Sustainability
Aircuity
DriTherm
When media is transported at non-ambient temperatures, as with chilled water or heating hot water, it is necessary to insulate the piping to prevent heat loss (or heat gain, in the case of chilled water).
Historically, it has been very difficult to provide an insulation system that is effective underground. The insulation materials are not environmentally friendly, the potential for moisture ingress often dictates cathodic protection to preserve the pipe, and there is much transportation of the component parts around the country as they are shipped to be preinsulated, then shipped to the construction site.
The George Yardley Company has a green solution to this problem! For over 40 years, DriTherm International has provided a field-applied underground insulation and corrosion protection product designed for below grade applications. You can’t get more natural: DriTherm is over 95% calcium carbonate (CaCO3)[1], which composes 10-15% of earth’s rocks[2].
Normally, “going green” involves a negative cost impact, but DriTherm can reduce preinsulated piping cost by up to 40%. With a self-compacting product, DriTherm provides a low-labor, cost-effective, environmentally friendly solution.
[1] Dritherm’s calcium carbonate is derived from limestone: other varieties of calcium carbonate include calcite, aragonite, vaterite, chalk, oolites, pisoliths, travertine, marble, sea shells, and even pearls!
[2] “Carbonate rocks (limestone and dolomites) total 10-15% of the sedimentary column…” Harvey Blatt, Sedimentary Petrology (New York: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1982), p. 241
Phoenix Controls
Phoenix Controls systems are designed to optimize energy savings. A noted energy consumer is the chemical fume hood, a device which operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Most institutions operate their chemical fume hoods with a capture velocity of 100 linear feet per minute (F/M or FPM). A 6-foot-wide chemical fume hood usually has a 30-inch high sash opening and 6-inch-wide side posts. This makes for a 12.5 square foot opening (5 feet wide by 2.5 feet high), and a nominal flow of 1250 CFM or Ft3/Minute (12.5 Ft2 x 100 F/M = 1250 Ft3/Minute).
With its ±5% of signal accuracy; high turndown capability (up to 20:1); and 1-second response time, the Phoenix Controls system can safely and effectively control fume hoods with a 10:1 turndown (e.g., 1250 CFM down to 125 CFM). The fume hood cited above will still have over 100 air changes per hour in its fume hood chamber, and the energy savings are dramatic. As an added benefit, the fume hood monitoring system provided by Phoenix Controls is unparalleled, and monitors the fume hood effectively, providing alarms when necessary and avoiding nuisance alarms. On a recent project that has been in service for over 15 years, all 70 Phoenix Controls fume hood monitors were still accurately and safely monitoring their fume hoods, while less than 5 of 70 fume hood monitors on nearby constant-volume hoods were working.
The same features that optimize chemical fume hoods can be used to optimize other critical-control spaces. When used in conjunction with Aircuity OptiNet, Phoenix Controls systems can greatly decrease the flow levels in laboratories, hospitals, and other critical environments due to the high accuracy and high turndown of the Phoenix Controls equipment.
LJ Wing
Heat rises. More accurately, warm air rises because it has lower density than cool air. Because of this phenomenon, tall structures, like airplane hangars, can have stratification of up to 1° F per foot of rise. This can mean that to maintain 55° F on the floor of a 110-foot-high hangar, you would need to maintain 165° F in the ceiling trusses.
L.J. Wing invented their high-level circulators to take warm, buoyant from the trusses and effectively throw it back down to the floor with sufficient (but not excessive) velocity. High level circulators are available with a variety of revolving discharges to insure a uniform temperature on the work floor.