HVAC&R Nation November 2018

The tech trap

Skills

Are smart devices making us stupid?

WORKSHOP

Calibration and use of instruments

Cooling

Kelly Country An Australia-first supermarket solution in Beechworth

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2 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

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Cooling Kelly Country 19 HVAC&R Nation is published by the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air conditioning and Heating (Inc).

AIRAH – National Office James Harrison Centre 3/1 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia.

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Magazine team Communications Manager Matthew Dillon matt.dillon@airah.org.au Tel: 03 8623 3000

Editor Mark Vender mark.vender@airah.org.au Tel: 03 8623 3022

Contributing writer

Destroyed in an arson attack, the Ritchies IGA supermarket in historic Beechworth was rebuilt with an Australian-first natural refrigeration system.

Sean McGowan

Advertising sales

HVAC&R Nation regulars

Glenn Douglas glenn.douglas@airah.org.au Ph: 03 8623 3018

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Skills Workshop 15

The Toolshed See what’s new in the ‘Shed

John McGrath john.mcgrath@airah.org.au Ph: 03 8623 3007

8 Global Update

Exclusive to this issue

Industry news from around the world ISSN 1834-9522 HVAC&R Nation is printed on paper sourced from well manned forests and other controlled sources.

Calibration and use of instruments

14 AIRAH News The finalists for this year’s AIRAH Awards have been announced. Drum roll please . . .

24 A day in the life

Disclaimer

We tag along with a NATA-certified field service technician

HVAC&R Nation is an official publication of the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating Inc. Statements expressed in HVAC&R Nation do not necessarily reflect the policy or views of AIRAH or its members.

No responsibility is accepted by AIRAH, the Editor or HVAC&R Nation’s supply partners for the accuracy of information or for errors or omissions. HVAC&R Nation is distributed without charge to all financial members of AIRAH.

26 Around the Nation

The publisher reserves the right to alter or omit any article or advertisement submitted and requires indemnity from advertisers and contributors against damages or liabilities that may arise from material published.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission of the Publisher.

13,142 March 2018

Who’s in the news?

Cool Tech No waves? No problem with the Rävik electric surfboard

28 Smoko with . . .

Q&A with Bruce Pell

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The tech trap The experts tell us how modern HVAC&R technology is impacting the skill sets of today’s technicians.

Lighter Side The shonkier side of the nation

PLEASE CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT AND RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO KEEP IT.

Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 3

Editorial

LEARNING FROM THE LUDDITES A co-worker recently returned from three weeks’ holiday in the outback and shared some stories about travelling through remote towns with no internet.

“All you need to worry about when you get up in the morning,” he said, “is what you’re going to eat and what you’re going to do during the day.”

For us back in the big smoke, still hooked in to the system, it sounded like paradise. No mornings woken up by the smartphone alarm, then automatically checking emails, social media messages and Google alerts before you’ve even looked out the window.

Maybe just yawning and stretching for a bit.

Or standing in the morning sun.

It reminded me of one of my dreams – Low-Tech Town. In the same way that some places have banned plastic water bottles, the idea would be to declare an Australian town somewhere an internet-free zone.

You could go even further and get rid of the mobile networks, so there would be no point carrying around smartphones. Back to basics.

If – and it’s a big if – there were enough jobs to go around, would anyone be tempted to move there?

I would. Maybe I’m just growing old, but more and more it feels like we’re getting better at advanced social media and worse at basic social interaction.

Our lives seem to be driven by technology and the companies who sell it, rather than the other way around. The tail wagging the dog.

Put me down with the Luddites. You know the ones who are famous for smashing labour-replacing machines during the Industrial Revolution. Except, as I found out recently, they weren’t about destroying technology at all.

“They just wanted machines that made high-quality goods,” says Kevin Binfield in his book Writings of the Luddites, “and they wanted these machines to be run by workers who had gone through an apprenticeship and got paid decent wages. Those were their only concerns.”

These concerns are echoed in this month’s feature story on technology in HVAC&R on page 10.

Like many industries, ours has been revolutionised by the Digital Age, and that looks set to continue.

but the positive impacts too. As they point out, the 21st century has brought some invaluable tools for the HVAC&R technician.

And although I’ll still fantasise about living in Low-Tech Town – usually when the kids are glued to their devices – I can also recognise the benefits of the Digital Age. If one of those kids needed hi-tech medical attention, for example, I’d soon be running back to “civilisation”.

Perhaps the best way to look at it is that technology is neither inherently good nor bad – it’s all about the way you use it.

@AIRAHnews

Mark Vender Editor mark.vender@airah.org.au

We spoke to some of the wise heads of the industry, who acknowledged the challenges of technology,

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4 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

Clean Air Home & Office™ HVAC & Duct System Protectant, Cleaner / Freshener Clean Air Home & Office™ is a simple and economical way to clean and freshen HVAC systems and ductwork from large central systems to small wall units. A full treatment takes only minutes, requires no tools and has immediate and long lasting results. Clean Air Home & Office™ cleans away the residue in evaporators and drain pans which is the cause of odours and the growth of bacteria, algae, fungi and moulds.

The Clean Air Home & Office™ freshens the entire system leaving behind a durable, invisible, protective coating which is leach-resistant and non-migrating.

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Clean Air Home & Office™ has little degradation up to 170° C and contains no phenols, tin, heavy metals, lead or formaldehyde. It is non-toxic, water based and provides long term protection.

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Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 5

Toolshed 01

Actrol’s coolroom revolution

After a preview at ARBS earlier this year, Actrol has announced the arrival of its DC-3 Smart Refrigeration system. Australia’s first “plug and play” system for walk-in/reach-in coolrooms, it promises a step change for an industry, which, until now, has had to rely on bespoke solutions.

“It’s perfect for applications where walls can’t be penetrated for refrigerant pipework and electrical work,” says Mitsubishi Electric, “such as those made from glass, stone or concrete, or in heritage-listed buildings.”

Also new to the Mitsubishi Electric line-up are the single-fan Mini VRF systems with Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF).

These provide multi-room heating or cooling for projects under 20kW and are designed to offer better efficiency, flexibility and controllability than multi-split systems.

Less than a metre high, they can also fit into smaller spaces.

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To create the DC-3, Actrol drew on the expertise of four leading companies: Tecumseh, Cabero, Carel and Siam Compressor Industries.

Rounding out the new offerings is the next-generation of VRF air conditioning with the City Multi YNW (pictured).

The system is said to deliver ultra-quiet noise levels, increased performance and a reduced footprint.

According to Mitsubishi Electric, the new four-sided heat exchanger design and improved core components significantly improve energy-saving performance.

Actrol says the key benefits of the system are that it comes fully programmed, is highly energy efficient, and simple to install.

“DC-3 Smart Refrigeration is a great choice for contractors,” says the company. “It’s easy to select, install and commission.

The system arrives in a two-box kit, ensuring you won’t need a return trip to the wholesaler.

“The condensing unit display shows real-time system information. Smart Refrigeration Technology ensures higher heat exchange efficiency, adequate oil return, and safety controls to ensure the compressor operates within its design envelope. Maintenance is easy, with vital signs shown in plain English on condensing unit display equipment.”

Go to www.mitsubishielectric.com.au n

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Daikin has released its new VRV H Heat Pump series and VRV R Heat Recovery range, both equipped with the company’s unique VRT Smart technology.

According to Actrol, the DC-3 uses approximately 30 per cent less energy than comparable systems. Smooth-line temperature control extends the shelf life of perishable foods, and the modulating fans and compressor reduce outside noise. A flexible capacity range also means coolroom layout can be adapted as needs change, and a safety mode ensures continuous cooling if communication between components is lost.

“A step-up from its predecessor VRT controls, the technology behind Daikin’s VRT Smart delivers improved part-load operations and better comfort for occupants,” the company says. “It incorporates variable air volume control of the indoor fan coil integrated with refrigerant temperature control from the condenser to deliver a system that responds rapidly to indoor load changes.”

Go to www.actrol.com.au n 03

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Bitzer on the Spot

Selected heat pump models boast a new K Type compressor with a state-of-the-art back-pressure control mechanism.

Daikin says that this improves low load operation by up to 15 per cent when compared to VRV IV.

Bitzer has released a new app for air conditioning and refrigeration professionals: Bitzer Spot.

The VRV H and R series are compatible with Daikin’s complete range of VRV indoor units, including the new range of Round Flow Cassettes and Single Flow Cassettes. The VRV H and R series are available in either Standard or High COP models with capacities from 16kW up to 168kW.

By scanning the QR code on a product, users can verify its authenticity.

“With this app, Bitzer offers its customers effective protection from system failures and high costs,” says the company. “Scanning the code notifies the user that the article is a genuine Bitzer product.”

When the QR code is scanned, the app automatically shows documentation for the product, sorted by subject groups.

This information can be downloaded, meaning it can be accessed offline too.

Go to commercial.daikin.com.au n

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The app also contains a site listing the addresses and contact details of all Bitzer and Green Point service points, as well as of all certified dealers and other distributors.

Designed for use in smart buildings, Air-Met Scientific’s Tongdy CO2 and CO gas detector/transmitters are both connectable via Modbus RTU or BACnet protocols, allowing for seamless integration of gas detection systems into smart building design.

Download the app for free from App Store or Google Play.

Go to www.bitzer.com.au n

The units are available with or without display and optional temperature and humidity detection. Both feature sensors that can cover an area of up to 30m with long sensor life (CO, 5yrs; CO2 infrared, 10yrs) along with 0–10 or 4–20Ma outputs, making them suitable for carparks and all ventilation control systems. All instruments come with EU standard and CE approval.

Mitsubishi set for summer

The rush of new products for summer has started, and Mitsubishi Electric is front and centre.

The Compact Ceiling Cassette has been designed for smaller locations and rooms where wall space is not available for mounted air conditioners. It also boasts clean, sleek styling that should suit new-build apartments, offices or restaurants.

6 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

Detect and connect

As demand rises for energy-efficient smart buildings, connectivity between controls and devices becomes increasingly important. Protocols such as BACnet provide a seamless interoperability between different building automation components from different manufacturers.

“If the user has activated the location function, the route-planning function will show the shortest way to the required destination,” says Bitzer. “Alternatively, customers can also manually access the contact details of the Bitzer and Green Point sites as well as of the partners.”

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Daikin gets Smart

The Tongdy range is available at Cool Chain outlets nationwide.

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Go to www.airmet.com.au n

Toolshed 06

All aboard the data express

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The Airepure AireFlow-VC is a durable, high-performance activated carbon mini-pleat air filter for high-velocity, commercial HVAC systems.

Job management expert simPRO is releasing a new Application Programming Interface (API) product.

The “RESTful API” product was developed as a software interfacing tool that allows various systems to connect and communicate more efficiently. It has been designed to strengthen the bridge between simPRO and other platforms used in the workforce.

V for victory over odour

“Designed to withstand the rigours of turbulent airflow, AireFlow-VC filters provide effective removal of contaminant gases and odours such as car exhaust and diesel fumes, hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds (VOCs),” says Airepure.

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Chief technology officer Jonathan Eastgate says the simPRO RESTful API will lead to better software integrations and an overall increase in convenience for businesses.

“The unique V-bank, honeycomb-grid design ensures high media content with increased carbon adsorption filter capacity, extended overall lifetimes and a low pressure drop.

“Our new API is a technical step forward,” he says. “With the API you can now create integrations that connect simPRO to mailing and accounting systems, ecommerce, business websites, smartphone and tablet apps and document management systems.

“Ensuring efficient removal of odour with minimal airflow resistance, AireFlow-VC is ideal for use in supply or fresh air intakes near loading docks or buildings adjacent to low-level or horizontal kitchen exhaust discharge.”

The filter has been designed to fit into all commonly sized filter frames and housings.

“Thanks to simPRO RESTful API, businesses are able to integrate simPRO and third-party applications more easily than ever.”

The API was designed to be up to date with industry standards and features a “developer centre” where users can receive support through a dedicated forum and access assistance resources like code examples and program walkthroughs.

“The Airepure AireFlow-VC is easy to install and is the perfect carbon filter to have on hand to combat any unexpected or recurring odour problem,” says Airpure.

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Go to www.airepure.com.au n

Go to www.simpro.com.au n

DO YOU HAVE A NEW PRODUCT TO GO IN THE TOOLSHED?

Email mark.vender@airah.org.au All submissions received will be considered, though publication cannot be guaranteed.

Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 7

Global Update

HUNGARY

GERMANY

IRAN

EUROSKILLS WINNER

ICY POLES

HVAC HERITAGE

Emanuel Budeanu of Spain has won the gold medal in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning at EuroSkills 2018 in Budapest.

A research study from Germany has shown promising early results with an experimental cooling system that uses magnetic fields and shape-shifting memory alloys.

An ancient form of air conditioning could be preserved thanks to the awarding of Unesco World Heritage status to the Iranian desert city of Yazd.

The system exploits the magnetocaloric effect – where materials change temperature when exposed to a magnetic field. Using a unique combination of magnets and special alloys, the team developed a six-step refrigeration cycle.

Thousands of years before the advent of the modern refrigeration system, families in Yadz kept their homes cool using badgirs, or wind catchers – tall, chimney-like structures on rooftops that redirect cool breezes down into the home.

"We have been able to show that shapememory alloys are highly suitable for cooling cycles," says Oliver Gutfleisch, an author of the study. "We need far fewer neodymium magnets but can nevertheless generate stronger fields and a correspondingly greater cooling effect."

Even when there’s no breeze, they create a pressure gradient that pushes warm air up and out through the tower. Studies have shown that they can lower indoor temperatures by around 10°C. In a city where summer temperatures top 40°C, this is invaluable.

The team plans to build a demonstrator unit by 2022 to get a better understanding of how well the system can cool things, as well as how energy efficient it is. n

In recent times, however, modern AC systems have begun to take over. Many residents hope the heritage status will help save the badgirs. n

EuroSkills is the European regional version of WorldSkills, which Australia also competes in (see HVAC&R Nation August).

There were 28 participating countries this year with 600 competitors across 37 skills.

Budeanu, who studies at the IES Virgen del Pilar in Zaragoza, won the Spanish national championship last year, also receiving the medal of excellence in the WorldSkills 2017 competition in Abu Dhabi.

Silver went to Germany’s Dominik Daferner, a student at Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH in North Rhine-Westphalia. And the bronze went to Francisco Campos of Portugal, a second-year student at CENFIM in Oporto. n

SPAIN

SUPERMARKET SUBSIDIES The Spanish government is offering €1.5m (Au$2.45m) to help supermarkets switch to low-GWP refrigerants.

The subsidies apply to both new and existing systems and are also designed to encourage the addition of doors to refrigerated cabinets.

This comes at a time when the European HFC phase-down is driving higher prices and shortages of some refrigerants. And from the start of 2022, Europe will impose a ban on high GWP refrigerants in new commercial centralised refrigeration systems of 40kW or more.

Spain acknowledges that its warm climate forces the implementation of more expensive techniques, but says that this “also represents an opportunity for companies to position themselves in leading technologies.” n

USA

AUSTRIA

A NEW WHITE HOUSE

HOT WASSER

Researchers at Columbia Engineering have invented a polymer coating with a texture and appearance like white paint but with much greater cooling potential.

Seismic measurements are being taken in Vienna to confirm whether the city can exploit its geothermal energy potential.

If results are positive, it could cover the heat supply for hundreds of thousands of Viennese households. Due to the high complexity of the geophysical and geological analysis, the evaluation won’t be completed until 2021.

The idea is based on the concept of radiative cooling, a phenomenon where a surface spontaneously cools by reflecting sunlight and radiating heat to the colder atmosphere.

If a surface has high enough solar reflectance and thermal emittance a net heat loss can occur, even under sunlight.

Until now white paints have been the benchmark for radiative cooling; however, their performance is only modest at best.

The polymer coating’s high solar reflectance and high thermal emittance kept it significantly cooler than its environment under widely different skies – by 6˚C in the warm, arid desert in Arizona and 3˚C in the foggy, tropical environment of Bangladesh. n

8 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

Currently 40 per cent of Vienna’s energy goes towards heating, so geothermal could help the city – and the country – greatly reduce CO2 emissions.

According to various studies, the potential of deep geothermal energy in Austria is between 450 and 700mW, with up to 60 per cent of it beneath Vienna. Given the large number of potential customers (the city has a population of around 1.8 million) a district geothermal hot water project would be feasible. n

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And unlike some solutions that use 3rd party controls and components, ActronAir’s Group Control has been designed to deliver optimum performance from ActronAir systems, and is covered by a single manufacturer’s warranty for absolute reassurance and peace of mind.

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Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 9

Feature

THE TECH TRAP Technology allows us to do things we once only dreamed of, but could our reliance on today’s smart devices also be making us dumber? Sean McGowan explores how the HVAC&R industry and its people are being transformed in the digital era.

The great promise of technology is that it will make life easier and help us work smarter by eliminating the menial tasks and giving us more time to do the important things.

“Our smartphones enable – and encourage – constant connection to information, entertainment, and each other,” say the authors of the research paper, aptly titled Brain Drain.

But is this really true?

“They put the world at our fingertips, and rarely leave our sides. Although these devices have immense potential to improve welfare, their persistent presence may come at a cognitive cost.”

Take, for instance, the smartphone.

Has your reliance on the smartphone freed up your time, or consumed it? Does it make you smarter, or dumber? Does it allow you to do anything that you otherwise couldn’t find another way of doing?

Researchers at the University of Texas have found that just the presence of a smartphone in your midst can reduce your brain power – that your cognitive capacity is significantly reduced when your smartphone is in reach. Even when it’s switched off!

The study confirmed what many parents of teenagers probably already know – that the presence of a smartphone has a distracting effect on their users.

But it also highlighted how our reliance on technology has affected our ability to learn and recall knowledge.

“Technology has made us able to do more, while understanding less about what we are doing,” says Jonathon Coopersmith, professor of history at Texas A&M University.

10 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

Technology has made us able

to do more, while understanding less about what we are doing This insightful yet simple take on technology’s impact on mankind raises another concern: What happens if the technology fails, or is taken away?

SAILING BLIND In an article published by the independent online news website The Conversation, Coopersmith explored how an overreliance on technology can be dangerous.

For example, he points out that the US Navy Academy has resumed training officers in celestial navigation – using sextants to navigate at sea – almost two decades after the age-old technique had been considered outdated and cut from the curriculum.

“Historically the only way to determine a ship’s location at sea, this technique is being taught again both as a back-up in case cyber attackers interfere with GPS signals, and to give navigators a better feel of what their computers are doing,” Coopersmith says.

And herein lies the lesson.

Feature What good is technology if we don’t really understand what it is doing, or how it has given us the answers we are looking for?

While on the surface the Navy’s return to celestial navigation training has little correlation to the HVAC&R industry, you wonder whether we have similarly discarded “traditional” aspects of training because technology was deemed to have made it redundant.

And could our reliance on technology be contributing to the industry’s ever-widening skills gap?

The US Navy has brought back celestial navigation training to prevent over-reliance on GPS technology.

South Metropolitan TAFE in Perth offers an Advanced Diploma of Engineering (HVAC).

THE MODERN CLASSROOM Having trained countless number of fridgies through the Western Australian TAFE system, South Metropolitan TAFE’s Graham Boyle, F.AIRAH, says the HVAC&R industry has much better tools at its disposal than when he first started.

He points to digital gauges, thermometers, and airflow metering instruments that “store information and spit out commissioning reports” as all being of great value to today’s fridgies.

“The problem is that if you don’t understand what the information is telling you – and if you can’t interpret and analyse – then you are no better off than when you were using analogue tools,” Boyle says.

“The basics of the vapour compression refrigeration system have not changed, and the laws of

thermodynamics are still the same. Modern technology allows us to measure and test with much greater precision, but the processing of the input data and the rectification decisions still rest with the skills and knowledge of the technician.”

DEPENDENCE DAYS Jason Duncan is regional sales manager for Reliable Controls Corporation. He agrees with Boyle that smart tools are only of real value when applied in conjunction with trade fundamentals.

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Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 11

Feature But he is adamant that fridgies and technicians have a wider range of skills at their disposal than ever before, and that smart technologies are having a positive effect in this regard.

“Advances in technology take away the need for our technicians to carry out monotonous tasks,” Duncan says, “which frees up time for them to concentrate on higher-end technical tasks that give genuine return on investment for building owners.”

But just as the US Navy has identified its officers’ over-reliance on technology for navigation, it is also important that technicians (and their employers) in the HVAC&R industry recognise the dangers of similar dependence.

As CEO of one of the industry’s leading integrated services, Minus40 Group’s Michael Bellstedt says that smart technology has great potential as an enabler.

“Smart technology provides at-hand information to the fridgie to aid with his diagnosis and service work onsite, and a pathway to instant collaboration with other technicians to provide site support on tricky jobs,” he says.

Building management systems now offer a wealth of information – and advice – to HVAC&R technicians.

NEW VISIBILITY Although new technology will always have its detractors, there’s little argument that the use of some smart technologies is giving us greater visibility of HVAC&R systems than ever before.

“As with all smart tools, there is a risk of creating undue reliance on technology to the detriment of personal and/or professional judgement.”

This is evidenced by tools like integrated fault detection and diagnostics (IFDDs). These devices can run real-time analysis of HVAC plant to highlight defects and inefficiencies in systems. Previously, these may have gone unnoticed for long periods of time.

A THROWAWAY SOCIETY

Bellstedt says having all key parameters of an air conditioning or refrigeration system readily visible, both in real-time and as historical data, allows systems to be run more efficiently and effectively.

Technological advances have resulted in our industry contributing to a growing throwaway society.

This is the view of some older heads in the industry, like retired refrigeration mechanic Trevor Phipps, who says changes in technology have reduced the feasibility for some refrigeration and air conditioning systems to be repaired.

“Forty years ago it would be unthinkable to throw away a refrigerator because of a burntout sealed unit compressor,” says Phipps, who now acts as a technical adviser to the Australian Refrigeration Mechanics Association (ARMA).

“A refrigerator costing $500–$600 would once attract a bill of about $150 to replace the compressor. Now a compressor change would start at around $400. This means the repair of components and sometimes machines is no longer viable, practical or economical.”

He says similar cost structures now exist in the split-system air conditioner sector, supported by an insurance industry that appears to prefer replacement rather than repair in some cases.

“I have spoken to a number of qualified refrigeration mechanics who are seriously considering declining to renew refrigerant handling licences because they no longer need to work with refrigerants,” he says.

“A leak repair on a domestic refrigerator will cost about the same as a compressor change, so the owner is often advised to throw away a refrigerator rather than repair it.”

“Finding those annoying intermittent faults becomes a breeze – like having a fridgie on site 24/7,” he says.

While auto-diagnosis features might be seen as undermining the fundamental skills of the technician, Bellstedt argues the reality is different from this.

They are far more likely to be a supporting tool used to confirm a technician’s own diagnosis work.

“Did the computer reduce the design skills of the engineer when he no longer needed to use the slide rule? I think not,” he says.

“Releasing technicians from some of the drudgery will instead have the benefit of allowing them to focus on solving the problems at hand, and not being distracted by trying to figure out what the gauges, hand-held temperature sensors and multi-meters are saying.”

And he says technology’s impact on learning shouldn’t be underestimated.

“The vast improvement in the site experience by the technician, who now has more information at his or her fingertips than ever before, is very likely to empower them, and accelerate their rate of learning and service to help uplift the skill level of our service cadre.”

But what of technology’s impact on the industry’s skills gap?

Bellstedt says that the industry is currently suffering from a massive shortage of technicians with sufficient training in refrigeration – especially in the safe and efficient application of new-generation, low-GWP refrigerants. So technologies that can help more people enter the trade should be embraced rather than treated with suspicion.

“Any technology that can assist, especially young entrants to the trade, to successfully service or commission a wider range of systems should be welcomed,” he says.

12 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

Indeed, Bellstedt goes further, and believes the entry of technology into our industry is overdue and may very well serve to make it a more attractive environment for the new generation of technicians who use technology for nearly everything.

“Why should technology not help them with their daily service work?” he says.

So long as its use is underpinned by knowledge of the fundamentals of refrigeration, why not indeed? n

THINK YOU’RE SPECIAL? One of the fears of technological advancement is that it will have a detrimental effect on the specialisation of the trade.

According to Trevor Phipps, changes in the technology of split-system air conditioners – and a decrease in system purchase price – has seen Certificate II holders infiltrate the segment and carry out installation and repair work without the “underpinning knowledge” of a trained refrigeration mechanic.

“These folk generally rely on the fault code presented on the machine,” Phipps says.

“They then call the manufacturer’s service number to be advised which component to replace, generally without knowing why.”

In fact, Phipps fears we are seeing the beginning of the demise of the refrigeration mechanic.

“Once an Australian refrigeration mechanic was versed in all aspects of his or her trade and was recognised internationally as such.

But in this day and age, technology and specialisation has degraded to a point where the average worker will only be comfortable and capable of working in a very small sector of the industry.

“It is my belief that in the not-too-distant future our trade will be gone and replaced by smaller groups who do not have the overarching skills and knowledge to work with temperature-control machines in general, and are drastically limited in the equipment that they are capable of working on.”

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Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 13

AIRAH News

AIRAH AWARDS PRESENTATION DINNER 2018

FINALISTS FEVER

7pm, Thursday, November 15 Central Pier, Docklands, Melbourne www.airah.org.au/awards

The footy grand finals may have finished, but the top prizes for Australia’s HVAC&R industry are still to be announced.

Bring on the AIRAH Awards!

For over a decade AIRAH has been recognising excellence, innovation and achievement in our industry through the AIRAH Awards. The winners will be announced this month at the presentation dinner, to be held in Melbourne on November 15.

Product of the Year

“The AIRAH Awards are a chance to celebrate the best of our industry,” says AIRAH CEO Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH. “Whether or not they go on to win their category, all of the finalists have achieved a standard of excellence that deserves recognition.”

Here are the people, businesses and products in the running . . .

Future Leader Award

s

Trafalgar Fire Containment – Firebox

s

Aeris Environmental – Corrosion Protection Plus

s

Hevac Controls – HCP7

s

Seeley International – Braemar Evolution.

Excellence in Refrigeration s

Cold Logic – Coopers Brewery

s

Glaciem Cooling – The Bend Motorsport Park

s

Heatcraft and Goff’s Refrigeration – Optus Stadium.

s

Refrigeration Innovations – Ritchies IGA Supermarket

s

BUENO – Crown – Data utilisation

s

Jason Harrison, M.AIRAH, Airmaster

s

NDY – ANU RN Robertson building

s

Lina Le, Affil.AIRAH, BUENO

s

CIM Enviro – 99 Elizabeth St

s

Firas Shawash, Affil.AIRAH, i-Fire Engineers

s

A.G. Coombs and AECOM – ICC Sydney

s

Chris Stamatis, Affil.AIRAH, CopperTree Analytics

s

s

Mark Vigors, M.AIRAH, Ellis Air Conditioning.

Kingspan Insulation – Kingspan Insulation manufacturing facility.

Student of the Year – Trade s

Matthew Benger, Stud.AIRAH, TAFE SA

s

Patrick Brennan, Stud.AIRAH, TAFE Queensland SkillsTech

s

Anthony Consterdine, M.AIRAH, South Metropolitan TAFE, WA

s

Matthew Farrugia, Stud.AIRAH, TAFE NSW – Nirimba.

AWARDS

Excellence in Sustainability

Massimo Fiorentini, Affil.AIRAH, SBRC, University of Wollongong

s

2018

Excellence in Innovation s

A.G. Coombs and AECOM – ICC Sydney

s

Airmaster – Tuggeranong Office Park

s

Black Stump Technologies – ANGAU memorial hospital, Papua New Guinea

s

Airmaster – John Gorton Building

s

Kingspan Insulation – Kingspan Insulation manufacturing facility.

Student of the Year

– Higher Education or Research

Best HVAC Retrofit or Upgrade

s

Farnam Fathalian, Stud.AIRAH, South Metropolitan TAFE, WA

s

NDY – ANU RN Robertson building

s

Aurecon – UQ TC Beirne School of Law

s

Clayton McDowell, Stud.AIRAH, University of Wollongong.

s

Cundall – TAFE NSW Northern Sydney Institute of Asian Cookery

14 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

s

ENGIE Services ANZ – Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

s

AECOM – RMIT New Academic Street

s

Energy Action – 221 London Circuit.

The WR Ahern Award goes to the best technical paper published in Ecolibrium written by an AIRAH member. Eight papers are eligible this year.

AIRAH will also be presenting the James Harrison Medal, the Institute’s highest honour, to an individual who has made an outstanding lifetime contribution to the HVAC&R industry. n

AIRAH AWARDS 2018 SPONSORS Event sponsor – Daikin Entertainment sponsor Mitsubishi Electric

Excellence in Innovation Standards Australia

Student of the Year – Trade LG Electronics

Excellence in Sustainability Heatcraft

Future Leader A.G. Coombs

Awards supporter iHub

HVAC&R

MODULE

117

Skills Workshop PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Skills summary n What?

A guide to the calibration and use of air-measuring instruments.

n Who?

PULLOUT

Relevant for anyone involved in the installation, operation, maintenance and assessment of HVAC&R systems.

All instruments are sensitive to damage and must be regularly calibrated against the manufacturers’ master instruments or an accepted standard.

However, experience shows that most errors result from: (a) the misuse of the instrument (b) air turbulence where readings are made (c) calculation errors – particularly in taking air velocity readings in m/s as indicating volume in m3/s.

The student or operator, when first receiving an air‑measuring instrument, should experiment with it by taking readings in different locations on the one system, at different angles to the airflow and at different distances from filters, coils, dampers, outlet grilles or fans – and noting any differences. Once a technique is developed to give acceptable readings in a given situation, stick to that technique when using that instrument.

Air turbulence occurs for a distance of six or seven times the outlet diameter from any restriction.

Accurate readings (i.e., those unaffected by location situations) are only possible under ideal conditions.

CALIBRATION AND USE OF INSTRUMENTS

The HVAC&R technician is often required to commission new installations, analyse the performance of existing plant and locate faults on new and existing plant. To carry out this work, a variety of measuring and test instruments are available.

Some are simple, low-cost instruments, and others are highly expensive, sophisticated units beyond the scope (and budget) of the average technician. No matter how much they cost, they require calibration.

This Skills Workshop looks at the calibration and use of instruments, specifically those used for air measuring.

or diaphragm. Recording‑type barometers are available in either a 24‑hour or seven‑day drum rotation. These are similar in appearance to the recording thermometers previously described.

SERVICE GAUGES AND MANIFOLD The most important tool of the refrigeration technician is the service gauge and manifold.

It is used for checking system pressures, charging refrigerant, evacuating the system, adding oil and for many other purposes.

The gauge manifold consists of a compound gauge, calibrated from -100kPa to 700kPa, or from -100 to 2,100kPa for R410A, and a high‑pressure gauge, calibrated from 0kPa to approximately 2,800kPa (0 to 5,500kPa for R410A), mounted on the manifold assembly, which has isolating valves and service line connections. The left‑hand gauge is the high‑ or discharge‑pressure gauge. Flexible service hoses with rubber sealing fittings are used to make connections from the manifold to the system.

Calculation errors can be minimised only by the operator recording all test figures, as read, and then showing all calculations to convert to “standard” units, so that someone else can recheck the correctness of the working.

Do not do conversions in your head.

Figure 1 shows an electronic gauge manifold with a digital read‑out, which – with the possibility of connecting various probes for temperature, current and oil pressure – provides for a wide range of measurements and data storage and management, including superheating and subcooling calculation, vacuum measurement, temperature‑compensated tightness testing and refrigerant management.

BAROMETERS

VACUUM GAUGES

Barometers are used to measure atmospheric pressure. Barometers used in air conditioning are usually of a different type. The barometric pressure is measured by the deflection of a bellows

Normal hydrostatic gauges such as the Bourdon tube or diaphragm dial gauges are accurate at best to 133Pa (1mm) only. The mercury manometer is capable of low readings but is of questionable

Figure 1: Refrigeration service gauge and manifold with digital read‑out. (Courtesy of Testo Pty Ltd.)

accuracy at very low pressures, and is fragile and not without problems if carelessly handled.

It is possible, for example, to fill the gauge with compressor oil, which is serious enough, but it is also possible to have the mercury drawn into the compressor – with absolutely disastrous results.

Thermocouple gauge The thermocouple gauge, or electronic vacustat, gives a direct dial scale of the vacuum based on the number of electrons which strike, and therefore cool, the heater thermocouple. The better the vacuum, the fewer are the molecules – and the hotter the thermocouple. Figure 3 shows the circuit of the chamber connected to the vacuum. The electronic service gauge shown in Figure 1 also has a vacuum measurement function.

Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 15

HVAC&R Skills Workshop

low

high

low

Purging

high

Charging or adding oil

low

low

low

high

Bypassing

high

high A

B E Both manifold valves turned all the way in – system pumping vapour and both low- and high-side pressures being read.

C

Gauge reading

D Figure 2: Schematic of gauge manifold installation on external drive compressor with service valves.

(A – manifold suction valve; B – manifold discharge valve; C – compressor discharge service valve; D – compressor suction service valve; E – service opening.)

NOTE

It is important to use the tube in an upright position to keep out foreign matter.

Never allow the system pressure to enter a high‑vacuum gauge.

base connections

X

Y

Y

X

heater filament

Figure 4: High‑vacuum thermocouple gauge.

vacuum chamber thermocouple

X connect to galvanometer Y connect to electrical power source

Figure 3: Principle of thermocouple vacuum gauge.

16 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

connection to manifold

Vacuum scales Gauges may be calibrated in millimetres of mercury (torr) or microns (μm) – more correctly called micrometres – of mercury.

Gauges may also be calibrated in pascals (Pa) and the relationship between the various scales is shown in Figure 5 (parts a, b and c).

However, the international unit accepted in Australia at the moment appears to be the torr, with one torr equal to one millimetre of mercury (Hg); therefore 0.1 mm (100 microns) equals 10−1 Torr etc, as shown.

The continued change to the SI metric system will eventually make the pascal the standard unit for vacuum measurement.

HVAC&R Skills Workshop (a)

(b)

Millimetres of mercury 1

Equivalents

2

0.5

20

10

5

0

500 microns

ATM

1000 microns

300 microns 100 microns

Microns

Millimetres

Torr

Pascals

1

.001 mm

10−3 Torr

0.1333 Pa

10

.010 mm

10−2 Torr

1.3332 Pa

100

.100 mm

10−1 Torr

13.3322 Pa

150

.150 mm

15 × 10−2 Torr

20.0 Pa

500

.5 mm

5 × 10−1 Torr

66.66 Pa

1000

1.0 mm

1 Torr

133.32 Pa

Inches mercury ("Hg)

Pa

kPa

(c)

Absolute units Torr (mm Hg) Expressed as

Actual value

760 000

760

760

30

101 592

101.592

500 000

500

500

19.685

66 661.1

66.661 1

250 000

250

250

9.842 5

33 330.5

33.330 5

100 000

100

100

3.937 01

13 332.2

13.332 2

75 000

75

75

2.952 75

9990

9.99

50 000

50

50

1.968 50

6660

6.66

25 000

25

25

0.984 25

3330

3.33

20 000

20

20

0.787 40

2660

2.66

15 000

15

15

0.590 55

1990

1.99

10 000

10

10

0.393 70

1330

1.33

5000

5

5

0.196 85

667

0.667

4000

4

4

0.157 48

533

0.533

3000

3

3

0.118 11

400

0.400

2000

2

2

0.078 74

267

0.267

1000

1

1

0.039 37

133

0.133

750

75 × 10−2

0.75

0.029 53

99

0.099

500

5 × 10−1

0.50

0.019 69

67

0.067

250

25 × 10−2

0.25

0.009 84

33

0.033

100

1 × 10−1

0.10

0.003 94

13

0.013

50

5 × 10−2

0.05

0.001 97

6.6

0.006 6

25

25 × 10−3

0.025

0.000 98

3.3

0.003 3

10

1 × 10−2

0.01

0.000 39

1.3

0.001 3

5

5 × 10−3

0.005

0.000 19

0.7

0.000 7

1

1 × 10−3

0.001

0.000 04

0.13

0.000 13

0.5

5 × 10−4

0.000 5

0.000 02

0.07

0.000 065

Figure 5: Comparison of vacuum measurements units

EDITION

05

HT UG O

TO YOU

BY

G

SIN

GIVIN

CE 1920

BR

N ERATIO REFRIG NING ALIAN NDITIO RESOURCE AUSTR AND AIR-CO NATIONAL

B

A

C

RY

PULLOUT

Microns

K

TO

THE I ND

US

T

This month’s Skills Workshop has been taken from Australian Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Volume 1,

by Graham Boyle, F.AIRAH.

VOLUME

01

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Next month: Controlling condensation in mechanical services.

Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 17

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18 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

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Cover Feature

COOLING KELLY COUNTRY One summer evening

The new supermarket includes larger meat and liquor sections, requiring a 25 per cent increase in refrigeration.

in January 2016 . . . Beechworth’s only supermarket was razed to the ground in an arson attack Such was the ferocity of the fire that firefighters had been unable to subdue it. The building’s entire structure had to be demolished.

The local community immediately rallied around the supermarket’s operators and staff, and before long a temporary pop-up supermarket was established in a former plumbing supplies store. This saved residents the 30-minute drive to surrounding towns – Wangaratta, Myrtleford or Wodonga.

The local council also made the former library building available to temporarily accommodate the Ritchies IGA liquor outlet that had been destroyed by the blaze as well.

COMMITTED TO THE REBUILD With the HFC phase-down under way, refrigeration systems incorporating natural refrigerants such as CO2 are gaining popularity.

Sean McGowan reports on the rebuilding of a supermarket in country Victoria using an Australian-first refrigeration and HVAC design.

Beechworth is a picturesque heritage town in Victoria’s high country. Its historic courthouse, prison and the Ned Kelly Vault all mark this as one of the stomping grounds of the bushrangers in the mid-1800s – Kelly country.

Naturally, the property’s owners and Ritchies IGA were committed to rebuilding the supermarket as quickly as possible, and set about working with the local Indigo Shire council on plans.

But as is typical in such events, 12 months passed before insurance claims could be settled and construction of a new supermarket could begin.

The new building was designed to sit on exactly the same footprint as its predecessor in Loch Street.

Dropping in the prefabricated plant.

Located almost 300km north-east of Melbourne and about 40km south of Albury-Wodonga, the town is now home to almost 4,000 residents.

And that population swells during holiday periods as visitors flock to the locale to enjoy the ski fields, wineries and region’s natural beauty.

Many local businesses in Beechworth rely on this tourist trade, but just as many exist to provide vital services and steady employment to locals. One such business is the Ritchies IGA supermarket in Loch Street.

ARSON ATTACK One summer evening in January 2016, while hundreds of locals and visitors enjoyed the Opera in the Alps event at the local golf course, Beechworth’s only supermarket was razed to the ground in an arson attack.

The town woke the next morning to the devastating news that the fire had left almost nothing behind – except, ironically, the scorched remains of a children’s firetruck amusement ride.

Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 19

Cover Feature

POWER OUT During a recent planned power outage that affected the town, Redden says there was no loss of CO2 and the plant re-started on power up, with performance as expected.

“Detractors of CO2 say this is a problem,” says Redden. “But this experience only provides more confidence in the resilience of CO2 systems.”

The transcritical CO2 system incorporates lowtemperature sub-critical compressors, mediumtemperature transcritical compressors, air conditioning and parallel compressor.

The pump station for the heating and cooling loops before pipe insulation was fitted.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERTISE Detailed discussions with the refrigeration plant manufacturers both in Australia and in Italy were crucial to the project’s success.

“We had the opportunity to meet and speak with the refrigeration plant manufacturer’s technical engineer while he was here in Australia, to ensure he was on board with what we were trying to deliver,” says Dave Redden, F.AIRAH, from Refrigeration Innovations “As this was going to be a first in Australia, you don’t get a trial run!”

Redden worked closely with the project’s builder, Premier Building and Construction, and architect The Retail Group, to ensure the new supermarket’s refrigeration system was considered part of the total store environment and not just a stand-alone entity.

He says The Retail Group were extremely influential in convincing the store developer and mechanical services teams to share this approach.

“There tends to be a demarcation in buildings where there is refrigeration on one side and mechanical services on the other,” he says. “But in this case, both disciplines needed to come together to achieve the outcomes we were seeking.”

Specialising in supermarket refrigeration installation and service, contractor MB Refrigeration worked alongside local mechanical services contractor Hydro-Spec to successfully install the refrigeration plant. This was a pre-built, single package unit contained on a common platform.

Lead compressors are all inverter-driven to match the load required. Further energy savings are achieved by reducing compressor cycling and therefore reducing peak power demand.

The transcritical CO2 system adopted at Beechworth also features two brazed-plate heat exchangers – one for cooling and another for heating. These are connected to the supermarket’s mechanical coils via pumps, and use a water/glycol mix as a heat-transfer agent to the cooling and heating coils.

Such is the efficiency of the system that it provides 21kW of low-temperature refrigeration cooling, 98kW of medium-temperature refrigeration cooling, 105kW of comfort cooling and 110kW of comfort heating through the utilisation of waste heat.

Redden says there are many benefits of using a pre-fabricated system.

“Having the plant prefabricated into a demountable plant room was a huge advantage, as it saved many hours of onsite assembly work,” he says.

“The interconnect to the store was made so much smoother as we were on a finish deadline and had to have the store open for the client (on time).”

However, an expanded product range – particularly across the meat and liquor departments – demanded a 25 per cent increase in refrigeration on the site.

This resulted in a natural refrigerant solution being designed by the project’s refrigeration consultant, Refrigeration Innovations.

Company principal Dave Redden, F.AIRAH, had already been involved in many Ritchies IGA projects around Victoria. He had also held discussions with the group about transitioning to natural refrigerant solutions before the rebuilding of the Beechworth supermarket.

“It was felt by Ritchies that the time was right for all new greenfield sites and rebuilds to adopt natural refrigerants,” says Redden.

“The brief at Beechworth was to design a system that used natural refrigerants and ensured there was sufficient confidence in the installers, and the equipment, to make it happen.”

The refrigeration system in the rebuilt supermarket is a transcritical CO2 system. It serves all aspects of the store’s refrigeration requirements, as well as providing store cooling and heating via an innovative waste heat reclaim system.

20 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

A view of some the CO2 compressors.

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Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 21

Cover Feature

LESSONS FROM THE DESIGNER Dave Redden of Refrigeration Innovations offers a few tips on how to best approach a CO2 refrigeration project. n Do your homework before presenting your ideas. “It takes two to tango,” says Redden.

“And the customer holds all the money.” n Be honest . “In your presentations of energy and cost savings, it is better to err under than over.” n Get the contractor on board. “Ensure the installing contractor is fully conversant with the installation and what you are trying to achieve, as he can be your best or worst asset. I have had to expend considerable effort to overcome

The project adopted a walk-in plant room, which was craned onto the rooftop of the new building.

The plant room has been carefully sound-proofed to reduce the noise impact on residents and meets the noise levels required by local authorities.

“Beechworth is a very quiet country town at night,” says Redden, “so reducing neighbour disturbance was high on our list of priorities.”

The plant room also provides a safe, weatherproof environment in which service personnel can carry out their work without being exposed to the elements.

This is particularly useful given the cold winters and hot summers experienced in the region.

BREAKING NEW GROUND In what is considered to be an Australian first, gas ejector technology has been used at Ritchies IGA Beechworth.

Commonly used overseas in transcritical CO2 installations in hot climates, gas ejector technology (used in conjunction with a parallel compressor within the transcritical CO2 system) can reduce energy consumption by between 10 and 20 per cent compared to a conventional booster transcritical system, depending on the ambient temperature the ejector is working at.

The ejector block at Beechworth consists of six individual ejectors of varying sizes, allowing the system to modulate to different ejectors depending on load demands.

According to Redden, gas ejector technology is most efficient in warmer climates. This includes those across most of Australia, where systems operate in supercritical mode.

“When receiving CO2 from the gas cooler, an ejector acts as an expansion valve in lower-temperature subcritical operation,” explains Redden.

“The CO2 is two-phase at that stage, as there is liquid and gas coming off the gas cooler. From there, gas is entered from the medium-temperature suction line and diverts the gas to a receiver where it is combined with the flash gas. As this flash gas is at a much higher pressure, less energy is required to compress it.”

According to The Retail Group’s director Ian Williamson, the Ritchies IGA Beechworth project has demonstrated the value of innovative refrigeration solutions.

the negative arguments put forward by contractors who have not been exposed to the new and emerging technologies.

“Similarly, other contractors have embraced the technology and progressed – they will be the future of contracting.

“I think it was Charles Darwin who said it would not be the fittest or strongest who survive, but those who can adapt to change.”

“The level of investment is project-specific, but the more you put in the greater the return,” says Williamson. “Ultimately the solutions adopted

by Ritchies can create a more sustainable, energyefficient business that delivers a better-balanced response and improved space.”

n Before and after. “Show the hard data to the client upon completion of the project and do a ‘before and after’ on energy bills. It is amazing to see the difference.”

“Ritchies Beechworth is another example where Refrigeration Innovations and The Retail Group could show that the return on investment is a financial and social one.”

n Be confident (and natural). “CO2 and other natural refrigerants are the way of the now and the future. There’s no going back.”

Fine-tuning of the transcritical CO2 refrigeration system remains ongoing, with the project team already taking some valuable lessons. This includes the benefits of keeping the heating operating overnight during the winter period.

Further energy savings can also be realised because the size of the parallel compressor is reduced. It therefore requires less energy when the gas is received.

To reduce the air temperature onto the gas cooler coil during warmer months, the gas cooler installed at Beechworth has also been fitted with an adiabatic cooling system.

IN-STORE CONTROLS The new refrigeration systems are controlled by a main refrigeration controller that can load and unload compressor capacity as required.

Redden says that by maintaining a steady suction pressure, optimal temperature control and energy efficiency is achieved.

All refrigerator and freezer cases and coolrooms within the supermarket are fitted with electronic valves. A controller regulates all functions, including the temperature and defrosts. These are linked by a communications “highway” back to the central graphing and logging centre, where all events are recorded and fault alarms generated.

The control system also allows for “floating” temperatures and control set-points within predetermined limits. This contributes to the store’s total energy savings, particularly when it is closed overnight.

Also, machine-learning software has been used to control the gas ejector system.

“Over a period of commissioning time, the system learns the best strategies for controlling its capacity,” says Redden.

“This type of software will become more commonplace as it develops over time.

It is an exciting process to witness.”

COMMUNITY BENEFITS A little over two years after the original supermarket was destroyed, the new Ritchies IGA Beechworth opened in April 2018.

The opening was welcomed by the local Beechworth community. Those behind the supermarket’s design have reason to be happy with the refrigeration system too.

22 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

In the rebuilding of the Beechworth supermarket, he says the return on investment is two-fold.

“Having a warm store at opening (that doesn’t require a warm-up period) is good for not only staff efficiency but welcoming to customers,” says Redden.

“We monitored the energy use before and after we implemented this, and there was no discernible change in energy recorded.”

Though it remains too early to paint a full picture of the supermarket’s energy performance since opening in April, savings of between 4.5 and 14 per cent have been recorded.

“CO2 is such an efficient refrigerant that standard settings can always be improved on,” says Redden.

“We are looking forward to measuring this during the upcoming summer.” n

PROJECT AT A GLANCE THE EQUIPMENT s Compressors: Bitzer s Controls: Danfoss s Gas cooler: Luvata s Mechanical controls: Innotech s Refrigeration cases: Hussman, Bonnet, Arneg s Refrigeration plant: SCM Beijer

THE PERSONNEL s Architect: The Retail Group s Builder: Premier Building and Construction s Client: Ritchies IGA Beechworth s Fitout: The Retail Group s Electrical contractor (light and power): Watters Electrical s Electrical contractor (refrigeration): Ace Electrics s Mechanical services contractor: Hydro-Spec s Refrigeration contractor: MB Refrigeration s Refrigeration services engineer: Refrigeration Innovations (Source: Refrigeration Innovations)

Air Con Wi Fi Ad1 HVACR 310x220 OL.indd 1

26/9/18 10:15 am

Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 23

Feature

A day in the life of a NATA TECHNICIAN In his job as a NATA-accredited field service technician, Airepure’s Justin Rowe visits some unusual sites. We tag along on a typical day.

Although the preparation is time-consuming, Rowe says the most challenging aspect of a technician’s day is making sure they have a complete understanding of the client’s certification requirements and onsite safety protocols before they start.

If you need to test the air quality in a facility, who are you gonna call? Well, if you’re in Adelaide, there’s a chance you’ll call Justin Rowe, one of Airepure’s NATA-accredited field service technicians.

SUIT UP!

“This ensures that we’re working within a safe environment,” he says,“ and our actions won’t interrupt the client’s schedules.”

Field service techs are often required to follow a range of “gowning” procedures before jobs.

JOB 1

“We perform a range of mechanical tests relating to air quality,” says Rowe. “We do onsite testing using prescribed Australian Standard test methods to ensure a facility or the equipment used within a facility complies with the relevant industry standards or regulations.”

“Sometimes we have to shower onsite before we access the facility and wear protective gear like a full clean-room gown, mask and sterile gloves,” says Rowe.

Large Animal Research Facility: PC2/PC3 rated

This is for the technician’s safety and to avoid possible contamination to site equipment as well as specimens.

Animal research facilities often have containment or quarantine areas that are set up to prevent dangerous pathogens from escaping.

Primary containment equipment includes Class II biological safety cabinets and terminal exhaust HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter housings.

The field service techs use prescribed Australian Standard test methods to certify the cabinets and validate HEPA filter performance through HEPA integrity testing.

“During HEPA integrity testing, we expose the filter media and housing to a challenge agent/aerosol,” Rowe explains. “First we pump a regulated and calibrated amount of smoke/mist into the upstream side of the filter, then scan the filter and housing on the downstream side for leakage.

“To do this we need a connection point upstream of the filter to introduce the challenge aerosol.

We also need to be able to physically view and scan the HEPA face.”

JOB 2 Human Tissue Facility: Grade A/ISO 5 air quality Similar in set-up to an operating theatre, a human tissue facility has laminar flow theatres with ULPA (ultra-low particulate air) filters to maintain Grade A /ISO 5 air quality in operation.

“We enter different areas within this facility to perform our tests,” says Rowe. “Sometimes the service area – where we access the mechanical air handler for HEPA filter integrity testing – is on one side of the facility, while the clean rooms are on the other.”

WHAT IS NATA? The National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) is Australia’s national body for the assessment, accreditation and training of laboratories and technical facilities. NATA also provides calibration services, produces reference materials, and runs proficiency testing schemes.

Conducting a HEPA integrity test.

24 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

For more information go to www.nata.com.au

Feature JOB 3 Cytotoxic Dispensing Pharmacy within healthcare facility A cytotoxic dispensing pharmacy prepares and dispenses medications that are harmful to cells in the body (such as cancer chemotherapy drugs). A typical set-up could include cytotoxic laminar flow cabinets, pass-through cabinets and terminal exhaust HEPA filter housings. A workspace like this would be required to maintain Grade B /ISO 6 or 7 air quality in operation, with appropriate air pressure regimes.

“This is one area that really puts a field service technician under pressure,” Rowe says. “You have to complete testing and ensure the equipment is in working order within a tight timeframe.”

JOB DONE! Airepure field service technician Justin Rowe.

As a technician who provides a wide range of services, Rowe says his extended client base can produce some really challenging and exciting days.

The technicians can conduct a variety of tests to certify the clean room to the relevant air cleanliness classifications (Grade A /ISO 5 air quality in operation).

“One of the most rewarding aspects of this job is to be involved in the birth of a new facility at the commissioning stage, and then see the final results,” he says. “The facility meets the performance criteria for the clients, who can then get on with what they do.

“We use particle counters to provide air quality classifications,” says Rowe, “and micro-manometers to verify room pressure differentials – positive or negative room pressure.”

“Overall, I really enjoy the variety,” says Rowe, “working at different places every day and having the opportunity to travel all around South Australia and the Northern Territory.” n

Particle counter sampling within a GRADE A Clean Room at a human tissue bank facility.

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Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 25

Around the Nation 1

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NEW HQ FOR ACTRONAIR

Australian air conditioning manufacturer ActronAir has officially opened its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Marsden Park.

Located about 50km from Sydney’s CBD, the new facility accommodates 18,000m2 of factory floor space, 3,300m2 of office space and 2,300m2 of testing laboratories. The roof features 400kW of solar panels.

The factory was officially opened by New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Berejiklian says the story of ActronAir’s growth from its humble beginnings in the garage of founder Garry Mundy in 1984 to be a national and global company is an inspiring one.

“Garry Mundy and his family have shown guts and courage to get where they are today,” Berejiklian says.

“Theirs is one of the great Australian success stories.”

Three generations of the Mundy family are involved in the ActronAir business, with Garry’s son Robert the firm’s director.

The new facility consolidates multiple buildings from several locations, including the former national headquarters located in Bellavista.

As well as doubling previous capacity, the new Marsden Park factory greatly expands ActronAir’s laboratory testing facilities.

“There is nothing like it in the Southern Hemisphere,” Robert Mundy says of the new factory. n

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VICTORIAN REGULATIONS UPDATE

The Victorian government has completed the sunset review of the Plumbing Regulations, which provide detailed requirements for plumbing work and many areas of HVAC&R. The regulations will begin on November 18, 2018, except for certain regulations that will come into force in 2019.

The regulations define the scopes of appropriate classes of work, set qualification and experience eligibility requirements for registration and licensing, set fees (including application fees) for registration and licensing, and the price of compliance certificates.

They also set additional work standards and requirements for specified classes of work.

The proposed new class of refrigerated air conditioning (basic systems) work has been removed.

This work will remain part of the scope of the class of mechanical services. The government says it based this decision on additional information about the risks posed by unsafe work on refrigeration systems to both practitioners and consumers.

Practitioners licensed or registered in the class of mechanical services work will now only be permitted to install and commission basic refrigerated air conditioning systems. The government believes this better reflects the training that practitioners receive.

The introduction of this change will be delayed until November 18, 2019 to allow time for practitioners to apply for appropriate licences or registration.

Go to engage.vic.gov.au/plumbing-regulations-sunset-review n

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A COMPREHENSIVE LEGIONELLA GUIDE

Last month we reported on new Legionella control regulations in NSW. The Legionella Prevention and Control Regulations 2018 have brought about changes to the operation, testing and maintenance of cooling towers throughout the state to protect the public from the risk of Legionella outbreaks.

For engineers, facility owners and managers, this means stricter diligence is required in maintaining cooling towers, and there are considerable fines for breaching the regulations. To help people get to grips with the new rules, HydroChem has put together a clear set of guidelines on a special website.

The online resources cover the latest regulation updates and more general information about Legionella. Facility owners and managers can step through a clear set of guidelines on topics such as operation and maintenance, three-monthly reporting,

26 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

risk-management plans, testing and notification, audits, documentation and registration.

There is also a section explaining the penalties that apply for failing to follow the new regulations.

Go to www.legionellaguidelines.com.au n

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AAD OPENS NEW OUTLET

HVAC wholesaler Australian Airconditioning Distributors (AAD) has opened a new showroom and branch in Epping, Victoria.

“Tradies come down and become a member today and receive exclusive personal pricing options, promotions, design services, extensive customer support and much more,” says AAD. “The team are excited to expand both our offerings and our presence to the region’s active HVAC community with our new Epping location and showroom. Enjoy a wide range of units and components to tackle any job. AAD only stocks leading brands directly from the manufacturers, including Mitsubishi Electric, Fujitsu, Braemar, Bonaire, Brivis, Samsung and more.

“AAD Epping is the most northern HVAC wholesaler in Melbourne. Our new showroom is conveniently located just off Cooper Street, only a one-minute drive from the Hume Freeway, just seven minutes from the Western Ring Road. Our central location provides you an even easier option for stocking up on all your required HVAC units and components.”

Check out the branch at 65 Gateway Boulevard, Epping, or call 1300 223 223. n

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WE’LL DRINK TO THAT

HVAC&R plays many vital roles in Australian society, but perhaps none more vital than chilling beer. Pacific HVAC Engineering has been building a strong reputation in the craft brewery segment, working with the likes of Balter Brewery in Currumbin, Queensland, Fury and Son Brewery in Keilor Park, Victoria, and the recently opened Hemingway’s Brewery in Cairns (pictured).

Around the Nation 6

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This CV has allowed Pacific HVAC Engineering to hone its offering. The company has partnered with Clint chillers to supply a product and service package tailored to breweries.

“We understand that brewery chillers require lower and more accurate temperature control than a standard comfort cooling chiller,” says the company.

“This is why we provide a variety of low-temperature options including the ability to run in ambient temperatures down to -6°C.” Pacific HVAC Engineering is also the chosen distributor of MacroAir fans in Australia and New Zealand. The fans have been found to provide an effective solution for the typical brewery with high ceilings, abundant square footage, and airflow and ventilation challenges.

Go to www.pacifichvac.com n

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NEW FACE FOR DAIKIN

Daikin Australia has appointed Mark Maclean as the new national product manager for its Applied Solutions Business.

Maclean has over 35 years of experience in the industry, and his addition to the team is seen as part of the long-term growth strategy for the Applied Business. Daikin says that Maclean was selected for the role due to his excellent market knowledge, strong chiller expertise, leadership skills, as well as his analytic abilities.

Troy Burgess, Daikin Australia’s Applied channel manager, says the new appointment “helps unlock the future potential for the Applied Business within the Australian market, ensuring it moves from strength to strength.”

Maclean also expressed his excitement at the appointment.

“The opportunity to be a part of a world-class organisation with an innovative vision, systems and technology to lead the market while delivering sustainable localised manufacturing was one of the key attractions to the role at Daikin Australia.”

Go to www.daikin.com.au n

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QLD REVISES LICENSING LAWS

The Queensland state government has passed new laws for plumbing and gas fitting that will affect licensing for air conditioning and refrigeration work.

The new Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 legislation provides a significant update to several aspects of plumbing and draining and includes the creation of a new licence requirement for mechanical services.

The regulation is proposed to prescribe four mechanical services licence classes: Medical gas; Plumbing; Air conditioning and refrigeration (unlimited design); and Air conditioning and refrigeration (limited design).

The Department intends to consult industry before finalising the scopes of work and technical requirements for each licence class. However, it is proposed that anything that can be done under the existing refrigeration and air conditioning mechanical services (limited or unlimited) design licence will be able to be done under the new licence class.

The installation of single-head split systems has not been changed. If an individual installs a single-head split system or any other work within the scope of the refrigeration and air conditioning mechanical services (limited and unlimited) design licence where the value of the work exceeds $3,300 they will need to hold a contractor licence or work for a contractor with the relevant licence class. n

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READER DISCOUNT AT AITCOOL

Aitcool Australia is offering an exclusive 15 per cent discount to HVAC&R Nation readers – just use the discount code AIRAH15.

Aitcool is the exclusive Australian distributor of Wenling Aitcool tools and equipment.

“We are proud to be supplying industry-leading equipment to assist the trade,” says Aitcool Australia’s

managing director Daniel Groves. “We specialise in R32-ready non-spark vacuum pumps and refrigerantrecovery equipment to ensure safe and productive work can be carried out.

“Our online store with free nationwide delivery, Melbourne-based support office, full range of tools and equipment and two-year warranty on all products makes Aitcool Australia a one-stop shop for all refrigeration trade needs.”

Go to www.aitcool.com.au n

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HEAVY PRESENCE IN NZ

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioners Australia (MHIAA) has announced the appointment of a new sales manager for the New Zealand region.

Having started with Mitsubishi Heavy in 2012, Annemarie Schaal has a technical background in the heat pump industry. She was previously sales manager for Germany, France, Ireland and the company’s Eastern European distributors.

“I cannot wait to start and get going,” Schaal says.

“The market in New Zealand has great potential for MHIAA.” The appointment was made after MHIAA identified the need for improved stockholding in New Zealand and more emphasis on technical expertise.

National planning and sales manager for MHIAA, Adrian Brown, says that it came to MHIAA’s attention that customers weren’t entirely satisfied with the level of service and product availability they were receiving.

“We have partnered with Mainfreight New Zealand, who will be responsible for all our warehousing and distribution across New Zealand,” he says.

“With a larger local stock holding now available to our New Zealand customer base, we are stepping up the training of installers on our product range.

This, together with the appointment of Annemarie, ensures a solid foundation and improved relations in this important region.”

Go to mhiaa.com.au n

Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 27

Cool Tech

WAVE POWER Who says electricity and water don’t mix?

Falling very much into the “because we can” category of tech toys is the electric surfboard. There are already several players in this emerging market, but a new offering from Swedish company Awake has the e-surfing world abuzz.

There’s also an LED light so you can see how much power you’ve got left – handy, because the Rävik could take you a long way from shore!

It’s called the Rävik and it’s the result of 18 months of development and testing. After all that work, Awake believes it is onto a winner.

Throttle control is via a wireless handheld device.

The motor cuts out automatically if you flip the board and a magnetically triggered power key (dead man’s grip function) ensures the board can't speed off without the rider.

“The result is a power-packed electric machine,” the company says, “that provides riders with an amount of adrenaline that will keep them awake for the next 24 hours.”

The bold claim is backed up by the spec sheet.

The Rävik boasts an 11kW brushless electric motor that can produce a top speed of 56kmh and acceleration of 0–50kmh in 4 seconds.

The board itself is made of carbon fibre, helping keep the weight down to just 35kg.

That includes the lithium ion battery pack, which according to Awake will last for 40 minutes of “mixed riding”. Recharge time is 80 minutes, though the battery changing mechanism has been made as simple as possible so riders can just swap and go.

You will, however, need quite a few bags of sand before you can take a Rävik to the beach – the order price is around Au$30,000. There’s also a limited production run this year. For now, only 30 boards are being made, all in Malmö Sweden. n

Smoko with . . .

Name: Bruce Pell Company : Actrol Assistant Store Manager Occupation: Trade Sales industry do you work in: What par t of the HVAC &R Providing solutions. &R industry: ut working in the HVAC What's the bes t thing abo nce ere diff a ething that makes You feel like you’re doing som g! and you never stop learnin rs. d in the industry: 17 yea How long have you worke ourite is my fishing rod.

Favourite tool: Second fav ite.

Can't name my first favour do you HVAC &R industry, what If you didn't work in the r – love going bush. ice off stry fore Parks and think you would be doing: t of HVAC &R Nation: What's your favourite par got ta be The Lighter Side Always up for a laugh so it’s F Carbon.

Dream car : Lexus RC350 course.

Dream date: My wife of r. swag it around Oz for a yea Dream holiday: Drive and key or JD. Drink of choice: Wild Tur “Slice of Heaven”. listen to: Dave Dobbyn – What song did you las t

28 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

nter is like going : “Working behind the cou Favourite quote or saying a while” – Phil Way. in n see ing mates you haven't see and day ry eve rk wo to h icing.

Homemade vanilla cake wit Favourite smoko snack: hael Diamond. shooting gold medallist) Mic Sporting hero: (Olympic nsters, going bush, . . . Raising three little mo When I'm not working I'm amok with mates. g er, prospecting and runnin fishing, shooting, playing pok

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Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 29

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PAGHETTI SPECIAL S“Here’s a beauty I witnessed yesterday,” says Gary from Queensland. “Air will take the path of least resistance, and they wonder why the boardroom on the index run had no airflow.” n

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sure what’s stopping it from dropping down,” he says, “because it’s not the 10mm rod at the back!” n

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ACT BThisALANCING ingenious AC pipe riser set-up in Brisbane was snapped by Nathan. “I’m not

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BOTTLER ABrettREAL from NSW saw this install while on holidays overseas. “I guess someone just got sick of coordinating tundish locations!” he says. “I recommended the addition of a float switch, wired back to the BMS.” n

EFORE AND AFTER BAshley was called out to this job in NSW. “The owners had no idea what disaster lay on their roof as these fallen condensers were still running fine,” he says. “They got quite a surprise when they saw the photo.”

So did we Ashley. Bonus points for sending us the shot of your repair work, too. n

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HAPPY SERVICING AHEAD, CAPTAIN!

Rene in Queensland sent us this snap of a factory-installed unit on a brand-new $600K-plus motor yacht. “No surprise about the fault codes coming up,” he says.

“And yes, it has an airtight lid, and no hot-air exhaust grill.” n

HAVE YOU COME ACROSS SOMETHING SCARY, UGLY OR JUST PLAIN FUNNY? If your entry is deemed the monthly winner, a 700ml bottle of Jim Beam will be on its way to your door. Please include a postal address with your entry. Entrants must be 18 or over. Send your hi-res (>500KB) photos to Editor, Mark Vender at mark.vender@airah.org.au

30 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | Spring/Summer 2018

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Spring/Summer 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 31

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