Presentation:

September 2008 Meeting Recap:

By Jonathan W. Driskill, P.E.; C.E.M.; G.B.E.

CTTC Chair; ET Chapter ASHRAE

SEPT 08: Our September meeting was well attended even a week earlier than normal with over 50 present.

Our Speaker, Terry Townsend was well received, with his presentation on: “How ASHRAE is Meeting the Challenge of an Independent & Sustainable Future”.  Terry provided updates on a number of programs and initiatives within ASHRAE aimed at helping the industry achieve the goal of Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) by 2030. 

• Advanced Energy Design Guides are currently available for several types of new buildings achieving a 30% improvement over 90.1 Requirements.

• 50% Guides are under development along with guides for existing buildings.

• Current ASHRAE Standards, Publications, and Education programs are being updated/revised to support ASHRAE’s promise of a Sustainable Future.

• Standards 90.1 -2010, 189.1P, and 191P are code intended.

• Updated/ New Green Guides coming – Buildings  2^nd Edition and Refrigerated Storage Systems.

• Design Guides looking at Hot and Humid Climates, District Heating and Cooling Systems, and Advanced Thermal Storage Systems for Heating and Cooling under development.

• A healthcare sustainability Standard 189.2 (code intended) is coming.

ASHRAE has rolled out Certification programs for Healthcare Facility Design Professional, High Performance Building Design Professional with programs for Operations and Performance Management Professional and Building Systems Commissioning being developed.  Terry discussed the grant from the Environmental Protection Agency that has ASHRAE working on a Design Guide to Improve Building IAQ which will also be the subject of the Spring Satellite Broadcast.  Terry also briefly discussed the ASHRAE Building Labeling program which is under development.  ASHRAE is working to provide the tools and information that design and construction professionals need, building performance metrics and protocols,  in order to be able to achieve the goal of Net Zero Energy Buildings by 2030.  In December 2007 it was estimated that 62% of existing U.S. Commercial Buildings could become Net Zero Energy Buildings with current technology and design practices.  A copy of Terry Townsend’s PowerPoint presentation will be available for review at the chapter website. Everyone is encouraged to go to the ASHRAE website, register and download the current Advanced Energy Design Guides and continue to visit often as new publications and programs become available.

Terry has made his PowerPoint presentation for our chapter members.  CLICK HERE to download a copy of Terry's presentation.   

Presentation:

Terry Townsend, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE

2006-07, President

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating

and Air-Conditioning Engineers

Terry E. Townsend, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, is president, Townsend Engineering Inc., Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Panama City, Florida. In 2006-07, he served as president of ASHRAE, where he focused the Society’s efforts on The ASHRAE Promise: A Sustainable Future, highlighting ASHRAE’s work in sustainability in the building environment. His achievements as president include launching ASHRAE’s first ever certification program, accelerating and expanding the Advanced Energy Design Guide series, setting more stringent savings for ASHRAE’s energy standard, and proving resources on how ASHRAE can minimize the impact of its meetings on the environment.

May 2008 Meeting Recap:

By Jonathan W. Driskill, P.E.; C.E.M.; G.B.E.

CTTC Chair; ET Chapter ASHRAE

May 08 -  We ended our 2007 -2008 Program Year with a presentation from Steve McDaniel, from the Knox County Department of Air Quality Management.  Mr McDaniel came to discuss the Air Permit requirements in Knox County.  There was an impression that air permitting rules had recently changed but according to Steve, that’s not the case.  The current permit requirements have been on the books for several years just everyone may not be aware of them.  According to Steve all potential commercial air contaminant sources need to be reviewed and permitted by his office i.e. boilers, furnaces, water heaters, standby generators, etc.   Generally, water heaters and units below 5 Million Btu/Hr Input will be exempted but it is preferred that ALL Contaminant Sources for a Facility be listed on the Permit application so that the Air Quality Management office is aware of what is in the facility even if it is exempted from monitoring.  Permitting needs to be requested during the project design phase once the equipment has been determined so that a construction permit, for the source, can be issued and the construction monitored by the Air Quality Management Office. Once construction is completed, an operating permit for the source must be requested by the source owner and granted for the source to be operated.  The Air Quality Management Office will even assist in calculating the data required for the air permit.  The size of the potential pollution source will determine if pollution control equipment will have to be installed.  These requirements and questions/answers can be determined during the permitting process before the actual construction begins. Consequently it’s important to involve the Air Quality Management Office and the Owner early in the project to prevent surprises down the road.   Once constructed and permitted the contaminant source will be subject to monitoring by the Air Quality Management Office. Mr. McDaniels presentation was informative and well received by those in attendance.

Presentation:

Our May meeting is scheduled for 21 May 2008.  Speaker Steve McDaniel holds a B.S in Civil Engineering and an M.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  He has worked in the air pollution arena since 1980 and is currently employed by the Knox County Department of Air Quality Management, where he manages permitting and compliance and enforcement activities.

April 2008 Meeting Recap:

By Jonathan W. Driskill, P.E.; C.E.M.; G.B.E.

CTTC Chair; ET Chapter ASHRAE

Apr 08 -  Like Last year our April  program was hosted at Trane Knoxville’s Middlebrook Pike location to help us accommodate viewing the ASHRAE CTTC Spring Satellite Broadcast.  Thank you to our friends at Trane for being so accommodating.   Our April program was presented by Verne John, Sales Training Manager, Daikin AC.  Verne’s presentation was based on Daikin’s use of variable Refrigerant Flow/Volume Technology.  Inverter-Driven compressors combined with digital controls are used to vary the amount of refrigerant flowing to that amount needed to meet the sensed load.  This technology allows direct expansion (DX) equipment to be used in applications typically reserved only for hydronic systems.  Instead of being just air conditioning only or heat pumps units, this technology allows DX equipment to be used in a heat recovery type operation with multiple zones with the ability to provide heating and cooling to separate areas at the same time.  Each Zone can have its own thermostatic control.  A single condensing unit can support up to 20 indoor units of varying capacities even in multi story buildings.  This technology greatly expands the uses for DX equipment and allows for improved cool weather performance by increasing the amount of heat that can be produced without the use of electric heating elements greatly enhancing the potential energy savings available.  There are limitations that must be adheared to achieve proper system performance but the uses of DX equipment have been greatly expanded with this technology.  Verne’s presentation was well received by most who attended. 

Following Verne’s presentation our Chapter hosted the ASHRAE CTTC Spring Satellite Broadcast – “Integrated Building Design: Bringing the Pieces Together to unleash the Power of Teamwork”.   Integrated Building Design (IBD) is not so much a “procedure” as it is a “process”.   With today’s demands for Green, Sustainable, Zero Energy buildings it takes a team effort where all the team members know what the desired outcome is and everyone works to make it happen.  This requires communication and discussion between all parties at all times so that no one is working in a vacuum.  Everyone must be aware of any and all decisions, design changes, etc and how they ultimately impact the project.  This process begins at project inception and ultimately doesn’t end until the building ceases to exist.  How the building/project will operate and function over it’s lifetime is totally dependent upon how it is designed, built, and commissioned.     Everyone from the Owner, Maintenance personnel, Designers/Engineers, Contractor, Landscaper, etc has an important role to play in developing a project/building that is truly Green, Sustainable, and ultimately a Net Zero Energy Consumer. 

Anyone who attended the broadcast needs to make sure they go to the ASHRAE website and complete ASHRAE’s Participant Reaction Form in order to receive their PDH Certificate.  

Presentation:

Our April Meeting is scheduled for 16 April 2008.  Speaker Verne John is provided by Daikin courtesy of Hobbs and Associates.  The topic is to be “Daikin’s Variable Refrigerant Volume Technology”. 

Speaker Information:

Verne John, has been working in the HVAC industry for more than 25 years. Starting out in the sheet metal trade, he attended technical college studying HVAC and Refrigeration in the mid 1980s working in the service industry both as a technician and a licensed contractor following graduation. His career covered low temp refrigeration, facilities maintenance, and independent contracting working with refrigeration, commercial air conditioning and residential service and installation.

Before joining Daikin, he spent 7 years as Training Manager & Technical Service Advisor for a regional HVAC distributor with 32 locations in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana developing and providing training for contractors and store personal. He currently lives with his wife in southeastern Texas. Verne holds a bachelors degree in Business Management from Letourneau University, a Certificate of Competency in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration from Houston Community College and he holds a current Air Conditioning & Refrigeration license for the state of Texas.

March 2008 Meeting Recap:

By Jonathan W. Driskill, P.E.; C.E.M.; G.B.E.

CTTC Chair; ET Chapter ASHRAE

March 08 – Our March Program was a presentation by Trane’s Jeffrey Moe, VP and Chairman of their Global Environmental Council.  Mr Moe provided an update on the current progress regarding the phase out of refrigerants as dictated by the Montreal Protocol.  When signed, the emphasis was on the Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of refrigerants in use. The focus has now shifted to include the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of Refrigerants which is causing the refrigerant manufacturers to scramble to find new refrigerants with performance equal or better than today’s refrigerants that can be manufactured economically and that won’t cause a significant change in the design of today’s refrigeration equipment used for comfort conditioning.  It was also interesting that Mr. Moe pointed out that some refrigerants affected by the Montreal Protocol are also used as a base to manufacture something else.  This use as a manufacturing base is not subject to the phase out timelines of the Montreal Protocol.  Consequently, these refrigerants could be available for resupply of existing systems even after their phase out date for use in new products.  Overall it was an interesting and informative presentation well received by those in attendance    

Presentation:

Our March Meeting is scheduled for 19 March 2008.  Our Speaker will be Jeffry Moe, Trane’s Vice President and Chairman for their global Environmental Policy Council and he is a voting member on ASHRAE’s TRG4, Sustainable Building Guidance & Metrics.  Jeffry will discuss the latest updates on the “Montreal Protocol”.

Speaker Information:

Jeffrey (Jeff) Moe is Vice President & Chairman for Trane’s global environmental policy council. He has more than 20 years of experience in various marketing and product management positions in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry.  His current responsibilities also include leading Trane’s R-22 transition strategy.

Until recently, Jeff served as the program director for Trane’s environmental policy council.  Prior to that role, he served as marketing director for Trane’s Commercial Unitary and Packaged Terminal products for North and South America with responsibility for delivering volume and margin goals to the business. Beginning in 1998, he spent three years as the global product manager for Commercial Unitary products, based in Epinal, France. In this role, he was responsible for the development of the business’ global product management and planning processes, which included monitoring and understanding the global regulatory environment.

He began his Trane career as a marketing engineer. Jeff’s product responsibilities during his career have included chillers, air handling units, packaged and split system unitary equipment and packaged and chilled water terminal products. During his tenure, Jeff has also served on several Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) committees.

Jeff earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University.

February 2008 Meeting Recap:

By Jonathan W. Driskill, P.E.; C.E.M.; G.B.E.

CTTC Chair; ET Chapter ASHRAE

February 08: Our February meeting was held on 20 February and our Speaker was Roger Schmidt with Nomaco K Flex.  Mr. Schmidt opened his presentation with a discussion of the importance of insulating piping, ductwork, tanks, etc. to reduce energy consumption, improve the efficiency of processes, personnel safety, and code compliance.  In addition to proper selection of insulation for the application, installing it properly is critical as well.  Proper sealing of terminations, butt joints, and installing a vapor barrier, are critical to prevent moisture from forming within the insulation and leading to corrosion of the metal and failure of the insulation. This is true in pipe as well as duct and tank insulation especially in applications where the system operates at temperatures below the surrounding ambient temperature.  The correct insulation thickness, the appropriate exterior finish for the application, as well as properly sealing the insulation tightly to the pipe, ductwork, or tank surface are extremely important to prevent exposing the metal to ambient conditions and the possibility of condensation.  For exterior below ambient operating conditions it is difficult to fulfill all these criteria with fiberglass insulation as fiberglass absorbs moisture, whatever its source.  Flexible closed cell insulation is more appropriate for these applications as it doesn’t absorb moisture even when the exterior vapor barrier is penetrated. When properly sealed to the insulated surface, closed cell foam insulation can also prevent moisture from collecting between the insulation and the metal eliminating the possibility of corrosion and failure.  Mr. Schmidt concluded his presentation by presenting some recently released products that would be of interest, i.e. insulation with the metal jacket preinstalled at the factory.  The presentation was well received by all who attended.  

Presentation:

Below ambient systems cover a wide range of applications and require special consideration vs hot systems.  Insulation selection to prevent condensation requires a review of many factors other than those just found on a data sheet. Environmental and application parameters must be considered as well as the end customers expectations.   Various applications from chilled water, refrigeration to cryogenic and duct applications will be explored.  Outdoor applications require additional criteria.  Several new products  /options which have come on the market recently to improve the cost / performance of these type of systems will be discussed. 

Speaker Information:

Roger Schmidt is the marketing manager for Nomaco K Flex of Youngsville, NC, a manufacturer of flexible closed cell foam mechanical insulation products.  He has more than 25 years of experience in the flexible foam / insulation industry, mostly in the Technical / Marketing area. He is a member of ASTM, ASHRAE, NIA and NFPA As well as other industry organizations.  He has held several committee positions in these organizations including being given the Award of Merit and honorary title of ASTM Fellow.  Mr. Schmidt has written several articles on the subject of insulation for below ambient applications.  He is a graduate of Valparaiso University; Valparaiso, IN. with a Degree in chemistry.  He obtained an MBA from Indiana University.  He can be contacted at: rschmidt@nomacokflex.com or www.nomacokflex.com.

January 2008 Meeting Recap:

By Jonathan W. Driskill, P.E.; C.E.M.; G.B.E.

CTTC Chair; ET Chapter ASHRAE

In January we met on Wednesday 16 Jan at Rothchild’s Catering in West Knoxville.  Our Speaker was actually Alex Farris, President of Water Services Inc., discussing “Chemical Control of Industrial Water Problems”.   Alex presented a discussion of water treatment specifically related to Steam and Hot Water Boilers.  Alex presented a number of examples of what happens to boiler internals and system piping if the system water treatment is not maintained with the proper chemical balance.  Scale buildup and corrosion can very quickly have a detrimental effect on system performance.  Alex stressed it’s extremely important that the water chemical treatment be tailored specifically to the local water source and the type of system being treated.  Nationally generic chemical treatment systems do not work for every system.    Due to time limits Alex didn’t get to discuss treatment of Cooling Towers and Chilled Water systems.  Alex’s presentation was well received by most in attendance.  There was also a Membership Promotion in January with at least one new member getting a free lunch.                                                                               

Our January meeting is our annual membership appreciation meeting where all members who have joined during 2007 will receive a free lunch.   

December 2007 Meeting Recap:

By Jonathan W. Driskill, P.E.; C.E.M.; G.B.E.

CTTC Chair; ET Chapter ASHRAE

Our December meeting was our annual Christmas social on Friday night, 7 December honoring our past chapter presidents at Rothchild’s Catering in West Knoxville with entertainment provided by West High School.   It was a very pleasant evening.  Several door prizes, including several gift cards to local eateries, were handed out.