission process consists of 5 steps.

1. Track
   You will be asked to choose which track you are submitting to.
2. Title
   Enter the title of your paper, and your email address so that you can receive a submission confirmation email.
   You will also be asked to indicate whether this paper has been previously submitted. If you choose, you can enter the name of your intended session chair, if your paper is to be part of a planned session. You may also optionally enter a techncial committee.
3. Author
   You will be required to enter a presenting author, and may additionally enter co-authors.
4. Abstract Text
   Enter the abstract text for your submission (400 words or less).
5. Confirmation
   You will be asked to review all the information you have entered. Please make sure that everything is correct, then click the Conclude button.

Session Chairs: Session Chairs: Please submit your request for a Conference Paper Session to Tiffany Cox, Conference Program Administrator, tcox@ashrae.org Please include your contact information, the proposed author’s names and titles of each paper.

Examples of Abstracts of "Applications-type" Conference Papers Accepted for the Las Vegas Conference

Rehab of DDC at Corporate National Training Center: Three Years of Therapy (LV-11-C004) Alonzo Blalock, P.E., Member, Jacobs, Fort Worth, TX

Abstract Text:

Environmental conditioning or HVAC contributes to many aspects of a 'satisfactory worker environment'. One of the most significant aspects of a ‘satisfactory worker environment' is getting the Building Automation System (BAS) to correctly manage the system operations. In some ways, the BAS represents the brain and nervous system for the building body. And thus, careful attention is required when attempting rehabilitation or performing ‘brain surgery'.

When reviewing BAS systems in existing large buildings, it is important to evaluate the entire operation similar to the way a good doctor's plan includes a patient stress screening. Various operations can be tested in the Commissioning processes, including reviewing a listing of Hot-Cold calls and conducting a ‘laptop' survey at the sensors to reveal details of system performance similar to an EEG.

This Paper will present details of the rehabilitation of a BAS system at a pharmaceutical company's National Training Center campus. Built in New Jersey in the early 90s, the campus is comprised of three, five-story buildings, with approximately 240,000 total square feet (22300 SM). Each building includes a low temperature air supply system with Series Fan Powered VAV units. Following three years of effort in the continuously occupied buildings, the project is now complete and already shows much improved living conditions for the Owner.

The information of this paper is intended to convey the aspects of a detailed replacement of BAS using descriptions similar to those used by a Medical Professional to treat a patient. The Owner expressed a desire in and found greater value in the improved reliability of system operations even more than generating minor energy savings. While the improvement in maintenance staff's ability to maintain occupant's comfort could not easily be calculated, the Owner believed it represented a major financial benefit.

ASHRAE Resources for LEED-Existing Buildings Certification (LV-11-C020) Barry Abramson, P.E. and Lung-Sing Wong, P.E., Member, Servidyne, Atlanta, GA

Abstract Text:

The US Green Building Council's LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) rating system relies upon several standards and procedures developed by ASHRAE. Some are well known, such as the ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2007 Ventilation Rate Procedure, but need to be applied under different circumstances than they have typically been in the past. Others, such as ASHRAE Procedures for Commercial Building Energy Audits, were lesser known several years ago, before LEED-EB was introduced. Such terms as "ASHRAE Level I" and "ASHRAE Level II" Energy Audits have now been popularized in the building industry. This paper will address the LEED-EB requirements that rely on these ASHRAE tools and resources and discuss the challenges to the engineer regarding proper application under various existing building scenarios. It will explain the pertinent concepts and definitions as presented in the ASHRAE resource documents, and present strategies for how these ASHRAE resources can most effectively be utilized in the LEED-EB certification process.

Demand Control Ventilation: Lessons from the Field: How to Avoid Common Problems (LV-11-C062) Brad Acker and Kevin van den Wymelenberg, University of Idaho, Boise, ID

Abstract Text:

Demand control ventilation (DCV) has the potential to save energy by reducing ventilation rates in accordance with occupancy levels provided by the surrogate indication of CO2 levels. However, improperly installed, designed, or operated systems may save energy at the expense of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) or enhance IAQ at the expense of energy. These outcomes may have the potential to foul the image of an otherwise viable energy efficiency measure. This paper reports what the authors believe to be common problems in the design, installation and operation of DCV systems which use CO2 as a surrogate for occupancy levels.

Six HVAC systems were investigated: two commercial offices, two medical offices, and two school environments. The design drawings, air balance reports, and current equipment set up were investigated. Four systems were controlled locally through roof top unit control logic and two systems were controlled by central building energy management systems. Functional testing of equipment was carried out and system parameters were logged including CO2 levels, fans states, and air stream temperatures. Functional testing was broken up into three system aspects. First, CO2 control signal functional testing was conducted to confirm that the control link between CO2 sensors and outside air damper positioning was in place. Second, sensor placement functional testing was conducted to confirm that the sensors placement could accurately report the CO2 levels of the controlled zone. Third, the Outside Air (OSA) level test was conducted by inspecting the air balance reports to determine the OSA rates and to confirm that the system was balanced in accordance with DCV standards.

The study found that no systems were functioning properly for a number of reasons, some of which were overlapping. Reasons for non-functionality included poor sensor placement, improper information provided in mechanical schedules or design documents, fan cycling issues, and poor installation. Details on failure modes will be presented. Proper engineering documentation requirements will be explained. Test, Adjust, Balance (TAB) specifications and DCV specific requirements for TAB along with information that building operators need to know about system operation will be presented.

Publication Schedule

This is the overall publication schedule for the ASHRAE 2014 Winter Conference, New York. For specific details and questions regarding these dates, please contact the appropriate Track Chair.

March 15	Conference Paper abstracts due
April 5	Conference Paper accept/reject notifications
April 19	Full Technical Papers due
June 1	Web Site Opens for Seminar and Forum Proposals
July 2	Final Conference Papers Submitted for Review (Includes Bio, Learning Objectives and Methods of Assessment)
Aug. 13	Seminar and Forum Program Proposals Due
Aug. 13	Technical Papers Final Review
Sept. 20	Notifications of Seminar and Forum Accept/Reject Distributed
Dec. 6	Upload of PPTs Begin
January 3, 2014	All PPTs Due Online
Jan. 18	Speaker's Lounge Opens

Authors' Resources

Sample Paper

View a sample paper in PDF format.

Templates

Download the conference paper template in MS Word.

Publishment Agreement

Authors of approved Conference Paper abstracts are required to submit a signed Agreement to Publish form. A link will be in the acceptance letter to access and submit the form in electronic format.

Description of Papers

There are two types of paper presentations: Conference Paper and Technical Paper. Both must be submitted by their respective deadlines in order to be considered for presentation at the ASHRAE 2014 Winter Conference in New York, NY. Please note the submission process is different for each paper type.

1. Conference Papers: two-step process - an abstract of the paper (400 words or less) is due for review by March 15. (Please select the "Submission Process" tab for more details and examples). The abstract must be approved prior to submitting the paper.

   Conference papers are shorter than technical papers, undergo a less stringent review and can be prepared closer to the conferences. Unlike technical papers, abstracts of conference papers are submitted first for review. Upon acceptance of the abstract, papers are due July 2, 2013 and undergo a single-blind review and must be approved by two reviewers. Due to this shorter time frame for review as well as a single review cycle, Conference Papers being submitted should be considered "Final" by the author. "Final" means that it could be published on the internet the next day – which puts responsibility by the author to have quality checks prior to submitting. Conference papers can be a maximum of eight single-spaced pages in length. Papers are submitted in 'final' form using the template.

   Guidelines for Authors of Approved Conference Paper Abstracts
   Below are some guidelines to consider when preparing your Conference Paper. Please note that the guidelines are significant factors in determining the acceptance of your Conference Paper.

   • Adherence to the template.

     The Conference Paper template and paper sample are located on the Author's Resources tab for your reference. Per the conference paper template, please include an author's note at the bottom of page 1 of your manuscript.

     1. Author note with job title, affiliation, and address (city, state, country) must be given for each author in the following form:

        J.L. Doe is associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan. R.L. Roe is president at Consulting Engineers, Inc., Lawrence, Kans.

     2. Paper is no more than 8 single-spaced pages in length total (includes text, tables, figures, etc.)
     3. Non-commercial (paper does not focus on a single product -- proprietary or not.)
     4. Paper has not been previously published.
     5. Equations are accurate.
     6. Paper includes dual units (I-P and SI). Both text and tables require the addition of dual units.
     7. Technical merit, effectiveness of the manuscript (organization & writing), originality.
     8. Relevance to ASHRAE members.
     9. Acknowledgment of the work of others by reference.
     10. Ready to be published.
   • Additionally, your Conference Paper must be submitted as a PDF file, referencing your ID# as the file name.
2. Technical Papers: full-length Technical Papers are due April 19, 2013 and must complete final review by August 13, 2013.
   Technical papers are presented by authors at ASHRAE Winter and Annual conferences and then published in ASHRAE Transactions. Papers submitted for review must be both technically accurate and clearly written. Technical papers undergo a rigorous double-blind review and must be approved by three reviewers knowledgeable in the subject matter. Presentation is by poster or orally, if grouped into a session with related papers. Technical papers can be up to 30 double-spaced manuscript pages in length, including tables and charts, and a maximum of 12 figures (not counted in the page count).

   Guidelines for Complete Submission of a Technical Paper for Review

   To submit a full-length technical paper, go to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ashrae. The following items are mandatory for submission:

   1. When writing your Technical Paper manuscript, please follow the guidelines in the ASHRAE Authors Manual.
   2. Upload a title page with complete authors' listing (Word format). The author's listing should be submitted as a separate file (Word format), and must include:
      • Title of the paper
      • Author names in desired order, principal author first, with (if applicable) ASHRAE membership grade, academic degrees at the doctoral level (e.g., Ph.D., D.Sc.), and professional certification (e.g., P.E.).
      • Author note with job title, affiliation, and address (city, state, country) must be given for each author in the following form:

        J.L. Doe is associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan. R.L. Roe is president at Consulting Engineers, Inc., Lawrence, Kans.

      • Complete contact information for the corresponding author, including mailing address, phone and fax numbers, and email address.
   3. The paper has a maximum of 12 figures.
   4. The length of the text including tables is a maximum of 15 single spaced pages (and figures can be extra.)
   5. Upload your Agreement to Publish form(s) signed by every author.
   6. Include dual units of measurements in tables and text (I-P and SI Units)

Learning Objectives and Q&A

ASHRAE submits its conference technical program for approval for NY PDHs, AIA Learning Units and GBCI LEED-AP continuing education credits. Among the requirements for approval are Learning Objectives and Questions and Answers for each of the sessions.

As a part of the Seminar program submittal process, please include 6 Learning Objectives and 10 Questions with Answers. These are for the entire seminar as opposed to providing that number for each presentation.

Following are examples of each:

Learning Objectives: The Learning Objectives should complete the statement, "After attending this session, the attendees will be able to…" Learning Objectives need to be addressed by the speakers and should use measurable verbs such as "Explain," "Describe," "Distinguish," "Design," "Apply," etc., such as the example below:

1. Define Smart Grid functions, objectives and architecture
2. Describe how the Smart Grid affects building operations
3. Provide an overview of Smart Grid projects in North America
4. Describe the federal policies and regulations promoting the Smart Grid
5. Explain how building operators can obtain access to their energy use and usage profile information
6. Describe how to use electricity use/profile information to reduce energy costs through features such as alerts, billing histories, graphs, usage histories for budgeting

Method of Assessment (Q&A): Please include questions with answers based on the Learning Objectives and what will be covered within the Seminar.

Example:

Q1.Is 55F the desired coil leaving air temperature in Florida?
A1. No. Not enough moisture is removed from the airstream at 55 LAT.

Q2. Would you use a humidifier in a Florida Lab?
A2. Yes - for 100% Outside Air systems because it reaches less than 30% RH for periods of time which impact powdery substances.