Book - School of Science and Technology

Preface to the ninth editionEach time a new edition of this book appears, it is proper that the authors shouldacknowledge the permission of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineersto use data fromthe current edition of the CIBSE Guide. To this invaluable work,extensive reference is made, both to present facts and to encourage the reader who maywish to pursue matters further. In some cases the presentation of those data may differslightly fromthat of the source, simplifications being used in instances where theseproduce results adequate to match the inexactitudes of building construction on site.When the Preface to the last edition of this book was written reference was made tothe then proposed revision to Part L of the Building Regulations. This was publishedin 1995 but did not address a number of key issues from the 1993 draft includingregulations relating to air conditioning in non-domestic buildings. Since then a completereappraisal of Part L has been undertaken and a new edition was published in two parts inNovember 2001 for implementation in April 2002. In anticipation of this, many of thenew requirements contained in this new edition of Part L have been incorporated intothis book.With the ever increasing need to reduce the energy consumption and produce sustainablesolutions for our buildings, the role of the Building Services Engineer is at long lastbeing recognised for the contribution the profession can make in terms of energy conservation,quality of the environment, sustainable solutions and minimising whole lifecosts.This edition has attempted to reflect modern trends in the industry and goodcurrent practice, whilst retaining much of the historical information from previous editionswhich provides the fundamentals for understanding the process of design developmentover the years, and the principles of operation for systems which may require somemeasure of re-engineering. Examples are the chapter on refrigeration where factorsaffecting the choice of refrigerant and the associated risk to the environment and healthand safety are identified, the chapter on controls where new technologies have had amajor influence upon the design and application of modern systems and the chapteron combined heat and power where the introduction of new technologies includingfuel cells are expected to have a major influence on energy supplies for buildings in thefuture.In recognition of the proliferation of specialisms within the context of heating and airconditioning of buildings, the authors have drawn upon a range of expert knowledge toprovide comprehensive coverage of the subject. Our thanks are due to many colleagues atOscar Faber and friends in the industry who have provided willing assistance and valued