Baltimore Aircoil Company

Baltimore Aircoil Company, Inc. (BAC) Maintaining the Mechanical Integrity of Evaporative Condensers – HVAC Insider


September 14, 2022

Evaporative condensers are an productive and cost-efficient heat rejection solution for various applications—food and beverage refrigeration, industrial equipment cooling, and HVAC. The units operate by condensing superheated refrigerant vapor inside of a coil that is regularly sprayed with h2o. As the h2o evaporates, admirers reject the heated drinking water vapor to the ambiance. By decreasing procedure condensing temperatures, evaporative condensers cut down compressor horsepower requirements, ensuing in vitality personal savings of up to 15% when when compared to air-cooled techniques.

A thorough application of routine preventive upkeep will keep refrigeration techniques executing at peak performance, increase system functioning everyday living, and lower unplanned downtime due to machines failure. It also will help to be certain trustworthy and safe operation, which is critically essential to prevent leakage of ammonia and other refrigerants. Regular inspections are, of class, vital and must be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer’s tips and plant preventative maintenance schedule.  Below are basic rules for the regions of inspection that must be section of any helpful evaporative condenser preventive upkeep program.  These recommendations go over inspections in 10 parts. Although maintenance frequency will rely on a selection of factors—e.g., problem of circulating h2o, cleanliness of ambient air, and the unit’s functioning environment—each region of inspection need to be executed at minimum yearly and a lot more commonly as suggested by the maker for a specific part or as circumstances warrant.

For each individual inspection, it is important to doc the inspection course of action and all results, the day of the inspection, the name of the human being accomplishing the inspection, any actions taken. If any added potential actions or repairs are vital conduct for every manufactures suggestions or industry standards. Digital photos are a useful method for documenting existing ailments and demonstrating changes above time.

To make certain employee protection, all correct lock out-tag out techniques for the unit and any internet site security procedures need to be followed prior to starting inspection or servicing function. Additionally, measures need to be taken to ensure there is no refrigerant still left in the coil. This is ordinarily carried out by employing a vacuum program prior to getting into or servicing the condenser.  Always observe field ideal tactics concerning the use of suitable PPE and “one in-a single out” methods.

Advised Inspection Applications

Most people today have a smartphone with a good electronic digicam, which is a beneficial software for photographing or recording inspection findings. Other advised equipment include things like an infrared thermometer, an infrared camera, an ultrasonic metallic thickness meter, a vibration meter (ultrasonic or accelerometer), a laser alignment instrument, a multimeter for voltage and amperage, a micrometer depth gauge, and a dye penetrant check kit to detect cracks. Importantly, a comprehensive inspection kit will also incorporate the manufacturer’s set up, operation, and upkeep manuals and lock-out / tag out varieties.

1.    Adequate anchors and supports for device

A comprehensive upkeep software starts with a visible inspection of the fundamental structural integrity of the process. This phase features inspecting the condensing unit’s supports and anchors to guarantee that it is securely mounted. . An inspection should really also be designed of any improperly supported piping, which could overstress coil connections and trigger a leak. Each assistance must be visually examined, hunting for cracks, lacking or loose fasteners, and any corrosion.

2.    Corrosion of enclosure, tubes, piping and supports

Condensers really should be inspected for corrosion at least on a yearly basis and more typically as problems demand. If still left untreated, pitting can degrade the wall thickness of a tube or pipe, maybe leading to leaks and burst pipes. Excessive tube scale causes missing condensing ability and decreased performance. Visually examine all seen coil surfaces with a flashlight or electronic digicam. When even further assessment is essential, specially of locations that may not be commonly visible, a versatile, lighted borescope can be practical. Wherever achievable, measure the depth of huge pits with a micrometer depth gauge.

3.    Scale develop-up on tube bundle

Guarding from scale is critically significant to sustaining the potential of the condenser, which is why condensers should really be consistently inspected for scale make-up. Infrared cameras are productive for measuring thermal degradation thanks to scale. In Figure 1, the picture on the remaining demonstrates a 9-degree F variance because of to delicate scale establish-up the picture on the right demonstrates basically no temperature difference, indicating the coil is thoroughly clean.

4.    Cracks in supporter assemblies

As a mechanical ingredient, admirer assemblies want to be inspected at the very least every year. Fan blades can split off and bring about destruction to encompassing areas. A loosened motor mount can result in a enthusiast assembly to slide, which may perhaps final result in substantial hurt to the condenser. During inspection, glimpse and listen for any vibrating areas — larger sheet steel sections will commonly be the most recognizable. Watch the supporter in operation, seeking for any vibration as it rotates. Listen for unexpected modifications in sound levels or tones, and visually examine the lover assemblies for cracks.

5.    Shafts, bearings, motor mounts, belts, and fasteners

A thorough inspection contains detection of overheated bearings, belts, or motors making use of an infrared camera and conducting a visible research for cracked or frayed belts and lacking fasteners.  A rotating ingredient may fall short so abide by recommended upkeep strategies in the manufacturer’s operations and servicing handbook to keep away from personal injury and mechanical challenges.

6.    Scale or grime construct up in drift eliminators and the water sump

Visually examine the mist eliminators and basin for biological progress, scale establish-up, or dust accumulation. These disorders bring about minimized airflow, ensuing in enhanced operating temperature and pressure, which may induce the spray water pump to clog and therefore prohibit or halt the flow of water in excess of the coil bundle. If needed, drain the basin, take away any international substance and both cleanse or swap mist eliminators as necessary.

7.    Safety gadgets

Check out that any basic safety units, such as vibration switches, are operating appropriately. Stick to the manufacturer’s guidance for the frequency of, and procedure for, tests every gadget. Malfunctioning or missing basic safety gadgets could end result in unsafe procedure of the device. For illustration, a disconnected vibration swap could are unsuccessful to detect a vibrating admirer assembly, which could result in catastrophic fan failure and mechanical harm.

8.    Electrical connections

Wiring also wants to be inspected for unfastened connectors or indicators of electrical overheating (black marks) as very well as for melting or cracking wire insulation. Visually inspect electrical connectors and use an infrared camera to discover overheating electrical components that could fall short or catch fireplace. Contact an electrician to maintenance or switch faulty electrical components that clearly show signals of have on.

9.    Spray nozzles

Visually check that spray nozzles are not plugged and are offering a uniform spray sample.  Poor h2o spray to the coil surface area could final result in larger operating temperature and condensing force and compromise functionality. Always use spray nozzles from the primary tools maker to make certain best h2o coverage.

10.    All isolation valves and purge valves

Isolation valves must be checked to ensure that they are working and in superior problem. Visually inspect the valves to make positive they are no cost from signs of main corrosion and take a look at the valves to make absolutely sure they run accurately — opening and closing effectively devoid of leaks. Replace valves that are malfunctioning or displaying too much corrosion.

Try to remember, do not wait around right until the condenser fails to carry out maintenance. To increase the functioning everyday living of your process, preventative upkeep is critical. Effectively-preserved machines will increase uptime and performance and support to maintain your procedure hygienic and harmless.



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Understanding Air Cooled, Water Cooled, Adiabatic, and Hybrid Fluid Cooling Solutions – HVAC Insider


August 24, 2022

By Steve Kline, P.E., M.B.A. Item Programs Manager, Baltimore Aircoil Firm, Inc.

BAC Cooling Tower

Cooling programs for convenience, refrigeration, and industrial purposes ordinarily benefit from a person of a few primary methods for warmth rejection — air cooled, drinking water cooled, or adiabatic. Hybrid cooling, rejection of warmth using two or more of these methods, has also received in attractiveness in recent yrs. To choose the exceptional cooling technique, the engineer need to take into consideration the local weather, wanted functioning value, water availability, cooling load, and any other likely web-site-distinct targets and constraints this sort of as servicing.

Air cooled methods use dry cooling. Air passes over a finned heat exchanger made up of the method fluid. Practical heat is transferred from the system fluid in the heat exchanger to the airstream flowing by the unit. To successfully neat the method fluid to the preferred temperature for the method, the dry bulb temperature must be noticeably decrease than the fluid temperature. In scorching climates and during intervals of high ambient temperatures, this technology effects in better approach fluid layout temperatures and lower over-all process efficiencies.

Air cooled models also take in a wonderful offer of energy to run the fans, which will have to go a huge quantity of air. Considerably far more heat transfer surface place than the other cooling strategies is also essential, typically resulting in a much larger sized footprint for dry coolers than programs that employ both evaporative or adiabatic warmth rejection. The increased system style and design functioning temperature effects in significantly better strength usage for the procedure. Lastly, because the program runs with larger system fluid temperatures, and heat is the enemy of mechanical devices, the program life span is shorter than alternate cooling systems which provide reduce layout temperatures.

Water cooled devices typically use evaporative heat rejection to optimize electricity effectiveness and thermal functionality. Evaporative cooling competently rejects warmth from the recirculating h2o and discharges warm, moist air to the environment by making use of both the practical and latent potential of the air. Evaporative heat rejection drastically decreases the required lover electrical power, footprint, and, most importantly, the over-all process electrical power consumption. This electrical power usage is substantially considerably less than the overall vitality usage of equally sized systems utilizing either air cooled or adiabatic warmth rejection. In cooling towers, fluid coolers, and evaporative condensers, a spray method passes h2o about fill media and/or a warmth exchanger. Applying the very same physics as perspiration, the evaporative procedure cools the area of the water as the H2O molecules transition from the liquid to the gas section. Heat is then rejected to the airstream by the unit and in the long run into the atmosphere via the evaporative cooling course of action.

The evaporative approach is dependent on the capacity of the coming into air to soak up the evaporated drinking water molecules making use of the enthalpy driving drive of the air. The drier and a lot less humid the air, the larger this possible, as indicated by the damp bulb temperature, which is always equivalent to or much less than the dry bulb temperature of the air. The damp bulb temperature is related to the volume of moisture in the air relative to the dry bulb temperature. An evaporative cooling tower can decrease the course of action fluid in the warmth exchanger to within a number of levels of the moist bulb temperature. Evaporative cooling towers and fluid coolers have confirmed to be strong, vitality-efficient cooling solutions in all climates. Although they do use drinking water, which is typically much much less high priced than strength, it is however an significant pure resource to conserve. This conservation is completed by establishing and applying an efficient h2o treatment software for the web page.

Adiabatic cooling also utilizes evaporation, but as a usually means of cooling the moving into air passing by way of a finned heat exchanger. In a appropriately created and operated program, the finned heat exchanger stays dry, safeguarding the surfaces from scale and corrosion. The adiabatic air cooling can be completed by spraying water into the airstream or by applying wetted pads that supply a floor for water and air to interface. In the first situation, the target is that the h2o sprayed into the airstream evaporates in advance of reaching the finned coil, averting scaling and corrosion on the coil which can negatively influence technique efficiency and devices lifetime. In the next scenario, a wetted pad is used to amazing the entering airstream. The pads are specifically developed to keep water on the surface area of the pads to be certain that it does not have in excess of to the finned coil, reducing the possibility of coil destruction.

The use of a small sum of drinking water to precool the air coming into the warmth exchanger lowers the required airflow and lover electric power in comparison to air cooled models, while also reducing the fluid temperature again to the procedure. In the most effective adiabatic systems, the air is cooled close to the soaked-bulb temperature. Such significant melancholy of the air temperature outcomes in a sizeable maximize in dry cooling capacity and vitality performance in contrast to dry-only styles. Once the ambient temperature begins to solution freezing, or all through occasions of minimized load, the unit can be switched to run in a dry-only mode, thus decreasing h2o usage.

Adiabatic warmth rejection process controls are developed to be versatile, smart, and customer-pleasant, taking complete edge of the dual working modes. At a consumer-picked design and style stage, this sort of as a cooler ambient dry bulb and a reduced warmth load, the unit can switch off the recirculating water and change to operation in dry manner. Additionally, the low volume recirculating h2o sump instantly drains when freezing temperatures are professional, negating the want for sump heaters.

The recirculating style and design of an adiabatic warmth rejection program consumes less water than an evaporative cooling tower. Take note that some styles use a “once through” wetting system which can significantly boost water utilization, as when compared to the recirculating type system. Even so, these kinds of designs might also violate community codes banning the use of when-by way of cooling so area code officials ought to be consulted.

Hybrid cooling items use a combination of dry and evaporative heat rejection technological know-how. Combining the rewards of equally, hybrid goods can be perfect for h2o-sensitive programs although even now providing substantial energy efficiency. They have the solution to operate “wet”, including the positive aspects connected with both evaporative or adiabatic warmth rejection, as nicely as operate in a dry manner. Based on the customer’s water and electricity demands, along with ambient problems, these items can shift the load to the right process of heat rejection to improve the conservation of equally h2o and vitality for a unique internet site.

BAC, the leader in sustainable cooling methods, results in chopping-edge heat rejection engineering to meet up with our customers’ requirements: air cooled, drinking water cooled, adiabatic, and hybrid cooling remedies are all easily obtainable, every single supplying exceptional benefits for your system. Call your area BAC Profits Consultant for help in deciding on the ideal cooling remedy for your future task.



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Baltimore Aircoil Company Introduces the VertexTM Evaporative Condenser – HVAC Insider


August 22, 2022

Baltimore Aircoil Business (BAC) is happy to introduce the VertexTM Evaporative Condenser, wherever peak trustworthiness fulfills easy servicing. The Vertex Condenser features utmost uptime with uncomplicated and protected accessibility. It also has the most affordable whole value of possession with the lowest installation, servicing, and working expenses.

“At BAC, we begin our innovation approach by trying to find to realize what our clients really require and want from us. In the case of the Vertex Evaporative Condenser, it was clear that there were numerous items they preferred about our current VCA solution, but that there have been chances to make it even superior. So, the Vertex Condenser brings together what customers like most about the VCA with persuasive new improvements for the long run,” mentioned Dave Klee, BAC Director of Sales and Marketing for North The usa. Klee additional, “And of program, the Vertex Condenser makes use of evaporative cooling, so it is an inherently sustainable solution for industrial refrigeration and other industrial system applications.”

“Our shoppers questioned for uncomplicated maintenance and accessibility and the Vertex Condenser delivers. It has the major entry doorway which very easily accommodates a 6.5-foot tall human being with a strong step and basic safety manage. Technicians’ toes also keep dry whilst properly inspecting the minimal-volume basin from the internal walkway. Inspection of all nozzles is also rapid and quick with the optional pre-assembled platforms at an ergonomic operating peak. The Vertex Condenser alleviates confined area limits and shoppers have already reacted quite positively to the in general style and design,” explained Phil Hollander, Small business Supervisor of Refrigeration for North The us.

The Vertex Evaporative Condenser lowers installation charges by 30 %, in component by aligning the upper area to the decreased segment in less than 15 minutes per mobile, because of to the industrial-quality rigidity of the device. Water quantity is decreased by up to 30 %, saving on water and chemical charges. This will help cut down the running excess weight by an normal of 16 %. The Vertex Condenser makes use of a immediate-generate EC Enthusiast Program, which maximizes trustworthiness and uptime, and lessens functioning costs, even though necessitating no common servicing. With redundancy inherent in the all round structure of the device – which include fans, motors, and pumps – buyers will get pleasure from peace of thoughts and uninterrupted operation.

About Baltimore Aircoil Company 

With about 80 decades of market-foremost innovation and expertise, BAC generates chopping-edge cooling equipment for the HVAC, Industrial, and Refrigeration marketplaces. We clear up customers’ special demands with our experience and broad array of superior-overall performance techniques. BAC leverages the electric power of evaporative cooling by optimizing the stability of h2o and strength, but the accurate BAC change lies in our absolute motivation to developing sustainable solutions and offering benefit to our shoppers. For much more details about Baltimore Aircoil Company, stop by www.BaltimoreAircoil.com.



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