A mechanical engineer recently asked; How do different types of fan blades handle the system effect? Is there a best choice when it’s hard to determine system effect? I went to the expert on this one (no, not Rick). Paul Tetley, Vice President & General Manager, Strobic Air Corporation was kind enough to offer his… Read more »
Posts By: Jim Shiminski
UVC Lights – 5 FAQ’s
There are a handful of questions that are commonly asked regarding UVC lights. Here are the five that we see most often. 1. What is UVC? Short-wave ultraviolet radiation, in the “C” band of 200 to 280 nanometers, has been used in a wide range of germicidal applications since the late 1800s to destroy bacteria, mold, yeast, and viruses. UV-C,… Read more »
Integrate VAV Diffusers Using BACnet
Acutherm, a manufacturer of components for heating and air conditioning systems, recently joined BACnet International as part of their work in integrating one of their signature products. “Acutherm’s Therma-Fuser™ VAV System is designed to work cooperatively with a wide range of Building Automation System options,” stated Robert Kline LEED AP BD+C, Engineering Manager at Acutherm…. Read more »
Composite Wheel Technology | A Good Idea
Composite material design has been the hot topic in new construction. We recently visited one of our manufacturers. They shared a new fan wheel design from Ziehl-Abegg. This is a design that will begin to take center stage in the HVAC design industry. Composite Fan wheels are a great idea. These are key advantages… Read more »
5 Benefits of Using Wrap Around Heat Pipes
The wrap around heat pipe is a heat pipe wrapped around a cooling coil. It consists of two sections, the pre-cool section placed before the cooling coil and the reheat section placed after the reheat coil. The wrap around heat pipe eliminates the need for reheat and increases the dehumidifying capacity of an air conditioner… Read more »
Ask Rick: High Plume Dilution Fans | Control with VFD’s
Q. I have a client with 6 Strobic Air fans. They operate only 1 on a VFD with another on VFD stand-by. The other 4 run at full speed. It appears to work fine so why should all fans be needed to ramp up and down together ? Thanks A. If fans are on a… Read more »
5 Reasons to Consider a Composite Air Handling Unit
I cycle quite a bit. I average about 2,000 miles a year. Around the office that hardly counts as two workmates easily double that each year. We ride a lot and we like bicycles. When is the last time you bought a bicycle? Things have changed a lot in 25 years. I have posted a… Read more »
Ask Rick: Prefilters in Front of an Energy Recovery Device?
Ask Rick: We are working on a lab application and considering not using filters on the exhaust side in front of the energy recovery device. I would like to hear the pro’s and con’s on why not to install filters. This will help us in designing future projects. I would think the efficiency would fall… Read more »
5 Reasons to Refurbish an Existing Air Handling Unit
Advantages of Air Handling Unit (AHU) Refurbishment Compared to Replacement: Reduced cost compared to purchasing new units More environmentally friendly by re-using existing equipment Minimal equipment downtime Existing services are typically unaltered Minimal disruption to the building’s normal operation Even if a building owner has done a good job maintaining their air handling unit, there… Read more »
Ask Rick: Bypass Dampers on Lab Exhaust Fan Systems
Q. We are designing a lab exhaust fan system with multiple fans on a plenum. We are using Strobic Air Fans. We are using VFDs on the project. Do we need bypass dampers? A. We typically advise that bypass dampers only be used when necessary. In a lot of applications where VFDs are used, bypass… Read more »