Designed a negative pressure COVID isolation room with a volume of 3000m³, including HVAC load calculations and equipment selection using HAP software.
Designed a complete HVAC system for a negative-pressure COVID-19 isolation room with a total building volume of approximately 3,000 m³. The project involved thermal load analysis, ventilation design, air distribution planning, equipment sizing, and compliance verification using Carrier HAP (Hourly Analysis Program) and engineering calculations based on ASHRAE Standards.
The objective was to create a cooling system capable of maintaining comfortable indoor conditions while ensuring infection control through negative pressure ventilation. The design prioritized patient safety, energy efficiency, and reliable system performance under continuous hospital operation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare facilities required isolation rooms capable of preventing airborne contaminants from spreading into adjacent spaces. Unlike conventional air-conditioned rooms, isolation rooms must maintain a continuous negative pressure so that airflow always moves into the room instead of escaping outward.
This undergraduate final project focused on designing a complete HVAC solution for a dedicated COVID-19 isolation ward with a total floor area of approximately 1,000 m² and an enclosed volume of around 3,000 m³.
The project included cooling load estimation, ventilation requirements, psychrometric analysis, equipment selection, duct sizing considerations, and verification against international healthcare HVAC standards.
The primary objectives of this project were:
The design process followed internationally recognized engineering standards, including:
The system was designed to satisfy the minimum healthcare ventilation requirements, including:
The engineering workflow consisted of several stages.
The first stage involved gathering architectural and operational data, including:
These parameters formed the basis for cooling load calculations.
Cooling loads were calculated using Carrier HAP software.
The analysis considered multiple heat sources, including:
The resulting total cooling capacity became the basis for selecting HVAC equipment.
Since isolation rooms require infection control, ventilation became one of the most critical aspects of the project.
The ventilation system was designed to:
Airflow calculations were performed to satisfy healthcare ventilation standards while ensuring stable room pressure.
Psychrometric principles were applied to evaluate air conditioning performance throughout the cooling process.
The analysis included:
This analysis ensured that indoor thermal comfort remained within recommended healthcare ranges.
Based on the calculated cooling load, appropriate HVAC equipment was selected.
Equipment selection included:
Each component was sized to ensure reliable performance under continuous operation.
The project utilized several engineering tools throughout the design process.
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The project involved several engineering analyses, including:
These calculations ensured that the HVAC system satisfied both thermal comfort and infection control requirements.
One of the major challenges in this project was balancing thermal comfort with infection prevention requirements.
Increasing outdoor ventilation improves indoor air quality but significantly increases cooling load and energy consumption. Similarly, maintaining negative pressure requires careful balancing between supply and exhaust airflow.
To address these challenges, airflow rates were optimized while ensuring compliance with ASHRAE healthcare ventilation standards. Equipment capacities were selected with adequate safety margins to maintain stable operation under varying occupancy conditions.
The proposed HVAC system successfully achieved the project objectives.
The final design provides:
The design demonstrates that a properly engineered HVAC system can simultaneously satisfy comfort requirements, infection control, and energy efficiency considerations.
Through this project, I strengthened practical engineering skills in:
This project provided practical experience in designing HVAC systems for critical healthcare environments where thermal comfort and infection control are equally important. By integrating engineering calculations with Carrier HAP simulation and international design standards, the proposed system delivers a reliable solution for negative-pressure isolation rooms while maintaining operational efficiency.
Category
HVACDate
2 Juli 2026
Tools Used
