Fastrack February 28, 2008

Movement of Air in Industrial Plants
By Kenneth Robinson, CIH
Weight, mass, and volume contribute to the determination of airflow...[MORE]

The Return of Johnny Tundra, Another Engineering Whodunit From the Frozen North
By Ron Wilkinson, PE
"Your problem isn't in the controller; it's in the machine room!"--Johnny Tundra

Troubleshooting MEP systems in cold climates can be an urgent matter. Fortunately, there are engineers such as Johnny Tundra roving the northern-tier states and tackling the flintiest of facility problems. Join Johnny through his travels in wintertime Montana, and match wits with him as he looks to keep the frozen northland outside, where it belongs...[MORE]

HPAC Engineering Webinar Series:
Energy-Recovery Ventilation: an Overview of a Critical Technology for High-Performance-HVAC-System Design

Wednesday, March 26, 2 p.m. ET
Sponsored by SEMCO

The subject of energy-recovery ventilation is filled with myths and disinformation. To be viable in an energy-starved future, HVAC systems must efficiently process ventilation and make productive use of low-grade energy resources ignored or discarded by classical HVAC strategies. That means air-to-air energy-recovery technologies will be critical and central elements of high-performance HVAC systems that achieve cost-effective "net-zero" building design. As such, they will revolutionize HVAC-system design. Air-to-air energy-recovery technologies take numerous forms, and each offers unique capabilities that are superior for specific applications. Each also presents unique limitations, and there are challenges to their effective application. The HVAC industry is only beginning to learn how to use these important technologies...[MORE]

ASHRAE Webcast:
Integrated Building Design: Bringing the Pieces Together to Unleash the Power of Teamwork

Wednesday, April 16, 1 p.m. ET

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is hosting a free satellite broadcast and Webcast, "Integrated Building Design: Bringing the Pieces Together to Unleash the Power of Teamwork." The ASHRAE program focuses on whole-building integrated design. "The broadcast explains what you and other members of the building team must do to advance high-performance buildings with improved design, construction, and operations processes," Bill Williams, chair of the event, said. "Buildings that meet the needs of occupants and truly achieve sustainability objectives can only be created if the building community shares its knowledge and experiences." Online registration will open March 1...[MORE]

Engineers of the Future
The City of RA, a future city engineered by 13-year-old students from Heritage Middle School in Westerville, Ohio, won the 2008 National Engineers Week Future City Competition. The Future City National Finals was hosted by Bentley Systems Feb. 18-20, in Washington, D.C. The winning city employs a five-point energy system to maximize energy efficiency. Flexible solar panels, sprayable solar cells, and desert solar farms harness the sun's energy. Renewable energy is provided by hydropower in the Nile River and Mediterranean Sea regions, as well as biomass, wind farms, and e-wind towers located on the upper levels of commercial and industrial structures. Nanoparticles produce hydrogen through photoelectrochemical-hydrogen production. The city also uses Green Living Modules and EIRS 3000 Educational System. Bentley Systems provided the first prize: a trip to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., for the Heritage team...[MORE]

DOE Team Creating Enhanced Geothermal System
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) formed a multidisciplinary team with ORMAT Nevada Inc., GeothermEx Inc., the University of Utah, U.S. Geological Survey, and national laboratories to enhance or create an enhanced geothermal system at Desert Peak hydrothermal field in Nevada. The team is working on developing a hydraulic stimulation program for an in-field, nonproductive well of high-temperature (greater than 400°F). The team will try to create or enhance permeability by injecting high-pressure water. The objective is to develop a large and complex underground heat exchanger capable of supporting an additional 2 to 5 MWe of power generation. The DOE has invested more than $5 million in this effort...[MORE]

Dow Water Solutions Will Help to Reuse Wastewater at 2008 Beijing Olympics
Dow Water Solutions, a business unit of Dow Chemical Co., announced that its Filmtec reverse-osmosis (RO) membranes will be installed at three wastewater-reclamation and reuse facilities in conjunction with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. It is estimated that the components will help treat 45,000 m(3) of water per day, the largest volume of municipal wastewater in Olympic-related projects in Beijing...[MORE]

EGB to Return to Vegas in 2008!

Renowned green-building-industry leader and author Jerry Yudelson will present the keynote address for HPAC Engineering's fifth annual Engineering Green Buildings (EGB) Conference and Expo, which will be held Oct. 21 and 22 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The EGB Conference and Expo is a green-design event focused on green engineering applications as they apply to mechanical systems for commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. The 2007 event attracted more than 300 participants, including mechanical-system designers and specifiers and manufacturers demonstrating the green characteristics and applications of their mechanical systems, components, equipment, products, technology, and services....[MORE]

Register by April 15 and receive a complimentary copy of Jerry Yudelson's latest book, "The Green Building Revolution"!

Greening K-12 Schools
By Jerry Yudelson, PE, MBA, LEED AP
Green-school designs can help deliver higher test scores, financial benefits...[MORE]

HPAC Engineering Co-Sponsor of Global Engineering Conference
Designed for global consulting and design engineers, Carrier Corp.'s 10th Global Engineering Conference, co-sponsored by HPAC Engineering, will feature new technology and engineering topics in the HVAC industry. The event will focus on designing and building for sustainability and will take place April 9-11 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas...[MORE]
Click here for a schedule of conference speakers.