Smart Solutions Category: Cooling Towers

Managing the Houston Heat

By specifying a new Marley® MH Element™ Fluid Cooler from SPX Cooling Tech, LLC, Letsos Company provided a more efficient, more sustainable alternative to repairing the deteriorating existing cooler of an historic Houston building while maintaining a similar footprint, simplifying the installation process.

Bringing Back an Icon

Letsos Company has helped maintain the HVAC system for the former Plaza Hotel, an iconic nine-story building in the Museum District of Houston, TX, for nearly a decade. Located just north of the Museum of Fine Arts, the building opened in 1926 and was once known as Houston’s first “million-dollar hotel.” Its luxurious rooms and fine dining made it a gem of the city, and it was one of the first buildings in the area to use a cutting-edge technology at the time: air conditioning.

In early 2023, when it came time for the building’s owner to make yet another repair to their system’s equipment—this time to the building’s fluid cooler, a significant investment—the contractor sat down with the operators to come up with a better solution.

“The mini heat pumps in the building repeatedly had condenser water issues, the existing fluid cooler kept requiring repairs, and in the end, the system just could not keep up with the temperatures,” explained Garrett Eklund, project manager and estimator for special projects at Letsos. “It was getting to the point that it was too expensive to maintain, and the fluid cooler needed to be replaced.”

Letsos called in a little help from Houston-based cooling tower/fluid cooler experts S&S HVAC Equipment to provide a quote for a new tower and go over cost comparisons. The team selected the Marley Fluid Cooler, a similar model to the original, upgraded to stainless steel construction and copper coils.

SPX offers advice on choosing the right fluid cooler: https://spxcooling.com/news/choosing-the-right-fluid-cooler/

The “Million-Dollar” Location

In the early 1980s, the hotel and apartment building closed after struggling to keep up with the times. It remained closed until it was purchased by a local architect/design firm in 2005. The building was renovated, and new mechanical systems were installed in 2007 to keep the building cool in the hot Houston climate. The neighborhood around the building has also seen a much-deserved revitalization in the past decade.

The building’s popular location meant more traffic, so one of the first steps during the fluid cooler replacement project was to secure permits to close the street to lift the new equipment into position via crane. To make things a little easier, the fluid cooler was located on the back side of the building, atop a parking garage that was added during the renovations.

“The building is in a tight, pretty crowded urban area, so we had to be mindful of that,” remembered Tom Brimer, Letsos sales associate. “The fluid cooler arrived on a Thursday afternoon, and the street was closed off. We had a plan in place to get the unit off the street Friday and start up on Saturday evening.”

An Unwanted Surprise

The fluid cooler arrived at the site in two pieces: the bottom section held the unit’s rows of copper coils, and the top contained fill and the fluid cooler’s fan. Each piece was inspected and made ready to lift that evening. But before lifting the unit, the team noticed that a brace on one of the pieces had been damaged during shipping and would need to be repaired before lifting into place.

Letsos reached out to S&S, and they were available immediately. “We have a trim-out crew on standby for all our projects,” said Angela Sherman, president of S&S HVAC Equipment. “At that point, the old unit was down and there was no delay optional, you have to find a way. And we did just that.”

The S&S team repaired the brace onsite and contacted the SPX Cooling engineering team to approve the fixed piece. The engineering team looked at the repairs and approved them the same day.

Orderly Installation and Start-Up

After the one small setback, the rest of the project was completed according to plan. The fluid cooler was delivered on Thursday and lifted into place the following day. The teams were all prepared once the unit was installed to begin piping it in. Piping was installed and updated on Friday and prepared for start-up on Saturday. The start-up process went as planned, and the system was back online Saturday, without delays.

“Following start-up, we saw some issues with the control system, but they were quickly addressed,” Eklund noted. “We had to get all the heat pumps in the building balanced, too. But the tower has been doing great to manage it the whole time.”

The former Plaza Hotel building, with 82,000 square feet of rental office space, is now home to Prosperity Bank and Beers Law Firm, among others, and its fluid cooler is updated and working well thanks to the team at Letsos.

For more information, visit spxcooling.com.

Wayne Crouse, Inc. Cuts Installation Time with Marley Cooling Towers

Installing Marley® Cooling Towers from SPX Cooling Technologies, Inc., Wayne Crouse, Inc. shaved several days off of the schedule for a challenging project at a large university medical center in Pennsylvania. Extensive advance planning and coordination with the hospital, contractors, and trades was key. 

The 500+-bed medical center’s multiyear master plan required a central plant expansion and replacement of the cooling towers. This complex project included a number of demanding requirements:  

  • New towers must operate more quietly than existing systems to address neighborhood concerns. (Read this SPX blog post on addressing noise issues: https://spxcooling.com/news/addressing-noise-issues/) 
  • Cooling systems must continue to operate throughout the replacement process. 
  • Construction must avoid peak heat load seasons. 
  • New towers must fit into the existing central plant space and tap into existing piping connections. 
  • Access to the emergency department, directly adjacent to the construction site, could not be closed; there must be zero interruptions for ambulances. 
  • The installation process had to navigate beneath an existing parking structure before being hoisted atop the plant. 

Marley Cooling Towers were specified by consulting engineers BR+A and Barton Associates, Inc. to meet the hospital’s requirements for quiet operation, reliability, and redundancy with capacity to allow for future expansion. The general contractor, Turner Construction, chose Pittsburgh-based mechanical contractor Wayne Crouse, Inc. for the challenging installation.

The general contractor’s logistics partner, SourceBlue LLC, procured the cooling towers well ahead of the construction schedule. Wayne Crouse, Inc. staged the towers in a rigger’s yard, which allowed product delivery to the construction site precisely when required and greatly reduced road closures that would impact access to the hospital’s emergency department.  

The cooling tower replacement was accomplished in two phases. Phase one, replacing four Marley cooling towers in service since the 1980s, was completed in spring 2020, ahead of peak summer heat. Phase two, completed in spring 2021, replaced five newer cooling towers from another manufacturer that were noisy and showed early signs of corrosion and deterioration. Future central plant expansion phases will include chiller replacement. 

Wayne Crouse prefabricated piping and valving at their facility and successfully placed all phase-one towers (four cells/eight modules) in position within two days. Similarly, phase-two towers (five cells/ten modules) were placed within three days’ time. 

“There was a good flow of information among the players, and the lessons learned in phase one helped us to beat expectations for phase two. Phase two went even more smoothly, and we reduced rigging from the five days planned to three days,” according to Shawn Bell of Turner Construction.

For more information, visit www.spxcooling.com.

Graco Mechanical Upgrades Houston Highrise in One Weekend with Marley Cooling Towers

For Graco Mechanical of Houston, TX, Marley NC® Cooling Towers from SPX Cooling Tech, LLC proved to be the ideal solution for replacing a highrise building’s aging cooling tower in a tight space with an even tighter timeline—just one weekend. These factory-assembled, or “package,” towers allowed for faster installation than a field-erected option while meeting the building’s needs.

A Tall Order

Installing a cooling tower on a roof of any height is never an easy task. Graco Mechanical was called on to disassemble an old wooden cooling tower and replace it with a new one for the Lyric Tower, a 26-story modern office tower in the theatre district of downtown Houston. The building needed a new tower—or towers—that was efficient and could be installed inside the existing mechanical pit without altering too much of the existing piping arrangement and structural steel. To add to the challenge, Graco Mechanical would only have a single weekend to complete the project, so as not to disrupt service for the tower’s tenants.

Using two Marley NC Cooling Towers, Graco Mechanical met the Lyric Tower’s need for new, efficient cooling towers that could be installed inside the existing mechanical pit without altering too much of the existing piping arrangement and structural steel.

Based on the required load and flow factors, the project tTeam selected two cells of model NC8407 to handle up to 1,800 gallons per minute and 700+ cooling tons per cell. The Marley NC cooling towers’ heat transfer media, fans, gravity-flow water distribution, and mechanical drive systems work together to provide industry-leading cooling and energy efficiency.

The units were also specified as all stainless-steel construction, which provides additional corrosion resistance and long-term durability. The units were equipped with variable flow nozzles to maximize effectiveness and energy savings while supporting chillers and pumps during off-peak periods.

Reaching for the Sky

Once the cooling towers were selected, Graco Mechanical was tasked with finding the best way to get them to the rooftop. Being in downtown Houston, there was little room for error, and the unique combination of height, reach, and load weight was beyond the capabilities of all locally available cranes. Using a helicopter lift would have its own limitations because of weight and air traffic regulations.

Eventually, the Graco team sourced one of only two cranes in Texas that could handle the job, with the help of TNT Crane & Rigging. Despite being one of the largest costs of the project, this crane still provided significant savings over all other proposed ideas.

Working Through the Weekend

Teardown on the existing tower began Friday afternoon. The crew at Graco Mechanical and a handful of subcontractors worked day and night in shifts to remove all the components of the existing field-erected tower.

The Lyric building’s downtown Houston location posed problems for local crane operators and even helicopters, so Graco Mechanical found one of only two cranes in the state that could handle the job—allowing them to meet the extremely tight deadline for cooling tower installation.

“Plans were sent out to each subcontractor with the layout of the streets and how the staging area would be set up, so each sub knew the exact part they were playing and when they were due up,” explained John Kanouff, general manager of service for Graco Mechanical. “This step was critical to completing the project on time.”

Starting at approximately 1 a.m. on Sunday, the new towers were lifted into position. Once they were safely placed in the mechanical yard, the crew immediately began reassembling the mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems.

“The crane group did a great job on the lift plan, and they calculated, down to the inch, the clearance they would have when the crane swung on each lift,” added Kanouff.

By the time tenants started arriving on Monday morning, the Graco Mechanical crew had done exactly what they set out to do: the new Marley cooling towers at Lyric Tower were up and running—as was the central plant—for the workforce returning from the weekend.

For more information, visit spxcooling.com.

Bluegrass Hydronics and Pump Turns Emergency Replacement Into No-Cost Upgrade With Delta Cooling Towers

By installing antimicrobial cooling towers from Delta Cooling, Bluegrass Hydronics and Pump helped a rural Kentucky school district qualify for a federal grant to replace a failed tower and another nearing the end of its life. The units solved the two biggest issues the school district was facing: budget constraints and the need for durable solutions.

It all started when a cooling tower used in conjunction with the school’s HVAC system failed. The old, metal-clad cooling tower at the area middle school required significant maintenance over the years. However, the district was hoping to delay the expense of replacing it along with another aging metal tower used by the high school.

“They needed a new tower, fast. Theirs was in real bad shape from years of rust buildup and they were experiencing all kinds of leaks—panel leaks, gasket leaks, everything,” explained Zach McKinney, sales engineer at Bluegrass Hydronics and Pump, which helped the school district with the cooling tower replacement.

Often in an emergency situation, researching for optimal replacement options gets tossed aside for what can be done quickly and easily. Fortunately, for the school district, the team at Bluegrass had experience with advanced engineered-plastic cooling towers.

Going for the Grant

To cut costs, McKinney had a plan. He knew that some engineered-plastic cooling towers are now manufactured with antimicrobial properties. He believed this feature would qualify the towers for government funding under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program.

Because Delta Cooling’s antimicrobial cooling towers are eligible for federal relief funds to address environmental health hazards in schools, Bluegrass Hydronics and Pump helped a rural Kentucky school district obtain two much-needed towers at no cost.

Created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, ESSER funds are awarded to schools that need to repair or improve their facilities. To qualify, the improvements must reduce exposure to environmental health hazards. Originally intended for COVID-19 relief, the program was expanded in 2021 to include other environmental health and safety projects not directly related to coronavirus.

Antimicrobial engineered-plastic cooling towers were first designed to help prevent outbreaks of the potentially fatal Legionnaires’ disease. Unlike metal towers, engineered plastic can be molded with special wide-spectrum antimicrobial additives throughout the plastic. These additives operate on a cellular level to continuously disrupt and prevent uncontrolled growth of microorganisms and biofilm within the cooling tower.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains how Legionnaires’ disease can grow and spread and how to prevent it. https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/legionnaires/index.html

“It worked! The school district was awarded the grant and was able to acquire both towers at no out-of-pocket expense,” said McKinney.

A Textbook Case

The adoption of antimicrobial cooling towers has become increasingly important because of the growing number of outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease at numerous locations throughout North America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 18,000 people are infected with the Legionella bacteria in the United States alone every year. Found naturally in freshwater environments, Legionella becomes a health hazard when it grows unabated in water that is not properly treated. A significant number of outbreaks have originated in cooling towers.

“A cooling tower is the perfect breeding ground for Legionella, because it’s wet and humid and exposed to sunlight,” explained McKinney. “The Legionella will colonize the walls of the tower, and the colony will grow bigger and bigger.”

Cooling towers have a long history of effectively expelling heat from the water used in many commercial and industrial applications. However, even when they are disinfected and properly maintained, cooling towers are potential breeding grounds for Legionella, according to the CDC.

Legionella bacteria spread to humans when expelled water vapor or mist containing the bacteria is inhaled. For this rural Kentucky school district, the location of their cooling towers amplified their concerns over this issue.

“One of the towers sits right by the football stadium,” said McKinney. “Can you imagine if they had an outbreak right there with all those people in the stands? That would be bad news!”

Back to School

The school district ultimately selected a TM series 310-ton cooling tower and a 250-ton Paragon model manufactured by Delta Cooling. The company pioneered engineered-plastic cooling towers in the 1970s and recently innovated the first cooling towers featuring antimicrobial resins in not only the fill, but also the entire base cooling tower structural material, sump, and drift eliminator.

The engineered-plastic towers are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is impervious to the natural and chemical causes of rust and corrosion. The towers are also unaffected by the acidity from water sources, including evaporation make-up water and even the water treatment chemicals that attack metal towers from the inside out. This feature solved the second issue for the school district.

“Durability was a huge part of what won us that job,” added McKinney. “With HDPE, the whole tower is molded in one piece, so you don’t have any of the leaking points that caused the failures in metal towers. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Delta puts a 20-year warranty on their towers. You just don’t get that kind of lifespan with metal towers.”

To further reduce ongoing cost and maintenance requirements, the school district also wanted to get away from the belt-driven fan systems that require periodic downtime for replacement. The Delta Cooling direct-drive fan eliminates the belts entirely. In addition, the variable-frequency drive motor, which requires less horsepower than the school district’s previous towers, is already translating into a substantial savings on electric power consumption.

“We are actually already working to roll this out again at other schools,” concluded McKinney. “The ESSER funds are still available, and with these antimicrobial HDPE cooling towers, we know we can help other schools improve their situation.”

For more information, visit www.deltacooling.com, call 800-289-3358, or email sales@deltacooling.com.

Nagelbush Tames Florida Heat With EVAPCO Cooling Towers

South Florida’s weather poses many challenges, so Nagelbush Mechanical, Inc. relied on EVAPCO cooling towers to withstand the heat, sea air, and high winds for residents of the luxurious three-tower Park Grove complex along the shores of Biscayne Bay in South Florida.

The new towers bring modern architecture to a historic section of the city. Each high rise has 22 stories with high windows that offer grand views of the ocean. The three towers are connected with a common podium structure housing two levels of retail space, a bank, a large restaurant, and parking. Residents of the building expect ample cooling to keep Miami’s heat and humidity at bay. Building managers expect a system that minimizes energy consumption using reliable equipment.

To preserve the modern design of the Park Grove complex, Nagelbush hid the EVAPCO cooling units in a recessed area of the roof yet managed to ensure they had sufficient air flow for peak performance.

When it came to designing the cooling tower system, engineers from Steven Feller P.E., LLC, sought assistance from Integrated Cooling Solutions, LLC, which provided input on technical aspects of the equipment. Nagelbush was the contractor of choice, with a portfolio containing multiple condominium complexes in Miami and a reputation as a leading mechanical systems installer.

Maximizing tenant space is a priority for real estate developers. Yet, for water-sourced heat pump systems installed at Park Grove, cooling towers are some of the largest pieces of equipment in the mechanical mix. “One challenge was [the mechanical] footprint and getting the right air capacity into the cooling tower space,” said David Fernandez, P.E., LEED-AP, CEO of Integrated Cooling Solutions.

Andrew Sanek, project manager for Nagelbush, described the unique challenge faced by the bank. “The way Park Grove is built, the podium area is a two-story feature,” he said. “The whole thing is constructed with landscaping, trees, and pools that are actually located over the bank. So the bank technically has no roof. Its roof is an interstitial floor below the pool deck. And because the bank didn’t really have a roof, we had to make sure we designed it properly so that adequate air could come in to supply the cooling towers with what they needed.”

Cool Solutions

Cooling plant equipment for towers one and two are similarly sized at 2,000 tons and 2,400 tons, respectively, but smaller for tower three (the Club Tower) at 1,440 tons. Each of these buildings is served by a two-cell EVAPCO cooling tower: Model USS-212-528 for One Park Grove, USS-212-4N28 for Two Park Grove, and USS-29-924 for the Club Tower residences.

Nagelbush Mechanical installed EVAPCO cooling towers in a 22-story complex in south Florida, in part because their stainless steel construction can resist the corrosive salty air, and their wind pressure tolerances can withstand hurricanes.

“This is a typical type of system for condos in Florida,” Fernandez said. “The cooling towers serve water source heat pumps across the heat exchangers. Each cooling tower is paired with a set of pumps, then a heat exchanger to isolate the loop, eliminating the risk of mineralized scale in the building’s distribution piping, and the heat pumps are also on an isolated loop.”

The cooling towers serve more than just the connected heat pump system. “For fresh air to the building, three Petra rooftop units provide 100-percent outside air, using condenser water for their DX [direct expansion] cooling systems,” said Sanek. “Towers one and two each have two 8,000 cubic feet-per-minute (CFM) rooftop units while tower three has one 21,000 CFM unit because of the larger corridor area in that tower.”

The bank has a fully redundant system with two EVAPCO LSTE-4312-s cooling towers providing a total of 300 tons. “The bank wanted complete redundancy,” said Sanek, “so they have double the equipment in order to achieve 100-percent backup.”

The EVAPCO units offered several advantages to this application. “The units were constructed using stainless steel, which is popular for good reason in south Florida where salty air can be quite corrosive,” said Fernandez. “EVAPCO’s wind pressure tolerances were also important because of the risk of hurricanes.”

As proof, the units stood strong through Hurricane Irma’s category four devastation in September 2017.

Getting Creative

Tower dimensions for the required capacities were critical because of the tight spacing available. “The footprint and the layout presented a challenge,” said Fernandez, “and we had to get creative with how these units were arranged. Fortunately, the EVAPCO units are modular and can be oriented for the piping to work.”

Having sufficient airflow around a cooling tower is fundamental to its performance, which is why most cooling towers are located on open rooftops. For Park Grove, however, cooling towers did not match the building’s sophisticated look.

Hiding a cooling tower on the rooftop of a 22-story building is not easy. “We put these units in a recessed area of the roof with three walls so only one side was available for airflow,” said Sanek. “The parapet walls are 10 feet high around all the rooftop equipment to hide it. We had one side that was basically all louvers to allow airflow to the cooling towers.”

Sanek said the EVAPCO products “are very easy to work with, and the design team gave excellent support to the engineers. So most issues were already taken care of before installation.”

“Today, Park Grove is one of the trendier places overlooking Biscayne Bay,” said Fernandez.

For more information, visit www.evapco.com.

Elliott-Lewis Installs Resurrected EVAPCO Cooling Tower for Historic Philadelphia Residence

Recreating Discontinued Model Makes for a Smooth Installation

Downtown Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin House needed an HVAC overhaul but, like most historic buildings, had no room to expand. EVAPCO reached into its archives for the specs of the building’s original cooling tower and created a more powerful, up-to-date version for the same space, making the installation process easier for Elliott-Lewis Corporation.

Time for an Upgrade

The Benjamin Franklin Hotel—now known as The Franklin Residences or, simply, “The Ben”—was built in 1923. Upgrading historic sites typically comes with challenges, such as limited space. The building’s owners recognized that keeping tenants and guests comfortable during increasingly warm and humid summers would take the right systems and equipment working with minimal or no downtime.

EVAPCO recreated a discontinued cooling tower to fit the tight quarters occupied by its original unit in the historic Benjamin Franklin House, simplifying the installation process for Elliott-Lewis Corporation.

A key component of The Ben’s cooling system is the cooling tower that serves a water-sourced heat pump loop in the building. For many years, this loop met most of the building’s cooling needs. Several suites still use packaged terminal air conditioner units, but many tenants have requested the switch to heat pumps. In addition, the retail space expanded from one floor to two. These changes have increased demand on the heat pump loop.

Mike McCauley, sales engineer at Elliott-Lewis Corporation, explained yet another reason for the demand increase. “Some equipment loses efficiency as it gets older. Back when it was built, the system was designed to meet certain demands. Well, those demands have changed. We have warmer summers now, and that’s taxing on older equipment. You can have the best maintenance in the world and [the system] still won’t be as efficient as it once was.”

The increased demand did not come with increased floor space for a second cooling tower or even a new, larger one. The owners were faced with a challenge: how to get more cooling capacity using the same footprint. At the same time, the existing cooling tower, which had served the building since 1984, was reaching the end of its useful life.

“Our company maintains the cooling tower on this site,” said McCauley. “We realized that the equipment was at its end of life and told the owners that if they didn’t replace it soon, they’d be spending lots of money refurbishing it.”

Old Meets New

When the original cooling tower was built, it was not subject to certifications or ASHRAE 90.1 requirements, and building codes were different too. The building needed a new cooling
tower that met current requirements—yet had the same footprint and a greater capacity. Engineers were called in to tackle the design, and Elliott-Lewis Corporation, which has served Philadelphia for a century, was chosen to install the new cooling solution.

The original cooling tower was a discontinued EVAPCO unit, a PMTQ cooling tower. So, EVAPCO retrieved the design from their archives and built a new one to meet all the requirements for the project, including a sharply increased cooling demand, while maintaining the same footprint. EVAPCO’s solution increased the system’s cooling capacity on the heat pump loop from about 565 tons to 675 tons, without sacrificing space.

The original galvanized material was replaced by stainless steel, ensuring durability and a long lifespan. The addition of a custom fiber acoustic base for the tower ensured that the new unit was fully up to code.

Quiet and Efficient

The new tower also needed to meet or exceed current codes for thermal and acoustic performance. The building sits in a densely populated part of Philadelphia, surrounded by office buildings and residences, so noise is a concern. The new unit features EVAPCO’s super low sound fan instead of the typical centrifugal fan that would be used with a forced draft system.

In addition, the unit has four fans drawing a total of 60 horsepower, up from the original unit’s 40 horsepower. Despite this increase, which achieves a greater capacity, the unit’s performance is more energy-efficient at part loads. Each fan is driven by a variable frequency drive (VFD) designed to run at part loads rather than cycling on and off when the demand changes.

With VFDs, the unit can run all four fans at, for example, 30 percent, which is much more efficient than running one fan at 100 percent. The unit only uses the energy needed at any given load.

Overcoming Other Challenges

The heat exchanger, originally designed to meet the lower demand, would not serve the upgraded cooling tower to provide extra cooling to the building. Rather than replace the heat exchanger, the owners chose to modify the existing piece of equipment. Because there was enough room to add additional plates to increase capacity, the original heat exchanger was cleaned and expanded.

Replacing the Benjamin Franklin House’s old cooling tower with a modernized version allowed for minimal pipework, saving Elliot-Lewis time.

Replacing the old cooling tower with a modernized version allowed for minimal pipework, saving Elliot-Lewis time. “There were some piping changes,” said McCauley. “Old pipe was replaced because of its age, but other than that there was only some rerouting of pipes to accommodate the new tower dimensions.”

Controlling the cooling tower required integration of the unit’s VFD controllers into the building management system. This step proved to be a challenge at first, but since its startup, the unit has been able to meet its required performance with no complaints from the owners. With its sturdy equipment and supportive professionals, The Ben is sure to maintain its reputation for luxury for many years to come.

For more information, visit www.evapco.com.

IFS Replaces Cooling Towers Without Disrupting Government Offices

Ease of Installation Makes Marley NC Towers from SPX Cooling Technologies Clear Choice for Demanding Work

Thanks to careful planning, prefabrication, and easy-to-install Marley NC cooling towers from SPX Cooling Technologies Inc., Integrated Facility Services (IFS) replaced two large wooden cooling towers with two new steel cooling towers at a St. Louis, MO, government building while keeping the chiller system operational throughout to avoid disrupting essential county government services. The $1-million cooling tower replacement project received the Outstanding Mechanical Installation Award from the Mechanical Contractors Association of Eastern Missouri.

The Louis K. Roos County Government Building houses St. Louis County’s government administration offices. Located in the busy Clayton, MO, business district, it includes the offices of the St. Louis County Executive. To minimize disruption, the cooling tower hoisting and setting onto the roof was accomplished on two Saturdays.

IFS’ work included demolition of old tower structures, structural steel fabrication, mechanical and electrical work, insulation, hoisting, and painting. IFS precisely measured and custom-prefabricated structural steel framing with seismic-rated spring vibration isolators, 10–16″ large-bore piping, fittings, valves, and tower pieces, all of which were lifted to the nine-story rooftop by crane. Central Avenue in downtown Clayton was temporarily closed on both crane days to accommodate the installation.

Commenting on the logistics needed to successfully execute such a large project without major disruption, Gary Tidwell, IFS project manager, said, “This project required an extensive amount of precise planning. Everything was measured, detailed, fabricated, and painted in advance, and each piece had to fit exactly on installation day. Our highly skilled project team completed the project as planned.”

IFS replaced 40-year-old wooden towers with a two-cell Marley NC 8414 steel crossflow cooling tower, factory-assembled by SPX Cooling Technologies. The Marley NC, certified by the Cooling Technology Institute, offers the highest tonnage per cell and the highest ASHRAE 90.1 performance available, which makes it easier to cool larger applications with fewer cells more efficiently and cost-effectively.

The Marley NC cooling tower’s ease of installation and maintenance also factored into the equipment selection process. With IFS’ pre-planning, the challenging HVAC installation was completed from start to finish in about two months.

IFS is no stranger to tough projects. Established in 1966, IFS delivers integrated mechanical engineering and construction, installation, service and planned maintenance, and energy conservation solutions, with a focus on ensuring occupant comfort, improving efficiency, and reducing operational costs. IFS is ranked among the top 100 HVAC contractors in the country by Contractor Magazine, was named a 2016 Midwest Top 50 Specialty Contractor by Engineering News-Record, and is the sixth largest mechanical contractor in the St. Louis region. The firm serves clients in Missouri and Illinois, with offices in St. Louis and Columbia, MO.

For more information, visit spxcooling.com.

Herman Goldner Keeps Costs Low and Efficiency High with SPX Cooling Tower

When the Centre Square commercial office complex needed a new cooling tower system, HVAC contractor Herman Goldner Co., Inc. turned to SPX Cooling Technologies to address the building needs, then brought in Erickson Incorporated to conquer the formidable challenge of installing the system in a busy, urban site. Located in the heart of Philadelphia at 1500 Market Street, the Centre Square buildings, at 417’ and 490’, were too tall for the use of a traditional crane, and the extended road closures and weights associated with a tower crane were prohibitive. The existing Marley field-erected cooling tower was decommissioned and demolished in December 2017, and the project schedule required the new system to be online for the start of cooling season; therefore, knock down delivery and assembly was also eliminated as an option due to sheer material volume and potential weather delays.

Crossflow vs. Counterflow

The original 6,000-ton capacity tower was constructed from wood and fieldbuilt in place before the building was completed in 1973. Still in use until its demolition, the tower had reliably serviced the building’s cooling system for 44 years.

After first considering a counterflow-style cooling tower, the Marley® NC® crossflow cooling tower was selected for its high quality of construction, robust ability to service variable flow conditions, flexible mounting options, competitive
pricing, and strong technical support. The engineering team determined that the buildings required only four cooling tower cells at 1,250 tons each under full load
conditions. With 5,000 tons of cooling capacity, compared with the 6,000 of the original 1973 cooling tower, the new tower saved costs by reducing capital equipment expenditures and field installation labor. Additionally, the final design provides the building with built-in redundancy and extra capacity for future expansion. The decision to select a crossflow-style tower as opposed to a counterflow tower was primarily driven by reduced winter cooling loads, requiring variable flow conditions across the towers.

Limited Installation Options

Faced with the high-traffic location and aggressive schedule, a helicopter pick, although challenging, was the best solution to set the eight modules of the four-cell Marley NC cooling tower. Erickson was selected to safely pick and set the cooling tower.

The demolition and installation processes required extensive strategic planning. First, the prior system had to be demolished and removed from the building, while providing continued cooling service to tenant spaces. This step posed its own set of challenges. The existing field-erected tower’s 100’ x 30’ x 30’ wooden structure, along with piping and components such as fans and motors, had to be
efficiently dismantled and brought down a freight elevator for disposal. At the same time, a temporary bypass cooling system had to be devised to provide limited cooling while the final tower cell was demolished.

Next, the logistics of delivery, including weights and timing of a helicopter lift, had to be coordinated. “Fortunately, the days selected were bright and sunny, and the lifts went off without a hitch,” said Bob McCracken, Herman Goldner senior account executive. In the case of this particular installation, the Philadelphia Eagles’ two playoff games in January 2018 had to be considered, as lifts like this one require street closures and traffic diversion in the area during the delivery window.

Planning Makes Perfect

Ultimately, Erickson set all eight units in under two-and-a-half hours. The successful and timely delivery was the result of thorough planning and execution by the Goldner team. Prefabrication of the structural steel framing, catwalks, and piping enabled them to prepare the installation site for the new towers prior to setting them. With careful planning, the demolition, lifts, and installation were not only successful, but also safe for all involved.

The cooling tower installation was successfully completed on schedule and in time for the 2018 cooling season without sacrificing product performance, quality, or project safety. The One Centre Square installation provided several insights for the field:

  • Helicopter installations, when permitted by municipal authorities, can be a cost-effective solution for new cooling tower systems on tall and inaccessible commercial buildings.
  • Careful planning (start to finish, with contingency plans) by the HVAC contractor from predemolition through commissioning can make for a successful, timely, and safe project.
  • Crossflow cooling towers configured with “variable flow” nozzles can provide a more robust turndown for reduced-load conditions than pressurized distribution-style counterflow cooling towers.
  • Exemplary teamwork and collaboration among the HVAC contractors, engineers, vendors, various trades, and building owners can keep a complex installation safe, on schedule, and on budget.

For more information, visit http://spxcooling.com.

SPX Donates Cooling Tower to Steamfitters Trades School

When the Steamfitters UA Local 602 Mechanical Trades School needed equipment to use in its apprenticeship program, SPX Cooling Technologies donated a Marley® NC cooling tower, enabling the school to present students with a real-world environment. Instructors use the complete new cooling system to teach students how to troubleshoot and fix problems with HVAC systems.

Union Beefs Up Training Spaces

The Steamfitters UA Local 602 Mechanical Trades School benefits from equipment donations like those of SPX Cooling Technologies for hands-on training in its
apprenticeship program.

Steamfitters UA Local 602 Mechanical Trades School recently expanded and renovated its training facilities. The union, which represents journeymen, apprentices, and helpers working in the heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, and process piping industries, sought equipment donations to outfit the school and help with its apprenticeship training mission. The school’s training centers in Landover, MD, and Springfield, VA offer a five-year apprenticeship and train a diverse group of over 700 students ranging in age from 19 to 70 years old.

Apprentices are assigned to a union contractor and jobsite, and they generally work 40 hours per week. Classes range from soldering and brazing, health and safety, and drawing and blueprint-reading to basic and advanced refrigeration and electricity.

James Balderson, assistant training director, explained that the nonprofit school has a very small equipment budget, so he has to think creatively to beef up the equipment available for HVAC training. Balderson is the coordinator for the school’s HVAC department and trains air conditioning, refrigeration, and boiler technicians.

“Being able to expose our students to real equipment gives us a greater advantage compared to teaching out of a book,” said Balderson. “Classroom time is necessary, but we must reinforce it with hands-on training.”

Balderson notes that he and other instructors regularly ask vendors if they know anyone discarding equipment. “If they are going to replace equipment and it’s still usable, we’ll arrange to come get it. Hands-on knowledge is the most important part of the steamfitter’s trade, so the ability to have access to real equipment to solve real-time problems is essential in the industry.”

He developed a long equipment wish list, at the top of which was a cooling tower. SPX agreed to donate a factory-assembled single-cell crossflow Marley NC® 8401 cooling tower. Originally constructed as a demonstration cooling tower for trade shows, the tower is typical of what students would see in the field every day, making it an excellent fit for the school. “When I was in the field, the Marley brand was known as one of the superior cooling towers out there, so I was happy when I heard we had an opportunity to get one for our program,” Balderson said.

Cooling Tower Central to Training

The Marley NC, provided by SPX Cooling Technologies for training, is also being used to cool the school’s newly designed classrooms for interactive learning.

The cooling tower is key to the students’ hands-on training. When it was delivered, the apprentices helped install the tower, and now it is being used to cool one of the new classrooms. The instructors also use the tower in conjunction with other pieces of HVAC equipment in the classroom. The availability of real operating equipment allows instructors to intentionally put “faults” in the system as it runs, so they can train students to troubleshoot. When the system shuts down—for example, a pump stops pumping water or a fan no longer pulls air through the heat
exchanger—the apprentice is tasked with identifying the problem and fixing it.

“We could buy trainer units, but having the real thing is so much better,” said Balderson. “A working cooling system where I can place faults that HVAC technicians have to fix is the best way to train. They can process firsthand how important it is to properly maintain equipment and components and how water treatment is critical to product lifecycle.”

In sum, Balderson said, “Without these kinds of equipment donations, we could not provide the education we do. They help us educate our apprentices to a high level.”

For more information, visit spxcooling.com.

Craft & Son Find EVAPCO Cooling Towers a Perfect Fit for Gettysburg Hospital

Only EVAPCO, Inc. had cooling towers with a small-enough footprint, yet large-enough capacity, to meet WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital’s need for upgraded towers that would lend themselves to future expansion. Manchester, PA-based James Craft & Son Inc. worked closely with EVAPCO to find the perfect solution to a challenging installation.

No Room for Error

Civil War-era physicians and nurses could only have dreamed of the contemporary health care facility that now stands within sight of the Gettysburg National Military Park. WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital was first constructed in 1921 and has since undergone several facility improvements and enhancements to patient care. Today, it is a nationally recognized acute care community hospital.

According to Joe Lehigh, a 27-year member of the facility’s engineering team, the hospital needed “to modernize mechanical systems that would assure reliability of critical patient care functions. High on the list was cooling equipment that had close ties to operation of our clinical and catheterization labs, sterilizing, the critical care department, operating rooms, and maternity ward functions—all with no room for errors that could lead to downtime.”

Maintaining reliability of the hospital’s indoor environments—and the ability to shed heat from cleaning and sterilization—took precedence over energy efficiency. But, said Lehigh, “We needed unerring dependability of critical patient care. We expected the rest to follow suit.”

Cooling Towers Top the List

“Replacement of the towers was a five-year effort,” explained Lehigh. “Early on, we identified a need and began preparations. At first, we considered a retrofit to the existing, 30-year-old cooling towers. Another approach would be to replace some of the evaporative coolers. But after careful evaluation, in an effort that actually took several years and through many budget cycles, it was clear to us that we needed to replace the old evaporative coolers.”

Lehigh said that the team of managers and outside experts tasked with finding a solution to the hospital’s needs all focused on the importance of improving cooling tower operations. Then, related mechanical equipment challenges would need attention as well.

“It felt at times like trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle, not knowing if we had all the pieces,” added Lehigh. “The old cooling towers, with 900 tons of cooling capacity, were reparable—at least some of them were—but at considerable cost. Plus, there was the need for ongoing maintenance. New cooling towers offered many advantages, yet the higher price tag became the obstacle.”

Through the years of studying all aspects of the project’s “pieces,” the completed puzzle began to take shape when the hospital considered the many long-term advantages of improved energy efficiency, greatly reduced maintenance, improved operational performance, the ability to have redundancy, and capacity for hospital expansion.

Finding the Right Fit

The existing cooling towers were contained by brick walls on all sides, defining the footprint. WellSpan Health Engineering managers formulated a plan to replace the failing equipment in the same footprint and provide additional capacity for N+1 redundancy. Only one manufacturer, EVAPCO, had products that would meet the need for 1,200 tons of evaporative cooling equipment and also fit within the limits of the space. The existing cooling towers were connected to three, 300-ton York/Johnson Controls centrifugal chillers. The new coolers would have to have additional capacity for a new, 300-ton chiller needed for the hospital’s anticipated expansion.

“At EVAPCO, we were introduced to a team of folks who took our challenges seriously, and helped us find just the solution we were looking for. . . . No other manufacturer could do this for us.”

—Allan Jordan, Jobsite Supervisor, Craft & Son

Valuable Visit

Craft & Son brought a healthy attitude to the project. “Sure, there were challenges, but what job doesn’t throw a surprise occasionally?” said Allan Jordan, jobsite supervisor with Craft & Son. Furthermore, Jordan said, “We’ve worked with [EVAPCO] systems a lot in the past, and their ability to offer a custom solution to meet the hospital’s needs went a long way.”

A visit to EVAPCO’s plant in Maryland provided Craft & Son new insights and a source of solutions. “At EVAPCO, we were introduced to a team of folks who took our challenges seriously, and helped us find just the solution we were looking for.” said Jordan. “EVAPCO was able to offer a modular approach that permitted greater cooling capacity within the given footprint.

“The day we spent there was so valuable,” Jordan continued. “After seeing the complexity of the challenge, to find the answers so close to home, and with all of the professionals on our team nodding in appreciation . . . that was the moment when we knew we’d be able to accomplish the task we’d set out to do.

“No other manufacturer could do this for us,” Jordan noted.

Evaporative Solution

Specified for the hospital were two EVAPCO AT series, induced-draft, counterflow cooling towers, rated for 2,063 maximum gallons per minute (gpm), each with two modular, 300-ton (six-million BTU) cells, for a total of 1,200 tons or 14.4 million BTUs of evaporative cooling capacity. A key advantage is that these coolers have the smallest footprint in the industry for their size.

Each AT cooling tower provides external access to fully enclosed motors and belts. Attached to the motors is the company’s heavy-duty Power-Band drive system with aluminum alloy sheaves and pillow block bearings that provide a minimum guaranteed life of 75,000 hours, as well as and an aluminum alloy, statically-balanced, variable-frequency-drive-controlled, 25-horsepower fan.

The Gettysburg cooling towers also have galvanized steel access ladders and platforms, ideal for service and maintenance work. They provide easy access to fan motors and water distribution components.

“With EVAPCO, the ease of service and maintenance is a big improvement over our previous system. Before, we had to crawl into our old units to maintain them. Now, everything’s available from the exterior,” said Lehigh.

EVAPCO Cooling Towers at the WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital
Craft & Son had done so much prefabrication that they needed only one welded joint on the day they installed new EVAPCO cooling towers for the WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital, saving time onsite. EVAPCO towers were the only products with a small-enough footprint for the defined space yet large-enough capacity to meet the hospital’s current needs and anticipated expansion.

Prefabbed and Prepped

Despite unexpected warm weather on installation day in September of 2016, Craft & Son was prepared. “Allan [Jordan] informed me that, because of all the prefab work they did at the shop, they needed only one welded joint on installation day,” said Lehigh. “His technicians had already prepared and installed as much of the 14” condensing system supply-and-return piping, onsite, as they could, with every other component considered for prefab,” he continued. “They also installed most of the necessary piping for expansion of the hospital—ready for when that day arrives.”

Redundancy Plus Efficiency

“In reality, there are four [new] cooling towers, not two,” said Jordan. “Each ‘module’ acts as its own system. They’re identical, separate, and singly functional. There are four fans, four sets of valves, and four level controllers.”

On a given day, the facility may need only 900 tons of cooling capacity, but a full cell is available for redundancy, as well as to ensure peak efficiency of the entire system by modulating the fan speeds. Electric controls connect all facets of the mechanical system, and they constantly assess the variables and make decisions to ensure dependability.

The control system also selects system function for maximum energy efficiency. For instance, conditions may call for operation of one cell (or modular evaporator section) at 100 percent. Instead, two cells are tapped at 50 percent each. In addition to energy savings, tower fan speeds can be lowered to reduce wear on motors, belts, and bearings.

EVAPCO’s independent water level control and isolation valves allow operators to easily lock out individual towers as needed and to generate an alarm to the building management system. Each module can be isolated easily, allowing other systems to ramp up to replace any part of the system that is shut down temporarily for routine maintenance. In a failure scenario, the control system can automatically shut that cell down, lock it out, and then notify technicians that service work is required.

Systems Come Together

In the bowels of the hospital are the chillers and water treatment equipment and the pump stations that circulate fluids to and from all of the connected equipment. Included are three 945-gpm Taco base-mounted cooling tower condenser pumps and three 756-gpm base-mounted pumps to govern constant flow of chilled water to and from the hospital’s 22 air handling units, from 10 to 120 tons in size.

“Important, sometimes life-saving work goes on every day in any of the floors above us,” noted Lehigh. “Yet, down here—and, now, out on the rooftop—are the new and improved systems that make it all possible. A lot of planning, and a lot of work, and the right systems all came together.

“Now we know that the facility’s ultimate mandate—no downtime—is as close to a full guarantee as we can make it,” he concluded.

For more information, visit www.evapco.com.

TG Gallagher Prescribes BAC Cooling Towers for Easy Installation, Efficiency

Cambridge Hospital Runs Without Interruption During Rapid System Replacement

With only two consecutive weekends scheduled to replace Cambridge Hospital’s aging cooling towers, TG Gallagher selected Baltimore Aircoil Company (BAC) towers designed to make installation and upgrades easy. Recovering from one of the harshest winters in recent memory, the Boston-based hospital wanted to be prepared for their HVAC needs this summer, and they were looking for a more energy-efficient solution. The real challenge was getting the old towers removed and the new towers installed in the short timeframe while working around the busy Cambridge neighborhood streets.

Cambridge Hospital needed to replace three existing BAC Series V Cooling Towers. With the help of TG Gallagher, they found the optimal solution: three Series 1500 XE (Extreme Efficiency) Models, designed to fit the same space with the same steel support layout as the existing Series V equipment. However, XE models use less energy and run more quietly. In this application, the reduction in fan horsepower resulted in approximately 70-percent lower energy usage. With the addition of the Whisper Quiet Fans, the Series 1500 XE Cooling Towers also reduced sound levels in all directions by at least 10 A-weighted decibels (dBA) when compared with the original equipment.

TG Gallagher found the towers very easy to install. They required no changes to the structural or the electrical infrastructure and only minimal changes to the piping based on the proximity to the piping of the original equipment.

Matt Wiley, project manager at TG Gallagher, noted, “The installation of the Series 1500 Models went really smooth, and allowed the team to meet the strict schedule for our client.” The entire installation was caught on film to highlight the expertise of all parties.

“The installation of the Series 1500 Models went really smooth, and allowed the team to meet the strict schedule for our client.”

—Matt Wiley, Project Manager, TG Gallagher

As a company, BAC prides themselves on the delivery of quality equipment. “We wanted to give them the best solution for their application. The installation was a challenge, but we were able to work together and complete the job without any complications, and now Cambridge Hospital will be able to meet their cooling needs,” said Dave White, regional sales manager at BAC.

The hospital continued to run normally during the entire installation without interruption. The goal of finishing the project in two consecutive weekends was met, thanks to the collaborative efforts of TG Gallagher and BAC.

For more information, visit www.baltimoreaircoil.com.

Getting the Best Performance From Your Evaporative Cooling Equipment

Tips from Baltimore Aircoil Company

Building owners and property managers have a lot at stake in their investments, so they look to their MCAA contractors for solutions. When evaluating mechanical equipment, hassle-free operation and long equipment life are important parts of the purchase equation. Here are five ways to enhance the performance of evaporative cooling equipment and save on energy costs.

  1. Add a variable frequency drive (VFD): Adding a VFD can reduce energy costs by 30–40 percent, providing a more efficient method of operating a cooling tower while extending the life of the motor and mechanical drive system. This 30–40-percent reduction also results in a payback of less than a year.
  2. Replace nozzles: Replacing broken or clogged nozzles will restore proper water distribution and decrease the leaving water temperature by 1° F—providing an energy savings of 3 percent. Damaged nozzles can also cause uneven water distribution over the fill, resulting in scale build-up while decreasing capacity, so it is important to fix such problems quickly.
  3. Replace fill: Replacing scaled or clogged fill—for example, with Baltimore Aircoil Company’s (BAC’s) patented, state-of-theart fill technology—can not only restore your tower to its designed capacity, but in most cases the new fill can increase the capacity of the unit by 7–10 percent versus the original fill. Additionally, new fill can also decrease temperature of the leaving water by 2˚ F on average, increasing efficiency and offering a 5-percent energy savings. New fill can yield payback in two to three years.
  4. Install a fan system retrofit kit: For example, the BAC ENDURADRIVE™ Fan System Retrofit Kit is a direct drive motor system that provides 100-percent reliability on transmission components and a 90-percent reduction in maintenance costs, all while providing an increase in energy savings of 10 percent versus a typical gear drive system. By eliminating drivetrain components like gears, pulleys, belts, and shafts, the need to maintain and replace old parts is eliminated. That means no more downtime for alignment issues or money wasted on oil changes and lubricants.
  5. Do regular preventive maintenance: Proper preventive maintenance is paramount for consistently achieving desired temperature and flow rate, and it plays an important role in maximizing the operational life of evaporative cooling equipment. To perform preventive maintenance properly, all tower components must be kept clean and free of obstructions. Maintenance frequency depends primarily on the condition of the circulating water and the environment in which the tower is operating. Refer to the operating and maintenance manual for your recommended maintenance schedule.

In summary, today’s building owners are constantly being challenged to keep operating costs down. Therefore, owners are motivated to purchase equipment that is energy-efficient, reliable, and maintenance-friendly. However, even with the most advanced systems, “set it and forget it” is not a viable option. Your evaporative cooling equipment needs routine inspection and maintenance for optimal performance.

For more information, visit www.BaltimoreAircoil.com.

Compact Footprint, Snug Fit of BAC Cooling Towers Makes Installation Easy for Ideal Consolidated

In selecting new cooling equipment for a university laboratory, Ideal Consolidated Inc., chose Baltimore Aircoil Company (BAC) cooling towers because they would stand up to harsh winters, but also for their ease of installation. Tim Stuver, project manager at Ideal Consolidated, said the small footprint of the BAC towers made installation and rigging more efficient and cost-effective than other options.

When the University of Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory needed cooling equipment for their new testing facility, multiple factors made BAC the best option. BAC’s counterflow, closed-circuit cooling technology was the ideal fit for the South Bend, IN, winters. The Notre Dame team also trusted BAC with the job because of the attention to detail, industry knowledge, and attitude of John McGlynn, BAC’s sales representative.

McGlynn, a veteran of the cooling industry, noticed both environmental and technical factors that, while not part of the original request for quote from Notre Dame, ultimately made a measurable difference both to the technical success of the project and its adherence to community regulations. McGlynn’s local experience made him aware of strict South Bend sound ordinances, a factor when selecting cooling equipment. He conducted measurements of A-weighted decibel (dBA) levels in increments of five feet, starting 100 feet from the property line, to ensure that the Turbomachinery Laboratory would be compliant once the new equipment was installed. Armed with this information, the Notre Dame team selected 12 BAC PF2 Closed Circuit Cooling Towers for their dry operation capability, ease of installation, counterflow process, low sound, and best installation cost.

The 12 units were delivered on nine trucks, broken down into 36 total components for installation. The units were shipped in multiple sections to optimize the size and weight of the heaviest lift, allowing the use of more cost-effective cranes. The InterLok™ System aligned the casing and the basin, allowing for a smoother, faster rigging process. Because the PF2s have a compact footprint and fit snugly into the enclosure, the crane remained in one position for all 12 units, making installation even faster.

The combination of experience and commitment from the BAC team helped Ideal Consolidated install the cooling towers swiftly and efficiently, saving time and money. Partnering with BAC and engineering firm Karges-Falcounbridge, Inc. in advance on the selection of the cooling towers ensured that the university complied with local ordinances that might otherwise not have been anticipated.

For more information, visit www.baltimoreaircoil.com. MCAA thanks Baltimore Aircoil Company, Inc. for being a major sponsor of MCAA 2016 and for cosponsoring the Annual Dessert Party featuring Andy Grammer.

SPX’s Customized Cooling Towers Meet Space, Design Constraints

EMCOR Installs New Towers in Just One Week

Facing space constraints, design restrictions, and a one-week schedule to replace three failing cooling towers, EMCOR Services Northeast, Inc. managed the tough project by installing two Marley NC® Cooling Towers from SPX Cooling Technologies without a hitch. The two towers were specially configured and manufactured to fit the tight space and meet the client’s requirements.

Finding the Right Fit

The project took place at Boston University’s medical campus, in an early 1990s, 10-story university laboratory research building that uses 100-percent outside air. Because of tight clearances of mere inches on all sides that made replacing the three towers incredibly difficult, EMCOR needed an option that fit the space. The location would not allow room for ladders or fan deck extensions.

Replacing older cooling towers can be challenging because of differences in footprints, other dimensions, and product options. Because the two Marley NC towers chosen were close to the same size as the three aging towers, making them fit was a tall order. The project team measured multiple times to make sure they got it right. Nonetheless, everyone on the team agreed that performance was a much more critical concern than any space-related struggles that would come with their tower choice.

As it turned out, the weight of the chillers proved to be even more difficult than the fit. Complicating things further, the installation needed to be completed during the college intersession between Christmas and the new year.

The two Marley NC Cooling Towers installed on top of the building in late December of 2014 required special modifications to make them fit in such a tight space. The towers had to have handrails on all four faces and ladder openings on one side only.

The team worked out a smart rigging plan, dropped in the cooling tower modules, and slid them into position. The installation required a 600-ton crane to place the chillers and cooling towers during the oneweek installation period. The roads were required to be closed, which minimized disruption, and good weather helped—the temperature remained around 40° F with no snow in Boston during that week.

Novel Approach Avoids Temperature Spikes

Traditionally, the university’s maintenance staff would winterize their cooling towers by shutting them off and draining them, so from approximately mid-September through mid-March, there was no cooling available. Therefore, on the occasional higher temperature days in October or March, the temperature inside the building could rise by more than 10° F above ideal conditions.

The project team developed a new scheme. In winter, the tower would run water through the cooling coils and to the heat exchanger—in essence, the load that was on the process tower would be cooled by recovering heat from it and using it to preheat the 100-percent outdoor air required for the building. In doing so, the team was able to recover heat from the process cooling loop, which also had the side benefit of circulating water to eliminate potential cold spots in the cooling coils. Not only would this approach make the towers more efficient, but also the towers would last longer by avoiding some of the issues that had taxed the original equipment.

Turning Down the Noise

Another issue that proved to be a concern was tower noise—specifically, the transfer of vibrations. Because of the sensitivity of the floor directly below, the existing installation used springs. But as the project team examined the springs, they found them ineffective.

Although it was thought that the new cooling tower would perform satisfactorily without springs, the team decided to provide the same level of isolation design for the new towers as in the original installation. Piping was optimized for better water flow, and the entire structure was reworked. Additionally, new grillage provided needed structural support. With a better support structure and new steel, the client got a quieter option that was better than new.

By combining high-performing cooling towers with the ingenuity of a talented project team, an effective solution was reached—one that will last for a long time. The new cooling system has been operating since March 2015 and is performing up to expectations.

A project of this scope with this many challenges could have been incredibly difficult with disappointing outcomes. But with proper planning and clever solutions by the EMCOR team, along with the powerful capabilities and configuration of the new SPX cooling towers, the installation was fairly routine, with low risk and no surprises.

For more information, visit spxcooling.com.

Hill York Meets Growing Campus’ Energy Demands with BAC’s Innovative, Efficient Ice Thermal Storage

With 26,000 students and a growing campus, Florida’s Nova Southeastern University (NSU) was challenged with finding a reliable cooling system that kept both expenses and the environment in mind. Baltimore Aircoil Company (BAC) and Hill York mechanical contractors worked together to find a solution for NSU, finally settling on BAC’s innovative ice thermal storage. Now, NSU is reducing their peak electrical demand and saving electricity costs while remaining environmentally sensitive.

Located in steamy Fort Lauderdale, FL, NSU is one of the nation’s largest independent universities. In 2009 NSU began phase 1 of its expansion project and set out to find a cooling solution for their growing campus. Their goal was to provide chilled water to the entire university from one central energy plant. Five years ago, Hill York installed the first BAC ice tank, with a cooling capacity of 2,220 tons and 19,800 ton-hours of ice storage capacity.

Now, half a decade later, Hill York and BAC have come together again to help NSU with phase 2 of the cooling system as the campus further expands, installing two more BAC coils. Chip Lafferty, CEO of Hill York, commended the partnership with BAC, saying it was fostered around trust and teamwork, making the project at NSU not only a successful installation but a successful collaboration as well.

Hill York used BAC’s innovative ice thermal storage to meet NSU’s demands for a reliable cooling system that kept both expenses and the environment in mind. Here, a truck delivers the BAC coils.
Hill York used BAC’s innovative ice thermal storage to meet NSU’s demands for a reliable cooling system that kept both expenses and the environment in mind. Here, a truck delivers the BAC coils.

Ice Thermal Storage Cuts Costs

The ice thermal storage system used at NSU is a sustainable alternative to traditional cooling that stores energy as ice during off-peak hours (usually at night), allowing the system to take advantage of cleaner and more efficient energy sources. Ice thermal storage systems are up to 35 percent more efficient than traditional cooling systems and offer several unique qualities. For example, because ice is formed at night, using ice thermal storage avoids the high cost of the electricity needed to run the chiller during peak hours.

The local power company offers lower rates during off peak hours to help customers save on electric bills. With melting ice providing the cooling needs for the campus, the plant is able to achieve a running cost of less than $8 per hour during peak hours, significantly less than that of a traditional cooling system, according to Kevin Gamble, central plant supervisor for Hill York.

Environmentally Friendly Solutions

Universities, hospitals, sports stadiums, and even office buildings around the world have been using ice thermal storage for years to shift their energy load. By lowering peak demand, ice thermal storage can offset the need to build new power plants, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to John Nix, senior engineer at Florida Power and Light, thermal energy storage has helped to avoid building 13 power plants in Florida alone in the past 20 years. Additionally, an ice thermal storage system can help qualify for a number of LEED® credits in the following areas: energy performance, refrigerant management, acoustic performance, and demand response.

Room to Grow

The NSU central energy plant has a total cooling load of approximately 1,800 tons with the 16 buildings it currently serves. The second phase of the NSU project is finally coming to a close, and in two months the fourth and final ice tank will be installed. Each tank has a maximum capacity of 2,220 tons, allowing NSU plenty of room to grow with 8,800 total tons of cooling capacity for their current load and future cooling plans. Lafferty noted, “NSU has plans for a research facility and a university park plaza and are waiting for approval on a hospital. NSU chose to install the cooling system as an aggressive growth campaign and as assurance for room to expand.”

The central energy plant began with less than 20,000 ton-hours of ice capacity. When installation is complete, it will have a total of 79,200 ton-hours, making it one of the largest thermal energy storage systems in the world. This fall, NSU will name the central energy plant the Robert S. Lafferty, Sr., Central Energy Plant after Hill York’s founder, the current CEO’s grandfather.

For more information, visit www.hillyork.com.

Delta’s Advanced Plastic Cooling Towers Are the Cure for Hospital’s HVAC Ills

Quiet, Energy-Efficient Products Meet Client’s Demanding Specs

To overcome recurring cooling tower-related HVAC performance problems, Davis Memorial Hospital of Elkins, WV, recently purchased two high-density polyethylene (HDPE) cooling towers, manufactured by Delta Cooling Towers, to support its two 300-ton chillers. The new towers were selected to meet the hospital’s demanding specifications for high performance, minimal maintenance, and minimal noise.

Hospitals Have Unique Requirements

Hospitals contain diverse, demanding environments that require dependable performance of the HVAC system. Operating rooms, critical care facilities, data centers, imaging centers—plus worker productivity—all, to some extent, depend on the reliable operation of the HVAC system, particularly in warm weather. When cooling towers are sluggish or out of service for maintenance, added stress is placed on chillers, and, in turn, the performance of the HVAC system often decreases.

Such was the case with Davis Memorial Hospital. A subsidiary of Davis Health System, the 160,000-square-foot hospital was founded in 1904, fully renovated in 1994, and is now undergoing an expansion of 72,000 square feet. The modern hospital includes a 90-bed medical facility, with nine intensive care and 36 telemetry (monitored) beds, with services ranging from emergency treatment to acute inpatient care, cancer treatment, diagnostic services, pulmonary rehabilitation, women’s health services, and many types of surgery

Like many building owners, the hospital management was looking for more advanced cooling tower technology that would optimize performance while minimizing maintenance requirements.

“I researched various cooling tower technologies on the Internet and found a unique line of cooling towers that features a seamless plastic shell,” explained Steven Johnson, director of Davis Memorial Support Services. “The one that attracted my attention was a line that was made of HDPE, manufactured by Delta Cooling Towers. Of course, there were a lot of other models available, but most of them seemed to be the metal-clad design.”

For many cooling tower users, metal-clad models have become outmoded because they are vulnerable to corrosion from salt air, industrial gasses, and even the chemicals used to treat the recirculating water. Conversely, HDPE cooling tower shells are virtually impermeable to corrosive elements, including water treatment chemicals such as chlorine, as well as ultraviolet rays.

A Closer Look at New Technology

Johnson and engineers from Davis Memorial decided to visit the Delta Cooling Tower manufacturing site for a plant tour so that they could get a closer look at the design and building of the manufacturer’s product line, which includes models ranging from 10 to 2,000 cooling tons.

“We were all impressed with the plant tour,” Johnson said. “Not only was management helpful in explaining the features and benefits of various product models, but they also helped us confirm our preliminary specs for the cooling towers we had in mind. We were quite surprised to learn that this line of cooling towers was about 20 percent less expensive than many conventional designs.”

Johnson was also pleased with the standard warranty offered on all products. While many metal-clad cooling towers are warranted for only one year, the HDPE-based cooling tower shells from Delta carry a standard 15-year warranty. The Davis Memorial team selected a 250- ton TM Series unit and a 180-ton Paragon Series tower.

Efficiency, Noise Reduction Impressive

While avoiding downtime and unscheduled cooling tower maintenance were critical requirements for Davis Memorial Hospital, other features of the Delta design also had significant value.

“The variable-speed, direct-drive motors that run the fans on our new towers also provide unexpected benefits,” Johnson said. “First of all, these drives are far more efficient than we initially realized. The fan motors on our old towers were 30 horsepower each and consumed considerably more energy than the new ones, which are only seven horsepower each and at least 50 percent more energy-efficient.”

Johnson explained that the hospital’s old fan motors were either on or off. With the new variable-speeds drives, they are set up so that they only run at 100 percent on hot days.

“The new direct-drive fans are usually running at about 40 percent,” Johnson noted. “Running at 100 percent, they are only pulling four amps, which is much less energy than before.”

Johnson added that the new direct drives are also far less maintenance intensive, which results in even greater savings. With no belts, shafts, bearings, or other external parts to service, the direct-drive motors are virtually maintenance free.

Another important benefit of the new direct drive cooling towers is that they run quietly. “Drives using belts often require adjustments, or you will hear them squeal,” Johnson explained. “We’re a hospital, so quiet is expected. Also, we’re located right in the middle of a residential community. In the past, we received complaints from people in the neighborhood if the belts were squealing, particularly if it happened at night when they were trying to sleep. That was a serious problem, so our maintenance people often had to fix the belts in the middle of the night. With the direct-drive fan motors, we don’t have that problem.”

Johnson said his new cooling towers have not only solved his chiller and HVAC problems, but have exceeded expectations. “These new cooling towers have virtually eliminated unscheduled emergency maintenance,” he said. “That not only makes us happy, our chiller maintenance contractor is also very pleased.”

John Flaherty, president of Delta Cooling Towers, estimated that with the hospital’s combined savings on energy, water usage, maintenance, and chemicals, the payback for the new cooling towers should be within two years.

For more information, call 800-BUY-DELTA (289-3358) or visit www.deltacooling.com.

BAC Proves a Fruitful Choice for Doubl-Kold

Contractor Meets Needs of Record Northwest Apple Harvest

Washington State had a record apple harvest in 2012, so Double-Kold of Yakima, WA, stepped up to expand storage capacity rapidly for growers across the state by relying on Baltimore Aircoil Company’s (BAC) products. After apples are harvested in the fall, they need to be stored in cold rooms for several months to supply various markets for the entire year.

In 2012, the apple crop in the east was very low, and most of Michigan’s apple crop was damaged by hail storms. Washington, however, had perfect weather—a warm summer with just enough rain and a mild spring with nearly no frosts. Additionally, many of the orchards in Washington were redesigned to be high-density orchards. Therefore, Washington State provided two thirds of the apples for the entire United States in 2012, a 20-percent increase from its previous record high.

As a result of the high crop yield, available cold storage rooms for the apples were maxed out. Doubl-Kold, a leader among industrial refrigeration contractors in the Pacific Northwest, has been serving and providing solutions to the area’s fruit industry for over 30 years. They are noted for their expertise in cold storage designs and installations. Together with their local BAC representative, Doubl-Kold has been integral in the overall expansion of cold storage availability. In addition to new construction cold storage, Doubl-Kold has stepped in and offered advice in making existing cold storage rooms more efficient. They recognize that Washington farmers need an evaporative condenser that is easy to maintain and has high capacity.

From November through April, Doubl-Kold purchased several hundred tons of BAC’s VCA evaporative condensers as part of the refrigeration system for these apple orchard cold rooms. Doubl-Kold selected the VCA because of its wide tonnage range in capacity (87 to 1,443 R-717 tons in a single unit), reliability, and ease of maintenance. This industry workhorse is made of heavy-duty, hot-dip galvanized steel panels. With options ranging from equipment controls to access packages, the VCA was designed with the operator in mind. The many access options make it easy to maintain and inspect. Also, the entire drive system is located at the base of the unit, providing unrestricted access to the premium efficient independent fan motors, axial fans, and bearings. Two large access doors are standard with every sideblow VCA, and one door is included on end-blow units.

According to Ken Adams, vice president of sales at Doubl-Kold, “At the average apple orchard there are six to 20 cold storage rooms, and each room needs an evaporative condenser. Some of the apple orchard cold rooms are over 40 years old and have BAC condensers that are over 20 years old. This year, due to the apple harvest increase, many of my customers upgraded and replaced condensers in order to increase their capacity.

“In 2012, the apple harvest yielded approximately 130 million boxes of crops; in 2013, it is projected there will be 150 million boxes of crops,” Adams continued. “To keep the apples cool for the 2013 season, there will need to be a 20-percent increase of cold storage facilities to 800 cold rooms.” Adams also noted that not building new cold rooms—or not cooling them as efficiently as possible—could potentially result in a loss of up to $500 million for all of the apple orchards in the Pacific Northwest region.

Doubl-Kold is using its expertise in industrial refrigeration along with shrewd market analysis to anticipate client needs. Using BAC products helps Doubl-Kold meet its customers’ unique needs.

To learn more about BAC products or to contact your local BAC representative, visit www.BaltimoreAircoil.com/SS.

With BAC Cooling Towers, H&R Mechanical Contractors Meets University’s Demands for Energy Efficient, Quiet Systems

Science Building Earns LEED Certification with Recycled Materials, Minimum Waste

When faced with the challenges of installing a quiet, energy efficient HVAC system for Eastern Kentucky University’s (EKU’s) new, state-of-theart science building, H&R Mechanical Contractors selected Baltimore Aircoil Company (BAC) PT2 Cooling Towers. The PT2 towers not only solve the energy challenges but are equipped with several features that keep noise to a minimum. The new campus facility, located in Richmond, KY, houses classrooms and labs for the departments of Chemistry, Science, and Physics & Astronomy.

Going Green

The university focused on building a sustainable, energy efficient facility. The new building meets the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® certification requirements. More than 60 percent of the materials used in the construction were diverted from a landfill. The building was constructed using recycled materials, including the rubble from nearby demolished buildings to create the cement fill, which meant that EKU did not have to truck in expensive cement. The building also has a stream system that traps rainfall and stores it as stormwater and an energy recovery exhaust air ventilation system that allows hot or cold air from the airstream to be recycled using a glycol loop, saving on heating and cooling costs.

To ensure that the HVAC system aligned with the sustainable and environmentally conscious mission of EKU, H&R Mechanical reached out to the local BAC representative for help with the system design. The all-stainless-steel PT2 Cooling Towers are inherently green, as BAC constructs them out of 64-percent recycled content. They exceed ASHRAE Standard 90.1 and have Cooling Technology Institute-certified thermal performance. The PT2 also comes equipped with premium, efficient, cooling tower duty motors. The motors have variable-frequency drives (VFDs) that provide soft starts, conserving energy by gradually ramping up the start speed and preventing high stresses on the belts, bearings, and fans.

Anticipating Future Needs

Another challenge also arose during the design phase. While the new building is not currently located near any residence halls, plans were in the works to build a new residence hall next to it in the coming years. Thus, the project provided significant sound challenges that H&R Mechanical addressed with the PT2’s various low sound options.

Cooling tower motors and fans, as well as the cascading water inside of the tower, can make the sound from the cooling towers noticeable. The BAC PT2 Cooling Towers for EKU were equipped with low sound fans and discharge attenuation to quiet the mechanical components. The issue of cascading water was eliminated with water silencers in the cold water basin. The soft starts from the VFDs on the motors also prevent loud start-up noises.

While energy efficiency and low sound were the primary drivers for selecting the BAC cooling towers, the EKU maintenance team was also concerned about the HVAC system’s durability and ease of preventive maintenance. The team has worked with BAC products in the past on other parts of the EKU campus and wanted a partner they could trust for rigging, support, and service. The PT2 makes maintenance easier with a motor removal system; all motor removal system options include davit arms to facilitate motor rigging, maintenance, and replacement.

The towers are constructed of stainless steel, providing superior corrosion protection. To ensure that maintenance is accessible and safe, H&R Mechanical Contractors worked with EKU and BAC to equip the two cooling towers with ladders and access platforms, which include handrails and safety gates, all of which are OSHA-compliant.

Construction on the EKU New Science Building is complete, and other campus construction continues with more projects on the horizon. Energy efficiency and sustainability remain the driving focus of EKU’s mission, and partnering with local contractors and vendors is important. H&R Mechanical Contractors will continue to provide HVAC support and assistance throughout the life of the equipment, helping EKU conserve energy and resources.

For more information on Baltimore Aircoil Company, visit www.baltimoreaircoil.com/mcaa.