DALLAS - Commercial cooling encompasses a wide variety of products. Air curtains, cooling towers, and evaporative coolers are just a few of the items that help keep occupants in commercial buildings comfortable.

These types of equipment and more were located throughout the 2007 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo). It takes a lot of energy to keep commercial buildings cool, so it’s no wonder that most manufacturers focused on their products being energy efficient.

SAVING ENERGY

APC (www.apc.com) displayed its new InfraStruXure® InRow™ RP, which is a cooling unit designed for data centers and small computer rooms. The InRow RP places cooling next to the heat source, providing predictable, dynamic heat removal for medium, high, and ultra-high density deployments.

The InRow RP is available in both chilled water and refrigerant-based designs, making it suitable for a wide range of environments. The architecture eliminates the requirement for constant speed fans used in traditional approaches, saving energy and maximizing power available for IT deployments.

The company also announced the availability of its InfraStruXure architecture in a variety of pre-configured, fully assembled and tested offerings for wiring closets and small IT rooms, including branch offices.

These new systems increase the speed of the design process by fully integrating the uninterruptible power supply (UPS), rack, and rack-mount power distribution in a single part number, allowing for quick and easy selection and deployment for most IT environments.

Baltimore Aircoil Co. (BAC) (www.baltimoreaircoil.com) introduced its TriArmor™ corrosion protection system, which also received an Honorable Mention in the green building category of the AHR Expo Innovation Awards. TriArmor extends the life of the most critical component of the cooling tower - the cold water basin. The new material is available on BAC’s 3000 and 1500 Series cooling towers and has proven to be leak-free, self-extinguishing, and environmentally friendly as it contains no solvents, VOCs, or CFCs.

The company also announced the addition of its WhisperQuiet fans to the Series 1500 product family. The fans provide a cost-effective solution that reduces sound levels and maximizes energy savings, while maintaining CTI-certified performance.

Mark Pfeifer P.E., applications specialist, Americas, Factory Assembled Products, explains the benefits of Marley's new MC Fluid Cooler.

Bard (www.bardhvac.com) featured its new QuietClimate2 wall-mounted heat pump. According to spokesperson Bill Metz, this equipment was designed specifically to provide quiet operation in classrooms, with sound levels that are 20 to 35 times quieter than a standard wall-mount heat pump. Acoustic isolation curbs are designed to mount outside the building between the wall-mount and the structure to isolate unit vibration and prevent sound energy transfer through the wall.

In addition, two-stage capability results in operation that is 44 percent more efficient during cooling and 38 percent more efficient during heating than a standard wall-mount heat pump. QuietClimate2 uses R-410A refrigerant and features a special “ventilation only” operating sequence that meets and exceeds ventilation requirements.

Berner (www.berner.com) introduced its in-ceiling air curtain, which provides environmental separation and insect control, while saving valuable space by easily mounting inside any ceiling. The internal components are hidden above the ceiling, and it has a modern-style cabinet that is attractive in appearance. The standard features include white aluminum finish, bottom access panel, and trim kits that allow the in-ceiling mount to blend flawlessly into any ceiling. Optional heat is available in electric, steam, or hot water. It measures 15-1/2-inches high by 24-1/2-inches deep and is available in 36-, 42-, 48-, 60-, and 72-inch lengths.

Daikin AC (Americas) Inc.(www. daikinac.com) launched the next generation of VRV® with the introduction of its water cooled VRV® (VRV®-WII), a compact and lightweight structure that enables engineers to utilize the technologically advanced air conditioning solution in more diverse building applications with relative ease. The company also introduced the one-piece multi-position air handling unit (FXOQ) to be used with VRV systems allowing more flexibility and combination possibilities.

The VRV offers an energy saving alternative to traditional centralized equipment. It is available in three outdoor cabinet sizes of 5, 6, and 7 tons and uses a modular approach to serve a single system up to 21 tons in 7 different capacity combinations. At only 330 pounds and measuring less than 40-inches high, applying to decentralized plant rooms is easy, while keeping space impact to a minimum. The system is designed to fit taller and larger applications operating with closed loop cooling tower, or dry cooler and boiler operations.

The FXOQ air handler can be installed in up to four configurations including upflow, horizontal left, horizontal right, and with a kit, it can easily be converted to the downflow position. The FXOQ also comes with a built-in filter rack for efficient setup.

Delta Cooling Towers(www.deltacooling.com) re-introduced its Premier™ cooling tower with several improvements and up-grades. In six single-cell models from 250 to 500 cooling tons, the Premier features a low profile design and carries a 15-year warranty on the seamless unitarily-molded engineered plastic casing. Improvements and upgrades to the tower include a very efficient nozzle distribution system; improved drift eliminator system; improved air inlet louvers; and an upgraded, high-efficiency air moving system.

The company also announced that it will feature NEMA Premium efficient motors standard. These motors reduce energy costs, increase productivity, and conserve energy.

Marvair (www.marvair.com) showcased its new Scholar III wall-mount heat pumps and air conditioners, which are specially designed for the classroom. The equipment features scroll compressor technology, ultra-high-efficiency indoor and outdoor air movers and motors, generous lanced fin and rifled tube evaporator, and condenser coils that combine for SEERs of 13 and high COPs. The units use R-410A and deliver low 45 dBA sound levels, which are due to a high-efficiency axial fan, a low-vibration compressor, and an electronically commutated motor (ECM) that automatically adjusts its speed to maintain proper air flow.

Marley/SPX Cooling Technologies(www.spxcooling.com) introduced its MC fluid cooler, which reduces piping and system complexity by combining three pieces of equipment (cooling tower/heat exchanger/pump) into one unit. The MC fluid cooler features heavy-duty construction and low-energy consumption. Centrifugal fans, a fully enclosed falling water area, and optional sound attenuation create a very quiet tower configuration. The forced-draft counterflow design requires a considerably smaller footprint than crossflow towers, and an extra large entry panel makes the interior of the unit easy to access for service and maintenance, according to the company.

Reymsa Cooling Towers(www.reymsa.com) highlighted its new UniTower Series HRFG, which is an all-fiberglass unitized tower, completely factory assembled with basin and body in one molded fiberglass piece. It is available in 16 basic cell sizes with 42 standard models to provide a more accurate tower for the water-cooling requirements. The HRFG features direct-drive NEMA fan motors, low noise operation, no moving internal parts, and fixed distribution nozzles with variable flow rates.

United CoolAir Corp.(www.unitedcoolair.com) introduced its XC horizontal series of air-cooled, splittable, single-package units. The XC Series had been designed to meet the federally mandated EER of 11.2 in 2010. The Series features better access, as the hanging rods are moved away from the access panels. There are a number of air path configurations for both the evaporator and condensing section that can be field selectable using standardized panel sizing. Green refrigerant options are available for both R-407C, as well as R-410A.

Low evaporator face velocities mean lower pressure drop and no moisture carryover. This means lower blower horsepower and smaller drain pans. The stainless steel drain pans are double sloped to ensure no standing water in the unit. Cabinets are made out of heavy-duty galvanized material and are fully lined with 1-inch insulation to provide a quiet, durable enclosure.

Publication date:02/19/2007