Designing Waterside Economizer Piping to Meet ASHRAE 90.1 - 2010

By Chris Edmondson 

Gone are the days of optional air or waterside economizing.  Gone also are the days of waterside economizers piped in parallel.  In other words, the “either/or” operation of the chillers and economizers that we’re all accustomed to will soon be a thing of the past.

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“What Pressure Do I Pre-charge My Hydropneumatic Tank To?”

 In our last blog we talked about how to properly size a hydropneumatic tank – but the engineer’s work doesn’t end there.  He or she also needs to specify the appropriate pre-charge on the drawings.  Otherwise the tank will not be set properly at start-up and will not provide the intended energy savings.
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How To Size A Hydropneumatic Tank in A Pressure Booster System

 Properly sized hydropneumatic tanks are a non-negotiable element in a domestic water pressure booster system--including variable speed systems.  Without a hydropneumatic tank, pumps will short cycle on and off during no flow periods.  Even a leaky faucet can cause pumps to operate unnecessarily without this pressurized reserve of water.    
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ASHRAE Living Laboratory Showcases Geothermal Efficiency at Atlanta Headquarters

By Chad Edmondson

 A geothermal system installation at the ASHRAE headquarters in Atlanta, GA continues to bear out the efficiency merits of the technology – and ASHRAE is documenting all the details. JMP was thrilled to be a part of this project and helped the mechanical engineering firm, Johnson, Spellman & Associates, Inc., select both the geothermal heat pumps as well as Bell & Gossett inline circulating pumps.

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ASME Hydropneumatic Tanks Play An Important Role in Pressure Booster Systems

 “Do I really need a hydro-pneumatic tank on my variable speed pressure booster?”

 It’s a question many engineers will ask, particularly after ASHRAE 90.1 – 2010 takes effect in commercial building codes as early as October of this year.  As we discussed in an earlier blog on variable speed pressure boosting, the new ASHRAE standard no longer permits pressure reducing devices to reduce the pressure of water supplied by booster system pumps.  This essentially puts an end to constant speed pressure boosting, which brings variable speed to the forefront.  But since the whole point of variable speed pumping is to more accurately align demand with supply, why would hydro-pneumatic tank still be required?

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