Engineered Systems articles from October 2003

Engineered Systems archives from October 2003

Keep up with filtration's response to 9/11.(editor's note)
October 1, 2003... Welcome to our annual government facilities issue. This year, federal topics seem to come to the fore, but we did find a few promising local and state facilities that you can expect to see in coming issues. While the majority of our government...

Calendar of events.
October 1, 2003... November 2003 For more events and details, visit ESOnline at www.esmagazine.com. Several IBR Courses--See page 91 for details 10-14 Sprinkler and Other Automatic Fire Suppression Systems University of Wisconsin-Madison...

Interruptible service may savings.(letters to the editor)
October 1, 2003... I am writing to alert your readers to another way to address the spikes in natural gas prices that were predicted in July's 'Energy Wiz" column ("The impending Gas Crunch," page 29). Many natural gas companies offer customers a discounted...

Commissioning ATC.(letters to the editor)
October 1, 2003... The president of our company sent several of us a copy of the column, I, for one, purely appreciated the article because I am responsible for estimating and managing successful ATC for our design/construct team. I have two concerns for our...

Writing it right.(letters to the editor)
October 1, 2003... I enjoyed Howard McKew's column and the issue it raised for the need to have a more detailed sequence of operation using the functional performance test format to ensure systems perform as efficiently as they were designed. I admit that my...

Back to basics[TM].
October 1, 2003... 1 BAS COMPUTER-OCCUPIED/UNOCCUPIED CYCLE: The BAS computer shall (trend, cycle, alarm) the central AHUs to occupied cycle based on a 365-day BAS computer (schedule, program, time-clock). The computer shall also have control of each AHU to...

Air/dirt separators teach lesson on quieter performance.(case in point)
October 1, 2003... About 100 miles south of Kansas City lies the town of Nevada, MO. The western edge of town, in a rural 70-plus acre setting, is home to Cottey College, a private two year liberal arts college for women. Founded in 1884 by Virginia Cottey, the...

Level 3 veterinary lab gets leg up with mixed-flow impeller system.(Case In Point)
October 1, 2003... George Mellen, P.E., who is responsible for mechanical and electrical systems design at the laboratory facilities of Iowa State University in Ames, IA, needed to identify the best method of exhausting tire university's recent conversion of an...

Hybrid electric/steam chiller plant gives Terps home court advantage.(Case In Point)
October 1, 2003... The Comcast Center, University of Maryland's $125 million basketball arena, has completed its first year of service to Terrapin athletic programs. Among the arena's many innovative design features is a 2,100 tons of refrigerant (tr) chiller...

Low bid, low speed: politics and cost scrutiny can make government projects difficult.(commissioning)
October 1, 2003... Government design and construction projects are unique endeavors compared to private sector projects. However, just like in the private sector, the definition of commissioning varies ,all over the board. In some cases, commissioning is taken to...

Speaking NEMA and IEC: make sure your motor protection doesn't get lost in translation.(current affairs)
October 1, 2003... In a recent column, I discussed the impact that globalization is having on electrical switchgear, pointing out that products originally developed in compliance with European standards are now being sold in the United States and cross-tested to...

Going global: in the next few months the Web-based message gets taken over (several) seas.(building automation)
October 1, 2003... All this talk of convergence suggests a coming together, but to achieve the reality of global convergence, we must reach out and pursue the mind expanding transitions. Since the start of AutomatedBuildings.com over four years ago and the...

2002 year in review (continued): economizer and heat recovery savings summary.(Weather report: August 2003)
October 1, 2003... To wrap up our analysis of the total annual data for 2002, let's take a look at how the economizer and heat recovery data compared to 2001 as shown in Figure 2. The airside economizer hours are the total number of hours that the dry bulb...

Equipment access.(hvacr designer tips)
October 1, 2003... EQUIPMENT Access DRAWING CHECKLIST YES NO * Designate equipment on drawing. [] [] * Schedule and specify equipment in construction documents. ...

For the people: government chillers keep costs cool: federal facilities showcase our history, dispense justice, accelerate atoms, and more. While that's a broad range of activity, buildings serving those functions share one common trait: better performance through recent retrofits. Reducing costs and eliminating CFCs are just two of the benefits for these federal projects.
October 1, 2003... It has been estimated that the equipment used to produce chilled water for HVAC systems in government facilities can account for up to 35% of a facility's electrical energy use. When you consider that new chillers can be 35% to 40% more...

Life-cycle cost: for intelligent buildings: this analysis from the Continental Automated Building Association takes a hard look at the three choices owners face when considering integration, based on the expenses associated with those choices. Readers are also invited to participate in the latest round of research for an upcoming white paper on the topic.(building automation)
October 1, 2003... Progressive commercial building owners developers recognize life-cycle cost (LCC) as becoming the sine qua non of intelligent commercial building construction. LCC benchmark information is now becoming as important to progressive owner...

The four R's for responsible responses to refrigerant regulation.(Refrigerant Update)
October 1, 2003... These four R's for air conditioning and refrigeration identify ways that users of refrigerants, along with manufacturers and their equipment, can affect future options. From the latest scientific evaluations to special taxes to industry...

Amazing Grace.(Ventilation/Acoustics)
October 1, 2003... Part worship space, part performance space, and total acoustic challenge; this Minnesota church required significant ventilation while keeping the occupied areas exceedingly quiet. And did we mention there's an airport next door? From duct...

Getting what you specify--part three: from lawyers to last-minute changes, plenty of potential hurdles remain in the home stretch of a project. Learn how to deal with--and avoid--as many as possible in the author's final article on how to deliver what you (and the owner) had in mind in the first place.(System Design)
October 1, 2003... As was noted in Part 1 of this three-part article, everything that is accomplished goes through a four-step process: vision, planning, implementation, and evaluation. This article will address the implementation and evaluation phases of the...

California adopts three NFPA life safety codes.(issues and events)
October 1, 2003... The state of California has adopted the model building and fire codes of the nonprofit NFPA to protect public safety in the nation's most populous state. The California Building Standards Commission recently voted to adopt NFPA 5000[TM],...

NFPA codes to be more stringent in wake of disasters.(issues and events)
October 1, 2003... The Standards Council of the NFPA recently issued amendments to the association's two key safety codes. Precipitated by nightclub tragedies in both Rhode Island and Chicago earlier this year, the amendments institute requirements that are...

Buchanan Enterprises, Inc.(Industry News)
October 1, 2003... Buchanan Enterprises, Inc. recently expanded its Decatur, IL process controls and instrumentation services facility to include a liquid-flow meter calibration laboratory.

Johnson Controls.(Industry News)
October 1, 2003... Johnson Controls has been awarded a five-year, S200 million contract to install and maintain utility monitoring and control systems (in federal facilities around the world) by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineering and Support Center in...

RAE Corporation.(Industry News)
October 1, 2003... RAE Corporation has agreed to purchase from Mestek, the assets of King Coil, a manufacturer of industrial coils.

Titus.(Industry News)
October 1, 2003... Titus recently announced dedication of the Harold Straub Research and Training Center in Richardson, TX, and that the company has been also awarded ISO-9001 2000 certification.

IR Retail Solutions.(Industry News)
October 1, 2003... IR Retail Solutions, an Ingersoll-Rand business, in conjunction with its sister company, Hussmann, now provides total HVAC equipment and service solutions to the food store industry, as well as other commercial and institutional customers

Carrier Corporation.(Industry News)
October 1, 2003... Carrier Corporation presented an HVAC Environmental Leadership Award to Plaza Towers, a 14-story, two-tower, Sacramento office building complex, for its owners' investment in energy-efficient, environmentally sound HVAC technology.

Steril-Aire, Inc.(Industry News)
October 1, 2003... Steril-Aire, Inc. announced that it is about to receive its 11th patent from the U.S. Patent Office, as well as an updated listing from Underwriters Laboratories Inc.

Tridium, Inc.[TM].(Industry News)
October 1, 2003... Tridium, Inc.[TM] was recognized as a premier technology provider with a Digie Award from Realcomm 2003.

CB&I.(Industry News)
October 1, 2003... CB&I recently introduced a new corporate brand identity to better reflect its expanded capabilities and global presence.

Donohue & Associates.(Engineering Beat)
October 1, 2003... Donohue & Associates has appointed former Wisconsin transportation secretary, Gene Kussart, to vice president.

Burns & McDonnell.(Engineering Beat)
October 1, 2003... Burns & McDonnell has promoted Grog Graves to president and COO.

Leonard Parker Associates, Architects.(Engineering Beat)
October 1, 2003... Leonard Parker Associates, Architects a part of the Durrant Group, recently named Nina Broadhurst, Karl Ermanis, Keun Heung Lee, and Mary Sue Perpich as associates.

CRS Engineering and Design Consultants.(Engineering Beat)
October 1, 2003... John Gill, principal and director of lighting design for CRS Engineering and Design Consultants, recently earned his P.E. registration.

EYP Mission Critical Facilities, Inc.(Engineering Beat)
October 1, 2003... EYP Mission Critical Facilities, Inc. announced that Richard A. Greco has been promoted to director of critical facilities assurance.

Syska Hennessy Group.(Engineering Beat)
October 1, 2003... John Magliano, vice chairman and chief technical officer of Syska Hennessy Group, has been named chairman of the board of directors of the New York chapter of the American Council of Engineers mentor program.

DMJM.(Engineering Beat)
October 1, 2003... DMJM has promoted Steven Cheehy, P.E.; Werner Mueller, AIA and returning architect Barry Rude, AIA, to associate principals.

Vanderweil Engineers.(Engineering Beat)
October 1, 2003... Vanderweil Engineers has announced that Frank Albanese and Kevin Cardany were promoted to corporate engineer,

Lindab Inc.(Places and Faces)
October 1, 2003... Lindab Inc. announced that Commercial Air Management, Inc. is the latest addition to the company's nationwide distribution network.

McQuay International.(Places and Faces)
October 1, 2003... Long Building Environments was appointed sales representative firm for McQuay International in Colorado and portions of Wyoming.

United CoolAir Corporation.(Places and Faces)
October 1, 2003... Rod Beever has accepted the position of vice president of sales and marketing at United CoolAir Corporation.

Murphy Co.(Places and Faces)
October 1, 2003... Greg Hackl has been promoted to vice president of industrial operations at Murphy Co.

A.O. Smith Electrical Products Company.(Places and Faces)
October 1, 2003... A.O. Smith Electrical Products Company announced that Christopher Ruttle has joined the company its senior vice president-global sales and marketing.

Chromalox, Inc.(Places and Faces)
October 1, 2003... Chromalox, Inc. announced that Anthony T. Castor, III has been named president and chief executive officer. Neil Feola, the acting CEO will become COO.

Sempra Energy Global Enterprises.(Places and Faces)
October 1, 2003... Edward A. Steiger joined Sempra Energy Global Enterprises as its vice president of human resources.

Venmar CES Inc.(Places and Faces)
October 1, 2003... Venmar CES Inc. announced the appointment of Danny Pellerin to plant manager at St-Leonard-d'Aston, Quebec, Canada.

Lennox International Inc.(Places and Faces)
October 1, 2003... Lennox International Inc. announced that Scott J. Boxer has been appointed as president and COO of Service Experts Inc., the company's retail sales and service division.

Hartford Compressors Inc.(Places and Faces)
October 1, 2003... Hartford Compressors Inc. announced the appointment of Rod Sears as its director of sales and marketing.

Engineered Materials Pavilion to be held alongside ASME's International Mechanical Engineering Congress.(Issues And Events)
October 1, 2003... The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME International) and Unicomm, LLC have created a focused marketplace to match the growing interest of tire engineering community in its search for new materials, new tools, new technology, and...

ASHRAE evaluates building energy performance rating protocols.(Issues And Events)
October 1, 2003... In the past, practitioners have developed their own sense of what constitutes an energy-efficient building based on experience, the types of activities within specific buildings, and any history of achieving reductions in energy use in...

Hydronics how-to hits the road.(Issues And Events)
October 1, 2003... Following up on last month's announcement of a partnership between GAMA and Business News Publishing to bring I=B=R hydronics courses to the engineering community, dates for six November sessions are now formal. The two day sessions are...

Dates set for BuilConn Forum 2004.(Issues And Events)
October 1, 2003... BuilConn Forum 2004 will take place April 13-16, 2004, hi Dallas. This four-day forum unites consultants, integrators, distributors, manufacturers, and technologists from the disparate disciplines of the building systems industry to learn and...

ARTI 21-CR.(Association Agenda)
October 1, 2003... ARTI 21-CR has released "Integration of Real-Time Data into Building Automation Systems," a report that evaluates the real-time Web-based data currently available on the Internet and assesses its potential for integration into BASs.

The Association of Water Technologies.(Association Agenda)
October 1, 2003... The Association of Water Technologies is an organization whose members help municipalities, hospital, manufacturers of electronics, chemicals, paper, petroleum, steel, etc. clarify water, prevent pollution and corrosion in cooling systems and...

Paula Pogge of Council Bluffs, IA and Daniel Kent Parker of Snyder, TX have been awarded the first two scholarships from the Clifford H. "Ted" Rees, Jr. Scholarship Foundation.(Association Agenda)
October 1, 2003... Paula Pogge of Council Bluffs, IA and Daniel Kent Parker of Snyder, TX have been awarded the first two scholarships from the Clifford H. "Ted" Rees, Jr. Scholarship Foundation which encourages students to seek careers in the HVACR industry.

ASHRAE's.(Association Agenda)
October 1, 2003... ASHRAE's Network Security Working Group has made significant progress toward development of an industry consensus on standards for secure building automation and control systems. The group recently reached agreement on a proposal to use a...

The Adhesive and Sealant Council, Inc.(Association Agenda)
October 1, 2003... The Adhesive and Sealant Council, Inc. will hold its 2003 Fall Convention and Exposition, September 21-24, 2003 in Rosemont (Chicago), IL.

MCAA.(Association Agenda)
October 1, 2003... MCAA has released a new book titled "Management Strategies for Information Technology" to help mechanical contractors make strategic decisions about the information technology (IT) that is the backbone of many business operations.

Energy management/advanced reporting.(computers & software)
October 1, 2003... Tracer Summit Energy Services[TM] software provides tools and advanced reports to manage energy information. It is designed to integrate with the company's Tracer Summit BAS to improve productivity and profitability. --Trane FREE...

Airflow analysis.(computers & software)
October 1, 2003... MacroFlow 2.6 uses the company's flow network modeling technique for improving the productivity of the thermal design process. It's designed to allow thermal engineers to perform simple, rapid, and accurate analysis of various thermal...

CAD.(computers & software)
October 1, 2003... GTXRaster CAD Series Version 8.0 is designed to bring legacy paper drawings into the CAD design environment. Two key features in this new version are the automatic image enhancement and cleanup tools. --GTX Corporation FREE INFO: 702...

Purafil is working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to Improve the agency's Indoor Air Quality-Design Tool (IAQDT).(Bits & Bytes)
October 1, 2003... Purafil is working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to Improve the agency's Indoor Air Quality-Design Tool (IAQDT). The design tool helps companies incorporate air cleaning technologies into new and existing HVAC systems...

Informative Graphics Corp.(Bits & Bytes)
October 1, 2003... Informative Graphics Corp. recently announced that it has been selected by Meridian Project Systems[R] to integrate its Brava! Web-based document viewing and collaboration software with MPS products and services.

Gridlogix.(Bits & Bytes)
October 1, 2003... Gridlogix has added to its building automation lineup with the introduction of a full-featured XML Web Services-based BACnet server.

Pump-Flo Solutions.(Bits & Bytes)
October 1, 2003... Pump-Flo Solutions recently announced that Discflo Corporation has adopted its Pump-Flo Enterprise software corporate-wide. Discflo will deploy the Web-based software, including a hosted online pump selection.

Colmac Coil Manufacturing.(Bits & Bytes)
October 1, 2003... Colmac Coil Manufacturing has released its redesigned Coldware 3.02 unit cooler selection program, which the company claims is the only software in the United States to size stainless steel tube/aluminum fin evaporators.

The Hydraulic Institute.(Bits & Bytes)
October 1, 2003... The Hydraulic Institute has announced that it has released an e-learning program for the pump industry titled, "Centrifugal Pumps: Fundamentals, Design and Applications."

Dan Holohan Associates, Inc.(World Wide Web)
October 1, 2003... Dan Holohan Associates, Inc. offers extensive information about heating systems, heat loss calculation, and much more at www.heatinghelp.com.

Jackson Systems, LLC.(World Wide Web)
October 1, 2003... Jackson Systems, LLC has updated its company website, located at www.jacksonsystems.com, to include new navigation and information on its complete line of products.

The U.S. Department of Energy.(World Wide Web)
October 1, 2003... The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Star program offers information such as benchmarking tools at http://208.254.22.7/index.cfm?c=business.bus_index, The site allows users to enter energy consumption information and building data, and the...

Partnership for Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Accreditation.(World Wide Web)
October 1, 2003... Partnership for Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA) program members have created a new website. Located at www.pahrahvacr.org, the site provides HVACR instructors and schools the tools they need to ensure their...

The Hydraulic Institute.(World Wide Web)
October 1, 2003... The Hydraulic Institute's standards are now available through the institute's e-store at www.pumps.org, in individual downloadable format or through a company-wide multi-user license that is accessible online, worldwide.

Ajax Boiler, Inc.(World Wide Web)
October 1, 2003... Ajax Boiler, Inc. has launched a new and improved website featuring new content, quicker navigation, and more at www.ajaxboiler.com.

Dri-Steem Humidifier Company.(World Wide Web)
October 1, 2003... Dri-Steem Humidifier Company recently announced the online release of ENERGY-CALC[TM], a program that quickly estimates dollars saved by using gas humidification rather than electric. To use the program, visit www.dristeem.com and click on the...

The University of Wisconsin-Madison.(World Wide Web)
October 1, 2003... The University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Engineering Professional Development in the College of Engineering offers extensive information about its educational courses in engineering, architecture, management, and other technical...

FLEXi Energy Poster.(World Wide Web)
October 1, 2003... FLExi Energy Poster. offers creative ideas and information on energy conservation, energy awareness, including handouts, posters, decals, banners, light boxes, and more at www.enerqyconservationposters.com/emailecp_end.htm.

Classroom air conditioners.(products in focus)
October 1, 2003... The Q-Tec classroom packaged air conditioner is also suitable for other applications where internally mounted equipment is preferred over external, wall mounted equipment. The unit is available in 2-,2 1/2-,3-,3 1/2-,4-, and 5-ton nominal...

Vent locking system.(products in focus)
October 1, 2003... The SureLock[TM] B-Vent locking system is now available on B-Vent pipe, tees, wyes, elbows, and caps in sizes ranging from 3 to 6 in. New systems can be securely fastened from appliance all the way up to the roof using the lock design,...

Air purifier.(products in focus)
October 1, 2003... The HEPASilent[TM] filtration system is designed to capture 99.97% of the smallest particles at 0.1 microns. One key feature is the filter media, made of hydrophobic polypropylene and is 100% free of trilosan, glass and paper fibers, and other...

Portable chillers.(products in focus)
October 1, 2003... DuraChill[TM] portable chillers are available in both air or water cooling options with a 1-1/2- to 7 1/2-hp Copeland compressor. Other features include digital microprocessor control with LED readout of temperature, pressure, and flow rate;...

Filtration system.(products in focus)
October 1, 2003... The Mega EBS is a self-cleaning fine filtration system with flow rates up to 17,600 gpm and a filtration area of 6,200 [in square], The system is suited for industrial supply/cooling water applications, with sizes ranging from 16-, 18-, 20-,...

Controller.(products in focus)
October 1, 2003... The ECC III controller is designed for use with the company's single-and dual-fan dehumidification systems. The new units offer a choice of either LonWorks or ModBus[R] BAS protocols. An optional LonWorks remote access package is available with...

Corrosion protection.(products in focus)
October 1, 2003... VpCl[R]-609 is designed to provide corrosion protection for the interior of HVAC equipment, piping, and tanks. The product is i00% biodegradeable and provides up to 24 months of continuous corrosion protection for the interior of ferrous and...

Germicidal lamp.(products in focus)
October 1, 2003... The 1900 Series UV germicidal lamp is designed to kill bacteria, fungi, and molds that grow on coils and drip pans. Two models are available: the 1910 single-base unit and the 1930 dual-base unit. The 18-in, lamp emits UVC light rays that...