Engineered Systems articles from June 2005

Engineered Systems archives from June 2005

Emissions decisions.(editor's note)
June 1, 2005... Now and then, if you're lucky, you get in a room with a bunch of really, really smart people. That's what happened to me last month in our nation's capital, at a Climate-Tech 2005 afternoon event honoring this year's recipients of the EPA's...

Calendar of events: July 2005.(Calendar)
June 1, 2005... For more events and details, visit ESOnline at www.esmagazine.com. 7-8 Water Heater Sizing and Application School Lochinvar Corp. Lebanon, TN. For info, visit www.Lochinvor.com. 13 BNP Media Modern Engineering...

Growing your own help.(letters to the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... This letter refers to Howard McKew's "Tomorrow's Engineer" column titled, "BAS Help? Grow Your Own" (February 2005, page 116). Good idea presented, in but you were a bit unprofessional in the way you presented the ETIT approach (from your...

Centrifugal compressor starting torque.(letters to the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... I would like to know if a centrifugal compressor, driven by electric motor when started with suction valve closed and discharge vent valve open, would be better than both suction valve and discharge valve open from the point of view of starting...

Chilled water systems.(letters to the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... This letter refers to Howard and Amanda McKew's article "The Very Model Of A Model Major Campus," that appeared in the Feb ruary 2005 issue (page 54). I enjoyed reading your recent article in Engineered Systems on the campus central...

Helpful hints.(Back to Basics[TM])
June 1, 2005... * Refer to the 2005 April and May "Back to Basics" tests for additional automatic temperature control and functional performance testing. * Refer to this month's "HVACR Designer Tips" for project closeout, as well as the "Application...

ESCOs, air/dirt separator team up for savings at EIU.(case in point)
June 1, 2005... Attended by over 11,500 students, Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL, encompasses three million sq ft spread over 70 buildings. As at many higher education facilities, deferred maintenance had been piling up at EIU for years. And...

Variable frequency compression technology meets mayor's mark.(case in point)
June 1, 2005... Erected in 1973, the 12,000-sq-ft Oxnard Civic Center Professional Building in downtown Oxnard, CA, is operational 24/7/365, and its thirtysomething HVAC system was requiring constant repairs with bills often exceeding $10,000 annually. The...

Compact exhaust system helps thin out a 'rooftop jungle'.(case in point)
June 1, 2005... Housed at Reese Technology Center, The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), a research and academic program of Texas Tech University, contains a series of environmental laboratories that previously served as engineering work...

Bubble vision: defining systems clearly at the start will help them work (and work with each other) more efficiently.(commissioning)
June 1, 2005... In two previous "Getting it Right" columns, I addressed the differences between traditional quality control and commissioning (December 1999 and May 2002). The crux of the issue is that quality control is focused on equipment and commissioning...

Looking for a (Digital) sign: as the building gets smarter, the signage naturally does, too.(building automation)
June 1, 2005... What's new and what's hot? "Digital signage." It is appearing in our buildings at zero cost to the owners, and it has the potential of being a very active part of our truly integrated intelligent iBuildings. From an article on our website...

Keep in the clear! The NEC insistence on a wide berth isn't just a power trip.(current affairs)
June 1, 2005... If there is a single aspect of the National Electrical Code (NEC) that HVACR designers should be familiar with, it is the requirements that define the space around electrical equipment from which piping, ductwork, and other obstructions must be...

Chiller addition to an existing chiller plant and distribution system--commissioning and project closeout checklist.(hvacr designer tips)
June 1, 2005... Equipment type: Chiller CH-3 Equipment designation: Winter chiller Bar code designation: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Area served: Health care facility Equipment location: outdoor adjacent equipment room B01 SPECIFICATION REVIEW *...

Chiller addition to an existing chiller plant and distribution system.(Application Checklist)
June 1, 2005... The following system analysis and analytical scorecard can be used to assess the use of a 250-ton air cooled chiller for this application. The approach is based in part on the 2004 ASHRAE Handbook--Systems and Equipment, Chapter 1 "System...

Hotel function room ventilation--heat recovery with C[O.sub.2] monitoring and VAV control.(weather report: April 2005)
June 1, 2005... To summarize the data in this months report (Figures 1 and 2), April was a fairly mild month for much of the country and actually a little on the warm side in some cities. Heating degree days for Detroit and Minneapolis were way down compared...

Improving campus economics and aesthetics with a central chilled water plant.(Cover Story)
June 1, 2005... A central cooling plant college campus has several quantifiable advantages over decentralized equipment. These include improved efficiency, ability to cycle easily between alternate energy sources, reduced maintenance burden for staff, and...

Community college shores up its boilers.
June 1, 2005... Mechanical rooms located between classrooms and containing high levels of carbon monoxide? Shoreline Community College was concerned enough that it set about a course of retrofits. Several new boilers later, things are running more efficiently...

Biological safety cabinets.
June 1, 2005... The engineering community's general knowledge of biological safety cabinets was already below that of fume hoods in general, and then the NSF changed the classification of cabinets, only increasing the air of mystery. Nevertheless, the past few...

Cooler heads prevail: portable cooling is on the move and on the job around the globe these days. These three cases highlight the capabilities for cooling a variety of people and spaces, including sensitive research materials in Michigan, talking heads in New York, and even VIPs visiting Grand Cayman in the wake of a hurricane.
June 1, 2005... In its infancy, the portable cooling industry was used primarily to solve unplanned emergency situations utilizing only small portable units to provide cooling during unexpected system failures. As the industry, matured, larger, more...

Know your fans: Part II.
June 1, 2005... Fans and fan systems are significant energy consumers in many commercial applications and can be the greatest consumers in industrial applications. Concerned about being responsible for underperforming systems, designers tend to compensate for...

EPA ClimateTech event focuses on responsible use, climate change scenarios.(issues and events)
June 1, 2005... Joe Orosz, president of Danfoss Turbocor Compressors Inc., an HVAC compressor manufacturer located in Montreal, provided opening comments at the EPA's ClimateTech 2005 event held May 4th in Washington. "The U.S. EPA's 'responsible use'...

Cutting-edge hydronic technologies covered in one-day seminar.(issues and events)
June 1, 2005... Industry expert (and Engineered Systems contributor) John Siegenthaler, P.E., presents the latest concepts in modern hydronic heating system design for both residential and commercial hydronic heating systems. The BNP Media Modern Engineering...

Lennox Industries, Inc.(Industry News)
June 1, 2005... Lennon Industries, Inc. recently hosted, at its Stuttgart, AR plant, a group of 50-plus engineers from throughout North America for a three-day event centered on a benchmark comparison of four commercial packaged units.

SPPECSS Consulting, LLC.(Industry News)
June 1, 2005... SPPECSS Consulting, LLC, based in St. Louis, is a new professional education-based business offering customized seminars to the HVAC industry throughout the U.S.

Lochinvar[R] Corp.(Industry News)
June 1, 2005... Lochinvar[R] Corp. announced its 2005 schedule of classes at Lochinvar University.

ABB.(Industry News)
June 1, 2005... ABB has formally opened a Corporate Research Center (CRC) at its industrial computer control system facility in Wickliffe, OH.

Johnson Controls.(Industry News)
June 1, 2005... Johnson Controls has released a white paper, titled Harnessing the Power of Wireless Technology in Healthcare.

TAC.(Industry News)
June 1, 2005... TAC is now offering complete D-B and validation solutions for mission-critical cleanrooms through its Precision Environments group.

Luxaire Heating and Air Conditioning.(Industry News)
June 1, 2005... Luxaire Heating and Air Conditioning recently hosted 15 territory managers who completed basic training at the Norman, OK, headquarters of York Unitary Products Group (UPG).

Heat-Timer Corporation.(Industry News)
June 1, 2005... Heat-Timer Corporation has successfully completed the ISO 9001:2000 registration process, signifying that the company has raised the bar in its quality engineering and manufacturing practices.

ISH North America date set for 2006.(issues and events)
June 1, 2005... Over the past years, the ISH North America partners have assembled a key group of industry representatives, forming the ISH North America Exhibitor Advisory, Board. As the show prepares to stage its fourth event, shifting to a biennial...

Integration experts and visionaries receive Buildy Award.(issues and events)
June 1, 2005... Chosen by more than 450 of their peers, the four final Buildy Award winners representing the North American organizations and individuals who best support the vision of networked building systems were recognized at the Industry Gala at BuilConn...

Parker Durrant.(Engineering Beat)
June 1, 2005... Parker Durrant announced that Ira A. Keer, AIA, CID, has joined the firm as senior interior project architect.

TKDA.(Engineering Beat)
June 1, 2005... TKDA announced the opening of a branch office in Grand Rapids, MN.

Setter Leach & Lindstrom.(Engineering Beat)
June 1, 2005... Setter Leach & Lindstrom and Leo A Daly merged to form SLL/Leo A Daly, and the firm has expanded its food distribution, cold storage, manufacturing and food processing division.

C&R Mechanical Company.(Engineering Beat)
June 1, 2005... C&R Mechanical Company has named Jamison Bloebaum, P.E., as engineering manager.

Affiliated Engineers, Inc.(Engineering Beat)
June 1, 2005... Affiliated Engineers, Inc. announced that Manus McDevitt, P.E. has attained a geoexchange designer certification1, which recognizes industry professionals who have high levels of expertise, proficiency, and are able to show ethical fitness in...

Ellers, Oakley, Chester & Rike, Inc.(Engineering Beat)
June 1, 2005... Ellers, Oakley, Chester & Rike, Inc. (EOCR), a full-service consulting engineering firm and subsidiary of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), has named Patricia Suite as designer and Derek Strong as mechanical engineer.

Woolpert LLP.(Engineering Beat)
June 1, 2005... Woolpert LLP recently announced the promotion of 15 employees to the ranks of associate partner and associate. New associate partners include: Steven Godfrey; Richard Hammond; and Bret Paden. New associates include: Brian Bates; Judy Beale;...

Marvair.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2005... Mike Whitehurst has been promoted to the position of OEM sales manager for Marvair, a division of Airxcel, Inc.

Clasma, Inc.'s president and CEO Anto Budiardjo has been selected as the 2005 Building Technologies CEO of the Year.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2005... Clasma, Inc.'s president and CEO Anto Budiardjo has been selected as the 2005 Building Technologies CEO of the Year by Frost & Sullivan.

Elfab.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2005... Elfab, a leading European supplier of pressure-safety systems, has appointed Mike Purcell as its national sales manager for North America.

A.O. Smith Corporation.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2005... A.O. Smith Corporation named Christopher L. Mapes as president of its Electrical Products Company.

Armstrong Pumps.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2005... Armstrong Pumps recently announced the appointment of Rodney D.M. Brandon as marketing specialist with the Hydronics division.

Mechanovent Corp.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2005... Gary Benson is the new president of Mechanovent Corp., a supplier of fans and fan components to OEMs.

Spirax Sarco, Inc.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2005... Spirax Sarco, Inc. hired Roger W. Barnes, P.E., as the new vice president of marketing and technology; and promoted Patrick A. Tillisch to vice president of sales, and Richard S. Gavlin to the new position of vice president of energy services.

The National Association of Power Engineers.(Association Agenda)
June 1, 2005... The National Association of Power Engineers is forming a chapter in the Greater Philadelphia area.

HVAC Excellence.(Association Agenda)
June 1, 2005... HVAC Excellence recently released another technician certification "Carbon Monoxide and Combustion Analysis Certification," which addresses growing concern nationally about carbon monoxide as the building construction industry has changed...

ARI.(Association Agenda)
June 1, 2005... ARI has revised and approved for publication ARI Standard 340/360-2004 "Commercial and Industrial Unitary Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Equipment."

The Partnership for Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Accreditation.(Association Agenda)
June 1, 2005... The Partnership for Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA) awarded national accreditation to HVACR training programs at Isaac Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc., in Rochester, NY, and Monmouth County Vocational...

The Hydraulic Institute.(Association Agenda)
June 1, 2005... The Hydraulic Institute announced that Thomas E. Ferguson, vice president of Flowserve Corp. and president of Flowserve Pumps, has been appointed to the 2005-2006 board of directors and will assume the role of vice president of member services...

Chiller and boiler management.(computers & software)
June 1, 2005... This company has introduced an easy-to-use chiller and boiler efficiency management tool that diagnoses equipment performance, troubleshoots problems, and generates comprehensive reports for $400 per year (per chiller/boiler). These reports...

Building control product selection.(computers & software)
June 1, 2005... Building Control Workbench[TM] is a free, Web-based tool designed to save consulting engineers and other design professionals time by helping them find the company's systems, products, and application data for their building projects in a...

Online sizing guide.(computers & software)
June 1, 2005... The Navigator[R] Thermostatic Mixing Valves has been updated to add more functionality to the calculator, improve its graphics, and more. The interactive sizing tool, available in the thermostatic mixing valve section at www.bradleycorp.com,...

Honeywell.(World Wide Web)
June 1, 2005... Honeywell is now offering a website, located at www.410A.com/, that provides information about the refrigerant 410A or R-410.

Armacell LLC.(World Wide Web)
June 1, 2005... Armacell LLC provides information about its product offerings, mechanical/technical insulation, and marine and offshore, technical and acoustical foams, and Armasport-sport and leisure products, at www.armacell.com.

The Bilco Company.(World Wide Web)
June 1, 2005... The Bilco Company, manufacturers of specialty access products for commercial and residential markets, introduced its newly designed website at www.bilco.com.

The National Building Museum's Building America.(World Wide Web)
June 1, 2005... The National Building Museum's Building America website, located at www.building america.org/, explores the broad scope of U.S. achievement in architecture, design, engineering, construction, planning, and landscape architecture.

The National Environmental Balancing Bureau.(World Wide Web)
June 1, 2005... The National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB) Sound & Vibration Committee recently completed a new, suggested, long form sound, and vibration specification which may be viewed and/or copied at www.nebb.org/svspec.htm.

Carnes Company.(World Wide Web)
June 1, 2005... Carnes Company provides information about its HVAC equipment for sheet metal and mechanical contractors serving the commercial, non-residential construction market, at www.carnes.com/.

Universal Air Filter Company.(World Wide Web)
June 1, 2005... Universal Air Filter Company invites broadband related companies and organizations to link to www.uafbroadband.com, a specialty website geared to the specific thermal management information needs of design engineers of broadband electronics...

Staco Energy Products Co.(World Wide Web)
June 1, 2005... Staco Energy Products Co. has unveiled a new online store, located at www.StacoEnergy.com, where customers can purchase the company's popular UPS, the UniStar Sx, directly from the factory.

Tridium Inc. and NovusEdge.(BITS & BYTES)
June 1, 2005... Tridium Inc. and NovusEdge announced the development of the first integrated console for automated security and building management systems to be built using the next generation Niagara Framework[R], NiagaraAX.

Echelon Corporation and WebGen Systems Inc.(BITS & BYTES)
June 1, 2005... Echelon Corporation and WebGen Systems Inc. announced that the companies have collaborated to integrate Internet access and a real-time energy management and monitoring solution that reduces energy consumption in small-to-medium sized...

Engineered Software Inc.(BITS & BYTES)
June 1, 2005... Engineered Software, Inc. announced the release of its Software Development Kit, which works in conjunction with the company's innovative PIPE-FLO Professional program.

Algor, Inc. and Kubotek USA, Inc.(BITS & BYTES)
June 1, 2005... Algor, Inc. and Kubotek USA, Inc., supplier of the KeyCreator[TM] (formerly CADKEY[R]} design and manufacturing software, announced a new technology partnership.

Autodesk, Inc.(BITS & BYTES)
June 1, 2005... Autodesk, Inc. announced the 20th release of AutoCAD[R] and the latest release of AutoCAD LT[R] software, with features that the company says advance core drafting functions for more intuitive and faster design and drafting capability than ever...

Carmel Software.(BITS & BYTES)
June 1, 2005... Carmel Software announced that it has released an upgrade to its popular HVAC estimating software program: Estimate 6.0, a program that allows the HVAC mechanical contractor or D-B engineer to create job cost estimates that include HVAC...

Tour Andover Controls.(BITS & BYTES)
June 1, 2005... Tour Andover Controls has introduced Continuum[R] CyberStation and web.Client revision 1.7, the latest update of the company's integrated energy management and card access/security solution.

Eagle Technology, Inc.(BITS & BYTES)
June 1, 2005... Eagle Technology, Inc. has introduced its ProTeus IV, the latest generation in CMMS, which is designed specifically for use in facilities (health care, government, and educational institutions) and manufacturing plants.

Cimetrics, Inc.(BITS & BYTES)
June 1, 2005... Cimetrics, Inc. announced the introduction of a new member to its Eplus series of BACnet interfaces.

BACnet[TM] controllers.(products in focus)
June 1, 2005... The company has added a series of advanced, fully programmable BACnet[TM] controllers to its I/A Series[R] BAS. Four models are available: the MNB-1000 MicroNet BACnet plant controller and the MNB-300 MicroNet BACnet unitary controller, which...

Tankless water heater.(products in focus)
June 1, 2005... The T-H1 tankless water heater uses a preheating system and a built-in neutralizer system. The preheating system uses dual heat exchangers that heat water in a two-step process, delivering 10.5 gal/min. The neutralizer system features a...

Lab exhaust system.(products in focus)
June 1, 2005... The company's Vektor[TM] high plume dilution blower is a self contained exhaust system for institutional and industrial laboratories. Features include a discharge nozzle design that entrains additional ambient air to mix with potentially...

Unit controllers.(products in focus)
June 1, 2005... The company's MicroTech II[TM] and MicroTech 2000[TM] unit controllers are LonMark[R] 3.3 certified for integration with BAS that use the LonTalk[R] protocol. The controllers are available on the company's chillers and condensing units, rooftop...

PC control.(products in focus)
June 1, 2005... The company expanded its C63xx compact control cabinet industrial PC family with two new models that both have three free PCI slots: the C6340 and C6350. The models feature a slot motherboard for Intel Celeron or Pentium III processors, and the...

HVAC disconnect.(products in focus)
June 1, 2005... The B222-60NFGF is a 60A, non-fused HVAC disconnect with a built-in (110V) ground fault receptacle designed for light commercial applications. The unit meets the requirements of 210.63 and 210.8 of the 2002 National Electric Code. --Cooper...

Ceiling diffusers.(products in focus)
June 1, 2005... The Model RZ16 ceiling diffuser is designed to fit into a round opening and features an integral spring-loaded damper that locks in place after adjusting. The diffuser cores are removable for easier cleaning and the unit's interlocking...

Silencers.(PRODUCTS IN FOCUS)
June 1, 2005... The Quiet-Duct Ultra[TM] / LOW and the Quiet-Duct Ultra[TM] / Green silencers are designed low-frequency noise control and green building applications. The Quiet-Duct Ultra[TM] / Low Series is available in three models: ULS, ULM, and ULL in...

Dust collectors.(PRODUCTS IN FOCUS)
June 1, 2005... The HemiPleat[TM] filter features a media pack design that holds the pleats of the cartridge open, making virtually all of the media surface available for filtration. This results in lower pressure drop for more efficient performance, according...

Evaporative cooling systems.(PRODUCTS IN FOCUS)
June 1, 2005... The Aztec line of evaporative cooling systems is available in sizes ranging from 1,500 to 37,500 cfm. The units feature a two-pass heat exchanger system to satisfy heating requirements up to 1.4 MBtuh. Other features include stainless steel...

Pressure-reducing regulators.(PRODUCTS IN FOCUS)
June 1, 2005... The Type D50 direct-acting pressure reducing regulators is available in sizes ranging from 1/2 to 2 in. in cast iron, 1/2 in. to 3/4 in. in bronze, and 1/2 to 1 in. in stainless steel and is rated to 300 psig at 420[degrees]F, reducing pressure...

Sensors.(PRODUCTS IN FOCUS)
June 1, 2005... The MHT-104 heat sensor provides temperature control and is installed at the end of the main steam supply line. The unit is part of the company's Vari-Vac[R] variable vacuum differential heating control system and is suited for applications...

Temperature recorder.(PRODUCTS IN FOCUS)
June 1, 2005... The RF TC4000A thermocouple recorder and wireless transmitter is a portable two-channel device that can operate over a wide temperature range and record up to 4,095 readings per channel. The device is compatible with all common thermocouples...