Engineered Systems articles from March 2008

Engineered Systems archives from March 2008

Fresh ideas setting sail: creative solutions are in the air, whether coming from readers or heading to Baltimore.(Editor's Note)(Editorial)
March 1, 2008... Now that the annual AHR/ ASHRAE whirlwind has subsided, I want to share something from the mailbag that I've been holding onto for a while. Thomas J. Becker, a building engineer with the Second District Court of Appeal in Lakeland, FL was kind...

ES events.(Conference news)(Calendar)
March 1, 2008... APRIL 2-3 Green Intelligent Buildings Conference Co-sponsored by LonMark and CABA. Baltimore. For info, visit www.greenintelligentbuildings. com/conference. APRIL 10 Webinar--Controlling Humidity In Schools Thomas H. Durkin, P.E....

Calendar of events.
March 1, 2008... For more events and details, visit ESOnline at www.esmagazine.com. APRIL 3-6 Gulf Coast Green: The Third Green Building Symposium & Expo Houston Chapter of AIA's Committee on the Environment Houston. For info, visit...

Engineering in the warranty phase.(Back 2 Basics: Based on Cx-3 ATC/FPT software)
March 1, 2008... * The design engineer should continue to monitor the project during the warranty phase by asking the HVAC service contractor (who is providing remote monitoring of space temperature, safeties, and alarms) to e-mail system trending data to...

Third-party commissioning and TAB engineering in the warranty phase.(Back 2 Basics: Based on Cx-3 ATC/FPT software)
March 1, 2008... * The commissioning team during the warranty phase is the same team who participated in the construction phase. In the warranty phase, there will be a requirement for observing the deferred seasonal FPT demonstration (i.e., heating system...

Boilers team with other upgrades to fuel 70% energy savings in California district.(Case In Point)
March 1, 2008... Shasta (CA) Union High School District has undergone a $27 million dollar, district-wide modernization over the past five years. Due to the project's size, school administrators were not interested in a quick fix. Rather, they were committed to...

Excessive ambient noise gets expelled after new classroom units arrive.(Case In Point)
March 1, 2008... The ability to hear properly is one of the most important factors in a child's ability to process and learn new information. According to the Institute for Enhanced Classroom Learning, children in today's classrooms have difficulty...

Temporary makeup air heaters facilitate perfect finish.(Case In Point)
March 1, 2008... To handle increasing enrollment, Lincoln-Way Community High School District, just 40 miles southwest of Chicago, approved the construction of two new 2,500-student high schools. The 414,000-sq-ft Lincoln-Way North High School, situated on a...

Dehumidification retrofit's speed and performance win big with swim team.(Case In Point)
March 1, 2008... It's early in the school year. Swim meets and practices begin within days, and your natatorium dehumidification system needs to be replaced. In addition, your building infrastructure is designed in such a manner that installing the replacement...

When variable flow fails: after a decade, this piping system went green (and not in the good way).(HydroTech)
March 1, 2008... Hydronic designs regularly utilize variable flow. Flow rates change to match load, reduce energy and, in almost all cases, work great. This is an example where standard design and material selection oversight almost caused a catastrophic...

Nice building. How's It Work? It will work worse on day two, unless training is organized and completed.(Commissioning)
March 1, 2008... Last month's column focused on efficiently communicating equipment and device locations to the future O&M staff during new system installation. With the O&M staff familiar with the location of all major and minor components well before...

Green intelligent buildings--a brief history: before blending tomorrow's vision with today's tasks in Baltimore, let's review how we got here.(Building Automation)
March 1, 2008... Building automation and controls are a key part to any commercial building project. Within Engineered Systems, this is recognized with this column as well as a regular supplement titled Green Intelligent Buildings. LOOKING BACKWARD TO LOOK...

Retail facilities (split system) commissioning and project closeout checklist.(HVA CR Designer Tips)
March 1, 2008... Equipment type: AHU-1, ACCU-1 Equipment designation: Split system Barcode designation: 11111 Area served: Retail facility Equipment location: Roof/ceiling BASIS OF DESIGN * Review and confirm design intent has been met. * Review...

Strip mall / retail space split system.(Application Checklist)
March 1, 2008... Published as part of "Back2Basics" and "HVACR Designer Tips" for January through March 2008. The following system analysis and analytical scorecard can be used to assess the type of HVAC system for a retail space strip mall application...

Exemplary design = elementary success.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Integration has been the buzzword for this Colorado district, even going back to the way funding was obtained. From a hydronics system designed with simplicity and smart sequencing in mind to right-sizing throughout...

The modern unit ventilator.
March 1, 2008... In which the authors take out the original unit designed specifically for K-12 and see how things have changed in the decades since it first went to school. Time and technology have solved some problems, yet an old-fashioned issue like ease of...

On a mission. to maintain performance for the guests who check in, this historical landmark had to arrange for its chiller plant to check out--not just entailing a retrofit, but including a shift in location away from the traditional hotel grounds. See how the new plant and its controls have boosted efficiency, and why the move also helped the hotel stop blowing fuses at special events.(Landmark overview)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To maintain performance for the guests who check in, this historical landmark had to arrange for its chiller plant to check out--not just entailing a retrofit, but including a shift in location away from the...

VAV systems and green design--Part 2.(variable air volume)
March 1, 2008... In the conclusion of this pair of articles, the author delivers opinion and documentation with equal force. Making the argument that traditional VAV is too troublesome regarding meeting ASHRAE 62.1 and 90.1, he also explains how those same...

Green intelligent buildings event: Harborplace for new ideas.(Issues & Events)(Conference news)
March 1, 2008... With topics from the role of controls in sustainable buildings to master planning, from demand response to lighting controls, this spring's Green Intelligent Buildings conference is bringing together professionals from around the country to...

ES webinar on humidity control in schools set for April.(Issues & Events)
March 1, 2008... As with many engineering issues, humidity problems are much easier to avoid by good design and operation than to try to solve after the fact. Tom Durkin, of Durkin & Villalta Partners Engineering, has spent more than 20 years designing about...

ASHRAE to host satellite broadcast on integrated building design.(Issues & Events)
March 1, 2008... ASHRAE will broadcast a free satellite broadcast and Webcast, "Integrated Building Design: Bringing the Pieces Together to Unleash the Power of Teamwork," from 1 to 4 p.m. EDT on April 16, 2008. The program focuses on whole-building integrated...

Carrier Corp.(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... Carrier Corp., a unit of United Technologies Corp., was honored with three ASHRAE Innovation Awards in New York City during the recent AHR Expo--the Evergreen[R] 23XRV with Foxfire[TM] compression technology won in the category of "Green...

Reliable controls[R].(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... Reliable Controls[R] reported that 2007 was a strong year for both the company and its authorized dealer network, with overall revenues closing at just over 9% ahead of 2006.

Building Intelligence Group.(Engineering Beat)
March 1, 2008... Building Intelligence Group announced that Jeff Seewald was hired as an intelligent buildings engineer, bringing nearly 20 years of experience in commercial buildings systems and integrated controls to his new role.

Comprehensive Energy Services, Inc. (CES).(Engineering Beat)
March 1, 2008... Comprehensive Energy Services, Inc. (CES) was awarded the Walt Disney World "Rebirth Japan" project at EPCOT, valued at $1.9 million.

The American Boiler Manufacturers Association (ABMA).(Association Agenda)
March 1, 2008... The American Boiler Manufacturers Association (ABMA) re-elected Welch Goggins, president, Cleaver-Brooks, Inc., as its chairman and re-elected for a one-year term; G. Scott Lewis, president, Chanute Manufacturing/a unit of Optimus Corporation,...

ASHRAE.(Association Agenda)
March 1, 2008... ASHRAE has published "The Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings," which instructs architects, engineers, and others on building design teams how to use best design practices to create energy-saving buildings.

Daikin AC (Americas), Inc.(Places and Faces)
March 1, 2008... Daikin AC (Americas), Inc. announced the promotion of industry veteran Russell Tavolacci to vice president of marketing, sales and service, and the promotion of Christina Trondsen to director of marketing.

Wilo USA LLC.(Places and Faces)
March 1, 2008... Wilo USA LLC, a subsidiary of Wilo AG, Germany, announced the appointment of Michael Easterley as its new president and CEO.

Transducers.(Products In Focus)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The PX5500 transducer Series features a 10-year MTBF rate and is stable to 0.1% of FSO over an 18-month period. The units feature the company's thin fi lm technology. The strain gauges and associated structures are...

Diffusers.(Products In Focus)
March 1, 2008... The company's stainless steel laminar flow diffuser and the stainless steel laminar flow HEPA filter diffuser are designed to provide a continuous unidirectional flow of large volumes of highly filtered air, necessary to wash contaminants from...

Acutators.(Products In Focus)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The company's New Generation line of actuators include programmable settings and enhanced features such as increased torque ratings; universal accessories; field-programmable MFT-type of open/close, modulating, or...

Adhesives.(Products In Focus)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ProGuard is a dual polyethylene film with a high-tack adhesive designed to protect the inside of ductwork from dust, dirt, and other particles that can lead to poor IAQ. ProGuard, which is designed to be placed over...

Ethernet transceivers.(Products In Focus)
March 1, 2008... The company's LS Net transceiver is an Ethernet-based, addressable transceiver that enables alarm monitoring for multiple-building facilities. Features include RS232 serial-input version monitors, compact size, and a locally and remotely...

IAQ filters.(Products In Focus)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The company's Halcyon ductless A/C and heat pump systems feature an IAQ filter. The Halcyon IAQ system features a super-charged plasma ionization and electrostatic filtration system that ionizes the airborne...

Glossary.(Glossary)
March 1, 2008... Here are some common abbreviations and terms found in the pages of Engineered Systems. A A/C--air conditioning ach--air changes per hour AE--architectural and engineering; or architect and engineer ...

Everything starts with a flow diagram: there's no better way to build momentum early for a successful project.(Tomorrow's Engineer)
March 1, 2008... I was taught from the very beginning of my engineering career to always start with a system flow diagram. The phrase, "A picture is worth a 1,000 words," doesn't do justice to the true value of a system flow diagram. However, I am routinely...