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Constant Volume Systems (CAV)

Engineering Inputs: System Type

David Speedlin avatar
Written by David Speedlin
Updated over a week ago

The basic principle of Constant Air Volume (CAV) systems is to use a constant supply air volume through the distribution system while heating or cooling the air to meet the needs of the space. There are two main kinds of CAV systems:

  • Single Zone Systems: These are simple all-air systems that respond completely to the space needs and well-designed control systems maintain temperature and humidity closely and efficiently. Single Zone Systems can be modeled directly in cove.tool

  • Multi-Zone Reheat Systems: As the word reheat implies, heat is added as a secondary simultaneous process to either preconditioned primary air or recirculated room air. Constant volume reheat can ensure close control of room humidity and/or space pressure.

In commercial applications, the use of a CAV system is generally discouraged in favor of more energy-efficient VAV systems. CAV with reheat continues to be applied in hospitals, laboratories, and other critical applications where variable airflow may be detrimental to proper pressure relationships.

cove.tool supports the following CAV HVAC system types:

  • CAV w/ Reheat, with Gas Boiler and Water Cooled Chiller

  • CAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Boiler and Water Cooled Chiller

  • CAV w/ Reheat, with Gas Boiler and Air Cooled Chiller

  • CAV w/ Reheat, with ASHP and Packaged DX

  • CAV w/ Radiant, with Electric Resistance and Packaged DX

  • CAV w/ Reheat, with Gas Boiler and Packaged DX

  • CAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Boiler and Air Cooled Chiller

  • CAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Boiler and Packaged DX

  • CAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Resistance and Water Cooled Chiller

  • CAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Resistance and Air Cooled Chiller

  • CAV w/ Reheat, with GSHP

  • CAV w/ Reheat, with ASHP and Water Cooled Chiller

  • CAV w/ Reheat, with ASHP and Air Cooled Chiller

  • CAV w/ Radiant, with Gas Boiler and Packaged DX

  • CAV w/ Radiant, with Electric Resistance and Packaged DX

Find out more about CAV's here.


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