Fan Efficiency Grades (FEG)


    What is FEG?  
    Why engineers need to know about FEG.  
    ASHRAE's connection to FEG.  
    How FEG was developed.  
    Application of FEG pros and cons.  
    The future of FEG


Tim Mathson

Tim is a Principal Engineer with Greenheck Fan Corporation, a worldwide leader in the manufacturer of air-movement and control equipment.  Their wide range of products
includes fans, dampers, louvers, kitchen ventilation hoods, as well as energy recovery
and make-up air units.  Tim holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin and has been involved in design and testing of fans at Greenheck
for the past 25 years.

Tim is an active member of several ASHRAE and AMCA technical committees, including
ASHRAE TC 5.1 - Fans, the AMCA Fan Committee and AMCA Engineering Standards
Committee.  He was also a member of the AMCA committee that drafted AMCA 205,
"Energy Efficiency Classification for Fans".


We ask that you pre-register for the dinner meeting at your earliest convenience online at  www.torontoashrae.com, select "Events" from the top tab and then the "Register" button
for the ASHRAE Toronto - November 2013 Dinner Meeting.   

No walk-in registrations will be permitted for this event.


Feel free to contact the following members for further details:

Sharon Godlewski
ASHRAE Toronto Chapter Technology Transfer Committee Member

Peter Turk
ASHRAE Toronto Chapter Technology Transfer Committee Chair

             
The October 2013 meeting featured a tour of the new Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens (formerly Maple Leaf Gardens).  The tour was led by Steve Orchard, P. Eng., partner at The Mitchell Partnership. The Mattamy Athletic Centre is Ryerson University's new athletic centre, and home to the Ryerson Rams. There is a NHL-sized ice rink on the third level, a multi-purpose court for basketball and volleyball, studios, and a state-of-the-art gym. Loblaws is on the ground level; the location of the old centre ice is marked on the supermarket floor.  Maple Leaf Gardens' spirit is kept alive with the preservation of the exterior walls, historic rafters and roof.  Mr. Orchard explained how his team overcame spatial challenges in the design of the fourth floor, west side mechanical room, which houses two air handling units, make up water for the ice rink plant, and a water treatment station.  There were spatial challenges in the chiller and boiler rooms as well.  Heat recovery and humidification in the facility were also discussed.

Sources:
 http://www.mattamyathleticcentre.ca/arena-info/arena-renovation

Anne-Marie Bundgard
Website & Gazette Committee Member

             

The dinner presentation was about humidity control by Gary Berlin, a humidity consultant from Pennsylvania (Humidity Consulting LLC). Mr. Berlin has more than forty years of experience with humidification technology. Since the 1980's he has been a member (and chair) of the ASHRAE committees which determine humidifier standards.  

 

In regard to human health, the optimum range for % relative humidity is between 35 to 50%. Either extreme, low or high relative humidity, will aid the survival of bacteria, viruses, and increase allergic rhinitis and asthma. Dust mites and fungi thrive in higher relative humidity. The graph below shows the bacteria mortality rate is greatest between 40 and 60% relative humidity.Low humidity can cause skin drying, irritation of the mucus membranes, and static electricity generation. For proper tear film, and to avoid dry itchy eyes and contact lens irritation, at least 40% RH is recommended.

 

 

Lethal Effect of Mid-Range Humidity to Bacteria. Songer, J.R. (1967). Applied Microbiology Vol. 15.

 

Relative humidity also affects the infectivity of air-borne influenza viruses. Several studies have confirmed that humidity is an important factor in the seasonality of the flu.The National Institute of Health (USA) determined that low relative humidity enables the Influenza A virus carrier aerosols to more vigorously evaporate and remain airborne longer. At high relative humidity, droplets would settle more quickly on surfaces due to gravitation, and then become a reservoir for contact transmission. A University of Illinois study in January 2013 found that an hour after virus particles were released with a RH of 23% or less, up to 77% of the virus was capable of infecting. In contrast, when the RH was increased to 43%, only 14% of the virus was capable of infecting.

 

Gary Berlin argues that it costs a lot less to properly maintain humidity in a building, than to pay the cost of absenteeism, when the workers fall ill. Within the range of 35 to 50% relative humidity we will all be healthier.

 

Sources:

Optimum Humidity Level Chart. Elia Sterling.

 

Influence of relative humidity on survival of some airborne viruses.  J.R.Songer (1967). Applied Microbiology Vol. 15.

 

Anne-Marie Bundgard

Website & Gazette Committee Member

 

This month I wanted to touch on your bio. If you are a member of ASHRAE, you have a bio that exists on the ASHRAE.org website. Many of us don't know we have one that exists, or have never paid much attention to when/if we are logged on to the Society website.

I would ask you to take ten minutes to review your bio online. Here you can update your contact information (as sometimes a previous company you worked for may be there as your prime contact). The information enetered is important to Society and it also affects you as well. It's important for Society because we can gauge our membership demographics and get a better understanding of who our members are and what it looks like moving forward. It is important for you because you will ensure you are getting all the relevant information from ASHRAE, are up to date with your work history and can enter what your technical interests are. Work history or experience is important when upgrading a membership grade. We currently have 186 Toronto Chapter members that are at Associate grade. A good portion of our Associates are new members to ASHRAE, but we do have some that have been ASHRAE members since the 80's! Last month we covered membership grades and advancing from Associate to Member in ASHARE.

Below is a step by step on updating your bio and how to request an upgrade from Associate to Member. As I mentioned last month - we will be contacting you at some point throughout the year to see if you would like to advance your membership. In the mean time if you have any questions or this or advancement in general, please contact me of ASHRAE directly.

To advance from Associate to Member, you must update your ASHRAE bio online, and notify membership@ashrae.org that you have an updated bio and wish to be considered for grade advancement.

1.    Log into www.ashrae.org by selecting 'Join or Login' in the upper right corner. Enter your email address and password then select 'Sign In.'

2.    Hover over the 'Membership & Conferences' tab and select 'My Membership.'

3.    Under 'Manage Personal Information,' select 'Change Your Address/View or Edit Your Profile.'

4.    Select the 'Edu. Pro. Reg' link located in the blue font above your name. Add all of your educational history, relevant professional licenses and work history.

5.    Confirm that your contact information is current by clicking on 'Contact Info.'

For information on what experience qualifies for advancement, please see Section 2.7 of the ASHRAE Bylaws.

Membership Committee Chair

Toronto Chapter's Research Promotion goal for 2013-2014 is $33,700.00 I encourage you to support the RP program early (before the end of December) this year.

Please make your investment in ASHRAE Research Canada to support further support Canadian research in our field.To make a donation, go to  www.torontoashrae.com