This report is composition of two semester investigation of the Agricultural Engineering Building’s mechanical system. The overall goal of this thesis project was to research, analyze the existing mechanical system, propose alternatives and determine if the alternative systems should be recommended for existing condition. 

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The Agricultural Engineering Building is located in University Park, PA. Originally built in 1937, the Agricultural Engineering Building got a major renewal by keeping the building’s original facades and adding new spaces to the back with a modern feel. This 4 story building, including basement, is approximately 94,000 square feet and used mainly for the laboratory, classrooms and small portion of offices for the agricultural engineering department. The renewal cost for this building was $44 million, making the cost per square foot about $470.

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Two alternatives are being proposed for this building, having central cooling and heating plant, instead of connect to campus chilled water and steam utility loop. The main study of the proposed design was to see if producing chilled and hot water on site would be cheaper than using campus utility loop. For central cooling plant, the air and water cooled chiller with cooling tower were studied and compared with energy usage and cost efficiency. Same process has been done for central heating system, the non-condensing and condensing boiler.

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The breadth topics includes acoustic and daylighting. For acoustics breadth topic, the airborne and structure-borne sounds produced by air cooled chiller were studied and proposed with solutions to both problems. For daylighting topics, the research of the overhang type and study of utilizing overhangs on the south side of the building was done.