ORLANDO, Fla. - Humidification and dehumidification product manufacturers had much to showcase at the AHR Expo. Most of the new offerings promised superior indoor air quality (IAQ) while saving on energy costs.

Dehumidification

One of the more interesting products showcased at the expo came fromMunters(www.munters.us), which introduced the H20 LiquidAire system. The system was introduced at a press conference as a possible solution to the worldwide water crisis. The product captures moisture from outside air and turns it into pure drinking water while controlling humidity. Making pure drinking water from cooling coils is an industry first, the company said.

The H20 LiquidAire works as outside air passes through an efficient air filter, which purifies it by removing dust, pollen, mold spores, and other airborne particulates. The moisture is condensed from the outside air and collected in a UV-protected chamber.

It is then stored in a holding tank, which is ozonated continuously. Water is drawn from the tank as needed, filtered through a VOC carbon filter, then passed through the UV sanitation light. "It could be an ideal solution for the world's water crisis," said Munters sales manager Larry Klekar.

DryKor (www.drykor.com) promoted its UDT-14 Model by focusing on the improvement of IAQ through an active filter that removes 94 percent of microorganisms and airborne bacteria and 77 percent of particles larger than 5 microns. The UDT-14, which is designed for commercial and industrial applications, permits downsizing of HVAC equipment and coils, the company said.

PoolPak International (www.poolpak.com) covered indoor pool dehumidification with the introduction of the PoolComPak system. The product is said to eliminate the need for continuous ventilation, greatly lowering energy costs and providing a pool enclosure that is comfortable and safe. Excess humidity is controlled through the use of mechanical refrigeration. The product also has a space-saving design with options for outdoor rooftop, pad-mount, or ceiling-hung installation.

Outside Air Solutions (www.outsideairsolutions.com) showcased the DP50, a ventilation and humidity control system for densely populated buildings. It is designed to complement HVAC systems by supplying outside air that is controllable and conditioned to aid proper system operation, not disrupt it.

The system provides latent cooling to the space, ensuring that the space's humidity remains under control at all times. This prevents rehumidification of the space under part-load conditions by the outside air, the company explained.

Humidification

Stulz-ATS(www.stulz-ats.com) introduced the E-Series proportional controller for its Ultrasonic humidification line. The product features a text/graphic remote or panel display, password-protected menu program with audible alarm, weekly timer with two adjustable set points per day, control box temperature monitoring, air velocity monitoring and control, connectivity for stand-alone monitoring, 100-entry time-stamped event log, and the options of low temperature humidity limiting and proportional integral control.

Axair Nortec Inc. (www.humidity.com) brought three new products to the show. The company said its SETC steam exchange humidifiers are ideally suited for facilities where pressure steam is available from a boiler. The boiler steam passes through the SETC's internal heat exchanger, bringing the surrounding water in the tank to an atmospheric clean steam vapor. The chemical treatment from the boiler does not enter the airstream, the company said.

Nortec also introduced the GS Series gas-fired humidifier, which has standard features including an internal drain "water cooler" to meet local plumbing codes. Unit services are provided via a single external connection.

The new Nortec NHSC is billed as an extreme humidifier for extreme water. Its patented scale management system is designed for use with extreme water conditions. The humidifier's flexible inner liner allows scale to easily break off and fall into the scale collector tank at the base of the unit. During midseason cleaning, the servicer removes the tank when the NHSC says it's time, dumps the sludge, and remounts the tank. The humidifier is ready to go again.

Publication date: 02/28/2005