Issue: An
all-steel, painted air handling unit had corroded after only 4
years after installation due to the severe tropical weather conditions
in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The corrosion was so severe that the
unit could not maintain temperature set-point causing uncontrollable
humid conditions within the restaurant, resulting in damaged interior
wall surfaces.
Solutions provided: Corrosion
resistance
Air Enterprises addressed the corrosion issue caused by the tropical, salt-air
environment with a 5,600 CFM all-aluminum construction unit. The use of non-corrosive
aluminum materials versus painted-steel will provide longer life for the unit
in this environment.
For further corrosion protection, Air Enterprises
utilized a protective coating, Adsil’s Microguard. Microguard
is manufactured in Palm Coast, Fla., which is an “ambient
temperature curing glass” that is positively charged to repel
dirt, mold and corrosion, enhance color and reduce friction. When
used on HVAC and refrigeration units, Adsil has been shown to significantly
extend the life of machines, save energy and cut pollution.
The leakage rate of Air Enterprises units is less
than ½%. Plus, the sloped chilled water drainage pans eliminate
any condensation quickly and effectively.
Energy Savings:
The 100% outside air unit was designed for neutral air and included a wrap-around
type passive heat pipe. This allowed the system to take advantage of the
precool side of the heat pipe resulting in greater condensate removal with
the chilled water coil. The leaving side of the heat pipe provided the necessary
reheat temperature before leaving the air handling unit.
Conclusions:
This application was indicative of Air enterprises units not only outperforming
all-steel constructed AHU’s in severe weather environments. The longer
life cycle dependability of Air Enterprises units provides low life-cycle
costs due to reduced maintenance costs, high energy efficiency and longer
unit viability. |
