Engineered Systems articles from June 2006

Engineered Systems archives from June 2006

Going back to basics.(letters to the editor)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... I want to thank Howard McKew for his "Back to Basics" columns, specifically Test 206, (January 2006, pages 16 and 17) in Engineered Systems. They are type of features that an old O&M engineer such as myself enjoys the most. Keep those types of...

Potential piping problems.(letters to the editor)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... I was appalled to hear a major manufacturer's representative recently suggest installing a liquid injection/hot gas device in a condensing unit of a split system in order to save the expense of piping the hot gas to the evaporator. I was...

Smarter systems coast to coast.(editor's note)
June 1, 2006... We have breaking news for you this month, in the form of a limited-space opportunity available to registrants for our gathering this fall in San Diego. Rather than paraphrasing what we've already written once, let me just give it to you...

Calendar of events: Summer 2006.(Calendar)
June 1, 2006... For more events and details, visit ESOnline at www.esmagazine.com. JUNE 24-28 2006 ASHRAE Summer Meeting American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers Quebec. For info, visit www.ashrae.org....

Helpful hints.(Back to Basics)(building automation)
June 1, 2006... * Refer to this month's "HVACR Designer Tips" for the project closeout checklist, as well as "Application Checklist" for scoring the chiller replacement system selection. * Most facilities do not optimize their building automation...

Awash in upgrades, UCSB wrings out additional savings with monitoring.(case in point)(University of California, Santa Barbara and Verle A. Williams and Associates' contract)
June 1, 2006... The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is school to nearly 20,000 students and work to more than 9,000 faculty and staff. Originally a small, independent teacher's college, Santa Barbara joined the University of California system in...

Two-pipe zoning system improves the norm for historic dorm.(case in point)(Champlain College in Burlington's contract with Mountain Air Systems)
June 1, 2006... Champlain College in Burlington, VT, is home to several Victorian-era mansions that were built in the mid 1880s and now serve as residence halls. One such building, Hill Hall, is a co-ed dormitory for 40 students (13 rooms for two to four...

Oklahoma City University makes the grade with energy report card.(case in point)
June 1, 2006... Known for its performing arts programs, Oklahoma City University (OCU) always keeps its doors open for students--literally. OCU provides building access to students around the clock, which makes it difficult to anticipate the campus' energy...

Hot water heaters make "hitting the showers" more pleasant for Bulls.(CASE IN POINT)(University of South Florida's athletics center)
June 1, 2006... The University of South Florida (USF) has made the move to the Big East Conference. To help the USF Bulls prepare for competition in their new conference, the university built a brand new athletics center. The $18-million facility represents a...

Commissioning existing: systems renovations.(commissioning)(heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system)(Column)
June 1, 2006... Defining the scope will help you cope. My May, 2006 column introduced the concept of decommissioning as a process for thoughtfully and systematically preparing for partial renovation of an existing building--something that happens more...

Harboring harbingers in Palm Springs.(building automation)(Cisco's Mapping the Future of Building-IT Convergence, BuilConn, trade show)(Anto Budiardjo, winner of AutomatedBuildings.com's "Newsmaker and Industry Shaker of the Year" award)(Interview)(Column)
June 1, 2006... Cisco and others steer attention to BuilConn and beyond. In this time of great change and industry renaissance, it is important to try to identify key harbingers that we must watch to better understand how our IT-connected future may...

Chiller replacement: commissioning and project closeout checklist.(hvacr designer tips)(Chiller CH-2)
June 1, 2006... Equipment type: Chiller CH-2 Equipment designation: Stream absorption chiller Barcode designation: 111111 Area served: Office building Equipment location: Equipment room B01 SPECIFICATION REVIEW * Confirm Division 1...

Big plant on campus.(Cover story)
June 1, 2006... When the University of Minnesota decided to centralize its chiller system, it immediately faced a tall task: retrofitting an existing building to handle its new life as a central plant. Elsewhere, the project also meant tasks such as installing...

Designing flexible and expandable laboratories.
June 1, 2006... With universities more frequently offering up their research capabilities to outside companies as a revenue stream, you can be sure of one thing: What a lab works on today is probably not what the scientists will be working on in a couple of...

From new cars to New Orleans: two vastly different projects faced substantial challenges and turned to temporary HVAC for relief. Whether the goal was maintaining comfort for the amateur test-driving crowd or managing post-Katrina humidity for a recovering hotel, success was a matter of evaluating the challenge accurately and weighing options accordingly.(General Motors Corp.'s AutoShow in Motion )
June 1, 2006... Hot wheels, cool customers Keeping guests comfortable when they're attending an event can be a relatively simple proposition as long as the right equipment is in place. However, when you're talking about a mobile event that takes place...

Strength in numbers: executing a large and complex complex boiler decentralization mission with an aggressive timetable and ongoing critical activities is fraught with engineering versions of land mines, pitfalls, and friendly fire. What better facility to undertake this mission than a U.S. Marine Corps training site? See how solid planning and team performance hurdled multiple obstacles to improve economy and service for 125 buildings.
June 1, 2006... Beginning in 2001 James Naylor P.E., special projects manager at Marine Corps Base (MCB) Quantico, led the charge to modernize the base's ailing infrastructure with efficient, decentralized heating plants. The poor condition of the steam and...

Intelligent Buildings Leadership Forum set for end of June.(Continental Automated Buildings Association)
June 1, 2006... CABA announced that two keynote speakers have been confirmed for its Intelligent Buildings Leadership Forum, which will be held June 25-27, 2006 at the Dallas Convention Center in conjunction with Realcomm and BOMA International's North...

WAGO Corporation.(Industry News)("Internet Access in a Process Control Environment" directory released)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... WAGO Corporation has released a white paper titled "Internet Access in a Process Control Environment," which focuses on connecting to the PLC from a remote location.

Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.(Industry News)
June 1, 2006... Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. has signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire the assets and the business of Controlotron Corporation headquartered in Hauppauge, NY.

Honeywell.(Industry News)(Cathedral City's contract for solar canopy )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Honeywell and the city of Cathedral City, CA have completed of a solar canopy that is helping the city lower operating costs, improve air quality, and protect against rising energy costs.

TAC.(Industry News)
June 1, 2006... TAC has installed a $2.1 million BAS in the recently completed Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

Hitachi WirelessInfo Venture Company.(Industry News)(Ember Corporation's contract to develop sensors)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Hitachi WirelessInfo Venture Company (WI), a new division of Hitachi, Ltd. formed in July 2005, is working with Ember Corporation to develop a family of ZigBee-based sensors for use in a variety of wireless monitoring, sensing, and control...

Hansen Technologies Corporation.(Industry News)
June 1, 2006... Hansen Technologies Corporation announced a 3.5% price increase due to additional costs from its suppliers as a result of escalating raw material costs.

Modine Manufacturing Company.(Industry News)(Arsenal selects Airedale for new stadium air conditioning)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Modine Manufacturing Company's newly acquired A/C product line, Airedale, has been selected to provide cooling for the United Kingdom soccer team Arsenal's new stadium in north London.

Autodesk, Inc.(Industry News)
June 1, 2006... Autodesk, Inc. has acquired the majority of Applied Spatial Technologies' assets, including their software application for facilities management, FMDesktop.

Butterworth-Heinemann.("Ventilation for Environmental Tobacco Smoke" by Brian A. Rock released)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Butterworth-Heinemann, a division of Elsevier, has released "Ventilation for Environmental Tobacco Smoke" by Brian A. Rock, a book written to educate companies about obstructed ventilation systems due to tobacco smoke within their facilities.

Seminars For Engineers USA.(Industry News)
June 1, 2006... Seminars For Engineers USA, a division of Sensor Products LLC USA, announced, in association with SEALDOC Corporation, the Engineered Solutions for Fluid Sealing 2006 seminar schedule.

Danfoss.(Danfoss Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Div.'s EnVisioneering)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Danfoss has launched a far-reaching EnVisioneering[SM] approach focused on bringing higher levels of engineering innovation and collaboration to the challenges of energy efficiency and environmental responsibility for its customers in the...

Trane.(Industry News)(Metropolitan School District's contract)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Trane recently secured a performance contract to upgrade the building HVAC infrastructure and climate control equipment in five buildings within the Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Steuben County, in Angola, IN.

Niagara Summit draws record crowd.(ISSUES AND EVENTS)(Tridium Inc.'s trade shows)
June 1, 2006... Tridium's 2006 Niagara Summit, held at the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, FL, attracted a record number of attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors, according to Marc Petock, director of marketing for Tridium. Petock attributed the success to...

Sebesta Blomberg & Associates, Inc.(Engineering Beat)
June 1, 2006... Sebesta Blomberg & Associates, Inc. has promoted Dave Nichols to division leader of the Manufacturing Process Technology Division.

Durrant.(Engineering Beat)
June 1, 2006... Durrant has been ranked as one of the top architectural firms in the state of Wisconsin by Wisconsin Builder's 2004 A List.

Burns & McDonnell.(Engineering Beat)(contract with General Electric International and Emirates Airlines for engine test facility )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Burns & McDonnell, under contract with General Electric International Inc., is the design firm/construction manager for a 6,000-sq-m jet engine test facility in the Emirates Airlines in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers, Inc. has been awarded a 2006 Engineering Excellence Honor Award for the Devil's Thumb Ranch Activity Center project.(Engineering Beat)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers, Inc. has been awarded a 2006 Engineering Excellence Honor Award for the Devil's Thumb Ranch Activity Center project, by the Colorado Chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies.

The JCM Group, a Heery International company.(Engineering Beat)(awarded the 2005 Construction Management Project Achievement Award by the Construction Management Association of America)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The JCM Group, a Heery International company, was awarded the 2005 Construction Management Project Achievement Award by the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) for its role in the completion of the hospital building...

Mueller Associates.(Engineering Beat)
June 1, 2006... Mueller Associates, a leading mechanical/electrical engineering firm based in Baltimore, has promoted Robert A. Marino, P.E. to president.

Smith Seckman Reid (SSR).(Engineering Beat)
June 1, 2006... Smith Seckman Reid (SSR), an engineering design and facility consulting firm, was recently awarded 240 projects.

The Syska Hennessy Group has acquired Caretsky & Associates Consulting Engineers, a full service consulting engineering firm that has provided mechanical.(Engineering Beat)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The Syska Hennessy Group has acquired Caretsky & Associates Consulting Engineers, a full service consulting engineering firm that has provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and commissioning services from offices in New...

Fire Protection Engineering.(Engineering Beat)
June 1, 2006... Thomas Brown, P.E., president of Rolf Jensen and Associates, Inc. (RJA), was appointed to the Editorial advisory board of Fire Protection Engineering.

The PLCopen.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2006... The PLCopen board of management announced that Bill Lydon of Applied Marketing Concepts has been named as managing director of PLCopen North American.

Daikin AC (Americas), Inc.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2006... Yoshinobu Inoue, a veteran sales and management executive for Daikin Industries, Ltd., has been named president of Daikin AC (Americas), Inc.

Watts Water Technologies, Inc.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2006... Watts Water Technologies, Inc. announced that Doug Deviney has joined the company as vice president of wholesale marketing.

The Gastite Division of the Titeflex Corporation has created two new sales engineer positions to assist mechanical contractors and engineers on the design and specification of gas-distribution systems made with Gastite corrugated stainless steel tubing.(Places and Faces)(Jeffrey L. Ingertson and Heath Kalmanson appointed)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The Gastite Division of the Titeflex Corporation has created two new sales engineer positions to assist mechanical contractors and engineers on the design and specification of gas-distribution systems made with Gastite corrugated stainless...

Messe Frankfurt, Inc.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2006... Messe Frankfurt, Inc. announced David Audrain as incoming president.

Hart & Cooley, Inc.(Places and Faces)(Sean Steimle promoted)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Hart & Cooley, Inc. announced the promotion of Sean Steimle to VP of the company's Commercial Products Group and the transfer of Dave Wormmeester to VP of sales and marketing.

Trane.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2006... Trane announced that Larry Wash has joined the company as vice president of services and contracting, for its commercial customers.

United CoolAir Corporation has expanded its distributor base in the New England region to better serve customers in Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine and western Massachusetts.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2006... United CoolAir Corporation has expanded its distributor base in the New England region to better serve customers in Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine and western Massachusetts, with Buckley Associates having been awarded...

Invensys Building Systems announced that Invensys Pritchett, previously a joint venture with Invensys Building Systems.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2006... Invensys Building Systems announced that Invensys Pritchett, previously a joint venture with Invensys Building Systems, has moved to local ownership management as Pritchett Controls Inc.

Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2006... Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. has appointed George West to senior vice president and division head of its Security Systems business.

Alfa Laval Inc.(Places and Faces)
June 1, 2006... Alfa Laval Inc. announced that Alessandro Terenghi has been appointed president.

ASHRAE, USGBC, IESNA partner on baseline standard for green building.(ISSUES AND EVENTS)(Green Building Council)(Illuminating Engineering Society of North America)(American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning Engineers)
June 1, 2006... The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC); ASHRAE; and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) announced that the three organizations have agreed to co-sponsor the development of a new ASHRAE/USGBC/IESNA minimum standard for...

ARI.(Association Agenda)(Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute approves redesign of Product Performance Certification Seal)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... ARI has approved the redesign of its Product Performance Certification Seal, which has been applied to more than 150,000,000 ARI performance certified central air conditioners and heat pumps, commercial air conditioners and heat pumps, and...

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers.(Association Agenda)
June 1, 2006... The Society of Fire Protection Engineers has updated its position statement on the design of fire protection systems: "The Engineer & the Technician--Designing Fire Protection Systems."

The International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO).(Association Agenda)(Bill Schweitzer appointed )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) announced that Bill Schweitzer has been hired to fill the position of manager of the North Central Region.

ASHRAE.(Association Agenda)(American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning Engineers' new CD-ROM)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... ASHRAE's "greatest hits"--its 12 top selling standards and guidelines--are now available on one CD-ROM. Design Essentials: ASHRAE's Most Referenced Standards and Guidelines, contains a library of documents that can be easily searched and...

RSES.(Association Agenda)
June 1, 2006... RSES's board of directors approved Mark Lowry as its new RSES executive vice president earlier this year.

NFPA.(Association Agenda)(Connecticut Department of Public Safety adopts National Fire Protection Association fire protection standards)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... NFPA announced that the 2003 editions of NFPA 1, Uniform Fire Code[TM] (UFC), and NFPA 101[R], Life Safety Code[R] have been recently adopted statewide in Connecticut by the Connecticut Department of Public Safety.

The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC).(Association Agenda)(board of directors' elections)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) has elected its new board of directors for the 2005-06 term. For a complete list of the SBIC board of directors, visit www.SBICouncil. org/about_bod.htm.

HVAC Excellence.(Association Agenda)(accrediteditions)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... HVAC Excellence accredited 19 HVACR programs during 2005. They are North American HVACTraining Center (Redlands, CA), Louisiana Technical College (New Orleans), Heart of Georgia Technical College (Dublin, GA), Louisiana Technical College...

Steam system design.(computers & software)
June 1, 2006... HVAC Solution Steam Program Version 3.2 is a visual tool created for engineers, designers, and contractors to design and model HVAC steam systems using intelligent objects. This standalone, Windows[R]-based, drag-and-drop program allows for...

Photovoltaic/solar domestic hot water design.(computers & software)
June 1, 2006... Version 1.8 of the award-winning ENERGY10[TM] software provides building designers with an easy-to-use tool to help them integrate photovoltaics and solar domestic hot water into energy-efficient buildings. New features include a photovoltaic...

CFD analysis for natatoriums.(computers & software)
June 1, 2006... Aire-Tech Check[TM] is a service intended to provide engineers, architects, and building owners with air distribution verification of natatorium IAQ during the design stage. The proprietary CFD analysis service helps users design new natatorium...

Opengear Inc.(BITS & BYTES)(Secure Device Server introduced)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Opengear Inc., a supplier of console server and remote management solutions, announced the availability of its Secure Device Server line, which it says are the first secure device servers to offer the highest level of security together with an...

STMicroelectronics and Ember Corporation have signed an agreement to jointly develop complete solutions for the fast-growing ZigBee[TM].(BITS & BYTES)
June 1, 2006... STMicroelectronics and Ember Corporation have signed an agreement to jointly develop complete solutions for the fast-growing ZigBee[TM] wireless networking market.

InfoStreet.(BITS & BYTES)
June 1, 2006... InfoStreet, a provider of fully managed, on-demand IT software, recently announced the release of StreetSmart 7.0--an upgrade to their flagship StreetSmart product.

ASC Systems.(BITS & BYTES)(Energy Monitoring Systems introduced)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... ASC Systems' Energy Monitoring Systems[TM] are designed to improve energy efficiencies with adaptive/intelligent supervision and predictive control of real-time energy/ power usage and for online automation of facilities, building and...

Bentley Systems, Inc.(BITS & BYTES)(Municipal License Subscription software introduced)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Bentley Systems, Inc., a provider of software for the world's infrastructure, recently announced its innovative software subscription for municipalities, called the Municipal License Subscription (MLS) program, which offers municipalities all...

The Industrial Automation Group of Advantech.(BITS & BYTES)
June 1, 2006... The Industrial Automation Group of Advantech introduced the ADAM-4150 and 4168, compact, versatile sensor-to-computer interface units designed for reliable operation in harsh environments.

Trans-Coil Inc.(BITS & BYTES)(new analyzer software)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Trans-Coil Inc.'s new analyzer software allows users to estimate harmonics and to make solid, safe decisions about installing VFDs. It also provides accurate estimations of current and voltage harmonic distortion under varying supply and...

C2 Facility Solutions, a building asset management and maintenance services software company, recently announced that it has signed a development agreement with Tridium, Inc.(BITS & BYTES)
June 1, 2006... C2 Facility Solutions, a building asset management and maintenance services software company, recently announced that it has signed a development agreement with Tridium, Inc that combines the former's Web-based solution with the latter's...

Schneider Electric.(new website, www.us.squared.com)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Schneider Electric has created a website, located at www.us.squared.com/u1508a, to help customers understand the significant impact the changes in the 2005 National Electrical Code (NEC) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) product standards will...

RHVAC Tools.(World Wide Web)
June 1, 2006... RHVAC Tools' website, www.rhwcrools.com is an educational site designed to improve the technical skills of all HVACR technicians.

Minco.(Sensor Configurator introduced)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Minco, (www.minco.com) a designer and manufacturer of critical components for critical applications, recently released the "Sensor Configurator"--a configuration tool that allows customers to specify, price, and order sensors, instruments and...

Surespec.info.com.(services)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Surespec.info.com, is a virtual product catalog library that provides specification information to the fire, security, and HVAC industries, and can now be accessed using a hand held/Wi-Fi device.

Contemporary Controls.(new weblog)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Contemporary Controls has created its own online journal, or blog, titled "Bill's Blog." It can be found at www.ctrlink.com under the Support Menu or at www.ctrlink.com/blog.htm.

Daikin AC (Americas), Inc.(World Wide Web)
June 1, 2006... Daikin AC (Americas), Inc. provides information about its A/C and network solution products at www. daikinac.com.

EFFtec.(World Wide Web)
June 1, 2006... EFFtec provides an extensive HVAC dictionary with definitions ranging from acidize to working fluid at www.efftec.com/dictionary.html.

PCB Piezotronics.(upgraded website)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... PCB Piezotronics (PCB[R]), a PCB Group Company, recently launched a series of recent upgrades to its homepage at www.pcb.com, developed to help customers find the best sensor and instrumentation products for their application.

A/C modulation.(products in focus)
June 1, 2006... The APR-410 is designed to provide full capacity modulation for all sizes of DX A/C systems that use R-410A. The unit continuously and automatically matches A/C system capacity/ output to changing load conditions, improving control without...

Unit ventilators.(products in focus)
June 1, 2006... The ceiling-mounted AAF[R]-Her-manNelson[R] Model AH unit ventilator averages four decibels quieter than previous models, according to the manufacturer. Other features include GentleFlo[TM] air moving technology; reduced fan motor speeds; and a...

Wireless energy monitoring.(products in focus)
June 1, 2006... The company's Environmental Monitoring Solution (EMS) is a complete end-to-end temperature and humidity monitoring solution. The system include support for multiple gateways, increasing the network's scalability and supporting mesh network...

Temperature humidity meters.(products in focus)
June 1, 2006... The company's 971 temperature humidity meter measures temperature, dewpoint, or wb from -20 to 60[degrees]C (-4[degrees] to 140[degrees]F, + 1.0[degrees]F), and measures rh from 5% to 95%, [+ or -] 2.5% rh. The unit's gg-point data storage...

Recirculating chillers.(products in focus)
June 1, 2006... The 5000 and 6000 Series recirculating chillers feature adjustable temperature, pressure, and flow rate alarms which alert the user instantly to problems, such as blocked cooling lines or overload conditions, which could damage equipment or...

Industrial pressure transducers.(products in focus)
June 1, 2006... The Model 209 industrial pressure transducer offers +0.25% full-scale accuracy, 0.10% hysteresis, stability of 0.5% FS/yr, and pressure ranges as low as 0 to 1 psig up to 0 to 10,000 psig with either voltage (0.5 to 5.5 VDC) or current (4 to...