Glossary

See gallium.

See gallium arsenide.

(1) instrument for measuring pressure, flow, level, or other factors. (2) arbitrary scale of measurement for sheet-metal thickness and wire and drill diameters.

device for showing liquid level in a tank, boiler, or other storage container.

the difference between absolute pressure and ambient or surrounding pressure. It may be negative or positive.

A chemical element, metallic in nature, used in making certain kinds of solar cells and semiconductor devices.

A crystalline, high-efficiency compound used to make certain types of solar cells and semiconductor material.

corrosion resulting from the contact of two dissimilar metals in an electrolyte or from the contact of two similar metals in an electrolyte of nonuniform concentration.

the increased resistance to sensible heat transfer obtained from adding an individual garment over the nude body. Expressed in clo units.

state of matter in which substances exist in the form of nonaggregated molecules and which, within acceptable limits of accuracy, satisfy the ideal gas laws; usually a highly superheated vapor. See [[state]].

constant of proportionality appearing in the equation of state of an ideal gas, equal to the absolute pressure of the gas times its molar volume divided by its absolute temperature. Also known as the gas law constant.

R in the perfect gas relation pV = mRT.

increasing the heat content of a gas by mixing it with a gas of higher heat content.

arc-welding process wherein coalescence is produced by heating with an arc between a continuous filler metal (consumable) electrode and the work. Note: shielding is obtained entirely from an externally supplied gas or gas mixture.

arc-welding process wherein coalescence is produced by heating with an arc between a single tungsten (nonconsumable) electrode and the work. Note: shielding is obtained from a gas or gas mixture. Pressure may or may not be added.

(1) electric generating station in which the prime mover is a gas turbine. (2) prime mover in which gas, under pressure or formed by combustion, is directed against a series of turbine blades; the energy in the expanding gas is converted into mechanical energy supplying power at the shaft. Also called a combustion turbine or a simple cycle turbine.

group of welding processes wherein coalescence is produced by heating with a gas flame or flames, with or without the application of pressure, and with or without the use of filler metal.

lean mixture: gas/air mixture of which the air content is more than adequate for complete combustion, and the resultant combustion gases will contain an excess of oxygen. Rich mixture: gas/air mixture of which the air content is not sufficient for complete combustion and the resultant combustion gases will contain burnable but unburned hydrocarbons.

one of the three basic states of matter, characterized by the greatest freedom of molecules and the lack of any inherent fixed shape or volume.

The evolution of gas from one or more of the electrodes in the cells of a battery. Gassing commonly results from local action self-discharge or from the electrolysis of water in the electrolyte during charging.

The portion of charge current that goes into electrolytical production of hydrogen and oxygen from the electrolytic liquid. This current increases with increasing voltage and temperature.

Lead-acid battery in which the electrolyte is composed of a silica gel matrix.

lighting that provides a substantially uniform level of illumination throughout an area. General lighting shall not include decorative lighting or lighting that provides a dissimilar level of illumination to serve a specialized application or feature within such area.

a specification, rule, guide, or procedure in the field of engineering, or related thereto, recognized and accepted as authoritative.

direct or indirect utilization of available heat in the ground.

A unit of power equal to 1 billion Watts; 1 million kilowatts, or 1,000 megawatts.

see [[packing]].

the absolute value of the difference between the starting and ending temperatures of a phase-change process by a refrigerant within a component of a refrigerating system, exclusive of any subcooling or superheating. This term usually describes condensation or evaporation of a zeotrope.

(1) (also known as hemispherical irradiance), quantity of solar energy incident on a unit surface area in unit time through a unit hemisphere above the surface, expressed in Btu/h·ft2 (W/m2). (2) the global (or hemispheric) solar radiant energy is the quantity of solar energy incident upon a unit surface area in unit time through a unit hemisphere above the surface, expressed in W/m2 (Btu/[h⋅ft2]).

an index developed to provide a simplified means of describing the relative ability of a chemical compound to affect radiative forcing, if emitted to the atmosphere, over its lifetime in the atmosphere, and thereby to affect the global climate. Radiative forcing reflects the factors that affect the balance between the energy absorbed by the earth and the energy emitted by it in the form of longwave infrared radiation. The GWP is defined on a mass basis relative to carbon dioxide. The GWP for a compound must be calculated up to a particular integrated time horizon, for example, 20, 100, or 500 years. The time horizon most widely accepted is 100 years.

dimensionless number used in calculation of streamline flow, equal to the mass flow rate of a fluid times its specific heat at constant pressure, divided by the product of its thermal conductivity and a characteristic length. Also spelled Gratz number. Symbol Gz, Gz, or NGz.

the rate of diffusion of a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of its density.

convenient unit of measurement of water vapor. 1 grain = 1/7000 pound avoirdupois (historically, the average weight of a grain of wheat).

(1) a subsidy furnished by a central government to a local one to help finance a public project. (2) a financial subsidy given to an individual or institution for research, educational, or cultural purposes.

according to US FDA/HHS

dimensionless number used in the calculation of free convection of a fluid caused by a hot body, equal to the product of the fluid’s coefficient of thermal expansion, the temperature difference between the hot body and the fluid, the cube of a typical dimension of the body, and the square of the fluid’s density divided by the square of the fluid’s dynamic viscosity. Also known as free convection number. Symbol Gr, Gr or NGr.

organized evaporator with circulation induced by a static head of liquid refrigerant driving an opposing column of boiling refrigerant in the evaporator; sometimes referred to as a thermosiphon.

heating or refrigerating system in which heating or cooling fluid is circulated by the forces induced by the differences in densities of cooler and warmer fluids in the system or surrounding atmosphere.

stream of incoming fluid that moves horizontally immediately adjacent to the upper or lower boundaries of a stagnant body of fluid. The stream moves due to density differences between the fluid in the stream and that in the stagnant body of fluid. See also [[Froude number]].

a containment system for the transportation of air and grease vapor. The system is designed and installed to reduce the possibility of the accumulation of combustible condensation, thus reducing the possibility of damage if a fire occurs within the ventilation system.

effluent from a cooking process that contains grease particles or grease vapor. This type of exhaust requires a rated hood (e.g., Type I, Type II).

a listed device (such as, but not limited to, baffle filters, removable extractors, and stationary extractors) designed and installed to remove grease vapor and/or particles from the airstream, .

constructed and performing in such a manner as to prevent the passage of grease under normal operating conditions.

energy that is produced in a manner that has less of a negative impact on the environment than energy sources like fossil fuels, which are often produced with harmful side effects. Some “greener” types of energy are solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro energy. There are several more, even including nuclear energy, that are sometimes considered a green energy source because of its lower emissions relative to energy sources such as coal or oil.

See electrical grid.

Metallic contacts fused to the surface of the solar cell to provide a low resistance path for electrons to flow out to the cell interconnect wires.

A solar electric or photovoltaic (PV) system in which the PV array acts like a central generating plant, supplying power to the grid.

Same as grid-connected system.

louvered or perforated covering for an opening in an air passage which can be located in a wall, ceiling, or floor.

coupling system that joins pipes end to end by engaging circumferential grooves in the pipe using split couplings and a gasket.

the gross floor area of the building envelope, excluding slab-on-grade floors.

load (uncorrected) that a machine, apparatus, device, or system is designed to deliver.

the gross floor area of a conditioned space.

the sum of the floor areas of all the spaces within the building with no deductions for floor penetrations other than atria. Gross floor area is measured from the exterior faces of exterior walls or from the centerline of walls separating buildings, but it excludes covered walkways, open roofed-over areas, porches and similar spaces, pipe trenches, exterior terraces or steps, roof overhangs, parking garages, surface parking, and similar features.

the gross floor area of lighted spaces.

total rate of heat removal from all sources by the evaporator of a refrigerating system at stated conditions. It is numerically equal to the system refrigerating effect.

the area of the roof measured from the exterior faces of walls or from the centerline of party walls.

the gross floor area of semiheated spaces.

the rate of sensible heat removal by the cooling coil for a given set of operating conditions. This value varies as a function of performance parameters such as EWB, ODB, EDB, and airflow rate. (Also see [[sensible heat]].)

the maximum projected area of the complete collector module, including integral mounting means.

the total rate of both sensible heat and latent heat removal by the cooling coil for a given set of operating conditions. This value varies as a function of performance parameters such as EWB, ODB, EDB, and airflow rate. Also see [[sensible heat]] and [[latent heat]].

the area of the wall measured on the exterior face from the top of the floor to the bottom of the roof.

in a thermal storage system or a heat pump, a closed loop of piping, plastic tubing, or ducting used as a heat exchanger between the ground (acting as a low-grade heat source or heat sink) and a circulating fluid.

unintentional electrical connection to ground. Electrical ground plane voltage or any point electrically connected to the earth or ground.

heat pump using a brine solution circulating through a subsurface piping loop functioning as a heat source/heat sink.

water that exists within the zone of saturation. Water that occurs below the surface of the earth, also called subsurface water, to distinguish it from surface water such as lakes oceans and streams.

water-to-water heat pump using water pumped from a well, lake, or stream functioning as a heat source/heat sink. Note: the temperature of the water is related to the climatic conditions and may vary from 40°F to 75°F (5°C to 25°C) for deep wells.

assembly of adjustable guide vanes fitted to the inlet of a fan or turbocompressor. The guide vane's function is to modify the flow and the pressure/flow rate.

isolation damper with a blade which is withdrawn from the duct area when the damper is fully open.