The Texas Experience

 Once again it has been many months since I have posted anything. Since then we have obviously been dealing with the pandemic as well as learning the impact of a weak cybersecurity policy. Although I could probably write a novel regarding the cybersecurity issue there are many more expert people on that topic.

Today I want to go back to the original purpose of this blog that was to capture and share some random thoughts related to the industry.

One of the latest events that started the wheels turning in my head again was the partial shutdown of the Texas electrical grid. Again there are experts in grid design and operation who can, and have, discussed this event in great technical detail. There has also been the, now expected, political finger pointing and partisan debates. But I wanted to share some of those random thoughts about what this "localized" event might teach us.

Many engineers, especially those involved in critical HVAC infrastructure, are already aware of the fragile nature of the electrical grid in many parts of the US. At Mestex we provide systems to many different types of applications where a power outage could have a costly impact. Preparing for those potential failures was usually someone else's problem. The electrical engineers and suppliers of standby power systems were intended to handle the "short" periods without electrical power. Although we researched ways to integrate backup operation into our equipment the results would have proven too expensive to be marketable. What Mestex has continued to focus on is applying systems that try to utilize "site resources" efficiently in order to reduce the demands on the backup systems.

Looking at a broader picture we have seen the global trend toward "electrification". The goal, it seems, is to reduce greenhouse gases and other atmospheric pollutants that contribute to climate change. While some are still skeptical about climate change it has reached the point of a consensus among scientists around the world. Many countries and large corporations are on board with taking steps to mitigate their impact. Electrification is intended to move the source of pollutants away from the "site" where power is used to the "source" where power is generated. In theory this would allow better control of contaminants at a single point instead of at hundreds or thousands of "site" points. This would also facilitate the use of alternative energy sources such as wind generators that would be difficult to implement at the "site" level. So we have a relative rush to requiring electrical vehicles, electric residential heating systems, and even electric commercial/industrial heating.

At the same time that electrification is moving forward in areas that the average person can see there is a convergence of our ever increasing digital life with our daily power consuming life. Data centers are being built and turned on almost daily around the world. To the average person this is great as it means they are always connected no matter where they go. This also helps the electrification effort by providing the opportunity for sophisticated remote traffic management, demand control power distribution, and "smart" home appliances. But the electrical power consumed by data centers is almost mind blowing to the average person. A single, moderately efficient, small data center can consume as much electrical power as five thousand homes. Clusters of large data centers (as is common due to scale and locale) can draw enough electrical power to support entire towns or even entire less populated countries.

When these data centers or data center clusters are inserted into an already fragile electrical grid they add a strain factor that was not anticipated when the power station was designed 20 or 30 years ago. Data centers can be designed, built, and activated in months versus power stations that require years to complete. It is inevitable that a mismatch of power supply and power demand will occur.

It seems to me that part of what the Texas experience showed us is, first, electric power is critical to basic life support facilities such as water and sanitation. My second thought is that as much thought and research should be put into the development of highly efficient, "clean", "site" energy systems as into the electrification idea. Off-loading the grid with effective "site" solutions could help with the balance of supply and demand on the grid. Many large companies have already taken steps with solar arrays over their parking lots, small-scale wind generators on site, or private co-generation plants. In most cases though these are extremely expensive solutions. Their implementations have been driven as much by corporate "green" initiatives as anything.

Companies should also not lose sight of current technologies that are still viable "site" solutions and counterbalances to grid overloads. Although Mestex has transformed itself over the last few years into generating more revenue from cooling solutions than from their traditional natural gas heating solutions most people still consider the company to be a gas heating company. In applications that require large amounts of outside air, or that simply move huge amounts of air that must be heated, a modern and efficient natural gas heating system is a much more "climate friendly" "site" solution than an equivalent electric heat "source" solution. Mestex can provide such systems based on their decades of manufacturing such systems and research into optimized digital control of such systems. 

 Engineers and companies can meet their goals of responsible environmental stewardship by keeping in mind the contribution of "site" solutions as they also work to meet the transition to greater electrification.

Killing a Virus - How Do The Guideline Processes Work?

Over the last 14 weeks or so we have been encouraged to do all sorts of things to avoid contracting the Covid-19 virus.  Much of that information is bogus as people share misinformation and conspiracies around the Internet. But...there are guidelines from the CDC and other professionals in the medical and science fields. Although those guidelines are based in fact I don't remember seeing the reasons why those actions will work to limit your chances of becoming ill. That has sent me on a search to gain a basic knowledge of why we should do those things. 

One of the first things I learned was that the Coronavirus is actually a pretty fragile virus. Unlike viruses such as the Norovirus which has a hard protective protein shell, the Coronavirus is protected by a lipid coating...much like a layer of fat around the cell. 

Because this protective coating is relatively weak the virus can be defeated using some fairly routine procedures. Of course, one of the most frequently mentioned techniques is "social distancing". This is because the virus is primarily transmitted in an airborne fashion when people cough or sneeze. We all know about that but the other side of this is that the droplets created by a cough or sneeze add a second layer of protective mucus to the virus that can keep it viable on surfaces where the particles land. The length of time that the virus can live on a surface outside of the human body is still being researched but the fact that it can be deposited on surfaces is why the use of disinfecants is one of the guidelines. But why does that work? 

The answer is pretty simple. The chemicals in the disinfectants break down the lipid barrier exposing the virus to the chemicals that can then render the virus "dead". The problem is that not all disinfectants are the same and some are not effective enough at breaking down the lipid barrier. The information about what disinfectants are most effective is available from the EPA and various company websites but the average consumer simply buys what is on the shelf when they can find it. There are some consumer grade disinfectants that have been tested against the virus, and could carry a label stating that fact, but until more research is complete the companies are only allowed to put the statement on their websites...not something the average consumer refers to...but something that your purchasing people should be aware of. 

Alcohol and bleach are both very effective at breaking down the lipid barrier so disinfectants that contain strong enough blends of those items will accomplish the mission....if they are allowed sufficient time to work. Studies indicate that the average consumer will do a quick wipe and dry of surfaces but that does not allow time for the disinfectants to work. Wiping or spraying the disinfectant on the surface but then leaving it to dry on its own should provide adequate time and any of your HVAC maintenance technicians who use disinfectants should make sure that they allow adequate time for the process to work. 

The other common guideline is to wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. In this case two things are happening to the virus. First is that the soap can break down the lipid barrier if you wash for the appropriate length of time. The second thing that is happening is good old friction. As you scrub your hands you are scrubbing the surfaces of the virus and using friction to strip some of the lipid barrier away. You are also simply separating the virus from the skin and sending it down the drain. 

So far these guidelines work at the individual level...what you can do for yourself. The use of disinfectants in a commercial setting will work the same way on the virus but there are obviously many more surfaces to deal with. That leads to the discussion of UV light as a means to "kill" the virus in large areas or as an option in an air handler.

UV light works in a different manner than disinfectants or soap. Viruses have a DNA/RNA that works to infect cells that it comes in contact with. UV light breaks the DNA/RNA pattern of the virus cell so that it does not recognize and attach to the host cell. This sounds like a simple and effective way to treat large spaces...just blast it with UV. However, much like disinfectants, not all UV is created equal. 

Anyone who spends much time at the beach has probably heard of UVA and UVB. UVA is the most abundant version of UV light that the sun emits and is of a fairly long wavelength. UVB is a somewhat shorter wavelength light. But there is also UVC which is a very short wavelength light that can penetrate past the layer of human skin and cause some serious intermal problems. The good news is that our ozone layer filters out virtually all UVC (something to think about related to refrigerants but that is for another time). Because of the different wavelengths it is estimated that it would take roughly seven days of continuous exposure to the sun to modify the virus DNA/RNA. This is obviously too long to be useful in controlling the virus in almost all cases. UVC, on the other hand, is very effective in a short time (seconds) in rendering the virus inert. The challenge is that UVC in its shortest wavelengths is approaching x-ray wavelengths and continuous exposure by humans is dangerous. So in order to "clean" a space with UVC it must be unoccupied...a problem in a crowded hospital ward or many commercial buildings. The other issue with UVC is that due to its short wavelength it also has difficulty penetrating cracks, folds, or crevices in a space. That means that even after a blast of UVC a space will require a second dose of liquid or spray disinfectant in order to eliminate the virus threat. 

So...for those involved in cleaning and sanitizing HVAC equipment or the spaces that equipment serves adequate employee training and a basic understanding of how the recommended methods work will help companies implement the best strategies for their situations.

Mestex Data Center Research Published

One of the initiatives within Mestex is our collaboration with the University of Texas at Arlington ("UTA") and the National Science Foundation ("NSF") Industry University Cooperative Research Centers ("I/UCRC").  Our area of particular interest and research support is related to reducing the energy consumption of data centers via the use of outside air and evaporative (adiabatic) cooling solutions.  Most of this research stays hidden behind closed doors but when the research results in findings that can significantly aid the mission critical industry those results are published.

Over the last several years, Mestex has hosted a small data pod at our facility in Dallas, Texas.  That data pod has been cooled by an "off the shelf" Mestex product with the only variations from the standard catalog item being the ability to add special filters (one of the research areas regarding particulates) and the control software designed by Mestex specifically for data centers.  We recently received the following email from Dr. Dereje Agonafer, Presidential Distinguished Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington.


Congratulations Dr. Shah and Dr. Awe and the Mestex team on getting this paper published in a journal.



We continue to be proud of our working relationship with Mestex – resulted in significant research implemented in product applications as well as archival publications. In 2016, our joint work was featured in: “Breakthroughs from NSF I/UCRCs appeared on the 6th edition of the Compendium, published in a printed book and online, and is intended for Congressional and White House staffers and visitors to the NSF, and for members of the general public to help them realize the impacts of research taking place within I/UCRCs. Our joint work with Mestex was featured in the book – reference below:



2016 Compendium, Successful Industry-Nominated Technological Breakthroughs for NSF I/UCRCs in “More Efficient Data Centers: Maximizing Airside Cooling,” p. 111-112, http://faculty.washington.edu/scottcs/NSF/2016/NSF-book-2016-Final.pdf

The research documented in this paper helps to show data center industry designers and operators the benefits of Airside Cooling for their centers.  Further research findings were just published in the ASME Journal of Electronic Packaging.  That research, a collaboration between Mestex, UTA, and IBM focused on the reliability of cooling data center electronic equipment with outside air in a somewhat dirty environment.  On going research between Mestex and UTA is now focusing on filter performance.

HVAC's Unseen Protectors

As the world deals with the Novel Coronavirus I was reminded of research that I was involved in some 35 years ago.  At that time I was directly engaged in modeling airflow and temperature profiles using Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) software for a major air distribution products company.

While we used CFD modeling for a wide variety of complex air distribution problems the case that came to my mind this week was modeling an infectious disease isolation room for the CDC.  The challenge was to design a negative pressure isolation room that also minimized exposure of a health care worker positioned directly adjacent to the patient bed. 

The specific type of infection to be studied at that time was tuberculosis (TB).  Much like the current coronavirus, TB is often spread by droplets when a patient coughs.  A healthcare worker standing next to the patient bed was almost certain to risk exposure if the room used conventional air distribution layouts and patterns.  The correlation with today's problem is obvious.

My current company, Mestex, has been using CFD analysis for 20 years.  Although our modeling efforts have not included the case mentioned above we can apply the same techniques to create accurate temperature and airflow models of data centers, pharmaceutical storage warehouses, chocolate or wine warehouses, eCommerce fulfillment centers, or virtually any temperature sensitive application.  Much like the goal of the CDC study of 35 years ago our objective is to use modeling to optimize our product applications without the expense of full scale mockups or, worse yet, finding out about a problem after the building is complete.

The HVAC industry is continuing to refine the modeling techniques that I used those many years ago in order to create even better solutions to healthcare worker protection.  In general, when we do our jobs correctly, the end user is not aware of what is involved.  After all, you cannot "see" temperature or air so our work is "invisible".  However, the HVAC industry has a vital role in helping protect people and critical products from many types of threats.

Disruptive Opportunities

So...my last post was a bit of a downer in discussing how the current disruptions to the global supply chain were exacerbated by the computer driven, optimized, logistics models...and how long it can take to restore things to "normal" even after the disruption is under control.

But...like any disruption to the norm...there is a flip side to the disruption that creates opportunities.

The most obvious opportunity that companies are grappling with today is the huge number of "white collar" workers who are now operating out of their homes.  In the past few years there have been increases in the number of "remote" workers but the current situation has caused that number to explode.  People who had already been working remotely probably had "a system" in place to manage communications, projects, and interaction with the office but now there are many "newbies" to this process.  Because now entire departments might be working from remote locations the need to continue collaboration creates a new wrinkle.  This is providing an opportunity for consultants and software resellers to help companies implement some of the collaboration tools now on the market but probably not used to the extent that this opportunity provides.  Microsoft Teams, Google Drive and Workspace, Amazon Chime...all provide structured collaboration tools that could now see widespread adoption...and change "office work" as we know it going forward.

Another potential opportunity that could see broader adoption is autonomous delivery robots.  This technology already exists and has been deployed on educational, corporate, and hospital campuses.  It has already been tested and deployed in a few communities but, again, the current disruption to how consumers purchase grocery items suggests that entrepreneurs with sufficient capital and the ability to partner with local grocery chains could deploy fleets of small food delivery robots.  These could be especially effective within "gated" communities where mapping delivery routes would be simplified and it is likely that bike lanes already exist that could keep the robots off the main roads.

Within the HVAC industry the current disruption could provide an extra push to the efforts to create "smart" equipment that can diagnose their own problems and call for help when needed.  Using "machine learning" and "AI" techniques, combined with new wireless technologies, even equipment located in hard to access locations could receive faster and better service when needed.  Service technicians who are adept at technology could be working from anywhere.  A network of such technicians located across a region, and using some of the collaboration tools above, could provide fast and accurate service and collaborative solutions to more troublesome problems...even if working from home.

Every disruption, by definition, forces a change to the status quo that can be difficult for some to adjust to but there is also an opportunity created for those that embrace the disruption.

Microscopic Disrupters

We all know that there are currently some pretty serious disruptions in supply chains around the world. Without rehashing why this is happening lets look at how we got into a situation that might not have occurred 15 or 20 years ago.

One of the industry related groups that I have enjoyed over the last few years is focused on the warehouse and distribution markets. While it might seem that these types of buildings pop up at random there is actually quite a bit of research about the specific location where one of these facilities will be built.  The obvious purpose of these buildings was to build a buffer into the overall supply chain by providing space to hold goods and materials until they would be needed at the next step in the chain.  In the case of retail goods the next step in the chain was a store with adequate shelf space and backroom space to accommodate demand for several days, if not weeks.  When I was much younger one of my first “real jobs” was at a food distribution warehouse where we had racks and racks of goods simply waiting for the next grocery store order.  When the time came for me to hop on my fork truck and fill an order it generally involved pallet loads of products that would last a store for at least a couple of weeks.  The concept was the same for manufacturing related products and materials.  Factories would place orders for several weeks or months of anticipated demand that was stored at a warehouse some days away.  The factory had their warehouse space and the supplier had theirs.  Plenty of buffer time.


But as we also all know inventory is money that is not returning value until it is used.  So stores and manufacturers started to get smarter about inventory and utilizing “just in time” processes.  Those processes were, at first, pretty manual calculations.  Walmart was among the first companies to automate the process with sophisticated computer programs and, soon, other companies followed.  This thinking started “backing up” the supply chain.  If Walmart needed less inventory in their stores then the warehouse/distribution center could get by with less also if they employed the same thinking and automation.


As companies started stripping out costs through better inventory management and sharing some of those savings with their customers in order to build market share they had to also look for other cost reductions.  Pushing production offshore to take advantage of much lower labor rates provided that gain in profit margin but added another level of complexity to the supply chain…transportation time.  Once again sophisticated computer models were applied to the logistics and “just in time” transportation became real.  Original manufacturers of products followed the same thinking and only produced what was needed for the next computer programmed delivery cycle.

But…..all of this did one significant thing….it removed almost all the time buffers along the entire supply chain. Any glitch along the way would result in a shortage.  A ship gets stuck waiting to unload at Long Beach…a trucking strike keeps things stuck in Long Beach….a critical component has a defect…or just bad weather…could all create a serious problem because the computer programs that drive the supply chain are focused on creating the shortest possible time from source to site under normal circumstances.  Recovery from many of those events is usually relatively quick because the source factories are still up and running...and logistics companies can anticipate those events and have backup simulations ready to go.  Factory lights are still on, machines are still on and available, employees are doing maintenance work at the plant and are available to start up again in hours.


This time though those source plants are not still up and running.  Nobody is there.  Lights are off, machines and computers are turned off, employees are at home.  Restarting a factory is not as simple as flipping a switch and we are seeing the results of that today.  The entire supply chain needs to be “rebooted” and filled in again from the source end.  Four weeks to produce enough product to fill the open orders, one week from factory to port of exit, three weeks at sea, two weeks waiting in the queue to unload, another one or two weeks from port to local warehouse, and another week to the point of use…all after the source factory is cleared to reopen.


So file this one away under the category of unintended consequences.  We have created really smart computer programs to streamline the time from source to site but as a consequence we are vulnerable to even microscopic disrupters.

Hot Air Balloons and eCommerce

I live in an area that is almost ideal for hot air ballooning.  On almost any morning it is not uncommon to see at least 6 hot air balloons dotting the horizon.  Watching some the other day as they prepared for launch and then ascended it struck me that there is a basic lesson in the process that is useful to remember when designing HVAC solutions for eCommerce buildings and warehouses in general.

The obvious lesson is that hot air is buoyant and the hotter it is the more buoyant it becomes.  When prepping for launch the crews use their direct fired burners to blast hot air into the balloon causing it to fill and lift.  Once the balloon is vertical the crew fires the burners at full heat to get the balloon off the ground and on its way upward.  While in the air you can hear the burners firing whenever the balloon starts to drop below the altitude the pilot is looking for.  Short blasts produce little heat and balloon either stays stable or starts to slowly descend.  Long blasts produce more heat and the balloon rises.

So...what does this have to do with eCommerce and warehouses?  While the HVAC equipment cannot produce air that is hot enough to lift the building off the ground it can produce air that is hot enough to rise rapidly and stay near the top of the space. In an eCommerce fulfillment building with dozens of humans occupying the bottom 6 feet of the building that hot air can be a problem.

There are some HVAC companies that propose using very high temperature air to heat the entire space.  This becomes a real challenge as the hotter the air the more it wants to stay up near the ceiling.  There are a couple of ways to deal with this but both ways impact electrical operating costs.

One method is to install several large fans that are intended to pull air from the ceiling space and force it down to the floor level.  In addition to the electric power required to spin the fans this solution can also make it difficult to achieve the rack heights that are desired in the building.  There may also be structural cost implications depending upon the weight of the fan/motor assemblies.

The other method is to use the HVAC equipment fans themselves to force the hot air to the floor area.  This also requires electrical energy to overcome the buoyancy of the air. A secondary characteristic of this method is that the velocity of the air from the HVAC unit must be pretty high in order to force the air downward.  The result is a column of air moving at pretty high speed that reaches the floor in a relatively small area that can cause worker discomfort or stir up paperwork or products that are in the airstream.

Mestex has been producing a product concept for decades that overcomes these problems.  The concept is called "air turnover" and many companies have since copied the idea under different names.  The idea is simple....push warm (not hot) air into the space just above the worker level and pull it back across the floor where the workers benefit from the relatively slow moving warm air flow.  Not only does this method produce even temperatures where it is needed it also avoids wasting heat energy that collects near the ceiling with the hot air methods.

Deciding how to design an air turnover system can be challenging since the system sends air into the occupied space that also includes equipment, bottoms of racks, conveyor systems and such.  Another Mestex first is the use of Computational Fluid Dynamic ("CFD") modeling of the space to refine and optimize these designs.  CFD modeling originated in the defense industry to model aircraft performance and later was adopted by the process industry to evaluate things such as the impact of ocean currents on offshore oil rigs.  Since air is a fluid Mestex started using CFD modeling 20 years ago to assure owners that temperature critical products would be kept at the proper condition.  Mestex' use of CFD has expanded over the years to optimizing more mundane warehouse applications as well as more sophisticated applications such as data centers.  This expertise is available exclusively for Mestex customers.

So the next time you see a hot air balloon rising into the air you can appreciate the challenges of heating a warehouse or eCommerce building.

Cybersecurity

You have probably heard or read about "Internet of Things", or "IoT" as it is called.  The numbers of devices being connected to the Internet are staggering with some projections of over 26 billion devices connected by the end of this year.  Many of those devices are going to be HVAC products either via a connected Building Management System or as a "stand alone" device with remote monitoring and diagnostic capabilities.

AHRI recently sponsored a meeting to discuss the security implications of connected HVAC products. It has already been acknowledged that one of the major "hacks" in the last few years (Target stores) was made through the HVAC equipment.  One of the messages of the AHRI meeting was that HVAC equipment is becoming a key target for hackers (either domestic or foreign) due to the lack of rigorous "cybersecurity" protection.  In one study a building system was tested using four attack models and 54 "threat vectors" were discovered.

The need to increase HVAC cybersecurity mechanisms is obvious in the Target case but there are other scenarios that cause concern to the government and utilities.  Many products are now being connected to the electric grid for purposes of load management or to implement real time pricing strategies.  The fear is that lax security at the HVAC equipment level could allow a hacker to penetrate and disable parts, or all, of the electric grid through the same ports used for communication with the grid.  Hacking into a building system that is not isolated from the occupants' business network would obviously open the door to financial information, proprietary product information, and personnel information that could be extremely damaging to a business.  During the meeting it was noted that small businesses that have been hacked have a high probability of going through bankruptcy due to the cost of recovery.

But suppose the HVAC equipment is not connected to the Internet but only to the building management system or even as a stand alone piece of equipment?  Could such a system be hacked also?  I would suggest that, although more difficult, it is entirely possible.  Most modern HVAC equipment operates with a digital control system.  That controller will have a port used for diagnostics or software updates.  A "bad actor" with a laptop and a cable could gain total control of the unit and disrupt a business operation through temperature or ventilation control settings.  Interestingly, in the AHRI meeting, it was noted that the three most common attack pathways were WiFi, Bluetooth, and finally an Ethernet cable....so a physical connection as mentioned above is not even necessary.

The financial, legal, and reputational impact on an HVAC manufacturer whose equipment is used as the pathway for a hack can be substantial.  Unfortunately there are no current cybersecurity standards for HVAC equipment as there are for medical devices, vehicles, military applications, or financial institutions.  A key goal of the AHRI meeting was to identify which current standards might be adapted to the HVAC industry and what role AHRI would play in establishing an industry standard.  There was also discussion of whether or not this should lead to an industry certification process so that manufacturers certify their equipment and processes to serve as an affirmative defense in a case where their equipment was the doorway into a hack.

In the meantime, before an industry standard might be created, manufacturers are warned to establish their own cybersecurity policy...updated frequently...as a means to establish that they are following "best practices" with regard to cybersecurity.  There are a number of cybersecurity policies from NIST, ASHRAE, UL and others that could be modified or adapted by an individual company to create such a policy.  NIST-SP800-171 is one such document that includes a comprehensive check list of security steps that could be used as a model.

The bottom line is that no matter how an HVAC manufacturer chooses to respond to this growing concern some response is better than no response at all.

Going Vertical with Ecommerce

Vertical Ecommerce Mechanical Infrastructure Thoughts

I was emailed a copy of an article that was published in Building Design + Construction magazine that stimulated some thought.  The article spoke about the trend in Ecommerce buildings to go vertical in order to fit their large square foot requirements into a smaller footprint.  This allows the Ecommerce company to put distribution and order fulfillment closer to their customers and meet the expectations of same day and next day deliveries.

This approach is obviously appealing to developers and the Ecommerce companies themselves.  However I would suggest that it can create some difficult challenges for the mechanical and electrical infrastructure.  By reducing the footprint of the building the available square footage for mechanical and electrical equipment on the roof is also reduced significantly.  Given that most of these buildings would be built in urban locations and will require large parking areas there will also be very little room on the ground for the infrastructure.

Another characteristic of Ecommerce buildings is the clear height requirements for racking and conveyor systems.  Although the building might be as tall as a normal 8 story building it might only have 3 levels inside.  This complicates the approach to the heating and cooling of the space and creates large volume spaces that must be conditioned for worker comfort and efficiency.

A traditional approach to an Ecommerce space is to install multiple packaged HVAC units on the roof with simple overhead air distribution systems.  The challenge that I see with the vertical ecommerce buildings is the lack of roof space for the packaged HVAC solution.  Even if the square footage could be allocated for large packaged units they will need to be located closer to the center of the roof and require huge ducts to move the air toward the exterior walls (so as not to interfere with racking systems) and then down through each floor.  Branch ductwork from these large main ducts would then be needed to serve the area of each floor.  The construction costs for such systems could be quite high...if it were even possible to use the large packaged HVAC units on the roof.

Mestex has been manufacturing a solution called Air Turnover for over 20 years and it seems this might be a better fit for these vertical buildings.  The Air Turnover concept places the HVAC distribution systems on the floor close to where they are needed...a similar concept to why ecommerce is going vertical...in order to put the source closer to where it is needed.

Since Air Turnover equipment can be built with cooling coils and electric heat internally the only equipment needed on the roof would be a single air cooled chiller.  The piping system from floor to floor would consume much less space (and require much smaller floor penetrations) than the duct system and would actually perform more efficiently due to the thermal characteristics of water.  Air Turnover units would typically be mounted along an outside wall and could even take advantage of fresh air cooling by installing wall louvers adjacent to the units.  The floor space required for the Air Turnover units would not be much greater than that required for the large duct systems and Air Turnover would also not require the branch duct systems.

There are other major advantages to the Air Turnover system in the areas of performance, efficiency, ease of maintenance, ease of installation, etc...but this article is long enough now.  If you are interested in those details please contact us at www.mestex.com and we can explain the advantages in more detail.

Disrupting Distruptive Technologies

I recently had a chance to investigate an interesting product concept that has the potential to significantly change the way some systems are cooled.  The term "disruptive" came to mind and that caused me to think about "disruptive technologies" and what it sometimes takes to bring them to fruition.

It seems that there are factors that stand in the way of rapid commercialization of products that have the potential to truly change an industry.

Fear....a technology or product that can disrupt an industry will tend to be resisted by the incumbents in that industry.  The greater their current investment in their current technology the harder they will push back against the new technology.  The fear of losing their market to the "upstart" will either lead to: trying to ignore it and hope it goes away; or actively looking for weaknesses and promoting heavily against it.  In the HVAC industry, and many others, the "upstart" is usually a small company without the staying power to eventually convince an incumbent company to take a chance on their technology.  Eventually, the "upstart" does actually go away from lack of resources to sustain the fight.

Liability...in order for a new product to see the light of day in the construction industry, in particular, it must be specified or recommended by consultants or owner influencers.  Consultants, especially, pay large premiums for professional "errors and omissions" insurance.  The definition of "errors" extends beyond simply making a mistake in a calculation to failure to use "industry standard" practices.  Since most disruptive technologies do not come to the market with vast installed bases that would begin to qualify them as an "industry standard" practice, consultants will shy away from specifying them.

Collateral consequences....sometimes the technology can be proven in laboratory or field trial cases successfully but widespread adoption requires the participation of other industries and their decision makers.  If the new technology requires an unrelated industry to make significant changes to how they do business, or design their products, the disruptive technology could end up stillborn due to the actions...or inactions...of companies outside of their own industry.

Finally...communication...by their nature disruptive technologies are technologies that others have not considered or visualized.  If the inventor of the new thing and the team behind it cannot clearly and demonstrably communicate the value of the product then it will either go nowhere or take an extremely long time to find acceptance.  In Mestex' participation as a sponsor of a National Science Foundation research consortium we see this almost every month.  Teams of extremely bright young engineers and scientists work diligently to come up with the "next big thing" but fail to communicate the value to companies that could commercialize the idea...if they only understood it clearly.

It is often said that the construction industry has been the slowest to adopt new techniques and is among the least efficient industries.  Perhaps the ideas to change that are already incubating or being tested...but fear, collateral consequences, and communication are standing in the way.