Food & Drink Process & Packaging Issue 10 2016 | Page 16

Advances in Technology Provide New Ventilation Solutions extra cooling capacity for redundancy the fans run at slow speed which further reduces costs. Master and Slave PLC arrangements also provide a resilient solution to cooling. Temperature and Humidity Compliant Warehouse Cooling Many locations can maintain compliant conditions by using only ‘free cooling’ (fresh air). Multiple EC fans can be connected directly to Everyone is aware that simple In warm weather a refrigeration based simple temperature controllers giving ventilation can provide a perfectly cooling system is often used to reduce the simplest of automated solutions. satisfactory solution to cooling many internal temperatures. This is both industrial and commercial premises in expensive to install and to operate. In the food and drink industry. However many applications the refrigeration recent advances in fan technology, element can now be replaced by direct controls and evaporative cooling have evaporative cooling, where the hot air now taken this principle to a new level is passed over simple wetted filters of performance. and the air is cooled by evaporation. Electrically Commutated Fans Programmable Controllers At the heart of any ventilation system A new generation of low cost sophisticated air handling system is the fan. For both room temperature Programmable Logic Controllers that can compare with any air cooling management and efficiency, fan (PLC’s) are now available which refrigeration system at a fraction of speed control is essential. This is also provide a simple method to the energy cost and provide a high demanded by local regulations and manage ventilation systems. The level of control of the environment. European Energy Directives. controller typically takes inputs from Traditional fans have induction motors typically controlled using variable frequency inverters or voltage control. This approach has now been replaced with Electronically Commutated (EC) fans which have significant advantages over the traditional AC fans. Direct Evaporative Cooling stringent conditions have to be met or when heating and cooling systems need to be integrated. In conclusion – Ventilation coupled with evaporative cooling and modern controls can provide industrial and commercial premises with a temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide sensors and produces control signals to operate fans, dampers and control valves using internal logic. Computer Room Cooling All IT equipment in server rooms and data centres requires cooling. A ventilation system supplemented For many buildings ventilation can with direct evaporative cooling can service all of the cooling needs for reduce the cooling energy bill by over 90% of the time. over 95%. Because there is normally 16 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk PLC’s can be used where more NOTE WRITTEN BY EcoCooling PHOTOGRAPHY BY EcoCooling EcoCooling For more information and case studies please contact EcoCooling on the details below: Contact Details: [email protected] www.ecocooling.org Twitter: @ecocoooling1 Tel: 01284810586 www.ecocooling.org