ASHRAE Terminology

A Comprehensive Glossary of Terms for the Built Environment
ashrae.org/ashraeterms

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Babo’s law

addition of a nonvolatile solid to a liquid in which it is soluble lowers the vapor pressure of the solvent in proportion to the amount of substance dissolved.

back pressure

the static pressure existing at the outlet of an operating pressure relief device due to pressure in the discharge line.

back pressure valve (evaporator pressure regulator)

an automatic valve located between the evaporator outlet and the compressor inlet that responds to its own inlet pressure to prevent the evaporator pressure from falling below a selected value.

back siphonage

reverse flow in a water system caused by negative pressure in an incoming pipe when the point of use is at atmospheric pressure. Note: back siphonage generally is more evident in an open water system.

back-siphonage preventer
backdraft damper

device which, when mounted in a duct or opening, permits the flow of air in one direction only. Can be gravity (counter weighted) or power operated.

backflow

reverse flow in a water system from the normal or intended direction. Note: backflow generally is more evident in an open water system.

backflow preventer

device designed to prevent reverse flow in a water system. Note: term normally used where back-pressure-type backflow is implied.

backflow prevention

program, ordinance, or code designed to prevent backflow into a potable water system and to discover, eliminate, and prevent all uncontrolled cross connections, existing or potential.

background irradiance

irradiance at the entrance aperture of the infrared sensing system that is not radiated directly from the object being investigated.

background noise

total noise from all sources other than a particular sound that is of interest. Compare to ambient noise.

backward-curved impeller

centrifugal rotor in which the convex sides of blades face in the direction of rotation.

backward-inclined impeller

component of a centrifugal fan or pump consisting of simple flat blades backwardly inclined to match the velocity pattern of the fluid passing through the impeller wheel for high-efficiency operation. Impeller blade width and length affect flow rate and pressure or lift performance. See centrifugal fan, centrifugal pump.

BACnet

Building Automation and Control Networks

bactericide

chemical or physical agent capable of killing bacteria.

baffle

surface, usually in the form of a plate or wall, used for separating spaces or deflecting fluids (often for heat transfer enhancement).

balance point

the outdoor temperature at which a building's heat loss to the environment is equal to internal heat gains from people, lights, and equipment.

balanced draft

two fans connected to a combustion unit, one to supply the combustion air and the other to induce draft.

balanced flow

fluid flows where the design supply flow volumetric rate equals the design return/exhaust volumetric rate. Also called balanced ventilation or balanced system.

balanced heat recovery

occurs when internal heat gain equals recovered heat, and no external heat is introduced to the conditioned space. Maintaining balance may require raising the temperature of recovered heat.

balanced relief valve

a pressure relief valve that incorporates means of minimizing the effect of back pressure on the operational characteristics of the valve (opening pressure, closing pressure, and relieving capacity).

balancer

a commonly used term for the person or firm that performs testing, adjusting, and balancing of HVAC systems.

balancing

the methodical proportioning of air and hydronic flows through the system mains, branches, and terminal devices using acceptable procedures to achieve the specified airflow or hydronic flow within testing, design, and installation limitations.

balancing damper

adjustable blade device to control airflow.

balancing station

assembly to measure and control fluid flow, composed of a measuring device, a volume control device, and recommended lengths of straight ductwork or pipe leading into and out of the measuring device.

balancing valve

metering-type valve with locking positions to control hydronic flow.

ball valve

valve consisting of a rotatable ball with a hole through its center. Typically manufactured in either full port (opening) or conventional (reduced) port (opening) construction.

ballast

a device used in conjunction with an electric discharge lamp to cause the lamp to start and operate under the proper circuit conditions of voltage, current, wave form, electrode heat, etc.

ballast factor

ratio of commercial electric ballast lamp lumens to reference ballast lamp lumens, used to correct the lamp lumen output from rated to actual.

ballast losses

electric power (watts) consumed internally by the ballast components.

barometer

an instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure.

barometric condenser

apparatus in which steam is condensed at reduced pressure by direct contact with water.

barometric damper

(1) counterweighted damper set so that variations in chimney barometric pressure will cause the damper to open or close gradually to maintain a constant draft directly upstream of the damper. (2) mechanically balanced damper that rotates from changes in pressure within breeching to bleed air into the breeching to maintain a steady draft.

barometric effect

variations in barometric pressure caused by altitude or weather changes.

barometric pressure

the pressure of the atmosphere relative to zero absolute pressure (a perfect vacuum).

base temperature

temperature from which temperature departure is calculated (e.g., degree-day).

base use

primary HVAC system losses incurred and auxiliary system energy consumed in maintaining a central HVAC energy source available for consumption by all residents.

baseboard radiator

steam, hydronic, or electric heating device located at or near the floor.

baseline building design

a computer representation of a hypothetical design based on the proposed building project. This representation is used as the basis for calculating the baseline building performance for rating above standard design.

baseline building performance

the annual energy cost for a building design intended for use as a baseline for rating above standard design.

baseline data

the measurements and facts describing facility operations and design during the baseline period. This will include energy use or demand and parameters of facility operation that govern energy use or demand.

baseline model

the set of arithmetic factors, equations, or data used to describe the relationship between energy use or demand and other baseline data. A model may also be a simulation process involving a specified simulation engine and set of input data.

baseline period

the period of time selected as representative of facility operations before retrofit.

basis of design (BOD)

a document that records the concepts, calculations, decisions, and product selections used to meet the Owner’s Project Requirements and to satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, standards, and guidelines. The document includes both narrative descriptions and lists of individual items that support the design process.

Baudelot cooler

liquid cooler in which the liquid to be cooled passes by gravity over a refrigerated surface. (Also known as falling film surface cooler)

beam irradiance

irradiance received from the sun without significant change in direction from the sun’s apparent position.

BEAP

Building Energy Assessment Professional

Beer’s law

absorption of light by a solution changes exponentially with the concentration, all else remaining the same.

bellows

(1) flexible, corrugated chamber that converts pressure variation into mechanical movement. (2) flexible, fluid-containing vessel that will expand or contract as a result of a change in the pressure of the contained fluid. Can be used to transmit force and/or motion in a pneumatic or hydraulic system or as a sensor of temperature or pressure when the bellows is sealed.

bellows seal

mechanical seal of flexible, corrugated-metal bellows with one end attached to a ring pressed against the shoulder of the shaft, the other end to a disc pressed against the housing.

bellows valve

packless valve in which a bellows forms the seal between the adjustment spindle and the valve body.

bEQ

ASHRAE Building Energy Quotient or Building EQ.

best efficiency point (BEP)

the pump hydraulic power operating point (consisting of both flow and head conditions) that results in the maximum efficiency.

bias

tendency of an estimate to deviate in one direction from a true value (a systematic error). See error. Compare to precision.

bias error

the difference between the true value to be measured and the indicated value from the measuring system that persists and is usually caused by the particular instrument or technique of measurement.

bifurcated fan

tubeaxial (ducted) fan whose motor is mounted outside a bifurcated (divided) duct with only the blades of the fan located in the airstream.

billing data

information collected from invoices sent to an owner from the energy supplier (e.g., an electric or gas bill).

billing demand

the demand used to calculate the demand cost. In the United States, this is very often the monthly peak demand of the customer or the peak demand over a several month timeframe (a demand ratchet). Billing demand in many countries may be the contract demand. Other variations are possible.

bimetallic element

actuating element consisting of two strips of metal with different coefficients of thermal expansion attached so that internal strains caused by temperature changes bend the compound strip.

bimetallic thermometer

a thermometer that indicates temperature from the flexing of two strips of materials of different coefficients of expansion bonded together.

bin

a class interval or grouping, typically for outdoor air temperature.

bin method

energy calculation method, usually used in prediction, in which the annual (or monthly) energy use of a building is calculated as the sum of the energy used for all of the outdoor temperature bins. The bin method allows heat pump (or other heater or cooler) performance, which is different for each bin, to be accounted for.

binary

characteristic or property involving a selection, choice, or condition in which there are two possibilities (as binary numbers in a computer, on/off or open/closed switch position).

binary vapor cycle

thermodynamic cycle relative to the varying condensing and evaporating temperatures of a nonazeotropic mixture of two fluids.

biocide

chemical substance capable of killing living organism, usually in a selective way.

biological deposits

water-formed deposits of biological organisms or the products of their life processes. Biological deposits include barnacles, algae, or slimes.

blackbody

(1) body that absorbs all the radiant energy falling on it. (2) body that has the maximum, theoretical, radiant-energy emittance at a given temperature. See also absorber.

blackbody equivalent temperature

apparent temperature of an object as determined from the measurement of its radiance and the assumption that it is an ideal blackbody with emissivity of 1.0.

blade pitch

the angle between the chord of the blade and the plane of rotation (axial fan) or centerline of the rotor hub. The pitch may be constant for the length of the blade, or it may be larger at the blade root than at the tip.

blade twist

the property of a propeller blade describing the variation of the pitch from the blade root to the tip.

blanket thermal insulation

relatively flat and flexible insulation in coherent form, furnished in units of substantial area.

blast coil

heat transfer surface, most frequently of an extended surface arrangement, over which air is blown to be heated or cooled, depending on the temperature of the fluid within the coil.

blast freezer

chamber in which cold air is circulated rapidly around products to be frozen so that freezing occurs rapidly enough to avoid formation of large ice crystals which may damage the product.

blast gate

heavy duty duct closure device.

blast gate damper

in an air-handling system, a sliding damper.

blast heater

set of heat transfer coils or sections used to heat air which is drawn or forced through them by a fan. A unit heater.

bleed valve

valve that has a fixed orifice incapable of being closed by an action of the valve, permitting a flow through or in parallel with the main valve port.

bleeder

pipe attached to a unit, such as a condenser, to bleed off liquid refrigerant parallel to main flow.

blend

a refrigerant consisting of a mixture of two or more different chemical compounds, often used individually as refrigerants for other applications.

blends

refrigerants consisting of mixtures of two or more different chemical compounds, often used individually as refrigerants for other applications.

blind flange

flange used to seal the end of a pipe.

block thermal insulation

rigid insulation preformed into rectangular units.

blowdown

(1) discharge of water from a steam boiler or open recirculating system that contains high total dissolved solids. The addition of makeup water will reduce the concentration of dissolved solids to minimize their precipitation. (2) in pressure relief-devices, the difference between actuation pressure of a pressure relief valve and reseating pressure, expressed as a percentage of set pressure or in pressure units.

blower

a ducted centrifugal fan used in a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system. See also centrifugal fan, fan.

blower door

an assembly consisting of a fan/blower and a calibrated flow measuring station [orifice plate, flow nozzle(s), flow ring, etc.] used for pressurizing or depressurizing a building envelope.

blowoff valve

safety valve that maintains a predetermined pressure in a vessel by discharging excess gas to the atmosphere.

blowthrough unit

air-handling unit with a section or sections downstream of the supply air fan.

blue energy

sometimes called ocean energy, blue energy is a term for the method of generating electricity through the convergence of both fresh and salt water. This energy can be extracted through a variety of means, including tidal power, current power, wave power, thermal energy conversion, and osmosis. Power may also be collected by harnessing the wind power associated with the body of water, usually the ocean.

boil-off gas

liquefied gas lost by vaporization during storage in a tank.

boiler

a closed, pressure vessel that uses fuel or electricity for heating water or other fluids to supply steam or hot water for heating, humidification, or other applications.

boiler burner unit

boiler designed especially for gas and oil and sold integrally with the burner.

boiler capacity

design maximum rate of heat output.

boiler crown sheet

part of a boiler forming the top of the furnace in a firebox boiler or the equivalent surface in other types.

boiler feed pump

pump that returns condensed steam, makeup water, or both directly to the boiler. Normally installed with a large receiver.

boiler feedwater

water supplied to a boiler by pumping.

boiler feedwater heater

apparatus for raising the temperature of the boiler feedwater, usually with exhaust steam.

boiler foaming

carryover of slugs of water into the piping from overloading of the boiler. Compare to boiler priming.

boiler generator

part of an absorption machine in which the refrigerant vapor is driven off by heat.

boiler heating surface

surfaces of the boiler that are exposed to the products of combustion on one side and water on the other, expressed in area units (of the side receiving the heat).

boiler horsepower

equivalent evaporation of 34.5 lb of water per hour from and at 212°F (100°C). This is equal to heat output of 970.3 Btu/lb/h × 34.5 lb = 33,475 Btu/h, approximately 9809.5 W.

boiler priming

carryover of boiler water with the steam due to insufficient steam space, faulty boiler design, or operating conditions. Compare to foaming.

boiler rating

design maximum rating of a steam or water boiler expressed as the total heat transferred by the heating surfaces in Btu/h (kW). Sometimes expressed in horsepower or pounds (torque, kilograms) of steam per hour. Compare to boiler capacity.

boiler water leg

space that contains water between the outer shell and furnace shell.

boiler waterline

level at which water is maintained within a steam boiler.

boiling ebullition process

vaporization of a liquid with formation of bubbles.

boiling point

temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid equals the absolute external pressure at the liquid vapor interface.

bolometer

sensitive thermal device for measuring radiant energy.

bonding

(also known as electrical ground), connection to ground potential of a metal part on an appliance or component which may become energized by an electrical fault or may develop a static charge.

booster

accessory to increase output of, for example, a compressor, pump, or header.

boot

sheet metal transformation piece used to make connection between round and rectangular ductwork.

bore

inside diameter of a hollow cylinder or of a hole.

boundary conditions

Physical conditions (values of physical quantities, conditions of energy interchange, etc.) imposed upon a system at the start or end of a process (temporal boundary conditions) and/or at the boundaries separating the system from its surroundings (local boundary conditions).

boundary layer

region of retarded fluid flow near the surface of a body moving through the fluid or past which the fluid moves. See also flow.

boundary layer flow

flow of that portion of a viscous fluid in the area of a body in contact with the fluid and in motion relative to the fluid.

Bourdon gage

mechanical pressure measuring instrument that senses pressure with a curved oval tube that tends to straighten when the pressure increases and recurves when the pressure decreases.

Boyle’s law

product of the volume of a gas times its pressure is a constant at fixed temperature. Also known as Mariotte’s law.

brackish water

impure water with a lesser content of salt than seawater, but higher than that of potable water.

brake horsepower

brake power expressed in horsepower.

brake power

actual power delivered by a shaft (from the use of a brake to measure power).

branch

(1) in ducts, piping, or conduit, another section of the same size or smaller, at an angle with the main. (2) section of pipe or duct from a main to a terminal device.

branch circuit

the circuit conductors between the final overcurrent device protecting the circuit and the outlet(s). The final wiring run to the load.

branch line

air supply line connecting a controller and controlled device.

braze

to join metals by fusion of nonferrous alloys that have melting points above 800°F (427°C) but lower than those of the metals being joined. May be accomplished by means of a torch (torch brazing), in a furnace (furnace brazing), or by dipping in a molten flux bath (dip or flux brazing).

brazed

joined by fusion using a spelter of brass. Considered equivalent to hard soldering.

brazed tube

tube made from sheet or strip with a longitudinal brazed joint.

break-even temperature

outdoor temperature at which total heat losses from conditioned spaces equal internally generated heat gains.

breakthrough

a condition that occurs in a gas phase filter when, as contaminated air passes through a filter, the outlet contaminant concentration reaches a predetermined percentage of the challenge.

breakthrough

the first appearance in the effluent of an adsorbate of interest under specified conditions.

breakthrough curve

a plot of outlet percent penetration (contaminant outlet concentration divided by inlet concentration) versus time.

breakthrough time

for gas phase filters, the sudden decline in efficiency, defined as the operating time (at constant operating conditions) before a certain penetration is achieved.

breakthrough time (tbx)

the time elapsed between starting the challenge contaminant flow and the time at which the outlet contaminant concentration reaches the specified percentage penetration, x%; the primary reporting breakthrough times are 5% (tb5), 50% (tb50), and 95% (tb95) penetration.

breather plug

removable plug, cap, or other means of venting a space containing insulating material through vaportight sheathing.

breathing zone

the region within an occupied space between planes 3 and 72 in. (75 and 1800 mm) above the floor and more than 2 ft (600 mm) from the walls or fixed air-conditioning equipment.

breeching

the connection to any fuel-fired equipment, device, or appliance and the horizontal section of the exhaust system used for conducting the products of combustion from a fuel-fired equipment, device, or appliance to the vertical section, which is identified as the vent, chimney, or flue.

Brewster’s law

index of refraction for a material is equal to the tangent of the polarizing angle for the material.

brine

a secondary coolant that is a solution of salt and water.

brine chiller

a colloquial term for a heat exchanger used to refrigerate a secondary coolant.

brine cooler

a heat exchanger for cooling brine with an evaporating refrigerant.

brine expansion tank

vented reservoir in a closed, circulating brine system for the accommodation of volume expansion of brine due to temperature change.

brine return tank

reservoir in an open, circulating brine system for storing brine at the pump suction and for inspecting the condition and flow of brine.

brine tank

(1) in a brine circulating system, a storage or balance tank for brine. (2) in an ice plant, a main freezing tank in which cans are immersed while ice is being produced. (3) in domestic and commercial fields, a container surrounding the evaporator and filled with brine for storing refrigerant or equalizing temperature at various points of the evaporator (especially an ice cream cabinet).

brine-spray refrigerating system

cooling of air by spraying brine into the airstream. Note: process discontinued in meat refrigerating plants because of salt corrosion of meat-carrying rails.

briquette ice

ice produced as small, regularly shaped and sized pieces.

British thermal unit (Btu)

the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit at a specified temperature. This standard uses the International Table (IT) definition, where the quantity of heat is defined to be 1055.05585262 J (1 BtuIT).

Btu meter

metering system capable of measuring the energy added to or extracted from an electric or fluid stream. Also called thermal energy meter, heat meter, or thermal meter. Compare to watt meter.

bubble point

the liquid saturation temperature of a refrigerant at the specified pressure; the temperature at which a liquid refrigerant first begins to boil. The bubble point of a zeotropic refrigerant blend, at constant pressure, is lower than the dew point.

bubble-point temperature

a liquid-vapor equilibrium point for a volatile pure liquid or for a multicomponent mixture of miscible, volatile, pure component liquids, in the absence of noncondensables, where the temperature of the mixture at a defined pressure is the minimum temperature required for a vapor bubble to form in the liquid.

budget building design

a computer representation of a hypothetical design based on the actual proposed building design. This representation is used as the basis for calculating the energy cost budget.

buffer

(1) digital circuit element used to increase the number of outputs a circuit can drive or to convert input or output levels for signal level compatibility. Also, any isolating amplifier stage. (2) insulating circuit used to avoid reaction of a drive circuit on any driven circuit. (3) salts or other compounds that reduce the changes in the pH of a solution upon the addition of an acid or alkali. (4) storage device used to compensate for a difference in rate of flow, data, time, or occurrence of events when transmitting data from one device to another.

buffer

storage device used to compensate for a difference in rate of flow, data, time, or occurrence of events when transmitting data from one device to another.

buffer tank

tank fitted into a circuit to dampen fluctuations in flow.

buffer zone

an unconditioned part of a building containing some or all of the distribution system.

building

a structure wholly or partially enclosed within exterior walls, or within exterior and party walls, and a roof, affording shelter to persons, animals, or property.

building automation and control network (BACnet)

data communications protocol for building automation and control networks

building automation system (BAS)

an energy management system, usually with additional capabilities, relating to the overall operation of the building in which it is installed, such as equipment monitoring, protection of equipment against power failure, and building security. Compare to building management system.

building diversity

the relationship between the sum of the peak loads versus the block load.

building energy

energy consumed as measured or estimated at the building boundary.

building energy model

model based on first-principles engineering methods that provides information on the energy-using systems in a building (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; lighting; occupancy; plug loads; building envelope). The model, along with weather data, serves as the input data for a specific computer building energy simulation program. When run, the computer simulation program will estimate the energy use and demand in the described building for a time interval specified in the building energy model. Depending on the kind of simulation program and how it is set up to run, various kinds of output may be produced.

building entrance

any doorway, set of doors, revolving door, vestibule, or other form of portal that is ordinarily used to gain access to the building or exit from the building by its users and occupants. This does not include doors solely used to directly enter mechanical, electrical, and other building utility service equipment rooms.

building envelop leakage

overall leakage of the building characterized by the airflow rate at a given pressure difference across the envelope of the building. Compare to air infiltration).

building envelope

(1) outer elements of a building, including walls, windows, doors, roofs, and floors, including those in contact with earth. (2) the exterior plus the semi-exterior portions of a building. For the purposes of determining building envelope requirements, the classifications are defined as follows. Building envelope, exterior: the elements of a building that separate conditioned spaces from the exterior. Building envelope, semi-exterior: the elements of a building that separate conditioned space from unconditioned space or that enclose semiheated spaces through which thermal energy may be transferred to or from the exterior, to or from unconditioned spaces, or to or from conditioned spaces.

building envelope opaque areas

all exposed areas of a building envelope which enclose space, except for openings for windows, skylights, doors, and building service systems (i.e., all areas of a building envelope that permit passage of radiant energy in or out of the building space).

building envelope void

any localized area of the building envelope that has a thermal resistance significantly different from the area surrounding it. The void may be due to partial or complete absence of thermal insulation.

building envelope, semi-exterior

the elements of a building that separate conditioned space from unconditioned space or that enclose semi heated spaces through which thermal energy may be transferred to or from the exterior, or to or from unconditioned spaces, or to or from conditioned spaces.

Building EQ

Building Energy Quotient.

building exit

any doorway, set of doors, or other form of portal that is ordinarily used only for emergency egress or convenience exit.

building height

vertical distance from level grade or average grade to the highest finish roof surface, in the case of flat roofs, or to a point at the average height of the highest roof having a pitch.

building information

The object (or set of objects) represents not only the geometry required to represent the component or assembly graphically (visually) but also has the ability to have much more information about that object associated with it or related to other intelligent objects associated with it. Rule-based relationships between intelligent objects that enable related properties to be updated when one property changes.

building information model (BIM)

a data specification for representing building information for the purposes of interoperable data exchange. Also, a data model of a specific building or its systems, components, or other information elements based on that specification.

Building Information Modeling (BIM)

the human activity of using BIM software and other related software, hardware, and technologies to create and use in a building information model. See building information model.

building management system

an energy management system relating to the overall operation of the building in which it is installed. It often has additional capabilities, such as equipment monitoring, protection of equipment against power failure, and building security. It may also be a direct digital control (DDC) system where the mode of control uses digital outputs to control processes or elements directly.

building material

any element of the building envelope, other than air films and insulation, through which heat flows and that is included in the component U-factor calculations.

building official

the officer or other designated representative authorized to act on behalf of the authority having jurisdiction.

building power line carrier

method of transmitting control signals using existing electrical wiring. Signals are introduced by superimposing on, or altering, existing waveforms. Signals are sensed by detecting these modifications of the wave forms with a remotely controlled receiver.

building project

building or group of buildings proposed or under construction, including on-site energy conversion or electric generating facilities, which utilize a single submittal for construction permit or are within the boundary of a contiguous area under one ownership.

building services

utilities (such as electricity, gas, steam, telephone, and water) supplied and distributed within a building.

building space

the volume of a building that exchanges air with outdoor (ambient) air. The building volume is the space that is deliberately conditioned for human comfort (ft³ [m³]).

building thermal envelope

elements of a building that enclose spaces and which control or regulate heat and mass transfer (air, water vapor, and entrained moisture) between the interior spaces and the building exterior. Note: the interior surfaces of insulated floors, walls, windows, and ceilings generally comprise the thermal envelope. Compare to thermal envelope. See air infiltration.

building use type

the classification of a building based on its intended use as determined by the use and occupancy classification for the building that has been established by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).

building volume

the volume of a building that exchanges air with outdoor (ambient) air. For the purposes of this standard, the building volume is the space that is deliberately conditioned for human comfort.

built environment

1. Human-made spaces, such as homes, schools, offices, manufacturing facilities, social recreation settings, or microenvironments, such as cars, buses, trains, subways, and airplanes. 2. places and spaces created or modified by people including buildings, parks, and transportation systems.

bulb

portion of a thermal sensing system that is placed in the controlled (or measured) variable.

bulk modulus of elasticity

ratio of the compressive or tensile force applied to a material per unit surface area to the change in volume of the material per unit volume. Also known as bulk modulus, compression modulus, or hydrostatic modulus.

buoyancy inertial parameter

a parameter derived from the dimensionless Richardson number relating fluid inertial forces to buoyancy forces in a storage device.

burner

part of a fuel burning device (as a stove or furnace) where flame is produced.

burner ignition

(1) initiation of combustion. (2) process or means of igniting a fuel/air mixture.

burner low fire setting

setting that determines the fuel firing rate at which burner ignition occurs where low/high/low/off or modulating combustion controls are used. The firing rate corresponds to approximately one third or less of the full burner delivery rate for rotary burners. It corresponds to approximately one fifth or less of the full burner delivery rate of air for mechanical atomizing burners.

burner register

series of air-directing vanes (usually adjustable) that are used to direct and/or control the combustion airflow through the burner.

burner throat

sleeve, usually formed of refractory, located at the burner exit, within which combustion starts.

burner window box

device to introduce secondary combustion air into the furnace in a 360° pattern around the flame and, with an ignition cone, to cause accelerated vaporization of the oil.

burning velocity (Su)

the maximum velocity (in./s [cm/s]) at which a laminar flame propagates in a normal direction relative to the unburned gas ahead of it.

butt joint

joint between two members lying approximately in the same plane.

butt weld

weld formed by placing two edges or ends one against the other and welding them. Compare to lap weld.

butt weld pipe

pipe welded along a butted longitudinal seam and not scarfed or lapped.

butterfly damper

(1) damper consisting of a plate turning on a diametral axis inside a duct. (2) pair of flaps hinged to a common diametrical spindle and permitting flow in one direction only. (3) two flaps in \"V\" arrangement.

butterfly valve

valve in which the regulating mechanism is a circular or elliptical disc that is rotatable about an axis.

bypass

a pipe or duct, usually controlled by valve or damper, for conveying a fluid around an element of a system.

bypass air

any portion of the mixed air that circumvents conditioning.

bypass factor

the percentage of the air that does not come into contact with the coil, the remaining air is assumed to exit the coil at the average coil temperature. See also apparatus dew point.

bypass leakage

unwanted passing of untreated air into the treated air between the components within casings such as filters or coils within a section.

bypass terminal

air terminal unit using a method of volume modulation whereby airflow is varied by distributing that volume required to meet the load, the balance of primary air being diverted to the return.

bypass terminal unit

a terminal unit, typically having more than one outlet, that uses a method of volume modulation whereby airflow is varied by distributing the volume required to meet the space requirements, the balance of supply/exhaust air being diverted away from the space.