ASHRAE Guideline 23-2016 PDF

Full title and description

ASHRAE Guideline 23-2016 — Guideline for the Design and Application of Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning Equipment for Rail Passenger Vehicles. This guideline establishes recommended design and application guidance to achieve acceptable levels of performance and safety for HVAC equipment used on rail passenger vehicles in the operational environment of public transportation systems.

Abstract

Guideline 23-2016 provides requirements and recommendations covering environmental conditions, equipment configurations, air filtration, temperature and humidity controls, determination and verification of heating and cooling capacity, ventilation standards, passenger comfort criteria, materials and packaging, noise, vibration and shock, refrigerant selection, energy efficiency, corrosion protection, electrical and power requirements, and electromagnetic interference considerations specific to rail passenger vehicles.

General information

• Status: Current / Active. (A revision project GPC 23-2016R was authorized for update activities.)
• Publication date: 2016 (approved by ASHRAE on March 31, 2016).
• Publisher: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
• ICS / categories: HVAC / building installations; commonly classified under ICS 91.140 (installations in buildings) and related HVAC application categories.
• Edition / version: 2016 edition (ANSI/ASHRAE Guideline G23-2016).
• Number of pages: 64 pages (PDF).

Scope

This guideline covers HVAC equipment and systems used on rail passenger vehicles that operate in regularly scheduled public transportation service. It addresses design, application, testing and verification topics necessary for safe, reliable, comfortable and energy-efficient HVAC performance in the rail environment, including climatic and operational loading, filtration and ventilation, capacity calculation and verification, equipment packaging and mounting, and requirements related to electrical supply, vibration, shock and electromagnetic compatibility.

Key topics and requirements

• Passenger comfort criteria: temperature and humidity targets and control strategies for occupant comfort in varying climates and duty cycles.
• Ventilation and filtration: ventilation rates, fresh-air requirements and filtration recommendations for transit passenger health and air quality.
• Capacity calculations and verification: methods for determining heating and cooling loads on railcars and procedures for test verification.
• Equipment design and packaging: guidance on physical layout, mounting, corrosion protection, noise and vibration mitigation, and refrigerant selection.
• Electrical, power and EMI considerations: voltage, power supply, grounding and electromagnetic interference design considerations unique to rail vehicles.
• Testing procedures: equipment-level and vehicle-level test procedures, including informative annexes with sample calculations and test-room procedures.

Typical use and users

Primary users include rail vehicle HVAC designers and manufacturers, transit agency engineering and procurement staff, systems integrators, testing laboratories, rolling-stock engineers, and consultants involved in specification, procurement, testing and maintenance of HVAC systems for passenger railcars. The guideline is used to inform design decisions, contract specifications, test plans and acceptance criteria.

Related standards

Related ASHRAE standards and guidelines referenced for complementary topics include ventilation and air-cleaning standards (e.g., standards addressing filtration and testing of air-cleaning devices), electrical and safety standards, and other ASHRAE guidelines on system documentation, commissioning and testing. Users often consult the ASHRAE Standards and Guidelines catalog for cross-references when applying Guideline 23.

Keywords

rail HVAC, passenger vehicles, ventilation, air filtration, capacity calculation, passenger comfort, refrigerant selection, vibration mitigation, electromagnetic interference, corrosion protection, HVAC testing, transit vehicles

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ASHRAE Guideline 23-2016 provides recommended design and application guidance for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment used on rail passenger vehicles.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers environmental conditions, comfort criteria, ventilation and filtration, capacity calculations and verification, equipment design and packaging, noise/vibration/shock considerations, refrigerant and energy-efficiency guidance, corrosion protection, electrical and power requirements, and testing procedures specific to rail passenger vehicles.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Rail HVAC designers and manufacturers, transit agency engineers and procurement teams, systems integrators, testing labs, and consultants specifying or verifying HVAC systems for passenger railcars.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2016 edition is listed as the active guideline. A revision project (GPC 23-2016R) was authorized to revise the document, indicating update activity; users should confirm whether a newer revision or replacement has been issued before relying on the 2016 content for new procurements.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is one of ASHRAE's published Guidelines—documents that provide recommended practices and application guidance—complementing ASHRAE Standards and other Guidelines addressing HVAC design, testing and operations.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: rail HVAC, passenger comfort, ventilation, capacity verification, filtration, refrigerants, vibration, EMI, corrosion protection, transit vehicles.