Engineered Systems articles from September 2006

Engineered Systems archives from September 2006

Shifting laws and nifty walls.(air conditioners, energy efficiency standards, invisible building materials)(Editorial)
September 1, 2006... Let's start off with a couple of items of interest you might've missed earlier this year, ranging from the courtroom to what sounds more like science fiction than science. A STATE OF CHAOS The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow to...

Calendar of events: fall 2006.(Calendar)
September 1, 2006... For more events and details, visit ESOnline at www.esmagazine.com. SEPTEMBER 28-30 ISH North America 2006 Messe Frankfurt. Chicago. For info, visit www.ish-na.com. OCTOBER 3-4 Northern Ohio Energy Management 2006...

Being grounded.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... In Tim Coyle's "Current Affairs" column titled, More About Ground in the December 2004 issue of Engineered Systems, he explained the role of the grounding electrode conductor that connects the neutral of the power source to earth. He explained...

Going paperless.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... Bravo on Howard McKew's "Tomorrow's Engineer" column in May 2006 issue of Engineered Systems magazine ("Haven't You Had Enough Manual Labor?" page 90) regarding getting with the times on O&M manuals. We are control systems integrators in...

Circumventing the Internet.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... After reading Howard McKew's "Tomorrow's Engineer" column titled, "Haven't You Had Enough Manual Labor?" in the May 2006 issue of Engineered Systems, I felt compelled to comment. As a building controls contractor, we at Advanced Power...

Cleanliness during construction.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... Thank you for Howard McKew's wonderful articles and interesting perspectives! I am an avid reader of his published articles and enjoy his guidance and education from all of these pieces. I was wondering if he might be able to lend me some...

Back to basics[TM].
September 1, 2006... Helpful Hints * Refer to this month's "HVACR Designer Tips" for the project closeout checklist, and the "Application Checklist" for scoring the cooling tower replacement system. * An energy conservation system, such as waterside...

Rural hospital enlists a neighbor, installs modern central plant.(Colquitt Regional Medical Center)
September 1, 2006... A $7.3 million central plant with N+ 1 redundancy on the chillers, generators, and boilers in a small hospital in rural southwest Georgia--a dream? The dream of Colquitt Regional Medical Center (CRMC) and its director of facility operations,...

Laboratory space retrofit delivers intelligent building benefits.(CASE IN POINT)(Richards-Zeta's RZ Mediator OMEGA)
September 1, 2006... Novo Nordisk is a health care company and a leader in diabetes care, with one of the broadest diabetes product portfolio in the industry, including products within the area of insulin delivery systems. The company's two-story, 72,000-sq-ft...

BMS cooks up savings for specialty chemical manufacturer.(Buckman Laboratories International Inc.)
September 1, 2006... Buckman Laboratories International, Inc., is a manufacturer of specialty chemicals, and its products and materials are applied in the pulp and paper, water treatment, leather, coatings and plastics, wood, and agriculture industries. At its...

Duct connectors smooth the way for ventilation retrofit at Missouri industrial facility.
September 1, 2006... Ease of installation and labor savings are paramount considerations for any type of HVAC work. However, it's rare to find equipment able to deliver both benefits, especially during less than ideal weather conditions. Such was the case for...

New units keep culture cool in Canadian heritage center.(Edinburgh Square Heritage and Cultural Centre)
September 1, 2006... The Edinburgh Square Heritage & Cultural Centre, located in Caledonia, Haldimand County, ON, Canada, was originally built to house the city's first town hall and public lockup. This classic Georgian or eclectic style referred to as Victorian...

Commissioning completion: measuring deficiency days would help ensure that proficiency pays.(commissioning)(Column)
September 1, 2006... One of the fundamental goals of commissioning is to verify that all systems perform in accordance with their design intent and in accordance with the contract drawings and specifications. Therefore, it follows that commissioning is complete...

LonWorks[R] converges with IP: Tracie Markie relays the latest on Lon.(building automation)
September 1, 2006... In the August 2006 issue of AutomatedBuildings.com, there is an article titled, "LonWorks[R] Converges with IP," about the two worlds of LON and IP that are set to converge, in a big way, in Amsterdam on October 3-5 during ConnectivityWeek...

Evaluation requires: measurable criteria.
September 1, 2006... The more articulation, the less litigation. Evaluation, inspection, review, verification, checking, confirming, acceptance, approval: these are all words that have similar, yet different, definitions. If you were asked to inspect,...

Cooling tower replacement commissioning and project closeout checklist.(hvacr designer tips)
September 1, 2006... Equipment type: Cooling tower Equipment designation: CT-1 Barcode designation: 1111111 Area served: Base building Equipment location: Roof SPECIFICATION REVIEW * Confirm Division 1 mechanical requirements (O&M...

Humidity control in critical environments.(Cover story)
September 1, 2006... Control of humidity in a critical environment is as important to ensuring reliability as temperature control, yet facilities often ignore it until it's too late. Low humidity can lead to static damage. High humidity can lead to degradation of...

Cut costs by controlling airflow.
September 1, 2006... One technology ripe for reducing ach in labs is air monitoring and ventilation control. The idea is to reduce ach by monitoring the air in the laboratory with a suite of multiple sensors, and then provide higher ach only when needed. Demand...

Tightening up: In a move sure to get the attention of other high-pollution areas, some California districts are adjusting boiler emissions requirements. Some facilities face retrofits in order to comply. Get the details on the scope of the more stringent rules, the low-fuel exemption, and the consequences for common multi-boiler applications like hospitals.
September 1, 2006... California is always on the cutting edge of environmental regulations, so it's no surprise that I several of its air quality management districts have recently mandated lower nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions for large boilers. The reason for...

Munters AB.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Munters AB is expanding its commercial dehumidification manufacturing facility in Selma, TX, with the addition of approximately 65,000 sq ft to its current commercial HVAC production facility.

Mestek, Inc.(Industry News)
September 1, 2006... Mestek, Inc. announced the grand opening of its new, 94,000-sq-ft manufacturing and distribution center on Tranmere Drive in Mississauga, ON, Canada.

Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. has joined the Controls Group North America consortium of HVACR wholesale controls distributors.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. has joined the Controls Group North America consortium of HVACR wholesale controls distributors to provide HVAC control components and strengthen the independent wholesaler.

Automated Logic Corp., a unit of United Technologies Corp., has acquired the business of Control Solutions, Inc.--Chicago (CSIC).(Industry News)
September 1, 2006... Automated Logic Corp., a unit of United Technologies Corp., has acquired the business of Control Solutions, Inc.--Chicago (CSIC), an ALC dealer serving the greater Chicago marketplace.

Richards-Zeta attended the latest Cisco Connected Real Estate (CCRE Summit) at the Cisco Campus in Plano.(Industry News)
September 1, 2006... Richards-Zeta attended the latest Cisco Connected Real Estate (CCRE Summit) at the Cisco Campus in Plano, TX, to learn about the newest CCRE projects.

Schneider Electric, parent company of TAC.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Schneider Electric, parent company of TAC, has completed the acquisition of Invensys Building Systems (IBS), a division of Invensys Controls with operations in North America and Asia.

Victaulic.(Victaulic Company of America)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Victaulic announced that its Kansas City, distribution center has expanded and relocated to a new 53,500-sq-ft facility, located at 3600 NE Kimball Drive in Kansas City.

ITT Industries, Inc.(Industry News)
September 1, 2006... ITT Industries, Inc's Flygt Unit has been selected to provide the complete pumping station for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Kayaking course.

Tencarva Machinery Company, headquartered in Greensboro.(Industry News)
September 1, 2006... Tencarva Machinery Company, headquartered in Greensboro, NC, has acquired the municipal division of emoryWilson Company.

The EPA awarded a 2006 Climate Protection Award to Denso Corporation for developing a new technology.(Industry News)
September 1, 2006... The EPA awarded a 2006 Climate Protection Award to Denso Corporation for developing a new technology--Ejector Cycle[R]--that reduces energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of refrigeration units, residential heat pumps, and vehicle air...

Copper in A/C units targeted by thieves across the country.
September 1, 2006... With copper prices nearly tripling over the past year and demand for a variety of metals skyrocketing throughout the world, thieves have seized a crime of opportunity: raiding commercial and residential A/C units for their copper tubing. ...

Seminole Electric Cooperative of Tampa, FL, has selected Burns & McDonnell.(Engineering Beat)
September 1, 2006... Seminole Electric Cooperative of Tampa, FL, has selected Burns & McDonnell to design a new $12 billion coal-fired power plant.

Syska Hennessy Group.(Engineering Beat)
September 1, 2006... David Callan has been named a vice president at Syska Hennessy Group.

Questions & Solutions Engineering, Inc., which was recently founded by Rebecca T. Ellis, P.E., LEED AP, CCP, CxA, and contributing editor to Engineered Systems, is now open and serving clients.(Engineering Beat)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Questions & Solutions Engineering, Inc., which was recently founded by Rebecca T. Ellis, P.E., LEED AP, CCP, CxA, and contributing editor to Engineered Systems, is now open and serving clients. The firm is located at 1079 Falls Curve, Chaska,...

Girard Engineering, PC.(Engineering Beat)(promotions)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Girard Engineering, PC, has announced the following promotions: Doug Menchhofer, RE. has been promoted to the head of the Mechanical Engineering department; Daniel J. Dent, P.E. has been promoted to chief mechanical engineer; David C. Ullmann,...

TRO/The Ritchie Organization and Jung/Brannen Associates, Inc. plan to merge.(Engineering Beat)
September 1, 2006... TRO/The Ritchie Organization and Jung|Brannen Associates, Inc. plan to merge their two firms into a single new international practice called, TRO Jung|Brannen.

The Stellar Group.(Florida School for the Deaf and Blind )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The Stellar Group completed key construction projects at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind (FSDB), in St. Augustine, FL, including the Gibbs Hall renovation/ expansion, and the addition of covered walkways connecting several of the...

Alfa Tech and Cambridge CM have merged to form Alfa Tech Cambridge Group (ATCG).(Engineering Beat)
September 1, 2006... Alfa Tech and Cambridge CM have merged to form Alfa Tech Cambridge Group (ATCG).

Ellers, Oakley, Chester & Rike, Inc. (EOCR) a full-service consulting engineering firm and a subsidiary of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR).(Engineering Beat)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Ellers, Oakley, Chester & Rike, Inc. (EOCR), a full-service consulting engineering firm and a subsidiary of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), has changed its name to SSR Ellers, Inc.

Comprehensive Energy Services, Inc. (CES).(Engineering Beat)
September 1, 2006... Comprehensive Energy Services, Inc. (CES) was recently awarded the "Women's Services Expansion" project located at Winter Park Memorial Hospital in Altamonte Springs, FL.

'Buildings ... The Gifts That Keep On Taking' studies long-term costs.
September 1, 2006... For most colleges and universities, facilities are not just about providing a place to house programs and services. The physical campus is a large part of the fundamental nature of the institution, embedded in its image for faculty, students,...

Munters.(Places and Faces)
September 1, 2006... Rod H. Cool was recently named as Munters's new commercial DH sales manager.

National Center for Energy Management and Building Technologies (NCEMBT).(Places and Faces)
September 1, 2006... John Wimer has been named manager of corporate outreach for the National Center for Energy Management and Building Technologies (NCEMBT).

Bradford White.(Places and Faces)
September 1, 2006... Bradford White has announced the promotion of Robert Mikus to the position of parts team leader.

Mestek, Inc.(Places and Faces)
September 1, 2006... Mark Harrington has been promoted to the position of vice president of the Boiler Group at Mestek, Inc.

Douglas W. White, plant manager of BAC's Madera, CA, plant, is retiring from the company.(Places and Faces)
September 1, 2006... Douglas W. White, plant manager of BAC's Madera, CA, plant, is retiring from the company, culminating a 33-year career with the company.

Rheem Manufacturing Company.(Places and Faces)(appoints Ian Stewart Farwell)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Rheem Manufacturing Company announced that Ian Stewart Farwell has accepted the position of president and CEO of the company, succeeding Scott D. Martin, who recently left to pursue other business opportunities.

WAGO Corporation.(Places and Faces)
September 1, 2006... WAGO Corporation announced that Joe Remisiewicz has joined the company as a senior field sales application engineer.

AMCA International, Inc.(Association Agenda)(Air Movement and Control Association)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... AMCA International, Inc. announced it recently received ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, which was granted to the association's laboratory after a rigorous evaluation process by The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation, for technical...

ARI announced that four HVACR equipment manufacturers have joined the 53-year old trade association.(Association Agenda)(Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... ARI announced that four HVACR equipment manufacturers have joined the 53-year old trade association: GD Midea Air-Conditioning Equipment Co., Ltd.; EWC Controls; Smardt Inc.; and Haier American Trading, LLC.

IAPMO.(Association Agenda)
September 1, 2006... IAPMO, celebrating its 80th anniversary, will host its 77th conference from September 24 to 28, 2006 in Chicago.

RSES.(Association Agenda)
September 1, 2006... RSES will hold its 2006 Annual Conference in Atlanta on October 3-October 7.

NFPA.(Association Agenda)
September 1, 2006... NFPA announced that this year's theme for Fire Prevention Week (October 8 through 14, 2006) will be "Prevent Cooking Fires: Watch What You Heat."

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC).(Association Agenda)
September 1, 2006... The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) will hold its 2006 National Conference on the Built Environment September 18-21 in Charleston, SC.

Flowserve Corp.(Association Agenda)
September 1, 2006... Flowserve Corp. announced that Thomas E. Ferguson has been elected president of the Hydraulic Institute for 2006-2007.

ASHRAE's.(Association Agenda)(American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... ASHRAE's Presidential Ad Hoc Committee On Homeland Security (under a grant from the Alfred R Sloan Foundation in New York) is sponsoring a free satellite broadcast and simultaneous Webcast titled," Multiple Benefits Solutions for Enhanced...

International Code Council offers Fire Prevention Institute courses.(ISSUES AND EVENTS)
September 1, 2006... Building and fire safety professionals can expand their code knowledge at two International Code Council education institutes scheduled for this fall. The Fire Prevention Institute includes sessions on high-piled combustible storage, fire...

DOE's energy-saving tools aid industrial buildings.(ISSUES AND EVENTS)(Department of Energy)
September 1, 2006... The DOE has distributed Save Energy Now CD-ROMSs containing energy-saving information and software to 3,500 large industrial plant managers across the nation as part of an initiative to help cut excessive energy use at industrial facilities...

Technology harnesses sun's energy to both heat and cool.
September 1, 2006... Every day, the sun bathes the planet in energy--free of charge--yet few systems can take advantage of that source for both heating and cooling. Now, researchers are making progress on a thinfilm technology that adheres both solar cells and heat...

Clasma Events Inc. launches Wi-Tivity[TM] Conference & Expo.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Clasma Events Inc., the organizers of the BuilConn, M2M Expo & Conference and GridWise, announced the launch of a new conference to focus on wireless connectivity. Wi-tivity will be the first event to focus on the use wireless as a connectivity...

MicroMain Corporation has established new strategic alliances with the following partners in the U.S.(Applied Technology Concepts, Logi-Trak Telenatics Inc., XNET Technical Svcs L.L.C., Data Support Inc., mPower Technologies)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... MicroMain Corporation has established new strategic alliances with the following partners in the U.S.: Applied Technology Concepts, Austin, TX; Logi-Trak Telenatics, Inc., Port Richey, FL; XNET Technical Svcs, LLC, Missouri City, TX; Data...

Data-Basics.
September 1, 2006... Data-Basics announced its 2006 User's Group Meeting and Seminar, an annual event, is open to all companies currently using the company's software products, for September 10-12, 2006 in Cleveland.

IES.(BITS & BYTES)
September 1, 2006... released of Version 5.5.1 of IES , an enhancement of the which furthers the interoperability of this integrated data model building performance tool.

Fluent Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ANSYS, Inc.(BITS & BYTES)
September 1, 2006... Fluent Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ANSYS, Inc., has released TGrid 4.0, GAMBIT 2.3, and 3Matic-for-Fluent 1.0, all major upgrades to Fluent's preprocessing capabilities.

Meridian Systems[R].(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Meridian Systems[R], a provider of enterprise project management software for optimizing capital projects, programs, and facilities, is offering new promotional rates to building owners and construction organizations who purchase Prolog...

Aerial Ventilation's.(BITS & BYTES)
September 1, 2006... Aerial Ventilation's DuctCalc is a calculator for sizing A/C and ventilation ducts, and works in metric and imperial units.

HVAC CAD Services'.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... HVAC CAD Services' CoolDUCT HVAC drafting program is an AutoCAD[c] enhancement for HVAC Draftsmen to create HVAC designs drawings or workshop detail drawings for site coordination and workshop manufacture.

Charles "Chip" Barnaby.(Wrightsoft Corp.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Charles "Chip" Barnaby, vice president of research at Wrightsoft, has been presented with the Distinguished Service Award from ASHRAE for his numerous contributions, including chairing and serving on committees on energy and load calculations,...

ASHRAE.(World Wide Web)
September 1, 2006... ASHRAE has created a webpage (www.ashrae.org/building) so visitors can follow the progress of the renovation of its headquarters in Atlanta as a sustainable building.

All HVAC Info.(World Wide Web)
September 1, 2006... All HVAC Info, located at www.allhvacinfo.com/, is a comprehensive and ever-growing HVAC directory for consulting engineers, contractors, recruiters, associations, software companies, discussion forums, technical magazines, and resources in the...

The OASIS oBIX Technical Committee.(World Wide Web)
September 1, 2006... The OASIS oBIX Technical Committee provides specifications and information about how to participate in the group's development efforts, at www.oasis-open.org/committees/obix.

eMaint Enterprises, LLC.(World Wide Web)
September 1, 2006... eMaint Enterprises, LLC offers a Web presentation focused on "Managing Corporate Assets by Optimizing Service & Maintenance Operations" at www.emaint.com/ppt/X3_Overview. mht!X3Overview_files/frame.htm.

Titeflex Corp.(World Wide Web)
September 1, 2006... Titeflex Corp. provides articles containing tips and strategies from industry experts for reducing man hours and compressing construction project schedules at www. compressedschedule.com.

Lattner Boiler Mfg Co.(World Wide Web)
September 1, 2006... Lattner Boiler Mfg Co. features information about its full line of boilers, condensate return, feedwater, and blowdown systems at www.lattnerboiler.com.

Schneider Electric North America.(World Wide Web)
September 1, 2006... Schneider Electric North America announced the launch of its Initi@tive 2006 website (www.initiative2006.net), which provides the latest news and updates regarding the company's Initi@tive 2006: the Gateway to the New Electric World--a debut...

Johnson Controls.(World Wide Web)
September 1, 2006... Johnson Controls has initiated and is managing a new blog, located at www.yourenergyforum. coral, which is designed to provide a forum for bloggers writing about various energy efficiency and sustainability topics.

AHU/fancoil selection.(computers & software)
September 1, 2006... This free program calculates the performance of existing air handlers and fancoils as well as makes selections of the most efficient fancoils for your job. The company also offers several other features with all its units such as top or bottom...

BACnet[R] operator's workstation software.(computers & software)
September 1, 2006... Update 1.06 of the company's RC-Studio 2.0 offers several new features and functionality. The software is used to program and interface with any of its products and third-party BACnet devices. Using the program, building operators can...

ASHRAE compliance.(computers & software)
September 1, 2006... The company's 62.1-2004 Comply provides calculation programs and optimization procedures for compliance with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2004, "Ventilation Rate Procedure." Proprietary optimization" procedures ensure that the prescribed outdoor...

Separators.(products in focus)
September 1, 2006... The company offers high-efficiency, problem-solving products for hot, chilled, and condenser water systems. Its Spirovent[R] combination air/dirt separators are available through 36-in. pipe with flows to 30,500 gpm. The patented coalescing/...

Thermostats.(products in focus)
September 1, 2006... The company's commercial thermostat product line includes an analog non-mercury model; a number of manual- and auto-changeover digital models and three levels of programmable thermostats, which are Energy Star rated and meet California Title 24...

Controllers.(products in focus)
September 1, 2006... The LonMark[R] certified ECC-VAV configurable single-duct VAV controller features an integrated brushless, constant torque actuator; a 16-bit analog/digital converter to provide high accuracy input and flow pressure sensor readings and precise...

Temperature controllers.(products in focus)
September 1, 2006... The TC-9000 temperature controller is a surface-mounted controller that features 30A relays, high- and low-temperature alarms, an easy-to-read LED, and the ability to accept input voltages of 24,120, 240VAC in one model. --Control Products...

Impellers.(products in focus)
September 1, 2006... The company's ELTA axial impellers incorporate an airfoil blade design that is designed for quiet and efficient operation. Features include integrated pressure-cast aluminum hubs and adjustable pitch blades, and the units are available in any...

Dehumidifier.(products in focus)
September 1, 2006... The ExpertAire[TM] Series dehumidifier is available sizes ranging from 1 to 15 tons, and is designed to dehumidify industrial and commercial applications such as pool rooms, libraries, and manufacturing plants. Specific component enhancements...