Date: 2021-11-01 14:34:55
In recognition of the potential for transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as an aerosol, government agencies, health institutions, and others in 2020 began issuing guidance for the operation and maintenance of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment and systems. Seeing an opportunity to improve the guidance related to large-diameter ceiling fans (LDCF), AMCA, in collaboration with Concordia University and teams of experts in health science, building science, and fan engineering, initiated an in-depth study of the impact of LDCF on COVID-19 exposure in a warehouse in the United States.
Applicable to many manufacturing/industrial facilities as well as to warehouses, the study’s findings are the product of more than 220 numerical simulations.
“This well-constructed and executed study … is a significant contribution to knowledge about the effects of HVAC systems on risk of infection transmission and will be helpful both to building operators and to organizations developing guidance for airborne-infection-risk mitigation,” William P. Bahnfleth, PhD, PE, professor of architectural engineering at The Pennsylvania State University and chair of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force, said.
For more on the study, read “AMCA COVID-19 Guidance for Large-Diameter Ceiling Fans.”
Staying on the subject of large-diameter ceiling fans, there is a new metric used to rate the efficiency of LDCF made for sale in the United States and Canada. To learn more, read “Introducing Ceiling Fan Energy Index (CFEI).”
Also in this issue, the use of control dampers to maintain environmental conditions suitable for the operation of information-technology equipment is explored in “Control Dampers in Ventilation Strategies for Data Centers.”
How the dual objectives of car-park ventilation can be met using computational fluid dynamics and a new-to-the-U.S. unducted alternative to traditional systems is discussed in “Design of Parking-Garage Ventilation for Pollutant and Smoke Control.”
With building codes and architectural-product requirements for hurricane-prone Florida gaining wider adoption, AMCA clarifies some of the confusion surrounding louver design and application in “Your Questions About Severe-Duty Louvers Answered.”
Through internationally recognized testing, certification, and rating services, AMCA provides accurate and reliable information for the selection, application, and safe and efficient use of air-system products. To learn more, read “Inside the AMCA Laboratory and Certified Ratings Program.”
I hope you find this edition of AMCA inmotion useful. As always, your feedback is welcome. If there is an air-systems-related topic you would like to see covered, please contact me at [email protected] or +1 847-704-6335.
Scott Arnold is manager of industry content for AMCA International and editor in chief of AMCA inmotion.
Whom Do I Contact?Air Movement and Control Association International, Inc.