CCME August 2012

www.climatecontrolme.com

Perspectives: BMS and the importance

News DUBAL initiatives save energy p6

Optimising mechanical Air throw: Theory and room efficiency p59 practical reality p66

Empower bags

of specialist maintenance p64

gold at IDEA p8

Siemens gets new CEO p7

GEA joins

VDMA blue p21

Environmental groups call

for F-gas phase-out p19

D-Code: Yikes, mould! p28 Interview: Testing the waters p30 Plus: Marketplace, Comings&Goings

AUGUST 2012

Sales Engineering & Design

Project Management & Supervision

Service & Maintenance

CFD Analysis

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Name: Contact no.: Company: Email Address: Office Address:

Hybrid / Circular

www.climatecontrolme.com

Perspectives: BMS and the importance

News DUBAL initiatives save energy p6

Optimising mechanical Air throw: Theory and room efficiency p59 practical reality p66

Empower bags

of specialist maintenance p64

gold at IDEA p8

Siemens gets new CEO p7

GEA joins

VDMA blue p21

Environmental groups call

for F-gas phase-out p19

D-Code: Yikes, mould! p28 Interview: Testing the waters p30 Plus: Marketplace, Comings&Goings

ownturn’ s D

AUGUST 2012

Ch ld?

If the mid-Noughties clearly belonged to DC, the post-Lehman years have seen the emergence of VRFs. The big question, though, would be, 'Are they here to stay?'

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contents

Vol. 7 No. 8 | August 2012 04 from the editor

Oxygen for innovation

happenings

28

06 The region 14 At large 24 Marketplace

d-code

34 REPORT

Eurammon holds symposium

Event highlights developments and prospects of natural refrigerants

PERSPECTIVES 50 Getting 'Invalved'

Sick facilities – addressing mould in an HVAC system

Energy efficiency, initial investment and operation costs are key factors every plant designer has to deal with. In this context, better design and appropriate components play a vital role in providing optimum results, and unpretentious valves, working behind the scenes, may help achieve the ideal, says Zulfiqar Mooraj.

36

Billy Prewitt, while highlighting the health hazards caused by mould, stresses that it is the job of the HVAC industry to offer superior service in design, remediation and future prevention to combat the problem.

COVER STORY

54 An absorbing argument Dr M Ramaswamy posits the view that absorption chillers can be a green alternative to energy-driven conventional vapour compressor chillers in the GCC region, where waste heat and renewable energy is available.

District cooling has a strong case going for it, but there is no denying the fact that the enduring economic downturn has blown headwinds in its path. This has opened up opportunities for VRF systems to make inroads into the cooling market. The questions on everybody's lips are: 'Are VRFs here to stay? And if so, what kind of market share are they likely to garner?'

59 Optimising mechanical room efficiency

Grooved-end mechanical piping systems reduce the mechanical room footprint, enhance system performance and save time and cost on installation, says Kris Holvoet, Product Engineer at Victaulic.

30

INTERVIEW

Testing the waters

B Surendar caught up with Aslan Al-Barazi, Executive Director, IMEC, at The Climate Control Conference, held in Doha in April, for a Q&A session on the comparative merits of air-cooled and water-cooled chillers and on the use of seawater and TSE in cooling towers.

August 2012

www.climatecontrolme.com

3

from the

editor

Publisher Dominic De Sousa Managing Director & Associate Publisher Frédéric Paillé | fred@cpi-industry.com

Oxygen for

Editorial Director & Associate Publisher B Surendar | surendar@cpi-industry.com

innovation

COO Nadeem Hood | nadeem@cpidubai.com

A

t a recent press conference to announce the World Energy Forum (WEF), from October 22 to 24 in Dubai, the message was rammed home that Dubai is serious in its intent to pursue an energy-efficient future and that the fact that it would be hosting the Forum – a unique honour, considering that the event will be held for the first time ever outside the UN headquarters in New York City – was a recognition of the initiatives it has taken. This came from none other than Dr Harold Hyun Suk Oh, the Chairman of the WEF, and he spoke quite effusively in praise of Dubai’s Integrated Energy Strategy 2030.

One of the key initiatives by Dubai is the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park project, launched earlier in the year, which according to an official at the press conference, has progressed into the implementation stage, with the aim of realising 10 MW of electricity, out of the avowed 1,000 MW by 2030. Another is the fact that the Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (DEWA) has managed to achieve 400 MW of power without any additional use of fuel, so said H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the MD and CEO of DEWA, and the Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Energy Council.

One of the most important principles the WEF is trying to achieve in Dubai is the development of creativity, research and development, technology transfer and the support of entrepreneurship and training opportunities, which the Forum chairman said, would lay the foundations for a sustainable life. The goal of the Forum is laudable, as long as a way can be evolved to translate the intent and words into reality. Technological innovation exists in the UAE but is often hampered by a culture of ‘price comes first’ and, equally, by the price subsidies in place for power.

Incentives are oxygen for the innovator or the entrepreneur, and there are many who are able and willing to muddy their knees to squeeze that much more efficiency out of the systems. Going the solar route is a step in the right direction, no doubt; energy efficiency is as much a potent approach. It is not without reason that energy efficiency has been variously described as the ‘fifth fuel’ and ‘the low-hanging fruit’. It is a fond hope that the Forum will give the fifth fuel its place in the sun.

Contributing Editors Pratibha Umashankar prati@cpi-industry.com Anoop K Menon anoop@cpi-industry.com Business Development Consultant Stephanie McGuinness stephanie@cpi-industry.com Design Genesis Salao | getty@cpi-industry.com Ulysses Galgo | uly@cpi-industry.com Webmaster Troy Maagma | troy@cpidubai.com Database/ Subscriptions Manager Purwanti Srirejeki purwanti@cpi-industry.com Advertising Enquiries Frédéric Paillé: +971 50 7147204 fred@cpi-industry.com Stephanie McGuinness: +971 50 6679359 stephanie@cpi-industry.com USA and Canada Kanika Saxena Director (North America) 25 Kingsbridge Garden Cir Suite 919 Mississauga, ON, Canada L5R 4B1 kanika@cpi-industry.com Tel/fax: +1 905 890 5031 Euro Zone and UK Sicking Industrial Marketing Wilhelm Sicking 45130 Essen - Emmastrasse 44 Tel: +49 (0)201-779861 Fax: +49 (0)201-781741 Andreas Sicking 59872 Freienohl - Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 16 Tel: +49 (0)2903-3385-70 Fax: +49 (0)2903-3385-82 sicking-media@email.de • www.sicking.de China Sean Xiao Hui China Business Media Group Room 403, Block 17, Wuyimingzhu, No 6 Jinshan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350008, China Tel: +86 591 8386 3000

B Surendar

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nance p64 gets save energy p6 Optimising mechanic new CEO p7 GEA joins al Air throw: Theory and VDMA blue p21 room efficiency p59 practical reality p66 Empower bags Environ mental groups call gold at IDEA p8 for F-gas phase-out p19 p28 Interview: Testing

D-Code: Yikes, mould!

Siemens

the waters p30 Plus: Marketplace,

Comings&Goings

Downturn’s Ch lD?

AUGUST 2012

If the mid-Noughties clearly belonged to DC, the post-Lehman years have seen the emergen ce of VRFs. The big question , though, would be, 'Are they here to stay?'

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Climate Control Middle East August 2012

Head Office PO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 375 68 30 Fax: +971 4 43 419 06 Web: www.cpi-industry.com Printed by: Excel Printing Press, Sharjah, UAE © Copyright 2012 CPI. All rights reserved.

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happenings the region

DUBAL initiatives save energy Company claims quick wins mandated

by DSCE save 4,458,316 kWh in first six months of 2012

D

ubai Aluminium (DUBAL), the wholly state-owned corporation and a member of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), has announced that it has successfully implemented the directives issued to all DSCE member companies in April 2011 to minimise energy consumption in fulfilment of the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030. In the first nine months of implementing the directives (April to December 2011), DUBAL saved 6,942,760 kWh, the announcement claimed, and added that a further 4,458,316 kWh was saved in the first six months of this year (January to June 2012), bringing the total savings over the 15-month period to 11,401,076 kWh, which has reduced CO2 emissions at DUBAL by 5,701 metric tonnes.

Tayeb Al Awadhi, Vice President, Power & Desalination, DUBAL, terming the savings as “quick wins” for energy

Change to energy-efficient lights 644

Set air-conditioning temperature to 24°C during working hours and 27°C outside working hours 6020

conservation, said: “We have fully implemented the directive to set air conditioning thermostats to 24°C during working hours and 27°C outside working hours, as well as the directive to turn off all non-essential lights after working hours. We are also on track to achieve the third directive, namely to change to energy efficient lighting, where our internal target is to complete 50% of the changeover by the end of 2013. Overall, we are well placed to achieve total energy savings of 22,317,240 kWh per year by 2013.”

According to the announcement, the DSCE directives complement DUBAL’s ongoing efforts to minimise the power consumption of its operations. For example, the extremely energy-intensive process to reduce alumina to primary aluminium is continually being enhanced so as to be more energy efficient, DUBAL revealed, and added that the

Quick wins at DUBAL (MWh), cumulative up to June 2012.

Energy consumption in DUBAL’s potlines (MWh/ tonne Al).

energy consumption in the potlines of 14.71 MWh/tonne aluminium in 2011 represented a 110,000 MWh savings over the 14.82 MWh/tonne aluminium recorded in 2010.

Empower participates in IDEA Conference

Claims UAE surpasses advanced countries in DC infrastructure

E

mirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower) participated in the 103rd Annual Conference & Trade Show, International District Energy Association (IDEA), held in Chicago, from June 29 to July 2, where Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, led his company’s delegation, which included Tariq Al Yasi, Chief Operations & Maintenance Officer, Ramesh Ramadurai, Chief Financial Officer and

6

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

Turn lights off after working hours 3864

Mohamed Kahoor, Director of Business Support Services.

Commending the professionalism of the organisers of the conference held under the theme, “Cooler, Cleaner Cities”, Bin Shafar reportedly said: “This is our eighth participation in the IDEA Annual Conference. We look at this event as a platform to view new practices in the district cooling industry. We are proud to say

ABB announces AVP for comings &goings LV drives and motors Siemens appoints

Partnership to improve distribution of ABB’s technology

F

BM Trading and Powertech Switchgear Industries have become the first Authorised Value Providers (AVP) in the UAE to distribute and provide technical expertise for ABB products. Announcing this, ABB said that FBM, whose core business is in the trading of goods and related after-sales support, will distribute its low voltage (LV) motors, and added that Powertech, its other AVP associate, was the first system integrator in the world for HVAC in the AVP programme.

According to ABB, the AVP programme is designed for distributors, technical distributors,

system integrators, service providers and panel builders and provides third party partners a unified, consistent solution for the complete ABB portfolio.

In this context, Arthi Srinivasan, Business Strategy and Operations at Powertech Switchgear Industries, said: “We are proud to be awarded the AVP of ABB low voltage drives for sales, support and engineering services.

The value provider programme was detailed and comprehensive, allowing for a large degree of communication and coordination between the ABB and Powertech teams reinforcing the trust and support between the two

in working together on forthcoming projects in the UAE.” Leela T D’ Souza, Manager, Process Development and Channel Partner Program, ABB in Dubai, added: “The programme establishes partnerships, which enable consistent quality of the network offering, and improve the level of the channel management and channel support. We are proud that FBM and Powertech have seen ABB as their premium partner, fulfilling the objective of the programme where ABB, together with their partners are seen as premium suppliers by end customers.”

that the UAE has built a solid and modernised district cooling infrastructure, surpassing many advanced countries. Empower has big plans to boost the district cooling industry in the Middle East by accelerating the migration to district cooling that will achieve positive results to the community, environment, economy alike.”

Bin Shafar reportedly expressed his belief that district cooling has become an integral part of daily life in the GCC, with recent studies projecting an average 14% penetration of district cooling services in the region’s air conditioning segment, and is expected to exceed 25% by 2020, covering hospitality, residential, commercial and sports buildings as major end-users. [See related story on page 8]

new CEO

Mandated to expand local footprint and drive market share

S

iemens has appointed Kay Zwingenberger as the new CEO for the company’s operations in the UAE. Announcing this, Siemens revealed that Zwingenberger first joined the company in 1992 and gained management experience throughout Europe, spearheading the development of the Siemens Healthcare sector in Ukraine and heading the Healthcare sector for the company in Russia.

During his three-year tenure in Russia, the company’s business volume trebled on the back of several large-scale contract wins, Siemens claimed.

According to the company, he was subsequently appointed CEO for Central Asia with responsibility for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, he oversaw the company’s continuous growth against difficult economic conditions in the region. He will continue to build on the company’s global strategy of innovation, knowledge transfer and investment in emerging markets, the announcement added.

“The UAE is a thriving, rapidly developing nation, and Siemens is committed to strengthening further its engagement in realising the country’s ongoing economic diversification, creating job opportunities for young Emiratis, and supporting the transfer of know-how and technology,” Zwingenberger said.

Commenting on the appointment, Erich Kaeser, CEO of Siemens Middle East, said: “Kay Zwingenberger brings with him two decades of experience of working with Siemens and has a proven track record of growing the company’s business.”

August 2012

www.climatecontrolme.com

7

happenings the region

Empower bags award at IDEA Conference Company wins recognition for eighth time in eighth participation

E

mirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower) has announced that it has bagged the golden award at the International District Energy Association’s (IDEA) 103rd Annual Conference held in Chicago, for the total square footage committed to district cooling and a silver award for the total number of buildings committed to the system.

The awards were won against competition from top global companies from outside North America region.

Commenting on the calibre of the event,

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower said: “This is the eighth time we have won laurels at this international conference in our eighth year of participation. This recognition reflects our achievements in adopting world class district cooling infrastructure as well as recognises our success in expanding the use of district cooling as an ideal economic and environmental solution for residential and commercial units, offices and hotels.”

He emphasised that the operational savings in residential units compared with conventional air conditioning technologies

Ahmad Bin Shafar (right) accepting the award

ranged between 40% and 45%, and added that Empower adopted a clear strategy to preserve environmental resources for future generations by promoting the benefits of district cooling to the community and economy in the short and long run.

Air Boss Model 75 chosen for commercial kitchen filtration

T

8

air cleaning and filtration projects throughout the UAE, the announcement said.

Delivered in May 2012 and located in the equipment rooms servicing the Sowwah Square Retail Development, the Trion air cleaners handle air cleaning for a variety of restaurants within the complex.

According to Trion, the project utilises four Air Boss

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

Honeywell names Norm Gilsdorf President Brings with him extensive experience in high-growth markets

H

Trion supplies products to Abu Dhabi CBD rion, the air purification solution provider for commercial kitchens, has announced that it has recently supplied a number of its Air Boss Model 75 electrostatic air cleaners to Abu Dhabi’s new Central Business District (CBD) on Al Maryah Island. Supplied to HVAC contractors by the SAT Group, Trion’s equipment features

comings &goings

oneywell has named Norm Gilsdorf President, High Growth Regions for Russia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, reporting to Honeywell President for High Growth Regions, Shane Tedjarati. Sharing this information in an announcement, the company said that in his new role, Gilsdorf will be responsible for strategic planning, prioritising business investment and establishing appropriate operational structure and processes.

According to Honeywell, earlier, Gilsdorf had been serving as President, Honeywell Process Solutions, and the new role builds upon his successes in growing business in critical new markets and building strategic relationships.

Honeywell revealed that Gilsdorf has extensive experience in high- growth markets, having lived and worked in Russia for eight years during the 1990s developing the Honeywell UOP business, and in the Middle East throughout his career, developing projects and new opportunities.

Model 75-206-04 units, which were engineered and manufactured to order at its factory in Sanford, North Carolina.

“The CBD development is a little different to most projects since we were involved in all aspects of the design and engineering of the project,” commented Graham Smith, General Manager of the SAT Group. “This proved quite a

challenge. The specification called for equipment which complied with regulations UL867 andUL710 as well as NFPA 96. This is why the Trion Air Boss Model 75 was chosen, as it surpasses UL710. It is also the first to qualify for the more stringent UL YYXS, which is the only UL specification that deals specifically with commercial kitchen filtration.”

happenings the region

AHRI International Affairs alert Comments sought on new EER levels for Saudi Arabia’s window air conditioning and mini-split systems

A

MAD, a Saudi Arabia-based organisation, comprising specialists in engineering, industry and IT, for Technical Consultation and Laboratories and the Proctor Engineering Group, has published a report that recommends new EER minimum efficiency ratings for window and mini split air conditioning systems.

The proposed ratings, at T1 and T3 conditions, could go into effect as early as 2014, if accepted by the Saudi Standards and Meteorology Organisation (SASO) and the Ministry of Energy and Commerce, the report said.

The report, sponsored by the Ministry of Electricity and Water, will be discussed at a July 28 workshop in Riyadh, Saudi

Arabia, at the Ministry of Water and Electricity, the AHRI alert said, and added that stakeholders were invited to submit comments on the proposed ratings via e-mail in advance in time for the workshop.

The AHRI news alert also pointed out that the Saudi Ministry of Minerals and Petroleum is also developing minimum energy performance

standards (MEPS) for equipment that include window and mini split air conditioning systems.

AHRI said that it does not know how/if the projects were related, but would alert its members if any new information became available.

AHRI has advised anyone needing more information to contact Jim Walters at: jwalters@ ahrinet.org.

The proposed changes in standards are below: Minimum Standard

≤18,000 BTUh Capacity

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2014 (T1 EER)

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Cycling Test Standard with Sensible EER for Dry Regions

Cycling Test Standard with Sensible EER for Dry Regions

Cycling Test Standard with Sensible EER for Dry Regions

2018 Change

QSTec secures financing for polysilicon plant Masraf Al Rayan’s support a boost for solar industry in Qatar

Q

atar Solar Technologies (QSTec) has announced signing the financing agreement at QSTec’s West Bay headquarters for the construction of its $1 billion polysilicon manufacturing plant.

The financing was

10

secured locally in Qatar by Masraf Al Rayan, which, QSTec says, signals the tremendous strength within the local economy.

Dr Khalid Klefeekh Al Hajri, Chairman and CEO of QSTec, dubbed Continued on page 12 

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

L-R: Adel Mustafawi and Dr Khalid Klefeekh Al Hajri at the signing

comings &goings Oberlin appointed CEO of Farnek Will provide technological and sustainable leadership, says company

D

ubai-based Farnek Avireal, property and facilities management outsource company, has announced the appointment of Markus Oberlin as its new CEO. According to Farnek, Oberlin, a facilities management (FM) professional with over 20 years’ international experience, including seven years in the Middle East, he was previously Farnek’s General Manager. In his expanded role, he will take on broader strategic responsibilities with a mandate to take the company forward through both its FM and sustainability programme capabilities, the announcement added.

“In my new role, I’m keen to continue our corporate focus on the development and implementation of practical and cost-effective sustainability solutions, in conjunction with our partners, Green Globe and myclimate, as well as utilising our own Internet-based energy benchmarking tools,” said Oberlin. “As utility costs rise and the environmental lobby becomes ever more vocal, water and energy saving will be critical to reducing not only the operating costs of buildings but also improving the image of its owners and management.”

Commenting on Oberlin’s appointment to play a new role in the organisation, Remo Stoffel, Chairman Avireal Switzerland, said, “Markus has been the driving force behind the company’s successful growth in the UAE, as well as championing carbon reduction and management initiatives to Farnek’s growing portfolio of high-profile clients and the local community.”

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happenings the region

Tower Tech and EIC sign agreement EIC chosen to represent Tower Tech in the Middle East

O

klahoma City, USAbased Tower Tech, manufacturer of patented cooling towers, has signed an agreement with Energy International Corporation (EIC), naming EIC the exclusive representative for its products in the Middle East.

“We are pleased to

announce the addition of Tower Tech to the EIC family of quality manufacturers,” said Dr Ned Fawaz, Chairman and CEO of Energy International Corporation.

“EIC is committed to bringing our customers the latest technologies in the HVAC and electromechanical industries. We are certain

that Tower Tech cooling towers will revolutionise the HVAC industry and become a must-have solution for a region that is searching for state-of-the-art products that are proven to conserve water and energy.”

Dan Coday, Sales Manager for Offshore FRP Towers, Tower Tech, added: “We look forward to a very successful partnership with Energy International. EIC is a respected name in the industry, and we feel they are the right company to help us introduce this new, cutting-edge technology to the MENA region.”

Tower Tech, which claimed

Trane appoints new distributor

QEMS will distribute and service Trane residential and light-commercial systems in Qatar

T

rane, a global provider of indoor comfort systems and services, and a brand of Ingersoll Rand, has announced entering into a new distribution agreement with Qatar Electro Mechanical Solutions (QEMS), which it claimed, would significantly expand and strengthen its distribution capacity of Trane in Doha, Qatar. The residential solutions that QEMS will be responsible for include the new Trane fourth generation hi-wall mini-split and window air conditioner and also the Trane ducted or “concealed mini-split” solution, the announcement added.

According to Trane, under the agreement, QEMS, which has partnered

12

with Abu Issa Holding, will distribute and service Trane residential and light-commercial systems in the Qatar market through a dedicated team of experienced sales and services engineers.

“QEMS is committed to growing its air conditioning business across the country,” said Hani Nadaf, General Manager, QEMS. “With our strong network, customer focus and the Trane brand, we are confident of creating many satisfied customers.”

Imad Kaba, Sales Director

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

for Trane in the Middle East and Africa, added: “Both Trane and QEMS are customer-driven companies and are focused on delivering quality products and services. This partnership will enable us to provide the highest level of service to customers in the market.”

that its patented, modular design was the world’s most efficient, pointed out that even though its design could be initial price-competitive with stainless steel and other pultruded fibreglass structures when bid according to Tower Tech’s “or equal” specification, the life cycle operating cost could be up to 60% less over the life of the unit compared to conventional cooling towers.

Along with a reduction in energy usage, its innovative technology also conserved water, an expensive natural resource in the Middle East, it explained.

QSTec secures financing for polysilicon plant From page 10 the signing of the deal as a significant milestone for his organisation and a major step in the development of the solar industry in Qatar.

He believed that the plant would not only contribute to sustainability, projects like QSTec from the Qatari banking sector,” Dr Al Hajri said.

Adel Mustafawi, Group CEO of Masraf Al Rayan, added: “It is a matter of great privilege for Masraf Al Rayan to be a part of this process. The fact that we have been named to finance the construction of the Qatar Solar Technologies’ polysilicon manufacturing plant reinforces our reputation as one of the leading Islamic banks, and supports the fact that since our inception, we have succeeded in creating a benchmark in Islamic banking services in Qatar and the neighbouring region as a whole.”

Vastu opens its doors for business

Says value engineering is among its core competencies

V

astu & Engineering Consultancy JLT opened its doors for business on June 24 in Dubai. Shafiq Al Khoory, the Director of MKH Holding, inaugurated the office, in Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT), Dubai.

Vastu, which stands for Value Added Sustainable Technical Unit, is spearheaded by Prabhakar Naik, who has held several engineering-related assignments in the GCC. “As per our acronym, our

aim is to use renewable energy, and our motto is to save on power and water by optimising on the design,” Naik, who is the Managing Director of the company, said. “We aim to save on power and water even in existing buildings. To date, Naik said he had been successful in achieving 40% savings in two buildings under operation in DP World. Naik added that he was able to demonstrate that the buildings had been overdesigned to capacity.

Shafiq Al Khoory inaugurates the office, as Prabhakar Naik looks on

Likewise, he said he was able to reduce the cooling load at A3 Tower in JLT by 50%, where again the issue was of over-designing to capacity.

Naik said he also undertook a value engineering exercise at the under-construction Aspen

Tower in Sheikh Zayed Road.

By focusing on the efficiency of the standalone plant, he claimed, he was able to save AED 6 million out of a total MEP cost of AED 37 million.

The Aspen Tower, Naik said, would be using polished TSE as make-up water. “We are putting an RO treatment plant, and the payback is less than a year and a half,” Naik said. “The cost is recovered, and the building owner will get the water at a cheap rate for 25 years, which is the traditional lifecycle of a building in the UAE.” Vastu, Naik said, will offer district cooling and building services expertise. The company, he added, already had a few projects in the pipeline in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Trane Variable refrigerant System Flexible Design and Installation

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13

happenings at large

Aquatech awarded contract Will install wastewater recycle and zero liquid discharge system in China

A

quatech, a water purification technology provider for industrial and infrastructure markets, has announced that it has been awarded a contract for the design, engineering, supply and supervision of installation and commissioning of a concentrated brine treatment plant at the Chinacoal Tuke Fertilizer Project in China. The project is located in the city of Ordos in the Inner Mongolia region.

Ordos is reportedly an area with water scarcity and is under the threat of desertification. Hence, the pollution control norms are very strict, and a zero liquid discharge (ZLD) facility in local projects is a mandatory requirement, the announcement said.

According to Aquatech, the EPC contractor for the project, East China Engineering Science & Technology (ECEC), selected it to implement a wastewater recycle and ZLD system at the site, and as part of the water treatment system, it is supplying two units – a high efficiency reverse osmosis (HERO) unit and a ZLD unit.

Claiming that ECEC evaluated various technologies available in the Industry before selecting the process offered by it in view of its proven record of higher recovery from wastewater systems and better life cycle costs, Aquatech highlighted the finer points of the process: The reject water from the effluent treatment plant is fed to the HERO plant,

which consists of a clarifier, followed by a dual media filter, a weak acid cation unit, and then a reverse osmosis (RO) unit.

The reject from the RO is sent to a brine concentrator and then to an evaporation pond. The RO permeate and the distillate from the brine concentrator is collected in the RO permeate tank.

“With this order intake, Aquatech is now well-equipped to offer optimised wastewater recycle and zero liquid discharge solutions, not only to the emerging coal chemical market segment, but also to other complex wastewater recycle and ZLD requirements in other industries in the Chinese market,” said Tom Tseng, General Manager, Aquatech (Guangzhou) Water Treatment Company.

BSRIA launches BG 41/2012 Claims Understanding Acoustic Performance Data Guide will explain what is being measured to obtain acoustic data and why

S

aying that acoustic data is important and useful, BSRIA has announced launching BG 41/2012 – Understanding Acoustic Performance Data Guide – a publication with the avowed aim to explain what is being measured to obtain acoustic data and why.

Pointing out that with more awareness of noise issues and many developments occurring in already built-up areas, BSRIA explained that it was essential to provide an accurate specification of the noise emitted by building services equipment, heat pumps located in residential areas, kitchen extract systems, pumps in plant rooms, which were all areas where

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Climate Control Middle East August 2012

noise issues could occur.

BSRIA added that acoustic testing was important to manufacturers as it enabled them to provide valuable data about noise emitted by their product and that the noise measurements could then be used for product development and meeting the requirements of planning and accreditation schemes.

Acoustic data was also useful for specifiers, as it enabled them to make an informed decision when selecting a product for installation, it said.

According to BSRIA, the guide is broken down into the following sections: • Introduction • What is measured?

• Why measure?

• Examples of acoustic performance data • Information about current standards and legislation The guide, said BSRIA, is priced at £30, which is the full price, while it is available at £15 to BSRIA members, and added that those wishing to order the guide could contact bookshop@ bsria.co.uk.

Honeywell expands partnership with SKF Will benefit from integrated machinery protection solutions

H

oneywell has announced that SKF, manufacturer of vibrationbased machinery protection and monitoring systems, has expanded its partnership with it as part of the Honeywell PKS Advantage Program.

Under this, additional SKF solutions now available include SKF @ptitude Analyst condition monitoring suite and SKF Multilog On-line System DMx to

support the Honeywell Asset Management solution.

The PKS Advantage Program is a Honeywell-sponsored collaborative program that engages other best-inclass suppliers of automation solutions and allows them to integrate their products with Honeywell’s Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS), giving end users greater flexibility in

choosing complete solutions for their businesses, Honeywell informed. Program participants closely collaborate to integrate and apply data and information throughout Experion PKS, it added.

“Honeywell is uniquely positioned to deliver integrated real-time, conditionbased monitoring,” said Ron Stallworth, global business manager, Honeywell Process Solutions. “The addition of these SKF technologies into Honeywell’s asset management solutions will greatly assist plant personnel in identifying problems with rotating and reciprocating machinery quickly, which reduces downtime and costs.”

Gary M Foster of SKF commented: “We joined the PKS Advantage Program to provide high-value integrated machinery protection and vibration monitoring solutions to users of Honeywell’s Experion PKS. Our improved real-time monitoring approach reduces the time required to resolve equipment problems, minimises unplanned downtime, and lowers maintenance costs while preserving process safety. These improvements in equipment reliability lead to greater productivity and reduced energy consumption – all of which contribute to improving overall equipment and process effectiveness.”

Greenheck offers new course Fan construction materials module added to online programme

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reenheck, manufacturer and distributor of air movement and control equipment, has announced that its Fan Fundamentals online training series on greenheck.com now includes a new course on

Fan Construction Materials.

The module discusses how fan construction material is determined as well as various materials used in the HVAC industry, the announcement added.

According to Greenheck, the training programme awards

participants who register online prior to taking each course, a certificate upon completion of each module for PDH credits, and is ideal as a refresher course or for those new to ventilation concepts.

More information about the course is available at www. greenheck.com and can be accessed by clicking on the Education link found on the home page navigation bar, Greenheck said.

August 2012

www.climatecontrolme.com

15

happenings at large

Carrier marks 110th anniversary

Launches web site and commissions book in founder’s honour

A

ccording to a news story in HartfordBusiness.com (a publication of Hartford Business Journal) dated July 3, Farmington heating and cooling manufacturer, Carrier Corp, is celebrating the 110th anniversary of the invention of air conditioning.

Willis Carrier, the founder of Carrier, invented the first way to control humidity in a New York printing plant on July 17, 1902, the news story elaborated.

Carrier, a research engineer at the time, finalised the design to keep

humidity in the air constant at the Sackett & Williams Lithography and Printing Company in Brooklyn, it added.

To celebrate the milestone, Carrier, the company, reportedly, launched a new web site – www.WillisCarrier. com – about the inventor’s life and work. He filed more than 80 patents throughout his carrier, said the journal’s news story. Carrier, the company, has also commissioned a book titled Weathermakers to the World, chronicling the history of modern air conditioning.

Carrier is a subsidiary of Hartford conglomerate United Technologies Corp.

Rio supports HFC phase-down

Awaits nod of approval from 90 heads of state

R

ajendra Shende, Chairman TERRE Policy Centre, and Former Director UNEP, has shared the following information with the HVACR fraternity: According to him, the following para related to HFCs was among 283 paragraphs, which was reportedly agreed by delegations of 193 countries during the Rio + 20, the Earth Summit 2012, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 20 to 22: “222. We recognise that the phase-out of ozone depleting substances (ODS) is resulting in a rapid increase in the 16

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

use and release of high global warming potential hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to the environment. We support a gradual phase-down in the consumption and production of HFCs.” According to Shende, the above para appears under the rubrics of “Chemicals and Waste”, and the draft text of the full document called “Future we Want” is now before about 90 heads of state, who are likely to give it their stamp of approval.

The phase-down policy is certain to have far-reaching implications on the global HVACR sector.

comings &goings GAIN CEO Dr Juan Jose Daboub assumes new role Appointed Chairman of WEF Global Agenda Council on Climate Change

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lobal Adaptation Institute (GAIN) has announced that its Founding CEO, Dr Juan Jose Daboub, was recently appointed Chair of the Global Agenda Council on Climate Change of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Dr Daboub served as Managing Director of World Bank Group from 2006 to 2010 and prior to that as the Finance Minister and Technical Secretary of the President of El Salvador.

Speaking about his new role, said Dr Daboub said: “It is a great honour to Chair the WEF Council on Climate Change. At GAIN, we understand the urgent need to adapt to global challenges to save lives and improve livelihoods of the world’s most vulnerable – this is one important perspective I will bring to the table. I am eager to work with others at the Council in developing a strategic direction and relevant outcomes to help guide this year’s Summit to actionable solutions.”

According to GAIN, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organisation, WEF’s Network includes the world’s leading global thought leaders from business, academia, government and civil society, with a network of more than 80 councils that provide insight and strategic recommendations to address critical global issues, such as adaptation. Findings of the councils inform WEF’s programming and set the direction for global, regional and industry agendas.

WEF’s Summit on the Global Agenda, avowedly the world’s largest brainstorming session that provides the intellectual framework for the development of the programme of the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, will be held November 12 to 14 in Dubai, UAE.

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happenings at large

BSRIA news flash

2.

Firm launches newsletter service

3.

B

SRIA, a consultancy, test, instruments and research organisation providing services in construction, building services and facilities management, has announced launching its new newsletter service, which began in October 2011. Called WMI News, it aims to bring global industry news from the last few months and an analysis on what the impact will be on the market.

BSRIA said that the WMI News will be released on a quarterly basis and will be free to all WMI clients, BSRIA members and subscribers.

According to BSRIA, the contents of BSRIA WMI News Issue 3 can be downloaded from: https://www.bsria. co.uk/file-depot/28101DA54377B. The issue contains the following stories 1. New Production Line of

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

R290 Air Conditioning Units [India] Kingspan Varisol HP Advanced Heat Pipe Technology [Ireland] US Solar Panel Firm Leaves Gloomy Germany [USA] Hitachi Expands Its Air Conditioning Business In Europe [Japan] District Heating Cogeneration Success For Centrax [Germany] Walter Meier Acquires Company Port-a-cool [USA] Danfoss Range of Heat Pumps for Commercial Sector [UK] St-Gobain Complete

Brossette and Build Centre Acquisitions [France] 9. Midea Raises its Sales Prices [China] 10. UK Prolongs Support for Household Heat Pump Installations [UK] 11. Smart Cities to Rise From Earthquake Disaster Networks Market [Japan] 12. UK Prolongs Support for Household Heat Pump Installations [UK] 13. China Set to Construct More Green Buildings [China] For further information, BSRIA advises readers to contact: bsria@bsria.co.uk

GEA wins innovation award

Comes up with energy-efficient heat pump solution for UK dairy

A

t its annual awards presentation, the English trade magazine, Food Processing presented its Innovation Prize to GEA Refrigeration, UK, a sales company of GEA Refrigeration Technologies.

Announcing this, GEA claimed that it distinguished itself in the field of Energy Management, one of nine categories of the awards, with a plant concept for simultaneous and energyefficient provision of refrigeration and heat. This

18

solution was presented in the form of installation for Robert Wiseman Dairies (RWD) in Manchester, avowedly the largest producer of fresh dairy products in the UK, GEA informed.

It elaborated the process: In all six plants of RWD, refrigeration is a major and critical factor for assuring the freshness and quality of dairy products made by the company. At the same time, heat is also required at these plants for pasteurisation of milk. Instead

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

Robert Unsworth (right), Director of Sales and Product Development, and Mark Culley (left), Technical Sales Manager at GEA Refrigeration UK Limited, accept the 2012 Food Processing Award from Jason Robinson of Xylem for the category of Energy Management. (Source: IML group)

of generating heat (in the form of hot water) in a gasfired boiler and providing refrigeration separately by means of a traditional refrigeration system, RWD in its Manchester plant now employs a combined solution, making use of a compound heat pump skid which acts as a “bolt-on” to the ammonia refrigeration system.

This heat pump skid is able to supply hot water at approx. 80°C at hugely

improved efficiencies, whilst simultaneously improving the efficiency of the refrigeration system.

The overall result is tremendous energy savings, GEA claimed, and pointed out that the system also has the added benefit of significantly reducing CO2 emissions through not only the reduction of electrical power consumption, but also because of the reduced need for gas heating.

Environmental groups want F-gas phase-out Call on EU climate commissioner for stronger measures

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he Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), a UK-based Non Governmental Organisation and charitable trust has revealed in a communiqué that a coalition of leading environmental organisations has called on the European Union’s climate Commissioner, Connie Hedegaard, to propose ambitious action to phase out climate-changing fluorinated gases, or F-gases. The call – jointly issued by the EIA, European Environmental Bureau, Greenpeace, World Wide Fund for Nature, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, Climate Action Network Europe, Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development, Natuur & Milieu, CDM Watch and ClientEarth – comes as the EU is preparing a review of the laws governing F-gases. The communiqué points out that research conducted for the European Commission shows the use of F-gases can be banned from new equipment in most sectors by 2020.

According to the communiqué, such a move would reduce fluorinated gases now and in the future, abating more than 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) emissions by 2030 and in excess of 2.1 billion tonnes of CO2-eq emissions by 2050, while enabling European businesses to develop a global advantage in a new clean technology industry.

The coalition’s letter has been sent in response to concerns that the European Commission will propose weak measures based on an unambitious phase-down of the gases over a long timeframe, essentially allowing companies to continue polluting as normal, the EIA said.

“Using alternatives to HFCs and F-gases not only reduces direct emissions of these greenhouse gases, but there are also energy efficiency gains to be made,” EIA’s climate campaigner, Alasdair Cameron, said. “This is one of the cheapest and most effective things Europe can do to reduce its

greenhouse gas emissions. In order for industry to have the confidence to invest in alternatives, we need clear bans on the use of F-gases on a sector-by-sector basis. The mostly European businesses providing alternatives need concrete timeframes for planning and investment purposes, something that a so-called ‘economy-wide phase-down’ will not provide.”

NOTE: • F-gases are a family of chemicals used in refrigeration, air conditioning,

insulation and foam-blowing, with global warming potentials hundreds or thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide.

• The full text of the letter to Commissioner Hedegaard is available at http://ow.ly/bYTdm • You can also read EIA’s F-gas Regulation review position paper, End in Sight: Phasing Out Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases in Europe, at http:// www.eia-international.org/?p=4285

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August 2012

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19

happenings at large

Fairborn and Berner solve freezer doorway problem Vertical air curtain plus existing high-speed roll-up door cuts monthly energy and maintenance costs

W

hen an eastern Ohio food processor sought to curb exorbitant energy losses and icing maintenance costs at its cold storage freezer doorway, industrial door equipment dealer Fairborn Equipment Company, Ohio, reportedly solved the challenge with a customised air curtain installation.

Revealing this as a case study, the company gave details of how the challenge was overcome.

Case study: The client had already installed a highspeed, insulated rollup door that reduced -5°F freezer air emigration and 60 to 95°F summertime ambient air infiltration from the shipping door area, which was 50 feet away. Despite the high-speed door, humid ambient air still infiltrated through the top of the 12 x 12-foot doorway during its hundreds of daily cycles, causing energy losses combined with maintenance costs

Caterpillar signs agreement with APac

Will develop temporary power solutions to meet the needs of the IPP market

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Climate Control Middle East August 2012

amounting to thousands of dollars per month. The greatest concern was a freezer temperature fluctuation of eight degrees, which was unacceptable to the client’s internal product quality, refrigeration equipment wear-and-tear and energy conservation standards.

Besides energy losses, humidity infiltration also required periodic ice removal from the ceiling-hung ammonia refrigeration system’s piping, coils, valves and controls just inside the 20,000-squarefoot freezer’s doorway. The fire door roller tracks also were continually iced.

Additionally, there was a potential hazard of forklift accidents due to icy floors near the threshold, which also required ongoing maintenance.

Fairborn co-opted the services of Berner International Corporation, an air door/air curtain equipment manufacturer, which recommended installing the air curtain vertically. Because the unit was originally

C

aterpillar has announced entering into a five-year international power projects (IPP) agreement with APac Energy Rental, a Singapore-based company, to develop temporary power solutions to meet the needs of the growing IPP market. As part of the agreement, APac will offer power solutions, supported by partnerships within the Cat dealer network, the announcement added.

“The Cat brand is well-known and respected worldwide,” said Shaun Cockman, CEO, APac. “This agreement is the beginning of a new

designed for horizontal mounting, Berner’s engineering department modified the air discharge nozzles to produce a thinner, higher velocity air stream, so that the air curtain reached the volume, velocity and uniformity required to seal a doorway. The

growth strategy for APac, leveraging our coverage in Asia Pacific, Caterpillar’s world-class products and the support of the Cat dealer network.”

Bill Rohner, Vice President of Electric Power at Caterpillar, added: “APac is an excellent partner for Caterpillar, as we work to grow our international power projects business.

APac’s experience in Asia Pacific along with Caterpillar’s engineering and product expertise will enable us to better serve our customers and enable us to attain a leadership position in the IPP market.”

modification helped minimise doorway air balance issues between adjoining rooms with significant temperature differentials that are inherent in cold storage facilities.

The freezer door activation was executed with the following sequence: • A Falcon motion sensor, manufactured by BEA, Pittsburgh, detects an oncoming forklift and activates the air curtain, which needs one second to ramp up to full air velocity.

• A second Falcon sensor activates the rollup door, which opens after the air curtain is at full velocity.

• After the forklift passes through, the door closes and the air curtain shuts off one second later.

Fairborn claimed that the customised air curtain installation has reduced the eight-degree freezer temperature fluctuation to less than two degrees, the ice maintenance costs have been significantly reduced and the potential for slippery floors has been eliminated, claimed Fairborn.

GEA joins VDMA Blue Wants to contribute towards sustainability

G

EA Refrigeration Technologies has announced that it has become an Alliance Member of the Blue Competence Initiative sponsored by the German Association for Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Systems, VDMA, in Frankfurt. The members of Blue Competence have committed themselves to create or to support sustainable solutions in harmony with economical, ecological, and social objectives, which entails responsibilities towards prosperity, education, safety and the environment, the announcement explained.

The company claimed that it is committed to aiding the power sector in its endeavours to become more efficient by offering its refrigeration technology. “Offering solutions that combine climate and environment protection with great practical benefits and with cost effectiveness is the declared corporate goal of GEA Refrigeration Technologies,” said Dr Hugo Blaum, Segment President of GEA Refrigeration Technologies. “We intend to substantiate this claim by joining the Blue Competence Initiative and by working in the VDMA in supporting technology for a better life.”

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August 2012

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happenings at large

LEED Platinum for Bayer building Claims to generate more energy than it consumes with zero CO2 emissions

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ayer MaterialScience has announced that its zero-energy office building in Greater Noida outside New Delhi, India, has been awarded LEED Platinum ranking in the New Construction category, receiving 64 out of 69 possible points. Bayer MaterialScience claimed that it was the highest score anywhere in the world so far, with the building scoring the maximum possible points in the categories of Water Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. The building, which opened in early 2011, was built according to the principles of the EcoCommercial

Building Program, a global network of experts under the leadership of Bayer MaterialScience and dedicated to sustainable building, the announcement added.

According to Bayer MaterialScience, Polyurethane-based materials used for the insulation, enable 70% reduction in electricity consumption compared with a conventional building in the tropical region and the thermal insulation, special protection against the sun and energy-saving techniques in the building management system contribute to a total primary energy savings of 42%. Also, the building uses a photovoltaic system to

BACnet in Stockholm initiative Will be conducting a training programme on integration

B

ACnet, which promotes the use of the global BACnet communication standard ISO 16484-5 in building automation and security technologies in Europe, which it claims is the first step in nonproprietary building technology, has announced its international training programme on September 25 in Stockholm. The programme includes basic principles of integration and bidding for tenders, the announcement said, and added that the growing demand in North and Eastern Europe is met by the BACnet Interest Group Europe (BIG-EU).

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Climate Control Middle East August 2012

Frank Schubert, BACnet Trainer and Board Member of the BIG-EU, welcoming participants from Sweden and all over Europe, said: “We especially appeal to the technical service providers, developers, engineers, project managers, designers and facility managers.

BACnet is classified on the basis of the ISO/OSI reference model,

generate more energy than it consumes with zero CO2 emissions.

“The Platinum Award is a clear indication that the concept of ecologically sustainable building can be achieved with the right materials, regardless of whether in the developed world or in an emerging market,” said Thomas Roemer, Head of the Construction & Building industry platform at Bayer MaterialScience. “We hope that we can motivate builders and developers to engage more strongly in sustainable building.”

which explains data transmission methods. The line is drawn from network technologies to the specification of interoperability areas.”

According to the announcement, the BACnet Academy, Europe, is technically supported by the BIG-EU and organised by MarDirect, the BIGEU’s service office.

More information is available at: http://www.bacnetacademy.org/ information, the announcement said.

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marketplace

This section contains regional and international products information

Dyson

Bladeless Air Multiplier fans

S

aying that blades of conventional electric fans literally chop the air, causing uneven airflow and unpleasant buffeting, Dyson has introduced a range of bladeless Air Multiplier fans.

The manufacturer says that the new range replaces blades with a new system that creates and amplifies a steady jet of air, while the surrounding air is drawn into the airflow in a process known as inducement and entrainment.

James Dyson, founder of Dyson, commenting about the bladeless range said: “I’ve always been disappointed by fans.

Their spinning blades chop up the airflow, causing annoying buffeting. They’re hard to clean.

And children always want to poke their fingers through the grille. So we’ve developed a new type of fan that doesn’t use blades.”

The company claimed that while developing the Air Multiplier technology, its team of fluid dynamics engineers ran hundreds of simulations to measure and map airflow – allowing them to precisely optimise how the new fan works.

The manufacturer revealed that the bladeless Air Multiplier range of fans is available in the UAE in three models: Dyson AM01 Desk fan; Dyson AM02 Tower fan; and Dyson AM03 Pedestal fan. The manufacturer gives the following product

, Yo u r t r u s t e d pa r t n e r f o r Yo u r engineering, energY and environment solutions

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phone +971 4 445 7131, +971 4 447 4407 Fax +971 4 447 4410 p.o.Box 125787, Jumeirah Lakes towers tiffany tower, 30th Floor - Dubai, U.a.e. info@en3solutions.com www.en3solutions.com

the three Factor company

24

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

Engineering

Energy

Environment

details: n Dyson AM01 Desk fan: It is ideal for a study or bedroom and is available in 10” and 12” versions and white/silver and iron/blue colours, the Dyson AM01 uses Air Multiplier technology to amplify air 15 times, expelling 405 litres of cool, smooth and uninterrupted air every second. n Dyson AM02 Tower fan: At one metre high and only 19 centimetres wide, the AM02 Tower fan is slender and running track shaped to take up limited floor space in a living room or a small office setting. A total of 33 litres of air are drawn through a mixed flow impeller each second and amplified 16 times using the Air Multiplier technology. The AM02 is available in white/silver and iron/blue colours. n Dyson AM03 Pedestal fan: Available in a white/ silver colour, the AM03 Pedestal is ideal for large open concept homes and offices, as it draws in 33 litres of air per second and amplifies the air 18 times. Unlike other pedestal fans, which use an awkward clamp to fix the height, AM03 Pedestal fan uses a constant rate tensator spring to easily push or pull the loop amplifier to set the height and angle. The machine extends from a height of 1.2 metres to 1.4 metres for use in larger areas, including living rooms and offices.

It has no spinning blades and is easy to adjust and tilt.

The manufacturer lists other product features and advantages: n Easy to clean – With their simple loop, the fans are quickly wiped clean with a cloth. n Weight – The AM02 Tower weighs 3.39 kilogrammes and the AM03 Pedestal weighs 4.35 kilogrammes. n Noise –The fans are comparable to competitor products of similar performance in their categories. n Remote – Turning the AM02 tower and the AM03 pedestal on and off, adjusting airflow rate and controlling oscillation can be done easily from across a room. The remote control uses a 3V “coin” cell battery and is curved and magnetised to store neatly on top of the machine. n Guarantee – the fans have been tested for the equivalent of 10 years use and come with a two-year parts and a one-year labour guarantee. n Power – The AM01 desk fan is designed for personal use while the AM02 Tower and the AM03 Pedestal use slightly higher power (65 watts versus 40 watts) to generate more airflow.

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Allegra LS centrifugal fan coil units

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laiming that it offers an innovative design with superior acoustics, low energy, ease of installation and maintenance, France-based Lennox HVAC EMEA has introduced Allegra LS fan coil range.

In terms of control, the manufacturer says that the product comes with possibilities of standalone, remote or infra-red, master/slave, with communication capability.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: n Allegra LS fan coil range is available in nine sizes and four different versions – wall and ceiling-mounted units, exposed or concealed. n The two and four-pipe version can be offered with three or four rows main coil, and in the four-pipe version the auxiliary coil can be proposed with one or two rows, giving improved outputs at lower flow and return temperatures. n All Allegra LS fan coils are equipped with six-speed motors as standard, offering greater flexibility in the selection. n As an option, the e-Drive concept can be used. In this case, the brushless synchronous electronic motor with permanent magnets is controlled by an inverter board-mounted on the unit. The airflow can be then varied continuously by means of a 1-10 V signal generated by the controls or by independent control systems. n It allows improving the acoustic comfort. n It offers reduction in energy consumption of less than 50% compared to an AC motor. n The system is fully compliant with the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive. n It comes with a wide possibility of accessories for the unit with or without a cabinet, such as auxiliary electrical heater, air inlet/outlet diffusers and condensate pumps, which offer great flexibility and allow meeting most installation requirements. n The company can provide F9 electronic electrostatic filter, regarded as the highest filtration efficiency for such a product on the market. n The range is Eurovent certified. n It offers airflow of 105-1500m3/h with a cooling capacity of 600W to 7.6kW.

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August 2012

www.climatecontrolme.com

25

marketplace

This section contains regional and international products information

Seresco Industries

The Protocol (NP) Series of indoor swimming pool dehumidifiers

S

eresco, a manufacturer of HVAC Indoor Air Quality equipment, has introduced the Protocol (NP) Series of indoor swimming pool dehumidifier technology, that the company claims reduces refrigerant by up to 85% and is more efficient than conventional DX dehumidifiers.

Named after the 1997 Kyoto Protocol environmental treaty, the Protocol Series, the manufacturer says, substitutes hundreds of pounds of vapour compression refrigerants commonly used in traditional natatorium dehumidifiers with glycol, which is 95% less expensive than refrigerants and an environmentallypreferred heat transfer fluid for LEED and other sustainable building projects.

The manufacturer lists the other product features and benefits: • The Protocol Series heat exchangers transfer refrigerant heat to glycol for either free supply air reheat or heat rejection to dry coolers. The result is more system reliability, reduced refrigerant leak potential, longer compressor life.

• The series ranges from 18- to 140-tonne

•

•

•

•

•

units that provide energy-efficient natatorium space heating/cooling and optimum humidity control.

It significantly reduces project costs because external PVC glycol piping to dry coolers is less expensive to install in labour/materials than copper refrigerant piping to condensers.

The proprietary heat rejection design makes the series equally efficient as DX systems on summer design days and five to seven per cent more efficient throughout the rest of the year.

The innovative design uses an active refrigeration head pressure monitor/ control that ensures the lowest possible condensing pressures to boost system performance.

It comes with maintenance-free direct drive blowers with variable frequency drives (VFD) that are standard in all Seresco equipment, and also provides additional operational efficiencies.

Additional efficiency is also offered with optional heat recovery from exhaust air.

• Fully modulating, total variable reheat provides indoor air comfort by providing stability in pool space temperature and relative humidity levels.

• Factory-charged and sealed refrigeration system means no on-site field charge refrigeration work or EPA-certified installation technicians are required.

• Small factory-sealed refrigerant charges totally eliminate all issues of refrigerant and oil migration associated with all traditional DX systems.

• Significant reduction of system refrigerant charges protects building owners from costly service bills in the event of a refrigerant leak.

• Package or split system and indoor or outdoor configurations are available with no distance limits between the unit and the AC heat exchanger.

• All coils are fully-dipped in a polyester enamel corrosion-protecting coating.

WORLD LEADING VALVES

Connection and DN-sizes

FOR DISTRICT COOLING PIPELINES

Welded

… ISOLATION, CONTROL AND MEASUREMENT

Steel:........................................DN 10 - DN 600 Stainless steel:..........................DN 10 - DN 250

Due to the welded body construction the valve is light and easy to insulate

Ball valves

Spring-loaded PTFE ball seals are confirming complete tightness in the whole range of use

Long stem ball valves

Balancing valves Butterfly valves

female thread-female thread Steel:..........................................DN 10 - DN 50 Stainless steel:............................DN 10 - DN 50 Welded-flange

Ball and stem are of stainless steel

Steel:.........................................DN 15- DN 600 Stainless steel:...........................DN 15- DN 250

Blow-out safe construction of the stem is tightened with two o-rings, the upper can be changed

Flange-flange

Long working life and maintenance free design

Stainless steel:..........................DN 15 - DN 250

Steel:........................................DN 15 - DN 600

Available with welded, thread and flanged connections

Water metering

www.vexve.fi

26

Welded-female thread and

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

Tested in accordance with EN 488 ISO 9001 certificated

Fullbore models also available.

Butterfly valves welded and flange Steel:....................................DN 350 - DN 1200

COOL INTERNATIONAL SOLUTIONS Ltd. C Dubai www.coolinternationalsolutions.com w

8-182_AZ_Tiger90x271_e.fmx 12.03.2008 17:14 Uhr Seite 1 C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY CMY

K

Ecotherm

Shell and tube bundle heat exchangers

SOFT START…

T

he Austria-based company, Ecotherm, has announced developing shell and tube bundle heat exchangers made of stainless steel with patented freefloating turbulator rods, which, the company says, have been continuously improved over the years. Also, the rods float freely in the tubes in such a way that the water can flow through only on the outside of the tubes, Ecotherm explained.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and advantages: n Saves energy and cost: The water flows through the heat exchanger at high speed, thus the desired discharge temperature is reached in only one pass within a second.

This saves energy and costs on hot water systems for hotels, hospitals and industry. n Saves space: Since the the water is heated up to 60ºC in just one second, only a minimum volume has to be stored for the peak demand for hot water. This saves valuable space in the boiler room. n Hygienic: Conventional systems have to constantly maintain in some cases up to 50,000 litres of hot water and more at a temperature level of 60ºC. Otherwise, Legionella can grow, causing the Legionnaires’ disease, which is dangerous for humans. But due to the high-performance heat exchanger, hot water is produced only on demand and for small storage tanks. This proves to be hygienic. n Lasts long: All water-carrying parts in the hot water system are made of high quality stainless steel. The lifetime of these systems is over 30 years, which is almost equal to the lifetime of the building. This also reduces the investment costs for the future. n Easy to maintain: As the water flows through the pipes at high speed, the rods oscillate, thus creating a turbulent flow which not only improves heat transfer, but also prevents fouling. Thus, the cleaning intervals are longer compared to conventional heat exchangers, and can be completely avoided for most of the systems. n Easy to clean: To clean the heat exchanger, the rods can simply be removed from the tubes. This is possible during the operation of the hot water system.

…STRONG PERFORMANCE. SIPOS 5 FLASH – THE INTELLIGENT ACTUATOR Combining soft start technology with precise control and power, the SIPOS 5 Flash effectively operates your valve into and out of the end position. The best way to protect your valve and to extend its durability. Your benefits: low maintenance and reduced life cycle costs. SIPOS 5 Flash – for long-term, no compromise solutions.

Leading in intelligent actuation • Switching off without overtorque • Valve monitoring through torque recording • Avoidance of water hammer /cavitation • Precise and repeatable control

SIPOS Aktorik GmbH · Im Erlet 2 · 90518 Altdorf · Germany · www.sipos.de Phone: + 49 9187 9227- 0 · Fax: + 49 9187 9227-5111 · info@sipos.de

Probedruck

August 2012

www.climatecontrolme.com

27

D-Code

A Climate Control Middle East campaign on demystifying the world of ducting

Sick facilities

– addressing mould in an HVAC system Billy Prewitt, while highlighting the health hazards caused by mould, stresses that it is the job of the HVAC industry to offer superior service in design, remediation and future prevention to combat the problem.

The HVAC industry

employs its own unique lexicon, some of which probably sounds foreign to those on the outside.

LEED credits, energy loss mitigation, vapour barriers and lagging adhesives may not conjure up any specific imagery to the layperson.

But one term that’s sure to get a facility owner or manager’s attention – and may well turn their stomach – is “sick facility.”

Mouldy ductwork is very serious business indeed.

Some of the more common complaints from occupants of a sick facility are dizziness, shortness of breath, red or watery eyes, and coughing. Poor Indoor Air Quality due to mould growth can even cause far more serious symptoms.

It goes without saying, therefore, that preventing and addressing mould growth within a facility’s HVAC system is of paramount concern to the HVAC expert.

There are tens of thousands of types of mould worldwide, many of them harmless to humans. However, unsealed 28

Some of the more common complaints from occupants of a sick facility are dizziness, shortness of breath, red or watery eyes, and coughing ductwork presents the optimal environment for the incubation and growth of microbial pollutants that may cause serious illness.

Accumulated moisture is the key component. Water from cooling coils, equipment condensation, and regular

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

heating and cooling cycles introduce moisture into the nooks and crannies of an HVAC system – some of them far beyond the scope of a regular visual inspection. Mould spores settle in such conditions and begin to digest whatever they can, wherever they can, ultimately growing and releasing more spores.

What is to be done about microbial growth in an HVAC system? As always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. A properly designed, sealed and maintained air distribution system, including ductwork, dehumidifiers, air filters, intakes and dampers will help to mitigate the problem before it starts. Regularly maintained filters, designed to keep ducts clean and free from debris, are becoming more and more effective at removing very small particles from ductwork, stymieing their growth.

Naturally, remediation is the answer when mould, mildew and bacteria are threatening the welfare of a

facility. A remediation plan begins with moisture and microbe cleanup. Advanced tools, such as air compressors, vacuums and cleaning/ sealing robots, can be used in hard-to-reach places and treat them. High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency for final cleanup after areas are fully dried.

Portions of ductwork may need to be replaced. Sealing and coating ductwork with a non-pesticidal antimicrobial coating is a way of preventing further mould infiltration down the line.

Only an expert is capable of determining the level of mould infestation and the proper response. Nevertheless, facility owners and managers should not wait until mould has become a serious health problem before they take the time to address it. It is the job of the HVAC industry to provide the public service of highlighting the dangers poor IAQ due to mould, mildew and bacteria can pose to a building, and to offer top-level service in design, remediation, and future prevention. 

The writer is Marketing Manager, Carlisle HVAC. He can be contacted at Billy.Prewitt@ CarlisleHVAC.com

Email: Mahmoud.widyan@spx.com

interview

COOLING TOWERS

TESTING THE

WATERS B Surendar caught up with Aslan Al-Barazi, Executive Director, IMEC, at The Climate Control Conference, held in Doha in April, for a Q&A session on the comparative merits of air-cooled and water-cooled chillers and on the use of seawater and TSE in cooling towers.

In your opinion, which is cheaper – an air-cooled chiller or a water-cooled chiller?

The comparison of cost between an air-cooled chiller system and a water-cooled chiller system, with particular reference to their respective payback is dependant in particular on the size of the chillers and the electricity tariffs set at by the utilities company, be it KAHRAMA, DEWA, ADWEA or any other, and to a lesser extent on the rate charged on water by the same utilities companies/ governmental entities. For example, in Dubai, a watercooled system will pay back in approximately three years due to higher electricity tariffs, whereas in Abu Dhabi, it will pay back in six years approximately due to cheaper rate of electricity there.

How do you guarantee that you get what you pay for?

From a cooling tower perspective and from a thermal perspective, it must be the CTI ATC 105 Field Performance Test, to be done on the cooling towers in between the highest wet bulb days of May to September period. This is crucially important. To ensure thermal performance as set 30

Instead of supplying high quality FRP high level glass ratio content, the content is reduced and chalk fillers are used instead, by certain manufacturers to cut costs out in the consultant’s design.

However, it is not so simple from a materials’ perspective.

There is a lot of resorting to cutting corners occurring in the industry, which the client, and in many cases, the consultant and contractors are not made aware of by certain manufacturers. The bottom line is that in certain cases, they may not get what they have paid for or intended to pay for. Examples of potential cutting corners in the industry of cooling towers may include lesser material thickness

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

supplied (than what was specified), like FRP panels and PVC fill. Others include FRP structure weight per square feet. And instead of supplying high-quality FRP high-level glass ratio content, the content is reduced and chalk fillers are used, instead, by certain manufacturers to cut costs.

Normally, “on the book, specswise, everything looks shiny and fine, and compliance looks practically perfect”, in general.

But on the site, things may look or may not look obvious.

From a reality check point of view, I have witnessed several local installations of cooling towers by others, where the PVC fill was practically newspaper-thick. Others were FRP panels which were thin enough to allow light to pass through them. I have also heard from colleagues in the global cooling tower industry about

Potable water is relatively a scarce commodity and should be treated with more respect.

We need to avoid its use in a high consumption field like district cooling several cooling towers supplied that have actually collapsed due to low density weight of the structural columns. The manufacturers had resorted to this method particularly to keep their prices low – they had substituted glass contents in the structural columns with chalk to save on cost!

In the light of all this, I strongly believe that the general specifications are vulnerable to some suppliers cutting corners, especially in our current economy, where there are few jobs and many contracts are won by the “lowest bidder” at the cost of quality. Therefore, when it comes to specifications, it would be wise to include on-site verifications of materials supplied, even if it is an arbitrary inspection.

For example, a piece of PVC fill can be taken to a local laboratory for material thickness verification or an FRP column structure to be site-verified for weight, such as, for instance, 12oz/ square feet per the specifications. You clearly cannot get into too many details of quality here.

Aslan Al-Barazi

But at least the basic matters can be covered at site, as such, albeit in an arbitrary fashion, to safeguard the client’s interest and ensure that the client gets what they require, as per their design and specs.

sense. Also, seawater is naturally hygienic from a health safety perspective.

If the project is away from the sea, TSE would be the best choice. However, considering its source, TSE water has the potential to cause dangerous airborne diseases, including legionella. Therefore, projects using TSE should have a safe water treatment programme conducted by a water treatment specialist over the life cycle of the job.

Other issues with TSE are the availability of the quantity required and about the care we need to take to address issues of plumbing water use. That’s a double-edged sword, with, for example, the advent of the waterless new technology out there in the sanitary-ware sector and

reduced water use systems in the shower and other domestic water use. This will further substantially reduce the TSE water made available.

Moreover, at present, the TSE already falls short of the actual district cooling project demand requirements and will fall further short with new environmentally friendly plumbing technologies. In the light of this, in general, I would say that TSE by itself will not be able to meet the water demands for district cooling projects. In many cases, therefore, the sector needs to work together with another supportive water source, such as potable water, seawater or RO. Another point mentioned at the conference was that during summer, TSE

In your opinion, which water type is better – seawater, TSE or potable water?

I am a big advocate that potable water should not be used for district cooling. It is environmentally damaging because of the CO2 emission from the desalination plant and also due to the blow down to the sea of high salinity concentration (80,000 ppm is normal). Most important, potable water is relatively a scarce commodity and should be treated with more respect. We need to avoid its use in a high consumption field like district cooling.

TSE and seawater are both excellent options and much less environmentally damaging from the water conservation point of view, provided the right specifications and designs are implemented.

For projects located next to the sea, seawater cooling, particularly seawater cooling towers systems, makes the best environmental and feasibility August 2012

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31

interview

COOLING TOWERS water is available in much lower quantities (when it is obviously needed most for the air conditioning and cooling systems), whereas, during winter, it is available in a larger quantity, when the demand for cooling is at the lowest. So, the TSE water source should be studied to find out if it meets the actual demand at the given time for the project under operation phase. It is also interesting to note that many people, including many “green engineers” leave their air conditioning systems on when they travel for summer vacations, at say, 25ºC to minimise fungus growth potential. Therefore, as such, TSE will have further issues regarding meeting summer load conditions.

I think that when using TSE systems, care should be taken regarding the PH level, especially on the acidity and chloride levels in order that erosion, corrosion and scaling do not harm the tower and related materials. Also, if the client is choosing between TSE and seawater, the client needs to decide from the early job phase, because a seawater cooling tower will be around 10% to 15% bigger in size than a cooling tower using TSE or potable water. There would be other system design considerations, as well.

Please comment on environmental and health considerations regarding TSE and seawater.

Essentially the best treatment would be to take preemptive

measures. Instead of using crude TSE water, it would be better to use polished TSE water. Not only will the water be much safer for all concerned, but also, it will use higher cycles of concentration before being discharged back to the sewage line or irrigation/fire fighting purposes and, therefore, more environmentally friendly.

Seawater cooling is also a good option, as it is inherently hygienic and is practically legionella-free. But tower salt emissions need to be taken into consideration from the early design stage, as well as the location, as location plays an important role in seawater cooling tower design in relation to the surrounding structures.

Could you please comment on exposed risks of TSE water regarding treatment facilities and networks?

Taking into consideration the source of TSE, I always believe that it is best that the water treatment is handled by specialist water treatment companies over the lifecycle of the project. This is especially true for water-cooled chillers using crude TSE as a water source. Can you imagine putting people’s health or lives at risk – maintenance workers or potential tenants – if a negligent or an untrained person is in charge of the O&M, and not carrying out the water treatment procedure properly? I would say that if one were to visit water treatment programmes on many projects in the region, I think one would discover that a lot would be left to the imagination on the exposed dangers and risks of a few neglected systems.

TSE cooling towers like seawater cooling towers also make emissions through the 32

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

Taking into consideration the source of TSE, I always believe that it is best that the water treatment is handled by specialist water treatment companies over the lifecycle of the project cooling tower drift loss factor albeit of a different sort of TDS. Therefore, the potential risk of airborne harmful bacteria (legionella and others) is ever-present. Therefore, it is essential that specialist water treatment companies handle the long-term process of the treatment of water. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough.

What in your view is the most cost-effective solution?

It was mentioned during the conference that 50% of the daily water demand is fed to the district cooling water requirements. In this context, I believe that by using seawater as a cooling medium for district cooling, you not only cut down the 50% water demand where applicable, but from a desalination point of view, you also reduce substantially the turbine size, its related capacity, the turbine CO2 emissions and the overall desalination plant space footprint and costs, as well. 

PRODUCED BY

Speakers include...

Ghaleb Abusaa CEO, en3 Solutions (The Three Factors Company)

Hamdan Al Shaer Director, Environment Awareness Section – Environment Department, Dubai Municipality

Yehia Amr Engineering Director Carrier - Turkey

Stephen O Andersen, Director of Research Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD) Co-Chair, Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) of the Montreal Protocol

HAVE YOU REGISTERED YET?

24 - 25 SEPTEMBER 2012 | JUMEIRAH BEACH HOTEL, DUBAI, UAE WWW.REFRIGERANTSREVIEW.COM

While Round 1 of Refrigerants Review highlighted different types of refrigerants from a Middle Eastern perspective with an international overview on current affairs, Round 2 will continue the assessment and rating process with more involvement of end users.

Counterfeit refrigerants would be a focus with participation from government agencies, investigation bodies and enforcement groups.

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?

• Interact with top-level decision makers.

• Network and establish new contacts in the HVACR industry.

• Update oneself on the latest developments in the Refrigerants and District Cooling.

• Receive exposure in an international review event at a world-class venue.

George Berbari, CEO DC PRO Engineering

Nina Burhenne Head, Market Research Shecco

Nicholas Cox Founder and Managing Director Earthcare Products Limited, UK

KEY TOPICS

Yunho Hwang, Chairperson, International Institute of Refrigeration’s (IIR) Working Party on LCCP; Vice President, IIR Commission B1 and the Associate Director of the Center for Environmental Energy Engineering (CEEE) University of Maryland, USA Mazen K Hussein Chemicals Expert Lebanon

• • • • •

Natural refrigerants, HCFCs, HFC, HFOs Reclaiming and recycling of refrigerants Counterfeit refrigerants District cooling plants and containment of refrigerants Toxicity concerns • Tumours, liver damage and other health concerns • Is it as simple as pointing the finger at only natural refrigerants?

M Ramaswamy Technical Expert Royal Court Affairs Palace Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

ENDORSED BY

PLATINUM SPONSOR

GOLD SPONSOR

Mark W Roberts Senior Counsel & International Policy Advisor, Environmental Investigation Agency, USA

Rajendra Shende Former Director, UNEP Chairman, TERRE Policy Centre, India

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

SUPPORTING ASSOCIATION

Narciso M Zacarias Principal Engineer - Air Pollution Environmental Planning & Studies Section, Environment Department Dubai Municipality, UAE

SUPPORTING PARTNER

KNOWLEDGE PARTNER

Engineering

FOR SPONSORSHIPS / EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITIES: Frédéric Paillé Managing Director & Associate Publisher

T: +971 (4) 375 6833 M: +971 (50) 714 7204 F: +971 (4) 434 1906 E: fred@cpi-industry.com

In North America, contact: Kanika Saxena Our representative in North America T: +1 (905) 890 5031 E: kanika@cpi-industry.com

Energy

Environment

FOR PROGRAMME-RELATED QUERIES: B Surendar Editorial Director & Associate Publisher

T: +971 (4) 375 6831 M: +971 (50) 509 2457 F: +971 (4) 434 1906 E: surendar@cpi-industry.com

MEDIA PARTNERS

FOR EVENT-RELATED QUERIES: Mehwish Hilal Events & Marketing Manager

T: +971 (4) 375 6840 M: +971 (55) 478 5011 F: +971 (4) 434 1906 E: mehwish@cpi-industry.com

report NATURAL REFRIGERANTS

Eurammon holds symposium Event highlights developments and prospects of natural refrigerants

V

arious presentations were made at the Eurammon symposium, held on June 22 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, entitled “Natural Refrigerants – Growing strong, acting smart, moving forward”. Announcing this, Eurammon, a joint European initiative of companies, institutions and individuals who advocate an increased use of natural refrigerants, said that the presentations delineated on the current developments and attractive possible uses of natural refrigerants in refrigerating systems.

During the symposium, among others, nine speakers reported on successful examples of practical use, novel possible applications and current developments and trends with natural refrigerants, also outside Europe, and the focus of the event concentrated on the refrigeration of food, particularly in supermarkets.

Speaking during the event, Mark Bulmer, member of the Eurammon board, explained: “When it comes to food production and food retailing, reliable refrigeration of goods is indispensable.

In supermarkets alone, refrigeration systems account for 45% of the energy costs. This is why energy consumption and efficiency are increasingly the focus of discussions about refrigeration and air conditioning 34

Albrecht Höpfer, Bitzer Kühlmaschinenbau

B Surendar, Climate Control Middle East

systems, in addition to the environmental compatibility of refrigerants. For Eurammon, it is particularly important to illustrate how solutions with natural refrigerants can be both environmentally friendly and energy efficient.”

In this context, Raymond Burri from Walter Wettstein AG presented an example of combined refrigeration and heat production for a food producer, Eurammon said.

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

Monika Witt, Eurammon

Dr Josef Riha, Thermofin

Together with a new refrigeration system, the factory is also equipped with a heat pump that uses the waste heat from the refrigeration and air conditioning process, said Burri. “Both systems operate with ammonia as refrigerant. The new system not only saves the customer energy costs, but also reduces his carbon footprint by around 47% compared to the old system,” he added.

The presentations on supermarket refrigeration triggered lively discussion and an active sharing of experience among both speakers and audience. For instance, Janos Winter from QPlan, Hungary, advocated the use of NH3/CO2 cascade systems, while Josef Riha from thermofin came out in favour of the increased use of propane, given its similarly good thermodynamic properties and its suitability for use in various temperature zones.

Highlighting that the discussion was illustrative of the fact that the current applications for using natural refrigerants was varied, Bulmer is said to have remarked: “There is no one perfect solution.

Instead, it depends on the combination of various factors, which also affect the choice of refrigerant.”

The natural refrigerant horizon was, then, extended beyond the European borders to the GCC States by B Surendar, Editor of Climate Control Middle East magazine, based in Dubai, together with Carlos de Ceballos from the Spanish firm, Apina.

Surendar provided information about the developments and use of natural refrigerants in the GCC States and drew attention to the future application and development possibilities for natural refrigerants, particularly in the food sector, in district cooling systems and turbine inlet air cooling (TIAC) in power stations.

In the context of the huge energy demand of the Gulf States, Carlos de Ceballos spoke about TIAC applications in power stations using the natural refrigerant, ammonia, and highlighted the specific challenges facing both refrigeration professionals, such as planners and plant engineers, and power stations as new users of refrigeration systems.

Enthused by thea positive response, Eurammon informed that it had plans to hold a further symposium in Schaffhausen next year, and added that the lectures given at the event could be downloaded from its website www.eurammon.com. 

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August 2012

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cover story VRFs

District cooling has a strong case going for it, but there is no denying the fact that the enduring economic downturn has blown headwinds in its path. This has opened up opportunities for VRF systems to make inroads into the cooling market. The questions on everybody's lips are: 'Are VRFs here to stay? And if so, what kind of market share are they likely to garner?'

By Pratibha Umashankar with inputs from B Surendar

36

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

T

The variable refrigerant flow (VRF) cooling system, when introduced in the 1990s in Japan, was touted as a technology that could minimise efficiency losses, offer low lifecycle costs when compared to conventional HVAC systems and, thus, provide a sustainable solution.

But it was district cooling that took the GCC region, especially the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, by storm in the second half of the last decade.

Regarded as an efficient, economical and environmentally friendly system, it became the new mantra of comfort cooling with experts extolling its many virtues. Therefore, it is ironical and, perhaps, a tad cynical to refer to it in the past tense. But the fact remains -- the DC momentum is facing some strong headwinds. Like so many other concepts, it has become a victim of the recession – both global and regional, and also of an improper approach. With mega real estate projects it was intended to serve either slowing down or grinding to a halt, district cooling proved to be quite an unwieldy proposition and its vulnerable underbelly was exposed: It guzzles copious amounts of water demanding heavy capital expenditure, which, during the economic slowdown was in short supply. The initial cost of establishing the system is very

With mega real estate projects it was intended to serve either slowing down or grinding to a halt, district cooling proved to be quite an unwieldy proposition and its vulnerable underbelly was exposed high, as it requires extensive piping work to be laid out and cooling towers installed.

It occupies a lot of area or footprint. Fair and equitable billing is another niggling and unresolved problem.

Also, the survival of the industry, to a great extent, depends on raising awareness about its efficiency among all the players, including end-users. For achieving this, the market needs to be more organised and competitive.

Just when this appeared to be happening, the market became sluggish and district cooling fell from grace, its

VRF/VRV/TVR? The various nomenclatures, can, indeed, be confusing. VRF is a generic term for a technology that allows individual indoor units to heat or cool a space as required. There are two basic types of VRF systems – cooling/heating-only and energy-recovery. The first one can provide only cooling, or, with a heat pump component, cooling or heating to a space, but not both at the same time.

Whereas, the energy-recovery system can provide cooling and heating simultaneously to different parts of the building, thus offering energy-saving potential.

By operating at varying speeds, VRF units work only at the needed rate. It is claimed that they help save energy of up to 55% over comparable unitary equipment and minimise efficiency losses found in conventional HVAC systems.

VRV is a Daikin McQuay trademark for its VRF systems, while Trane markets its system under the label of TVR. In principle, they are VRFs, which is the name that JCI, LG, Samsung and Toshiba use.

In the final analysis, they are all DX systems.

It needs to be noted that VRF projects are measured in terms of the number of outdoor VRF units supplied. When we talk of indoor units, those are typically fan coil units, AHUs and the like. --PU

worst error in judgement being, building redundant capacity with too much of air conditioning tonnage in a market that did not anticipate the real estate slump. It is not surprising, then, that since the downturn, the region has become disenchanted with it.

Sadly, even today, in Dubai, there are several district cooling projects where the piping has been laid out, but not a single drop of

August 2012

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37

cover story VRFs

Case study The big players in the region claim their market-share and offer statistics and case studies as proof. Here are a few …

Daikin McQuay The general impression in the HVACR sector (including among its competitors) is that Daikin enjoys a 50% market-share and that it has successfully penetrated the refurbishment market. Here is what Michel Farah, Business Development Manager, Middle East FZE, Daikin McQuay, has to say: “Daikin invented and produced its first VRV system 30 years ago. Since then, it has been leading the worldwide market with the highest market share in Japan, Europe and Asia. Daikin was the first to create the demand for VRV systems, and others have followed in its path, which confirms the success of the concept in providing additional value to the market.

“The VRV system is attractive to building owners when they look at upgrading their cooling systems to better end-user comfort level and to lower lifecycle cost system. Quick installation, minimum use of space and the variety of the indoor unit types that can be connected to one outdoor unit are some of many other advantages that make VRV attractive in retrofit jobs.”

Regarding successful completion of a twin tower project in Doha’s West Bay area, Farah says: “This is an example of a high-rise application where the owner was looking at a system that relieved him from being dependent on outsourced chilled water supply. In addition, he was looking at the possibility of billing his future tenants in a proportional manner, taking into consideration their zone-by-zone power consumption. The system needed to operate on a floor-by-floor basis, as the rental contracts go without producing excess cooling capacity.

“The project was a twin tower with 40 floors, each equipped with one VRV system per floor and connecting all indoors and outdoors to a centralised Daikin Controller to control, monitor and measure the power consumption zone-wise.

“This is a typical example of office buildings seen in Japan and Europe and in a few Middle East countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.”

JCI Moan Abraham, Sales Manager (Dubai and Northern Emirates), JCI, speaks of the big VRF projects undertaken by his company: “In the UAE, we are executing a ministry job. There was a design challenge. It was initially designed with the conventional system in mind. But space and cost proved to be constraints, and so we offered VRFs as a solution, which came with the promise of smaller VRFs. “We did a refurbishment job in the UAE, a ministry job again. They wanted to replace the air conditioning without disturbing the office working hours. So, we adopted a modular approach to refurbishing.

“In Oman, we did a commercial project involving 250 indoor units

38

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

chiller water has passed through them because the buildings they were supposed to serve have not come off the ground. It is not surprising, therefore, that VRFs have filled the breach, with the big players moving in when the market was ripe and ready for it.

Rajeev Dhoot, Regional Manager (Residential and Light-Commercial), AHI Carrier, corroborates this: “In the case of district cooling, there are disputes arising between tenants and district cooling providers because the providers have already laid the pipes and are ready to supply chilled water, only to discover that there are far fewer tenants than anticipated earlier.

So, if they had expected to charge a certain fee for all the tenants, but have fewer tenants now, they ask the existing ones to cough up more to compensate for loss of revenue in the form of tenants who did not move in. With VRF, you don’t have such upfront costs.”

In today’s world filled with economic uncertainty, everyone is looking to minimise the first cost. In the case of CHW, there is a huge cost involved in piping and CTs. So, people prefer VRF systems

Why VRF?

against the monolithic district cooling network, which is not always put to optimum use.

Ajit Chandraraj, General Manager, AHI Carrier, agrees: “In today’s world filled with economic uncertainty, everyone is looking to minimise the first cost. In the case of CHW, there is a huge cost involved in piping and cooling towers. So, people prefer VRF systems.”

Michel Farah, Business Development Manager, Middle East FZE, Daikin McQuay, concurs and elaborates: “The success of VRV systems (VRV is a Daikin trademark) worldwide has been driven by the

VRF is seen as a costeffective and flexible option in a volatile market, with uncertainty about occupancy. A VRF system can be installed when there is a demand for it, whereas in the case of chilled water systems (CHW), the entire infrastructure, like piping and the superstructures like district cooling plants and cooling towers have to be in place in advance, irrespective of the guarantee of occupancy of the endusers. Thus, considering the initial cost, footprint and demand, VRF emerges as a manageable alternative, as

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cover story VRFs

big players in the region claim their market-share and offer statistics and case studies as proof. Here are a few …

Case study The

and 50 outdoor units. There, we had the challenge of usage itself, because they were using the systems for smaller offices and wanted individual billing systems, which VRFs allow for.

“We also have several big projects in Asia, mainly in China – like 400 outdoor. We have done a cluster of four towers in Fushan (40 storeys). In another project, we have done 11 buildings in Qingdao, among others.

Speaking in terms of innovation, Abraham says:

“There are a lot of possibilities. One is to expand our range of indoor units, which we are working on. Aesthetics is a very important consideration, as are design for sound levels or design for size. We are also looking to increase the range of outdoor units. We have four models and are currently developing a fifth, in terms of footprint and fresh air enhancement for IAQ. We are also working on a heat-recovery system.

“We are also working on a water-cooled VRF system. We have roadmaps and we will first launch it in China in 2013 and hopefully, at the end of 2013, we will launch it in pilot markets after field-testing.

And in the next two years, we will complete the product range. Turkey will be one of the pilot markets. In the Middle East, we have to consider the ambient conditions, etc, while developing a product. Product development, as such is a continuous process. Also, next year, we will be launching a mini VRF system in the Middle East.

“On the controls side, we are trying to integrate things like billing by the hour, billing on the basis of usage, and interconnectivity with BMS.”

AHI Carrier Viraj Vartak, Area Sales Manager (RLC), AHI Carrier speaks of this year’s launch of Toshiba’s VRF system in the Middle East: “Toshiba launched its VRFs in 1999. Since then, we were distributing Toshiba VRFs, selling through our distribution channels and not directly.

But it was launched in the Middle East in February this year, and we have received a very strong and positive feedback, based on enquiries and projects designed and specified with VRF systems.

“The Toshiba VRF system is in the 8-48 HP range for the Middle East, with 2 HP increments. We are the only brand offering multiple inverter compressors in the VRF system. Specifically, they are DC (direct current) twin rotary compressors, which have been very effective, be they in part load or full load.”

solutions it represents to owners, developers, consultants, engineers and to contractors as well. Saudi Arabia and other GCC states are looking at ways to reduce the load on the power generation plants to cope with the population growth and to keep their natural resources as long as possible. The trend is towards establishing minimum energy performance levels, which

40

will certainly favour VRV/ VRFs with their superior full and part-load energy efficiency levels.”

If energy efficiency is, indeed, an important factor in favour of VRFs, it implies a turnaround, as this stance is at variance with the general perception that district cooling is more energy efficient than standalone units. In fact, district cooling has always been promoted as

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

Ajit Chandraraj

Dharmesh Sawant

VRFs are poised to increase their market share, with villas being the lowhanging fruits the main players can pluck

cycle. The capability to use multiple indoor units (which are available in many types) with a single outdoor unit provides tremendous flexibility to the designer.

Ease of installation, relatively small footprint, and lowmaintenance requirements are other benefits. The systems also have options for sophisticated, yet affordable energy management systems, including the ability to monitor individual installations. This is popular with owners of multidwelling facilities.”

A VRF system also has an edge over other systems, because it has an inbuilt facility to measure usage.

Therefore, metering and billing, its proponents say, is more rational and fair; in the case of district cooling, metering is still a nebulous area.

Viraj Vartak, Area Sales Manager (RLC), AHI Carrier, sums up the case for VRF succinctly: “VRF definitely scores over chillers as it offers ease of installation, energy efficiency, better cost, part-load efficiency and value for money. You can get efficiency, be it at 160°C, 460°C or 470°C. The capacity, in the case of our systems, is 48 HP, so, there is

a more sustainable solution.

Moan Abraham, Sales Manager (Dubai and Northern Emirates), JCI, believes that along with energy efficiency, flexibility of space utilisation is also a key factor driving the VRF market. “VRF systems have taken off in Japan, because, there is limitation of space there,” he explains.

Mohammed Khaja, Unitary Product Leader, Trane EMEIA, goes into the finer points: “Their benefits can be experienced right through the design-build-operate

We have to continually educate the contractors and orientate them to this product

Experts say Kuwait is one of the most promising markets for VRFs.

Jin Kyu Choi

Mohammed Khaja

a limitation. But even this can be addressed at the blueprint stage. It has been successfully executed in a project in the Asia Pacific region. Yes, the financial meltdown has helped VRF markets – it is the right kind of fit.

VRF market in the region is grossly understated. “In the Middle East, there is a shift among consultants to adopt VRF with R410A refrigerant.

Projects are being designed with VRF in mind, though they are potential candidates for CHW. Earlier, there was no strong push among VRF manufacturers in the region. However, it has been

THE VRF MARKET – THE REGIONAL SCENARIO

Chandraraj believes that the

successful across the globe, and now it is becoming a success in the Middle East, too.”

Farah pegs the VRF GCC market figures to around 10,000 outdoor units per year and growing at a rate of 20% per year, in excess of the conventional systems growth rate. He ranks the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar the highest, followed by Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Jin Kyu Choi (Ricky Choi), Senior Manager, AC RPM, MENA HQ, Samsung Electronics Company, says: “In my personal opinion, the VRF market size of the GCC area is approximately $400 million as a whole. According to the BSRIA report, the VRF market size of the UAE is about $29 million. Qatar is $33 million and the KSA is $22 million, because chiller system is more popular in the Kingdom still, with big structures opting for CAC duct systems or chillers.”

Choi envisages that the GCC VRF market will witness around 15% to 20% growth, which will be predicated to international oil price parameters and the political scenario, with the Qatar market growth shooting over the 55% mark, thanks to the

August 2012

2022 FIFA World Cup. Abraham, estimates it to be a $55-million industry overall in the GCC. He breaks down the figures as follows: UAE: $20 million; the KSA: $15 million; Oman: $8 million; Bahrain: $4 million; Qatar: $6 million; and Kuwait: $2 million. He predicts an annual growth rate of 12% to 15% for the VRF market in the GCC. Khaja predicts that the projected Middle East market for 2013 will be approximately $280 million.

Despite the discrepancy in figures, the experts in the HVACR sector agree that VRF has arrived in the region. The general pronouncement is that demand will shift from chillers to VRFs.

The regional VRF footprint:

The general opinion of the experts is that the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are the most promising markets for VRFs. Though Choi agrees that the VRF market will increase dramatically in the Kingdom, with its potentially large HVAC market, in general, he points out that most houses still use window and split type air conditioners there.

In Khaja’s view, too, the Saudi VRF market is currently relatively small. However, he believes that the concept has gained ground there over the last three years.

Dharmesh Sawant, Senior Manager, B2B AC, LG, reveals that the GCC region holds promise for his company’s VRF systems, especially in the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait. “This is mainly because of the initiative by the local authorities to control the connected load and implement

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41

cover story VRFs

sustainability practices in the construction industry,” he explains. “For example, in Kuwait, the electrical tariff is only 2 UAE equivalent fils per KW. This is heavily subsidised compared to 24 fils/KW in the UAE. Therefore, they have to ensure strict regulations are in place to control the connected load to avoid overuse of the electrical power and control the government spending.”

Going into specifics regarding Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity & Water (MEW)’s initiatives, Sawant highlights that it has implemented various regulations in order to control the connected electrical load of the air conditioning equipment.

Some of the initiatives are: i) Air-cooled air conditioning system should be less than 1.7 KW/TR at 48°C and the maximum air flow rate. ii) Chiller systems above certain capacities should implement the ice storage systems to reduce the electrical load of the chiller. iii) Check points are implemented with the suitable electrical power in W/Square metres for the air conditioning equipment as per various applications.

Sawant points out that the VRF system fits ideally within the parameters of the above MEW requirements and that there is no need to implement the ice storage system, thus eliminating this cost, as 1.3 KW/TR of VRF system matches with the KW/TR of chiller with ice storage system. “At the same

42

Water is not a key factor; it is the higher efficiency levels achieved by inverter technology time, the part-load of VRF system is much better than an air-cooled chiller system,” he says.

Farah, too, stresses that MEW has been responsive to the VRF technology.

“MEW, as you know, has set a maximum level of 1.7 Kw/ Tonne at 48°C ambient which favours VRVs/VRFs that achieve 30% to 40% higher efficiencies at the same condition,” he says, and adds, “MEW has shown a lot of interest in this product family to help achieve collective power savings and reduce shortages. We expect the demand in Kuwait to grow quickly.”

Khaja concurs that MEW requires that systems are tested at >48°C ambient conditions and adds that Trane’s TVR T3 (its VRF brand) meets the requirements. “It’s interesting to note that AHRI have recently introduced a new independent testing standard (1,230) for TVR/VRF systems,” he observes.

Adds Abraham, speaking about JCI, “Overall, Kuwait has potential, but not really a high potential, but we already have the product

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

Michel Farah, Business Development Manager, Middle East FZE, Daikin McQuay: Schools, commercial and residential buildings are sweet spots for VRV systems along with villas.

for the market, and it can meet the ambient and energy efficiency requirements of MEW.” When it comes to the UAE, in view of initiatives

by Estidama (Pearl rating system), Dubai Municipality (Green Building regulation), QSAS, among others, the major players are aligning their technology to meet the requirements. For instance, their equipment is being geared to achieve a COP of 3.4, which is the minimum Estidama requirement. “All TVRs meet the minimum Estidama COP requirements, and more than 60% exceed the minimum COP,” confirms Khaja.

Adds Farah: “The Daikin VRV system is Estidamalisted and actually exceeds its requirement for COP, as we reach 4.25 on some models.

Other regional standards are based on ASHRAE 90.1, and some are in advanced research, especially in Saudi Arabia, where SASO and SEEC are active in setting

higher levels of energy efficiencies.”

“Estidama requires a COP of 3.4, and our Amazon Series is Estidama-compliant and achieves this,” says Abraham. “In some cases, it is able to achieve 3.5.

We hope to be listed in Estidama web site. There is an approval process, and to meet this, we have submitted all the documentation on safety.”

Samsung has launched its VRFs under the DVM Desert brand this February.

“It has higher COP than other competitors, and the biggest module capacity, and also aligned with Estidama and other authorities and regulations,” claims Choi.

VRF – APPLICATIONS

The main drivers for VRFs in the GCC countries are residential and lightcommercial sectors. With housing projects coming up in the region, as against the earlier mega structures, VRFs are poised to increase

their market share, with villas being the low-hanging fruit the main players can pluck. Confirming this, Farah says: “Schools, commercial and residential buildings are sweet spots for VRV systems along with villas. With a COP of 4.27 and low electrical connected loads, such systems do present a serious alternative to water-cooled chillers.

Khaja, is of the opinion that the application of Trane’s TVR systems (and VRFs in general) is not limited only to larger upscale residential villas, but is also popular and well-suited to commercialscale installations. “The modular concept allows multiple systems to be used and, therefore, sometimes, quite large projects can be catered for,” he says, and adds: “Trane first introduced TVRs in Latin America and Asia Pacific, where we have successfully completed a number of projects. In the Middle East, we are currently working on several sizeable installations.”

Chandraraj, too, believes that there is a VRF market

VRFs will enjoy a significant share in the Middle East, and that will compromise CHWs. It could even eat away the share of DX splits to be tapped even in big projects. He explains: “Yes, CHW systems are considered ideal for large structures like airports. But certain segments of airports can get air conditioned through VRF systems. In fact, we have supplied VRF systems to administrative blocks in airports, and they work

fine. Besides these, we are targeting medium to high-end offices, hotels and residences to supply VRF. And for refurbishment, it has to be VRF systems for villas.”

Choi adds: “Apart from big buildings, hotels, education facilities, shopping malls and factories, they can be connected to DX-type AHU. So, their application is unlimited.” He confirms that Samsung has supplied VRFs to a number of big projects globally and across the MENA region. “SBG Oman was our biggest VRF project in Oman, as well as Al Qatami Mall in Qatar,” he reveals. “Al Qatami Mall was designed on chilled water system earlier. But Samsung succeeded in changing it into

a VRF system. And there are many other non-villa projects to which we have supplied VRFs.” The general impression is that VRFs can make a dent in the market largely through the refurbishment market. However, dispelling the myth that VRFs will be used to entirely revamp the old system, Khaja says: “Replacement is very sitespecific; each one is different and there are many criteria to consider before selecting the most appropriate replacement system. However, given the flexibility and ease of installation characteristics, TVR systems should certainly be regarded as a viable alternative.”

Khaja also sounds a

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August 2012

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cover story VRFs

caveat when he says: “Package (rooftop) units are still very popular on villa projects, as they ensure privacy to the occupier as all work is undertaken on the roof and not inside.

Adds Chandraraj, “The choice of indoor units available with VRF is greater than with district cooling, which is limited to fan coil units (FCUs).”

Abraham, speaking for JCI introduces another variable to the discussion: “VRFS are not limited only to villa projects. In Japan, they are being used in condominiums and showrooms too. In China, VRF is being used in all applications.”

BEING A MOVE AHEAD IN THE MARKET

With many big players jostling for elbow room in the competitive VRF segment, it is imperative to be technologically and commercially nimble.

Unlike Samsung and LG, which only offer VRF technology, companies like Daikin, JCI, Trane (with its TVR systems) and Carrier offer CHW systems, as well. In view of this, they deploy a different business strategy vis-à-vis their clients. Farah delineates on how his company reconciles the two approaches: “Our strategy at Daikin McQuay is to work with the owners and consultant engineers to propose such solutions, where design challenges need to be met. We represent the full range from room air conditioning to magnetic bearing centrifugal chillers, offering comfortable and reliable systems.”

Speaking of new products, Farah reveals: “The next big

44

step is meeting the advancing new standards focusing on the seasonal efficiency of VRV systems versus full load.

This year, Daikin celebrates its 30 years of VRV, and working towards announcing VRV IV with many additional benefits to help achieve the new standards is on the cards.”

Abraham corroborates that his company, too, offers a comprehensive range of options to the customers, but has its gaze trained also on R&D. “The right approach is that we have to ask the customers what they need and not what we have,” he says. “At JCI, we create efficiency for the lifecycle of a building – planning, designing, construction, O&M, optimisation and retrofitting. As far as the Middle East market is concerned, for JCI, refurbishment is a key focus. Our distribution channel is very strong in the replacement market.

The UAE, and the GCC in general, is always looking for something new and will go for VRFs. VRF is customer-driven; if they see benefits in it, they will go for it. Contractors are always looking at costs. But it is easier to convince the end-users on the benefits of VRF, be it as a refurbishment option or as a new installation. On the other hand, there are also people looking for traditional air conditioning systems.”

Khaja’s confident claim is that Trane’s TVR systems are designed and manufactured to perform well in highambient conditions, just like all its products. Since Trane also makes CHW systems, speaking of his company’s

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

business strategy, Khaja says: “Trane endeavours to offer an air conditioning solution that best meets the project/client requirement. Sometimes, a VRF system will be the appropriate choice; sometimes it will be a water/ air-cooled chiller or packagerooftop. It is in everyone’s interest that the client, engineer and manufacturer work together to ensure the best outcome.”

He believes that, in general, end-users demand comfort at affordable levels; designers look for reliable energy-efficient systems that are easy and quick to develop and contractors require systems that are competitively priced, readily available and easy to install. “In addition, there is increasing social and regulatory pressure to bring to market products that are more environmentally responsible," Khaja says.

“At Trane, we continue to investigate appropriate technologies to meet evolving market conditions.”

if they are looking at energy efficiency and cost per square metre, easy maintenance and the opportunity of connecting all types of indoor units to a centralised control, they will look at VRFs, based on their budget

efficient as chilled water systems • They are limited to smaller projects.

Cost:

Wanting to keep his cards close to his chest, Choi, speaking about the next big step in technology upgrade for his company’s VRF systems, cryptically says, “Samsung is always promising to give something better than the competitors and will surely give a more advanced VRF next year.”

VRF – CHALLENGES

Though VRF may have come as an answer to the general disenchantment with district cooling, it is not without its attendant problems. The very experts, whose companies are aggressively pushing VRFs in the market, candidly concede this. The challenges VRFs pose can be listed broadly under the following rubrics: • They are expensive.

• They need specialised technical personnel to install and maintain them, and currently, not many are available.

• There is considerable amount of computer programming that goes into them.

• They are not as energy

VRF systems are not cheap, accept Khaja and Farah, whose TVR (Trane) and VRV (Daikin McQuay), respectively, have market penetration in the region. “On an installed cost basis, VRV/ VRF’s cost is very similar to air-cooled chillers,” Farah says, but hastens to add, that its running cost can achieve a payback to the building owner in no more than two years. He cites Dubai as an example.

“Actually, a VRF system is not more expensive than a chiller system,” argues Choi “We compared VRF and chiller system for initial cost and operation cost and found that on both levels, the cost of VRF is lower than a chiller system. That’s why most projects of chiller systems are changed to VRF systems in advanced markets like Europe, Korea and Japan, China.”

However, Eugene Papaioannou, Factory General Manager, Gulf Air conditioning Mfg Industries (GAMI) categorically states that VRVs are more expensive than CHW systems and not designed for high-ambient conditions.”

Offering a balanced view point, Abraham concludes that if clients are looking for a low-cost project, they will go for conventional air conditioning, and if they are looking at energy efficiency and cost per square metre, easy maintenance and the opportunity of connecting all types of indoor units to a centralised control, they will

look at VRFs, based on their budget.

Installation and design challenges:

Choi, dismissing the charge levelled against VRF systems that they are difficult to install, believes that it is not exactly rocket science and any trained personnel can carry it out. Khaja agrees and recommends that they be designed and installed by qualified and experienced personnel, but adds: “The same can and should be said for almost any other type of air conditioning system, except perhaps window units.” The key, believes Khaja, is for the designer to carefully consider each facility on its merits, liaise with

the client and manufacturer and then select the most appropriate system to meet the requirements of the specific site. “Sometimes, the appropriate choice will be a package unit or a watercooled chiller, and on other occasions, the TVR (VRF) system will better suit the clients’ facility,” is the advise he reiterates.

Speaking from Daikin McQuay’s perspective, Farah believes that for a consultant engineer, his company’s VRV offers a faster and lower cost design system, since the entire system with its unit selection, piping diameters and electrical wiring is an output of Daikin’s Xpress selection programme. “There is no need for pumps and other

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August 2012

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45

cover story VRFs

accessories design, dealing with different suppliers to make all the parts to operate as one optimised system,” he claims. “All installations are checked throughout the installation process and commissioned and started by a Daikin service engineer to ensure the units are operating as per design requirement.”

However, Farah concedes that the number of approved installers is limited. “But they are on the rise with the training that Daikin and other manufacturers are offering in the region,” he adds.

Papaioannou raises a spectre of doubt when he says, “High level of electronics is needed and for VRFs, and there aren’t enough qualified engineers here.”

Abraham agrees that very few contractors specialise in VRF installation in the UAE and places the onus on the industry of building a pool of trained personnel, if it wants VRFs to make an appreciable presence in the region or elsewhere. “We have to continually educate the contractors and orientate them to this product,” he says. “For example, in Turkey, we are educating the contractors. We train people on piping and installing the units. The penetration of training has percolated to all levels of technicians. As the number of projects increase, people will want training.”

Evidently, then, training technicians is not a difficult feat to achieve.

Energy efficiency:

With sustainability evolving into a key issue in the HVACR sector worldwide, can VRFs withstand the

46

Given the rapid acceptance of TVR systems, it is clear that they have already established themselves as an affordable and viable air conditioning system

rigorous energy efficiency scrutiny is an open-ended question. While Choi asserts that VRF systems are highly efficient because of high COP, Abraham believes that it would largely depend on the application – the size of the project, whether it is a residential structure or a hotel.

Farah, speaking, typically, of his company’s brand, asserts: “With its inverter technology, VRV is designed to give the highest energy efficiency with maximum comfort at different operating conditions addressing the variances in ambient temperatures and thermal load throughout the operating system hours.”

Khaja advises that to ensure an optimised energyefficient system, it is important to ensure that the selected configuration closely matches the calculated load

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

in each room.

Abraham brushes aside the list of challenges and asserts that when people gain better knowledge, the objection of VRFs being expensive will be overcome. Once again, alluding to Turkey as an example, he says: “We have seen a big growth rate in the VRF segment there because it is a mature market. The Turks look at the entire lifecycle cost and not just the initial cost. They look in terms of energy savings and space savings and compare conventional air conditioning systems like splits and room air conditioners and chillers, and then they see that VRFs are appealing. Also, we can have diversity with VRFs.” Khaja, too, thinks that the time for mulling over challenges is over. “Given the rapid acceptance of TVR systems, it is clear that they have already established themselves as an affordable and viable air conditioning system,” he tersely concludes.

IS IT A CASE OF TINA?

Irrespective of their relative merits, would the lack of

adequate water be a key factor that will tilt the scales in favour of air-cooled VRFs, is the moot point. Is it a case of “There is No Alternative?”

The most important factors tilting the scales are lack of adequate water and the high cost of water, along with the issue of space needed for installation of chillers, agrees Choi.

Negotiating the question from a different angle, Farah argues: “The air cooled VRV efficiency can reach 1.1 kW/tonne at 46ºC ambient design condition.

At 35ºC, the efficiency can reach 0.79 kW/tonne at full load. At 50% load, the efficiency increases to 0.63 kW/tonne. So, water is not a key factor; it is the higher efficiency levels achieved by inverter technology on the compressor, condensers fans and indoor fan coil unit fans in order to tune the systems cooling output with the demand – not more, not less. Water-cooled VRVs are also available and can be advantageous in projects where there is water availability.”

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cover story VRFs

The growth of VRFs exceeds other product families and the market is responsive to innovative and sustainable solutions

While Khaja agrees that most of the Middle East is a water-scarce area and that VRF systems have occasionally displaced water-cooled systems, he however, highlights, that his company’s TVR systems are more likely to become an attractive alternative for other air-cooled systems, obliquely signalling the fact that customers in the region have an array of options even within the VRF segment.

Abraham believes that if the customer needs large cooling capacity, chillers would be more suitable than VRFs, but adds that since water issue is always a matter of concern in the Middle East, the preference will naturally be for any aircooled system, not just VRFs.

CONCLUSION

There is a general agreement among experts that VRFs are energy-efficient alternatives

48

to traditional systems, as also to district cooling. The experts offer their respective company’s success stories in the region as proof.

Speaking about AHI Carrier, Chandraraj says: “In the past two years, we have been able to see a shift to VRF here. After the financial meltdown, there is a definite shift to economising project costs and a shift towards environmentally friendly refrigerants. The concept has, indeed, been redefined after financial meltdown.”

Chandraraj, however, believes that VRFs and CHWs will coexist, because each meets different needs. “But that said, five years from now, VRF will be a dominant player in the Middle East,” he hastens to add. “We have seen a phenomenal response to the VRF launch, and we have had to increase our staff strength. VRFs will enjoy a significant share in the

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

Middle East, and that will compromise CHWs. It could even eat away the share of DX splits.

Abraham, too, agrees that VRF is not a stop-gap arrangement but is here to stay, with a potential for innovation and growth. “It will be an anchor product and our aim is to grow our VRF product by 25% every year,” he affirms. “We want to grow aggressively, and we are building our capabilities, range of products and channels (distribution avenues), because we believe it is a non-traditional product and that the growth rate is there.”

Highlighting the flexibility VRF offers, making it an attractive option in a cashstrapped market, Vartak says: “A contractor can order as he gets the cash flow, whereas in the case of CHW, you would have to make an upfront commitment, say for 500 villas in the form of installing piping and CTs. Also, installation and controls are relatively easy in VRFs.” Farah concurs that the

growth of VRFs exceeds other product families and adds that the market is responsive to innovative and sustainable solutions. He elaborates: “The market is being created every day by the solutions that such systems offer, which help designers and owners to meet their design challenges. The growth in demand would certainly get accelerated with the Energy Efficiency Levels regulations, the awareness of owners and consultants about the different solutions that a VRV system can present to meet cost, space, productivity, comfort and Indoor Air Quality challenges.”

Gleaning the subtext from what the experts say, it appears that VRF is a concept whose time has come and it is here to stay.

But wasn’t it not very long ago that the same was said of district cooling? Taken out of context and pitted against VRFs, district cooling appears to be waging a war and everyone seems to be boarding the standalone bandwagon. But what about large-scale applications? How do VRFs work there, if at all?

Probably, one has to concede that it is still district cooling’s domain.

It can also be argued that in the present regional scenario, not many largescale projects might come up.

Also, real estate developers might, on their own, build smaller water-cooled plants to serve and suit their projects. But for the sake of the piping network lying unused and the excess plant capacity, one can hope that they would not be rendered redundant. Meanwhile, VRFs are keeping the cash registers ringing and interiors cool. 

20 - 21 November 2012 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia THEME:

Exploring cooling approaches, addressing fire safety concerns WHY PARTICIPATE

• Showcase your most innovative products to top level decision makers of HVAC industry - including ministers, heads of local authorities, chairpersons, CEOs, CFOs and more from the region’s leading players • Meet qualified HVAC experts face-to-face at roundtable meetings • Brand and promote your products by leading international media • Network & establish new contacts with leaders in HVAC industry and take advantage of high profile deal-making opportunities.

• Learn about the latest developments in HVAC industry in a five-star venue.

Group ts n discoub availa le

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• Affordable housing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Challenges and opportunities for district cooling and standalone systems • Power security: Broad challenges in the power sector, and the critical role that district cooling and CHP can play in the Kingdom to reduce domestic consumption of crude oil.

• District cooling in Saudi Arabia: • A consultative approach to district cooling • Carbon credits and district cooling • District cooling innovations in Saudi Arabia • VRFs/VRVs/TVRs: COPing with energy efficiency expectations • The high level of electronics in a VRF/VRV/TVR system: Advantage or impediment?

• Case studies on major VRF/VRV/TVR projects in the GCC and internationally.

• Saudi Building Code and its critical role in preventing outbreak of fires.

• Re-examining fire safety needs. What needs be done to avoid a Villaggio?

CO-HOST

R E T S I G E R NOW!

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perspective VALVES

GETTING

'INVALVED' Energy efficiency, initial investment and operation costs are key factors every plant designer has to deal with. While the first affects the environment, all three affect the bottom line.

In this context, better design and appropriate components play a vital role in providing optimum results, and unpretentious valves, working behind the scenes, may help achieve the ideal, says Zulfiqar Mooraj.

As our demand for energy grows and operating costs increase, we are in continuous search of the most efficient system solutions at the lowest possible costs. Ideally, there is a line at which all the parameters meet. It is the meeting point of the optimised investment line, the line of total cost of ownership and the utopian bottom line that all are in search of. That said, at the end of the day, it is also about comfort – an area which no one really wants to have to compromise on.

Over centuries, the human race, in search of this comfort, has become more and more demanding and, consequently, put a lot of pressure on nature.

Our needs and wants have depleted the Earth’s natural resources. The relationship

50

between wants and needs has been disproportionately skewed in the direction of wants, taking a heavy toll on the environment. We, the engineering fraternity, carry a very high responsibility.

In every field of work we come across opportunities where we can individually make a difference to society, the world, and the planet at large.

When it comes to sustainability, district cooling networks are generally regarded to have higher efficiency and lower per consumer cost of operation than standalone units or conventional air conditioning units. However,

District cooling network

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

the system needs to be set up and components selected appropriately, so that we have the level of comfort we desire with a high level of efficiency and, consequently, a reduction in operating costs.

Hydraulic balancing is an important component of a district cooling plant and ensures that all consumer sub-circuits receive sufficient chilled water. In order to reduce capital and operating costs to a minimum, it is important to make sure that cooling systems operate at optimum efficiency, irrespective of the prevailing demand in an installation.

Some important factors to

achieve this are: • To select system components, such as pipes, pumps, chillers and control valves so that they are adequate but not oversized for their particular loads • Incorporating variable output pumping arrangements, which enable energy savings to be made when the system demand is below maximum design values • Ensuring that the distribution network is correctly balanced at all times, especially under varying load conditions • Limiting differential pressures (circulating

heads) in sub-circuits to levels, which allow temperature control valves to provide modulating control at all times. Terms like valve authority require proper attention.

Variable Volume System

Energy efficiency can be achieved by selecting the appropriate components and instruments that are finetuned to provide optimum results.

It all begins with the selection of the appropriate pumps. Variable volume systems are common today.

Variable volume

Variable Volume System

Temperature (°C)

12

Return flow temperature (variable flow rate) Return flow temperature (constant flow rate)

7 Flow temperature 100 Demand (%)

Flow Control Valve (FCV)

Flow Control Valve (FCV)

In district cooling networks with variable flow rate, a constant differential pressure across the last consumer results in the first consumer being subjected to changing differential pressure depending upon the respective load.

A pump running at 25% of its designed head with 50% of the design flow rate consumes 12.5% of the electrical power it would consume under design conditions systems ensure high return temperatures even at partial loads. The transfer of energy is, therefore, more efficient.

As flow volume increases, the transfer efficiency is reduced (depending upon the heat exchangers) and, hence, some loss of efficiency. Higher efficient heat exchangers can be used to reduce the losses.

This, again, is a question of efficiency versus costs and it is the engineer’s responsibility to find the ideal point between investment costs and operating costs.

A pump running at 25% of its designed head with 50% of the design flow rate consumes 12.5% of the electrical power it would consume under design conditions.

• Pump Power = pressure difference x flow rate / pump efficiency (P = ∆P/η) • Pressure difference decreases with flow rate2 (∆P decreases with Q2) • So power decreases with flow rate3, which leads to energy savings and, hence, cost savings As mentioned earlier, hydraulic balancing is an

August 2012

important task in district cooling networks, as it ensures that all circuits that are fed by the system are balanced, resulting in all receiving the needed flow even at partial loads.

As temperature/flow control valves (FCVs) modulate from the fully open to the closed position, when there is no demand, the flow rates fluctuate from 100% to 0%. This results in an interaction between system and pump characteristics, which causes the differential pressures in the distribution network to vary, thereby creating complex hydraulic conditions. These have to be analysed and controlled, if one wishes to achieve predictable efficient operation of a system. This is achieved by the use of Differential Pressure Regulators (DPCVs).

Let’s consider a case where we have seven consumers in a circuit with different maximum demands.

The system is designed in such a way that the last consumer always gets sufficient flow. Flow control is achieved by the use of FCV. Maximum consumption is the sum of all the individual consumers. Depending upon the flow distribution and partial loads, the differential pressures will increase across the consumers, causing more than needed flow to the consumers closer to the chiller and, thereby, causing the consumer farther away to be deprived of it. This is balanced out by the use of Differential Pressure Regulators (DPCV) across each sub-circuit, for example, ETS. Control Valve Authority is the term that is used to explain how much control

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51

perspective VALVES

Distance

Differential Pressure Regulators (DPCVs) ensure hydraulic balancing for all load situations and ensure that all connected consumers have the same supply conditions in the network.

Flow rate independent of upstream and downstream pressures

the FCV has over the changing load situation.

It needs to be noted that there is cost involved in high valve authority, while insufficient authority leads to instabilities. There is also a relationship between required valve and valve design/rangeability. Based

52

on experience, most plant designers will aim for 50% authority.

Control Valve Authority is the relationship between the differential pressures across the control valve, when it is fully open to the differential pressure across the entire circuit. Hence the

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

A pump running at 25% of its designed head with 50% of the design flow rate consumes 12.5% of the electrical power it would consume under design conditions 50% ideal, put simply means that the pressure loss across the control valve should be equal to the pressure drop across the rest of the system.

The main component in an ETS is the heat exchanger.

Hence, selecting a valve whose differential pressure is equal to that of the heat exchanger will result in a 50% authority. Typically, the higher the valve authority, the better the control.

However, this will result in higher operating costs due to pump head requirements.

The inclusion of differential pressure regulator helps reduce the operating costs and increase the system efficiency. DPCVs reduce the total pressure drop in the circuit by maintaining it to a set value and, thereby, increase the valve authority.

The minimum controllable flow rate is dependent upon the valve’s rangeability (valve design and typedependent) and on the valve authority (system designdependent).

If small loads need to be controlled, a low

valve authority and low rangeability, in combination with the heat exchanger characteristic, could cause system stability problems.

Higher valve authority requires more pump load and, hence, increases operating costs. So, it is a matter of finding the ideal midpoint, which plant operators and designers have come to agree upon as being between 20% and 50% (0.2 and 0.5) and approximately 50% (0.5) being most commonly planned for in systems for stable operation with most universally used valve designs.

Depending upon the rangeability of the selected valve, it may be possible to go towards the lower point and, thereby, reduce operating costs, but is often associated with an increase in installation costs. Most control valves have a rangeability of 30:1 or 50:1. Valves with a rangeability of over 50:1 will enable operation at lower valve authorities. A combination of the factors is used to calculate what is known as the installed rangeability. In the final analysis, the basic principle remains – the higher the authority, the better the control and more stable the operations and responses to changes in temperature/flow requirement.

Combined flow and differential pressure regulators (or pressure independent control valves – PICVs) have been developed to provide maximum control (Valve Authority = 1, ie, 100%) with a reduction in pressure loss compared to a solution with DPCV and FCV, giving valve authority

Circuit with an FCV, Heat Exchanger and DPCV

PICVs replace the FCV and DPCV in the circuit

of 0.5. The interesting aspect is that the investment cost is also reduced compared to the DPCV/FCV solution, all in all, resulting in efficiency increase as well as reducing the startup time at lower operating and investment costs. It goes without saying that as with all equipment, they need to be selected properly to give the best results.

Compare the cost of energy against the efficiency when using a PICV as compared to an MOV (FCV) with a DPCV. As an example, consider the system with a flow rate of 10 m3/hr and a load with a differential pressure of 0.3 bar. This means that if we design for 0.5 authority, the valve would have to have a pressure drop of 0.3 bar, as well. Also, consider that the valves flow coefficient (Kvs) is the relationship between flowrate and square root of the differential pressure (Kvs = Q/√dP), which, for our example, would mean Kvs = 18.3. Kvs values are manufacturer-specific.

If we assume the closest higher Kvs = 20, and we select the same, then the installed valve authority is 0.45 (45%). When fully open now, the valve would result in a pressure drop of 0.25. A differential pressure regulator with the same Kvs would affect a pressure drop of 0.25 and would have to be set at 0.55 bar (DPCV Set Point).

Hence the total pressure loss

in the system would be an addition of all 3 (DPCV + FCV + Load) pressure drops, resulting in a total system pressure loss of 0.8 bar.

Combined valves (PICVs) are designed in a way that they have constant pressure drop across the flow limiter.

For our example cited, it would be 0.2 bar. The pressure drop for the valve would be the same, ie 0.25 bar. This results in a total pressure drop requirement for the PICV of 0.45. Taken together with the pressure drop of the load, the total system pressure drop is reduced to 0.75 bar, while the valve authority is increased to 1. This results in a saving of 0.05 bar per sub-circuit, and when accumulated over the system, will result in savings in operating and maintenance costs combined with reduction in capital costs and increased system efficiency.

Shorn of all the rhetoric, finally, energy efficiency is a matter of fine-tuned engineering, working quietly behind the scenes. 

August 2012

The writer is Managing Director, SAMSON Controls FZE. He can be contacted at: zmooraj@ samson.ae

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53

perspective green alternative

An absorbing

argument

Dr M Ramaswamy posits the view that absorption chillers can be a green alternative to energy-driven conventional vapour compressor chillers in the GCC region, where waste heat and renewable energy is available. One of the important potential selling points for absorption chillers is that they do not use global warming fluids, he emphasises.

Introduction

Over the last few decades, energy use, particularly in developing countries is rapidly increasing. Air conditioning is an energy consuming service for buildings in many regions around the world, especially for countries with high solar radiation and high outdoor temperatures. According to the statistics survey by Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association, the demand for air conditioners worldwide has the fundamental tendency to steadily increase with the global growth rate being about 17%.

In the GCC countries, air conditioning is considered one of the basic necessities due to high ambient temperatures prevailing

54

throughout the year. Most of the air conditioning systems available in the region are based on conventional vapour compression (VC) technology. Though this technology is proven to be reliable, it has a few disadvantages, such as high electricity consumption, high electricity peak load and negative environmental impact. It needs to be noted here that any technology which can help reduce the energy supply to refrigeration and air conditioning systems will

play a significant role in the world energy scenario.

For comfort and industrial types of air conditioning applications, where waste heat or renewable energy is available, chiefly thermally driven chillers can be considered as a viable alternative technological solution to reduce global energy consumption.

Besides, during recent years, the green building concept has gained favour among architects, designers and builders. Integrating green building practices into the

Comfort and industrial types of air conditioning applications are one source of waste heat in the Middle East

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

It is a proven fact that vapour absorption systems are more economical when coupled with a combined heat and power (CHP) systems

25-26 nOvEmBER 2012 DOha, qaTaR

Theme:

Food safety and profitability through best practices in handling and storage The fourth edition of Food Chain will focus on the right approach to handling and storage in order to meet two key retailer goals: food safety and profitability.

The event will bring together food establishments face to face with the refrigeration industry to discuss specific issues related to cold chain management.

KEY TOPICS:

WHY ATTEND:

• An end-user’s perspective on food safety and quality assurance

• Listen to experts in Quality Assurance, Food Safety and Refrigeration

• Hygienic execution of cold rooms for food storage as part of the cold chain: An insulated panels perspective

• Get useful insights into best practices in storage and handling for enhanced food safety measures, nutrition and food establishment profitability

• Unlocking the possibilities: Increasing profitability for cold chain stakeholders: A compressors’ perspective • How to respond to chiller-related issues, power back-up • What happens in between: The crucial role played by transport refrigeration in microbiological control, preserving nutrition and reducing spoilage

• Participate in the ‘I care about food safety’ campaign

• Fabric ducting: is it a silver-bullet solution?

• Australia: The meat journey to the Middle East • GCC: Challenges and solutions in storageand handling of food products in the GCC • United Kingdom: Enforcement of Cold Chain Safety Standards in UK catering and retail outlets

• Learn from country best practices (case studies from around the globe) on meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and fruits and vegetables

• Network & establish new contacts with leaders in the HVAC and food industry

l Specia tSs n u o c S i d group booking

on

FOR sPOnsORshiPs / EXhiBiTiOn OPPORTUniTiEs: Frédéric Paillé Managing Director & Associate Publisher

T: +971 (4) 375 6833 M: +971 (50) 714 7204 F: +971 (4) 434 1906 E: fred@cpi-industry.com

in north america, contact: Kanika saxena Our representative in North America

T: +1 (905) 890 5031 E: kanika@cpi-industry.com

d

ook ahea

it b don’t wa

NOW!

PRODUCED BY

FOR PROgRammE-RElaTED qUERiEs: B surendar Editorial Director & Associate Publisher

T: +971 (4) 375 6831 M: +971 (50) 509 2457 F: +971 (4) 434 1906 E: surendar@cpi-industry.com

FOR EvEnT-RElaTED qUERiEs: mehwish hilal Events & Marketing Manager

T: +971 (4) 375 6840 M: +971 (55) 478 5011 F: +971 (4) 434 1906 E: mehwish@cpi-industry.com

perspective green alternative construction of buildings is a part of government initiative to promote sustainable design concept in the GCC countries.

Absorption refrigeration (thermally driven chilling machine) research has received adequate attention during recent years, especially its potential applications in waste heat recovery and solar energy utilisation. The GCC countries have many power plants, desalination units and process industries, such as aluminum extraction and refineries, which are potential sources for waste heat. It is a proven fact that vapour absorption systems are more economical when coupled with a combined heat and power (CHP) system. Also, the abundant availability of solar energy throughout the year in the region offers great opportunities to develop commercial solar energybased cooling systems in the GCC countries.

Solar energy is considered clean and the energy of the future. At present, the use of solar energy is only limited to domestic hot water and remote area light applications. However, it can be envisaged that commercial solar energybased cooling systems will certainly gain ground in this region. These positive factors have encouraged the HVAC fraternity to consider vapour absorption (VA) technology as an interesting alternative for air conditioning application in the region.

VA versus VC

Absorption refrigeration cycle is similar to vapour compression cycle in that

56

At present, the use of solar energy is only limited to domestic hot water and remote area light applications the cooling effect derives from the expansion of a refrigerant from a relatively high to a relatively low pressure. The low pressure is created by the affinity of a liquid (the absorbent solution) to draw the refrigerant gas into the solution. Instead of using an electrically driven mechanical compressor, the high pressure in the refrigerant is generated when direct heat is used to vapourise the refrigerant from the solution. There is a combination of refrigerant and absorbent in absorption refrigeration machines.

Currently, two absorbent-refrigerant systems are widely employed, namely, lithium bromide (LiBr)water (aqueous) system and water (aqueous)-ammonia system (AAR). In the first system, LiBr, a salt, is the absorbent and water is the

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

refrigerant, while in the second system, water is the absorbent and ammonia is the refrigerant. LiBr – Water system is generally used for air conditioning applications.

Is COP the sole deciding factor for AC application selection?

The coefficient of performance (COP) is a performance measuring term for cooling applications, which is defined as the amount of cooling delivered by a machine divided by the amount of energy input required to produce the cooling. The best COP is given by a Carnot engine, which is operating between given temperature conditions. Most existing cooling and refrigeration systems employ a vapour compression cycle due to its high COP. One of the

main reasons for limited applications of absorption machine for air conditioning application is its low COP. The absorption machine is a heat-operated machine, and the definition of COP for absorption machine is altogether different.

Absorption cooling is a technology that allows cooling to be produced from heat rather than from electricity. Some of the reasons for difference in COP in these two systems are: • For a conventional vapour-compression cycle, the input power is determined by the amount of mechanical work required to compress the vapour and in a heat-driven cooling cycle, the COP is determined by the amount of heat required (in the generator) and the pump work.

• No account for the heat

input in power generation has been made for a typical analysis of vapour compression cycles.

Electricity is the main input for VC machines, which is produced in power plants by using fossil fuels.

• Absorption machines can be considered as a combination of a heat engine and a refrigerating machine. Therefore, the COP of a heat-operated machine is equal to the product of the thermal efficiency of the heat engine part of the cycle and the COP of the refrigerating part of the cycle.

If an analysis is carried out taking energy units in the same heat units, losses in electric power consumption and environmental impact,

then absorption machines will be preferred for many air conditioning applications in the GCC countries. Moreover, heat energy is cheaper than electrical energy, and in many applications, heat energy is available either free, such as solar energy, or available as waste heat from another use, such as waste steam, hot water, gas or process exhaust. These low-cost energy sources can be used to drive absorption systems. This, in fact, is one of the strong points which support absorption systems to be replaced by conventional VC systems for air conditioning applications.

From an environmental point of view, absorption systems can be effectively applied for use with integrated energy systems, such as waste heat or Combined Heat and Power (CHP). It needs to be noted that these machines do not use any ozone-depleting substances.

A few of the performance characteristics of absorption systems are as follows: • The higher the heat supply temperature to the generator, the greater the COP • The higher the refrigerant evaporating temperature, the greater the COP • The lower the ambient temperature (air or water) for heat rejection, the greater the COP The efficiency of the absorption cycle can be increased by raising the operating temperature through multi-effects. VA machines are, therefore, categorised either by the number of effects, as in LiBr-

water refrigeration system, or by the number of stages, as in an Aqueous-Ammonia Refrigeration (AAR) system, to increase their COP. There are a number of commercial absorption chillers available, such as single-effect indirectfired (steam, hot water); double-effect indirect-fired; and double-effect directfired (gas and/or oil burner).

It is to be noted that the absorption system is not a reversible cycle, as there is a degree of irreversibility due to mixing of the refrigerant and the absorbent.

Absorption refrigeration cycle is similar to vapour compression cycle in that the cooling effect derives from the expansion of a refrigerant from a relatively high to a relatively low pressure A single stage or effect absorption system is not suited to use a heat source at a temperature higher than a certain point, unlike other heat-operated refrigerating machines that follow the Carnot trend. The typical operating temperature for a single-effect system is in the range of 60ºC to 80°C,

August 2012

while for a double-effect system it is 100ºC to 160°C. These ranges of operating temperatures are highly suitable for solar energy applications using different solar collector techniques.

This feature strongly supports the use of these systems in the GCC countries. The single-effect system gives best results up to a heat source of temperature of 105°C. Above this temperature, it is suggested that the doubleeffect system be used.

Single-effect absorption chillers have a single generator/concentrator and condense all vapourised refrigerants in a single condenser. Double-effect absorption chillers have two generator/concentrators and the vapourised refrigerant from the high temperature generator/concentrator is the thermal source for the low temperature generator/ concentrator, reducing the cooling requirement for the vapourised refrigerant.

Enhanced absorption systems that use double and tripleeffect generators have improved COPs of 1.2 and 1.7. The use of combined cooling cycles could be an effective solution to improve COP further.

Prospects of VA chillers in the GCC countries

One of the important potential selling points for absorption chillers is that they do not use global warming fluids, such as HCFC, or HFC refrigerant fluids found in vapour compression systems. In the present scenario of “going green”, the GCC countries are serious about implementing international

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perspective green alternative

environmental protocols.

Therefore, any technology that helps reduce environmental degradation would be encouraged. In this regard, it is significant that absorption chillers are marketed as environmentally friendly options because their power input is not primarily electricity, but a heat source. It is reported that over 360,000 gasfired absorption units with capacities below 7.5 kW have been produced in Europe and North America using the ammonia-water cycle. The world market for LiBr chillers over 300KW is around 15,000 units per year, typically in Japan, China, Korea, USA and Germany. However, the GCC countries have not witnessed its widespread use.

Following are a few of the challenges in using of VA chillers and how they can be overcome: • VA chillers have a slow response to change in air conditioning load as compared to VC chillers: It is to be noted that large commercial

58

The popularity of the absorption system has been influenced by economic conditions and breakthroughs from competing technologies or industrial chilled water or secondary refrigeration systems where conventional VC chillers are preferred also have a slow rate of change. Therefore, quickness in change in response to air condition load alone cannot be a reason while selecting VC chillers. However, in cases where change in air conditioning load is very frequent, then the use of standby electrically operated VC chillers in tandem with VA chillers

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

can be considered.

• Crystallation in LiBr

in VA chillers was a problem earlier.

However, the latest improvement in technology has made VA chillers manufacturers include features in the chiller control systems to prevent crystallation, and hence this problem has been minimised.

• Earlier, corrosion was a serious problem in VA chillers due to uninhibited LiBr solution.

This has been reduced by adding suitable inhibitors in the system and making enough allowances in the selection of tube thickness and material to take off corrosion.

• VA systems operate under high vacuum.

Close monitoring of the vacuum level during the O & M of the plant can reduce this problem.

The popularity of the absorption system has been influenced by economic conditions and breakthroughs from competing technologies. The

GCC countries are emerging as technological hubs for the world market, and therefore, encourage energy-saving products. Though the capital cost of VA chillers is higher than VC chillers, the running cost of VA chillers is lesser than that of VC chillers, the extra capital cost invested can be recovered easily.

In conclusion, the future for absorption chillers in the GCC countries appears bright because of the following favourable reasons: • Spare or waste heat available from many process industries, such as refineries • Availability of waste heat from power plants and desalination plants • Abundant availability of solar energy throughout the year • Most governments in these countries are eager to implement green building concept It can, therefore, be stated that improvement in technology makes the VA system a practical and economical option for cooling systems under the right circumstances. 

The writer is Technical Expert, Royal Court Affairs, Sultanate of Oman. He can be contacted at: mramaswamy@rca. gov.om

Optimising mechanical

room efficiency Grooved-end mechanical piping systems reduce the mechanical room footprint, enhance system performance and save time and cost on installation, says Kris Holvoet, Product Engineer at Victaulic.

C

ontrolling costs and compressing schedules without sacrificing quality are key concerns for contractors responsible for mechanical room installations. Clients look for on-time, on-budget delivery of high-quality systems that work well and are easy to maintain. Alongside these drivers, space is becoming a critical factor.

The high cost of commercial and industrial building space and its scarcity has led to a growing trend to squeeze the size of mechanical rooms. Evertighter architectural designs for new builds are putting pressure on consulting engineers and contractors to deliver reliable, costeffective HVAC solutions that keep the mechanical room footprint to a minimum.

Similar demands are being made for mechanical room retrofits within the structural constraints of older buildings.

Grooved-end mechanical piping systems address all these issues. The lighter

Grooved piping system in a typical mechanical room

weight, smaller size, yet higher integral strength of grooved components compared with welded or flanged systems, make them ideal for projects that are tight on space or where mechanical rooms are located on higher-level floors. Their ease and speed of installation offer savings on total installed costs and they also deliver

improved performance and reliability.

ELIMINATING RUBBER BELLOWS

Grooved couplings are designed with an elastomeric gasket contained inside the internal cavity of a ductile iron or stainless steel housing and secured by two nuts and bolts to create a leak-

August 2012

tight joint. This unique design gives the couplings noise- and vibration-reducing properties superior to those of traditional devices.

In traditional mechanical room set-ups, rubber bellows, or compensators, are placed in the piping system at either side of the pump to reduce noise and vibration and are sometimes used to correct

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59

perspective mechanical room installation

Get into the groove Grooved-end pipe joining, or the “grooved� concept as it is known today, was invented in 1919 when the company now known as Victaulic designed the first mechanical pipe joint to successfully use a mechanical coupling combined with grooved pipe ends to join piping systems. Since being made commercially available in 1925 it has become a preferred joining method on many piping applications.

A mechanical joint comprises four elements: grooved pipe, a gasket, a coupling housing, and nuts and bolts.

The pipe groove is made by cold forming or machining a groove into the end of a pipe. The key section of the coupling housing engages the groove and the bolts and nuts are tightened with a socket wrench or impact wrench and hold the housing segments together. In the installed state, the coupling housing segments encase the gasket and engage the grooves around the circumference of the pipe to create a leak-tight seal in a self-restrained pipe joint.

Couplings provide the convenience of a union at every joint and fall into two categories: flexible and rigid. Both provide the security of full circumferential engagement of the coupling into the groove for high pressure and end load performance. Rigidity is achieved with rigid couplings.

The unique angled pad design provides positive clamping of the pipe to resist torsional and flexural loads.

Flexible couplings allow controlled angular, linear and rotational movement, which accommodates pipeline deflection as well as thermal expansion and contraction.

Installing three grooved flexible couplings on each side of a pump eliminates the need for costly, bulky flanged units and avoids the use of rubber bellows

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misalignment between welded pipe and equipment, placing the rubber under intense stress in a certain plane. Not only do they take up valuable plantroom space, but rubber bellows are also considered the weakest point of an installation and the first component that is likely to fail, as general wear and tear, along with exposure to UV light in the mechanical room, causes the rubber to erode. They also require ongoing maintenance: as bolts gradually slacken and the system starts to weep, the bolts need to be tightened regularly. With a best life expectancy of 10 years, rubber bellows may need to be replaced several

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

A suction diffuser enables pipework to be connected closer to the pump, permitting a smaller mechanical room footprint.

A suction diffuser enables pipework to be connected closer to the pump, permitting a smaller mechanical room footprint.

times within the life of the system, which involves system downtime plus the cost of a new unit. Failure of the rubber bellows can be sudden and unpredictable, causing serious health and safety risks if, for example, the rubber splits and water escapes.

Installing three grooved flexible couplings on each side of a pump solves these

problems. It eliminates the need for costly, bulky flanged units and avoids the use of rubber bellows.

The coupling construction enables the gasket to seal against the pipe, while the metal housing provides both space for the resilient elastomeric material to flex, and containment to prevent overstretching. This creates a discontinuity similar to that of a rubber compensator.

Additionally, ductile iron and stainless steel both have their own vibration dampening qualities, so the external housing also serves to absorb sound, thereby protecting equipment and enhancing the life time of the system.

A further advantage is removing the need for tie rods or the type of bracketry required to support pipework on top of and beneath bellows which increases time, labour and material costs. Special bracketry must either be prefabricated or fabricated on site and can account for around two

thirds of the cost of installing a metre of pipe. Installations with flexible grooved couplings avoid these issues as they only require conventional brackets.

Three flexible couplings can be used not only with pumps but also with chiller units, cooling towers and any equipment with an engine that causes vibration. The use of additional grooved couplings – whether flexible or rigid – in the distribution lines will further reduce the transmission of vibration.

By combining versatility with durability, the method provides a low-maintenance solution that saves space and delivers both practical and commercial benefits throughout the life of the system.

AVOIDING MISALIGNMENT

In addition to noise and vibration attenuation, grooved couplings allow for alignment ease in a pump installation. The pipe and system components can be fully rotated before tightening, without creating stress on the pump flange or equipment connection.

Flexible couplings also help to accommodate slight deviation that might be caused if pipework has not been prefabricated to exact dimensions – something which is more difficult to achieve with a welded or flanged system.

IMPROVING PUMP EFFICIENCY

Cavitation is a problem frequently experienced, especially where space is limited. When turbulent water enters a pump chamber and the suction eye of a pump impeller, the degree

A contractor’s view

Where a bend is connected directly onto the pump suction, the water flow may spin in opposite directions within the eye of the impeller. Pump energy then has to be spent correcting this action before producing the expected performance of turbulence has a direct correlation with lower pump efficiency and greater hydraulic noise within the pump casing. To reduce the effects of turbulence before the water enters the centrifugal action of the pump impeller, suction pipes are typically kept as long and straight as possible before the connection onto the pump flange. Yet creating long lengths of pipe does not sit well with modern design trends which aim to keep mechanical rooms simple and compact.

Where a bend is connected directly onto the pump suction, the water flow may spin in opposite directions within the eye of the impeller. Pump energy, then, has to be spent correcting

Briggs & Forrester MEP Division used the grooved system

by Victaulic on the refurbishment of a large hotel in the UK where the building posed huge structural constraints and jobsite access problems. The project included a subbasement mechanical room where the chillers and boilers were located. Vertical risers ran to mechanical rooms on the ground and first floors, and on the 11th floor another plantroom housed dry air coolers to supply the chillers with condenser water. “It was an extremely complex project with massive co-ordination issues to get things to fit within the available space,” said Bill Teasdale, Contracts Director at Briggs & Forrester MEP Division.

Installers needed to work in confined spaces and the contractor had to be able to change things quickly as the project developed.

Briggs & Forrester used no rubber bellows and no strainers around pumps and chillers but used flexible couplings and suction diffusers instead. Teasdale commented: “It made things much more compact and functional and it was easier to deal with single-source equipment rather than multiple manufacturers. Suction diffusers are a very good product which, during the commissioning process, really helped to keep flows through the pumps in straight lines rather than having cavitation issues that we normally experience in tight plantroom installations. Being able to close-couple valves made a huge difference and cut down time and labour. We directly employ a lot of our labour. So, having an opportunity to control costs is of major importance to our business.”

The Briggs & Forrester design team produced 3-D drawings of the risers and all the mechanical rooms and gave them to the Victaulic Construction Piping Services (CPS) department. CPS drew up a bill of materials, sectioned off the job and used its “bag and tag” method to deliver everything as and when required for each section. “The Victaulic take-offs system worked very well. It’s definitely a system we’d want to use again. We may use the full CPS project management service on future projects.”

this action before producing the expected performance.

Inevitably, both flow and pressure measurements will be less than those expected at the design stage. A simple alternative is to fit a type of strainer called a suction diffuser. A suction diffuser straightens out the spinning fluid created by the change in direction (bend) and enables pipework to be connected

August 2012

closer to the pump at a 90-degree angle. Eliminating long pipe runs, elbows and reducers makes for a smaller mechanical room footprint and optimum pump performance.

Designing mechanical rooms with grooved valves achieves similar space savings. Traditionally, check valves and butterfly valves need a spool piece between

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perspective mechanical room installation

The grooved system lends itself to prefabrication, since pipes can be cut and grooved offsite and valves fitted to pump assemblies ready for final assembly in the field as needed them to avoid damage to the valves. Having grooved check valves, close-coupled to grooved butterfly valves, eliminates the use of flanged spool pieces on the pump dressings and cuts out the need for flange adapters.

Again, this reduces the mechanical room footprint.

But space saving is not the only advantage: there are cost benefits too. When it comes to installation, avoiding an extra spool between valves means the job is completed more quickly so labour costs are reduced.

CUTTING LABOUR RISK

Driving down costs is a key objective for contractors.

Whilst material costs are relatively easy to fix, labour costs are more volatile, leaving contractors open to significant labour risk on project costings. The grooved mechanical system reduces that risk by a large factor and competes favourably on

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the potential for accidents.

TIME SAVINGS

Butterfly valve

total installed costs because a larger proportion of the total costs are fixed. When other joining methods are used, typically 70% of costs are subject to variation, making it difficult to estimate, which means a greater risk to the project budget. A grooved mechanical system with a quick and simple joining method and no need for jobsite preparation offers considerable cost-saving opportunities on installation.

Time spent on the jobsite is a critical cost factor, leading contractors to prefabricate as much as possible offsite.

Prefabrication offers major productivity gains and labour efficiencies – especially when there is limited space on site. Creating a controlled working environment enables the optimum organisation of work and utilisation of skills, facilitating the highest standard of workmanship and reducing material waste.

The grooved system lends itself to prefabrication, since pipes can be cut and grooved offsite and valves fitted to pump assemblies ready for final assembly in the field as needed. Working in such a way avoids the risk of loss or damage to components on the jobsite, whilst reduced material handling lowers

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

Ease and speed of installation are key benefits of grooved mechanical room installations, since just two nuts and bolts are needed to form a secure joint. Compared with the multiple nuts and bolts on a flanged strainer, depending on size, suction diffusers are up to three times faster to install. Once installed, the grooved system provides for quality control through visual confirmation of proper installation. Metal-to-metal bolt pad connection indicates that the joint is properly made and avoids timeconsuming X-ray tests.

A system that uses grooved pipe-joining technology can be flushed out and cleaned in a fraction of the time needed for a system joined by other methods. When pieces of equipment need to be disconnected from the system – for instance, to avoid flushing dirty water through a chiller – this can be done quickly and simply.

A temporary by-pass around a chiller that might take several days on a welded system can be avoided with the grooved system and the task completed in a few hours. When it comes to cleaning filters and strainers after flushing, access is much quicker and easier through the loosening of two nuts and bolts and the way the filter is positioned in the strainer makes is easy to extract. Modifications to pipework which may be required at any stage during

the project can be completed with similar ease. Tasks such as changing out a filter or replacing a pump can be done in minutes rather than hours.

CONCLUSION

Switching from welded and flanged specifications to the grooved method for mechanical room installations can make a big difference to the success of a project. And its use is becoming more widespread.

Because manufacturers of pumps and some other types of equipment have come to realise the advantages of grooved technology, many now offer a grooved outlet as a standard option.

Not only does it make for easier product testing in the factory, but manufacturers know that having a grooved connection reduces the likelihood of additional forces on the equipment that could damage it.

Engineers, contractors and owners all stand to gain from grooved systems.

Design engineers can realise space savings; contractors can make time and cost savings to achieve on-time, on-budget hand-over to the client; and owners get an efficient, reliable system which is easy to maintain. 

The writer is Product Engineer at Victaulic.

perspective

Poor standards

BUILDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Maintaining

Michael Scriven, who stresses the need for regular specialist maintenance of building management systems, believes that it is a message that is not getting through. He, therefore, poses vital questions on the subject not many seem to ask, and answers them.

I

s your building being run into the ground?

Do you know if your building management system (BMS) is operating correctly, being maintained correctly and giving you energy savings envisaged? To answer these questions, you need to look at the maintenance regimen for your building management systems.

Though there is a definite increase in the

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Climate ClimateControl ControlMiddle MiddleEast East July August 2012 2012

number of building owners and facilities management (FM) companies that are now taking out BMS maintenance contracts, unfortunately, many such contracts fail to deliver an adequate level of service, and all too often, the provider is not a building controls expert. In addition, there are still an alarming number of systems that are not being maintained at all. In fact, less that 10% of buildings with BMS installed within the UAE are maintained by a specialist contractor, and if maintained at all, only by an untrained technician, who is only a glorified system operator, and not giving the specialist maintenance needed that can actually save operating costs.

Energy efficiency is now well understood as a sound business practice – after all, energy represents the single fastest-growing operating cost in businesses today.

So, why are there, so many building owners and business

Remote provision of services is, in fact, a core element of the BMS system, so the specialist contractor can continuously monitor a customer’s site and system operators, blinkered by the fact that their FM company is shortchanging them by allowing sub-standard maintenance practices, is the moot question. This is evidently affecting the bottom line and profitability of every

Modern offices and residential towers in Dubai

business. Yet, not many seem to care.

It needs to be remembered that there is much more to building controls maintenance than just dealing with breakdowns, which tend, in any case, to be relatively rare, owing to the reliability of modern equipment. For instance, there is frequently a need to re-optimise BMS performance because of periodic changes to a building’s layout, usage or occupancy patterns. Quality of control will also gradually deteriorate due to factors such as loss of sensor accuracy and unnecessary system overrides, which again shows the necessity of a pro-active service regimen. Without one, the building user will usually face higher energy bills and poorer comfort conditions.

I believe that specialist

tools are available to its manufacturers and specialist authorised contractors. These allow a range of system checks to be performed very rapidly, and in some instances, without a site visit. Remote provision of services is, in fact, a core element of the BMS system, so the specialist contractor can continuously monitor a customer’s site and system, and where necessary, make appropriate control adjustments.

There are, of course, some maintenance tasks that can only be done on site. In addition, a physical tour of inspection will allow the trained eye to spot potential problems that might otherwise go unnoticed. Consequently, regular visits are still a must.

Those who only opt for emergency breakdown cover are probably unaware of this

A physical tour of inspection will allow the trained eye to spot potential problems that might otherwise go unnoticed fact. It is also clear that not everyone appreciates that BMS maintenance is a job best left to the specialists.

Although manufacturers and controls contractors still carry out service and maintenance work, a significant and apparently a

August 2012

growing proportion, is being done by non-specialists. Most are general maintenance companies, which inevitably lack an in-depth knowledge of BMS technology. The rest are largely “cowboys” who claim to be controls experts, but are anything but. Generally, neither of these groups will have access to the latest service tools or have the knowledge on how to reduce energy consumption via better control of the services.

Unfortunately, there is a prevalence of the mindset to try to save AED 20,000 in maintenance charges, which impacts the energy bill payer by over 10 times, and more in increased energy usage. So, the question to be asked is: Where’s the saving?

FM companies and in-house engineering teams need to realise that a technician operating the BMS is good practice, but not the specialist maintenance, which is what is needed.

When a BMS performs as it is supposed to, it can make considerable savings on energy and other costs, as well as ensuring consistently comfortable conditions for a building’s occupants. But for this to happen, it needs to be maintained regularly. 

The writer is Business Development Manager, Optima International.

He can be contacted at: michael@optimain.ae.

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perspective Air coolers

Air throw

– theoretical representation and practical reality Arguing that the air throws indicated in the data sheets of manufacturers are based on an ideal situation, often not achieved in practice, Güntner’s Know-How Team demonstrates through a presentation prepared by them how the air throw of air coolers is influenced by the spatial geometry and by air cooling.

SUMMARY

The air throw of an air cooler is the distance to the air cooler where a minimum air speed of 0.5 m/s can be measured in the centre of the penetrating air current.

The indications in the manufacturer’s data sheets are based on measurements at ideal conditions and do not take into consideration the influence of spatial geometry and of the temperature of the ingoing air.

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The air throws indicated in the data sheets are often not achieved in practice, because low ceiling height reduces the air throw or because the temperature difference between the ingoing air jet and the air in the room causes premature flow separation at the ceiling.

Based on theoretical calculations and laboratory measurements, we have developed a model for calculation that allows determining the depth of penetration of the air jet

Climate Control Middle East August 2012

for each specific room individually. Here, the influences of the spatial geometry are considered, as well as the influences of low temperature of the incoming air.

For measuring the air throw in a room, the measuring technology has to satisfy very high requirements. In our laboratory measurements, we have recorded with state-of-the-art measuring methods the velocity and the direction of air flow in every measuring point and have transferred this data in a flow model.

In the presentation we will show how the spatial geometry and air cooling influences the air throw of air coolers and give a comparison of the measurements with the results of our calculation model.

Key words: air throw, spatial geometry, air cooling, Coanda effect, depth of penetration

For planning a cold room, customers need data for the penetration depth of the air cooler’s air jet. The penetration depth is in general described as air throw of the air cooler INTRODUCTION

For planning a cold room, customers need data for the penetration depth of the air cooler’s air jet. The penetration depth is, in general, described as air throw of the air cooler. The manufacturer’s indications about the air throw are based on measurements and theoretical calculations at ideal conditions in large rooms (the room is larger than the air throw,

isothermal air circulation without cooling, no installation parts disturbing the air flow).

The arrangement of the coolers, the spatial geometry, the air cooling and the installations in the cold room cannot be considered in the manufacturer’s data sheets, because the specific data of the rooms is not known.

The air throw data indicated in the data sheets are, thus, only reference values that have to be adapted for the specific cold room. In many planning projects, however, these values are adopted without correction; this leads in consequence to the fact that the planned air throw of the air jet is not achieved in the cold rooms.

For estimating the air throw that is effectively achieved in practice, a detailed knowledge of the room’s geometry, the temperatures and a high degree of experience are required.

For achieving a higher planning reliability for estimating the air throw, we have created a calculation model that takes into consideration the influences of the Coanda effects, the air cooling and the spatial geometry.

With this calculation programme, it is possible to determine approximately the penetration depth of the air jet for each air cooler for a defined room.

the spatial geometry.

1.2 Measurement of the air flow Measurements of the air flow in the penetrating air jet with indication of the air velocity and direction.

Visualisation of measurement results 1.3 Comparison of measurement results Comparison of measurement results with theoretical calculations of the new calculation model.

1.4 Objective Creating a calculation

programme that allows determining the air throw of the air coolers for different rooms during planning.

Here the influences of cooler arrangement, air cooling and spatial geometry shall be taken into consideration.

2. Air throw and state of the art

2.1 How the air throw of an air cooler is defined.

According to the current definition, the air throw of an air cooler is the distance between the air cooler and the furthest away point, where an air flow velocity of

Figure 1: Definition of the air throw of an air cooler

Figure 2: Measurement of air throw with previously used procedures

2.2 Previous measurements of the air throw For determining the air throw, the air cooler is installed on a plane surface (on the floor or below the ceiling). The fan of the air cooler is turned on and the boundary layer of the air flow is determined at a minimum velocity of 0.5 m/s.

For achieving the length of the possible air throw, the measurements are carried out in rooms that are in any case longer than the possible air throw. In these mostly high and broad rooms, the air flow is from experience rarely influenced by back-flowing air. Cooling of the air is not taken into consideration. The thus determined air throw is the maximum attainable air throw according to the draft 328 by the VDI (Association of German Engineers).

The measurements are, in general, carried out with measurement instruments that only record the velocity, but not the air flow direction.

These measurements give reference values for the possible penetration depth of the air jet, but they are very theoretical and often do not give practice-relevant information for a cold room (see Figure 2).

2.3 Why the air flow velocity is often not achieved in practice?

In practice, cold rooms have very different designs: • The air flow is disturbed by racks, installed components, lamps or girders below the ceiling.

• Depending on the design, the air is often cooled down in the air cooler

1. Task and objective

1.1 Task Creation of a calculation program for spread of the air jet in a defined room in consideration of the Coanda effects, the air cooling and

0.5 m/s can be measured in the penetrating air jet (see Figure 1)

Figure 3: Influence of the Coanda surface effect

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perspective Air coolers by 2 K to 5 K, and prematurely reaches the point of flow separation at the ceiling. • The penetrating air jet is influenced by backflowing air that is caused by a low ceiling height or by installed components in the room.

3. Creation of the calculation model

For the calculation model, the following was required: Calculation of the spread of the air jet in a pre-defined room is achieved by taking into consideration the Coanda effects, air cooling and the spatial geometry.

3.1 Influence of the Coanda surface effect The Coanda surface effect occurs if a unit is installed close to a plane surface, for example, in a cold room below the ceiling. The air flow streams close to the plane surface and does not spread conically, but semi-conically. This effect increases the air throw by up to 40% (see Figure 3). If the air coolers are not placed directly below the ceiling, the Coanda surface effect can only be achieved in part or not at all.

3.2 Influence of the Coanda parallel flow effect If several air coolers are mounted close to one another, the penetrating air flow of the individual fans flows together. This effect increases the air throw by 10 to 20% (see Figure 4).

3.3 Influence of air cooling Besides the influence of the Coanda effect, also the influence of air cooling will be considered in the

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These measurements give reference values for the possible penetration depth of the air jet, but they are very theoretical and often do not give practice-relevant information for a cold room

calculation model. Compared to isothermal air circulation, the separation point of the air jet at the ceiling occurs prematurely with cooled air.

After the separation point, the semi-conical air jet at the ceiling becomes an almost conical free air jet (see figure 5). Especially at distances over 40 m, the air throw can decrease by up to 25% due to air cooling (see Figure 6).

3.4 Influence of the spatial geometry The cross-section of the room in longitudinal direction of the air flow has influence on the penetration depth of the air jet. The penetrating air jet spreads in an ellipse below the ceiling and is influenced at increasing distance by the back-flowing air, especially in the case of small room cross-sections.

The calculations have led approximately to the following result: If the cross-section of the incoming air jet achieves approximately 40% of the room cross-section, the air flow is disturbed by the

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Figure 4: Influence of the Coanda parallel flow effect: In the calculation model both Coanda effects shall be taken into consideration for calculating the spread of an air jet

Figure 5: Consideration of Coanda effects and air cooling in air spread calculation of air throw

Figure 6: Influence of air cooling on air throw with a defined air cooler.

The calculation programme considers the temperature of the incoming air compared to the ambient air in the room and calculates the separation point x of the planar air jet at the ceiling and the effectively achievable air throw. back-flowing air and the air changes its direction and flows back (see Fig. 7).

The height of the room has influence on the penetration depth of the air jet.

Separation point X If the separation point X

of the planar air jet at the ceiling is attained, the free jet, that forms subsequently, still has an effective penetration depth of once or twice the ceiling height (see Figure 8).

Primary vortex: The driving force for

Figure 7 Room cross-section in air direction

With the calculation model, the form of spread of the incoming air flow is calculated approximately as semi-circle and not as ellipse.

Comparative measurements have shown that with this procedure sufficiently precise results are achieved.

Figure 8: Separation point X and effective penetration depth

Figure 9: Effective length of primary vortex

The maximum extension of the primary vortex is according to today’s experience at approx. 3 – 4.5-times the ceiling height, after this, secondary vortices occur.

The driving force for the primary vortex is the penetrating air.

The flow energy that is contained in the air jet is dissipated by aspirating ambient air from the room and mixing it with the air jet (induction) the primary vortex is the penetrating air. The flow energy that is contained in the air jet is dissipated by aspirating ambient air from the room and mixing it with the air jet (induction).

This means that the air jet increases its air volume on its passage through the room and, thus, its velocity decreases, while the different temperatures equalise (see Figure 9).

Primary and secondary vortex:

Figure 10: Primary and secondary vortex

Figure 11: Measuring sensor of the 3D measuring system

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If the relation of the room length to the ceiling height is larger than 4.5: 1, a perfect air flow through the cold room by primary vortex is not possible (see Figure 10).

3.5 Summary With the calculation model, the penetration depth of the air flow in a room can be determined individually.

For calculation, the following is taken into consideration • the Coanda effects, • air cooling • The spatial geometry.

4. Measuring the air throw with a 3D measuring system When measuring the air throw, it is important to consider, besides the air velocity, also the air direction. Common measuring instruments, for example, revolving vane anemometers or thermal anemometers are not suitable for this. Both measuring methods record only the air velocity and do not give any information about primary or secondary vortices or turbulences in the air flow.

For our measurements

we have used a new 3D measuring system. This 3D measuring sensor (see Figure 11) is a ball with openings in different places. This complex measuring sensor records smallest air velocities as well as their direction of flow. With a computer model a three-dimensional

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perspective Air coolers

Figure 12: Three-dimensional graphics of air flow

Figure 13: Comparison measurement / calculation

The Coanda surface effect occurs if a unit is installed close to a plane surface, for example, in a cold room below the ceiling. The air flow streams close to the plane surface and does not spread conically, but semiconically graphics of the air flow of the penetrating air jet can be created (see Figure 12).

A clear distinction of primary and secondary air flow is thus possible.

5. Comparison of measuring results with calculations

Figure 14: Comparison measurements/calculations

Measurement: Semi-ellipse - 10.4m2

Calculation: Semi-circle - 10.6m2

Figure 15: Comparison measurements / calculations

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5.1 Comparative measurements of Coanda effects First comparative measurements show a good consistency between the calculated data from the new calculation programme and the measured data from the 3D measuring system.

The influence of the Coanda surface effect is sufficiently well recorded by the calculation program (see figure 13).

The Coanda parallel air flow effect is sufficiently well represented (see Figure 14).

5.2 Comparative measurements of the air flow profile The air flow profile has been measured at 5 m distance and at 16 m distance. The

discrepancy between the measured surface (semiellipse) and the calculated surface (semi-circle) is very small. Also, in this point the calculation model is sufficiently precise.

5.3 Summary The developed calculation model gives reliable reference values for determining the effective penetration depth of the air jet in a defined room.

The Coanda effects as well as the air cooling and the spatial geometry have in part a considerable influence on the penetration depth of the air flow and the air throw of the air cooler. All above-mentioned factors are recorded in the calculation programme and their influence is, according to our current experiences, calculated sufficiently precisely.

5.4 Outlook For determining the accuracy of the calculation model, further measurements have to be made. These measurements, however, should not only be executed in a laboratory but also in practice. 

Reference list

• Recknagel Sprenger

• •

Schramek, Taschenbuch für Heizung und Klimatechnik 03/04 (pocket guide for heating and air conditioning 03/04) Draft ENV 328 Systemair@com: Theory air conditions The paper has been prepared by the Güntner Know-How Team. It can be contacted at www. guentner.eu.