Recent developments in factory-assembled cooling tower technology can increase cooling capacity per cell by up to 50 percent, expanding the applications for so called “package” towers supporting HVAC and industrial processes. Although field-erected towers have long been the preferred product for process cooling in power plants and heavy industry, new robust designs and materials coupled with cost-saving building techniques make the new generation of modular products logical alternatives for a broader range of applications.
Tim is the campus energy manager for a major northeast public university, and he has a story to tell about his major strides to reduce campus energy usage. But, he wants to be anonymous.
While CFD is used across the construction industry for analysis and design optimization of an HVAC system, some organizations and individuals have been slow to fully utilize it within their practices, citing restrictions such as cost, unreliability, and inaccessibility. In this article, we examine some of the key advantages for its use and assess how current CFD tools are addressing such concerns.
As architects and engineers draw up plans for commercial buildings, it is a common practice to design openings in walls. In many cases, these openings allow for intake and/or exhaust air that supports the building’s HVAC system and are fire-resistive rated.
Regulations, market drivers, and trends reflect that carbon dioxide (CO2) is increasingly being used as a refrigerant in a variety of applications. This includes applications such as: supermarkets/grocery stores, cold rooms, walk-in freezers, industrial cold storage, and food manufacturing/processing.
A new Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study involving 196 cooling towers nationwide found that 84 percent contained Legionella DNA, indicating that the dangerous bacteria that causes a severe, even fatal type of pneumonia were present or had been at some point. This means the real question is not “whether there will be another outbreak” but only “where and when” it will occur.
Challenged to do more with less, data centers are seeking innovative ways to keep operating costs as low as possible — all while computer technologies may be changing as often as every three months. In a market demanding denser and more powerful electronics, data centers are pressed for cooling technology that can keep up with the times.
To keep their units operating at peak efficiency, homeowners are encouraged to schedule regular system maintenance. However, there are a number of problems with this approach. As a result, companies are developing hardware/software products to provide a means for monitoring and maintaining optimum performance of residential HVAC units.
Welding fumes aren’t good to breath, and all regulatory agencies agree that welding fumes should be directed away from the welder’s breathing zone when local exhaust ventilation (LEV) is being used. While all fumes are bad, some fumes are recognized as more hazardous than others. One such fume is hexavalent chromium, which is produced when welding stainless steel and other materials containing chromium.
Where clean air is needed, an air filter is usually not far away. In the last decade, the filtration industry has made tremendous progress in filter technologies. With new materials and designs, advances in nonwoven fabric manufacturing, and pleating methods, as well as new developments like nanofiber layers and coatings, filters have become more efficient, reliable, and compact. Demands on the filtration industry are also changing. It’s no longer solely about filter efficiency and dust-holding capacity; with soaring energy prices and increasing awareness of sustainability, filter media are expected to contribute to lower energy consumption.