Design of air conditioning and ventilation systems for food court areas in department stores.

Article details

Design of air conditioning and ventilation systems for food court areas in department stores.

is extremely important Due to the nature of use The density of people is high,

heat load from cooking, and require good hygiene and air quality

🔧 Principles of air conditioning + ventilation system design for Food Court

Category details
1. System type: Chilled Water System is commonly used, connected to AHU/FCU and Fresh Air system.
2. Cooling Load approximately 500–750 BTU/hr/m² for seating area. (depending on the number of people and ceiling height)
3. Air conditioning system (Cooling) uses AHU/FCU with Duct, Plenum or Linear grille air supply.
4. Ventilation system (Ventilation) Separate kitchen hood system and Fresh Air for the sitting area.
5. Odor/smoke separation system Clearly separate the kitchen hood's air system from the seating area. Prevents odor from returning
6. Air filtration system uses Pre-filter + Medium filter (or HEPA if there are special requirements).
7. Control humidity. Use an AHU with a humidity reduction function. (Dehumidification) or use Reheat Coil
8. Air Change Rate Seating area: 6–8 ACH, Kitchen area: 15–30 ACH (according to )

📌 Kitchen ventilation system (Kitchen Exhaust)

Item recommended value
Hood fan 2,000–4,000 CFM per stove (depending on food type)
Capture Velocity value at Hood 0.25–0.5 m/s
Amount of Fresh Air added back (Make-up Air) 80–90% of the air sucked out

💨 Fresh Air system, seating area
 • Approximate Fresh Air volume: 5–10 L/s per person.
 • Must be calculated according to the maximum number of people using it (Occupant Density).
 • It is popular to use MAU (Make-up Air Unit) together with AHU to control the humidity and temperature of the incoming air first.

📐 Airflow Design
 1. Cold air supplied from AHU → Linear Diffuser or Grille
 2. Return Air → through the Plenum → back to the AHU.
 3. Fresh Air → Via MAU or FAU → Enter Plenum
 4. Smoke exhaust air from Hood → to the filter system → Exhaust Fan
 5. Reheat Coil (if any) → Adjust air humidity balance.

✅ Additional considerations
 • Control the pressure within the area to be Positive Pressure to prevent odors from coming from the kitchen.
 • Separate zones with different air duct systems and AHUs.
 • Use DDC/BMS to centrally control the entire system.