Overland Park, Kansas – Johnson County Community College
Apr 24, 2013

Johnson County Community College

On Call Services – Multiple Projects

Overland Park, Kansas
Child Development Center – Kitchen HVAC Improvements

Under this project, sys-tek was asked to identify the cause of staff overheating in the kitchen when preparing food and to recommend a solution. Upon review of the facility, we discovered a recent expansion to the kitchen as well as the installation of a new kitchen hood. The new hood type was designed to introduce fresh air by using a short cycling hood. Our study indicated that no upgrades were made to the cooling systems serving the kitchen to accommodate the expansion. Additionally, the fresh air, introduced by the new kitchen hood, was not dehumidified which further increased the problem of overheating.

To solve the cooling issues, sys-tek provided mechanical engineering design to replace the heat pump system serving the kitchen with a larger unit. The design included reconfiguration of the ductwork systems to increase airflow specifically adjacent to the kitchen hood. Electrical engineering design included modification to the lighting to accommodate the new airflow design, as well as a larger circuit to support the new heat pump system.

Upon completion of construction, sys-tek will provide testing and balancing of the new systems to ensure they are operating as designed and the kitchen is cooling as desired by the staff.

Art & Technology Building – Ventilation Study

The ventilation systems serving the kiln and furnace rooms of the Art & Technology Building at Johnson County Community College were not operating as necessary to ensure the safety and comfort of the students and staff. sys-tek was asked to assist in troubleshooting the ventilation systems and make cost-effective recommendations to resolve based on field testing, observation, and system review.

Our assessment indicated the existing ventilation system was not strategically located, nor designed to support the use of the space. Daily activities rendered the system incapable of serving fresh air most of the time. Due to the sanding & grinding of pottery, operation of the kiln & high levels of CO2, a creative solution for heating the space, and serving fresh air was crucial.sys-tek provided a detailed report assessing the causes of poor air ventilation. Additionally, we proposed a cost-effective solution with a design philosophy to ensure fresh air, that is not tainted or cold enough to directly affect the efficiency of the art equipment, be introduced to the rooms.Other projects have included renovations to classrooms and office spaces, as well as building expansions.