iACS - Experts in AHU Controls

For those who think that the new generation of innovative, automated HVAC control systems are a far-off thought, think again!  The new c.pCO Range by CAREL marks the arrival of their most intelligent range of controllers yet. Despite their compact design, the c.pCO Controllers are packed with new and exciting technologies offering a highly integrated solution to any kind of BMS System.  The versatile nature of the new standard controller (2 Ethernet, USB & RS485 Inputs Built In) opens doors to a wide range of communication protocols such as Modbus, BACNet,  HTTP, FTP  and loads more. The video below offers a detailed look into the new features and benefits of the c.pCO range. Worried about having to do a lot of work to replace older controllers? As if this wasn't enough, all c.pCO Controllers offer pin-to-pin compatibility with pCO5+, pCO5 and pCO3 controllers.  Get in touch now for more informati...

CAREL and the dreaded 'NO LINK' Screen! Picture the scene, you've just downloaded a fresh new piece of software onto a controller but rather than the a new interface, you're met with a big fat 'NO LINK' message on the display. Or maybe you've just ran a factory reset to default settings and have come up against the same issue?  These are all possible causes for the common problem encountered by many of our customers, deemed the 'NO LINK' screen! (capitals for emphasis) As well as the two already mentioned, other common causes of the issue are a result of: A faulty connection between the Controller and the Display A faulty Controller  In any case, this issue is relatively simple to fix and our Managing Director, Stefano - having been in the Industry for 15+ years - has put together a video guide on how to do so. Watch the video below to see how to overcome the dreaded 'NO LINK' Screen!   www.i-acs.co.uk

Being relatively new to the world of HVAC, it was news to me that Air Conditioning doesn't actually create cold air, but removes the heat from warm air. While ignorance is bliss (and often embarrassing), I felt it was time to do a little research into the field I supposedly work in! Here's a collection of cool facts I've come across about the HVAC industry. 5 interesting facts about HVAC The Industry actually dates back to the 2nd Century - A Chinese man named Ding Huan  supposedly invented the first ( sort of)  air conditioning system. Unfortunately for him, it was manually powered so didn't really catch on at the time.. .. that being said, the 'father of modern air conditioning' title is actually held by a Willis Carrier, who came up with the blueprint for the first AC system at the age of only 26! Those in need of a break will be jealous to hear that in the days before AC, it wasn't uncommon for schools and...

Things Have Changed... While this may be a far cry from the Carel and general HVAC updates you'll usually find here, I thought my first post would act best as a bit of an introduction! So, I'm Peter*. And I've taken on the Marketing frontier here at i-A.C.S. You'll most likely be seeing a lot more of me around here, making some noise on the social media side, bombarding people with newsletters and blog posts.. Right, now that we've cleared that up... What am I up to at i-A.C.Systems around now? Well, there's certainly a lot of ideas in the pipeline. Having joined the company towards the end of August from a background in Business Development, I've brought with me a load of crazy ideas that (I think!) every young, budding marketer should be full of! In the words of Albert Einstein, 'For an idea that does not first seem insane, there is no hope.' The first significant change worth mentioning actually involves you - that's right, w...

The data center air-conditioning solution with the highest energy efficiency and lowest environmental impact The graph illustrates the climatic conditions in which the evaporative cooling, in case combined with a heat recovery unit, gives the opportunity to reach the temperature and humidity conditions as recommended bt ASHRAE and reduces significantly the mechanical cooling energy consumption. The green area (FC) represents the conditions in which it is possible to use the free cooling, the adjacent area (FC+MIX) describes the conditions in which it is necessary to mix the external air with the return air in order to keep the temperature under control. The area below (FC+MIX+HUMIDIFICATION) needs an additional adiabatic humidification to reach the minimum humidity set by ASHRAE. The blue area (DEC) identifies the initial external air conditions, suitable to reach the temperature set point with direct evaporative cooling DEC only! The yellow area (IEC) represents indir...

Data center air-conditioning Data center air-conditioning is essential for the correct operation of Information Technology equipment: processing and storage devices produce considerable heat that needs to be removed in order to maintain optimum operating conditions. Worldwide data center power consumption is estimated to be 30GW, accounting for around 1.5% of the earth's total electricity usage: as a result of this astonishing level of energy consumption, energy saving solutions are increasingly adopted. Currently the most widely implemented technological solution involves the use of Computer Room Air Conditioners (CRAC) or Close Controls Units (CCU), which cool and where necessary humidify the air in the data center. Continuous technological development in the sector and a constant focus on energy saving are reflected in the evolution of the air-conditioning solutions adopted: from controlling air distribution to installing air-conditioners, near the heat sources, a...

Easy-Lan is the cabling system structured for the integration of the AHU. Thanks to the adaption of the Bus protocol, sensors , valves , actuators , dampers and other elements of the AHU are able to communicate with the microprocessor (Professional series) through a single cable. The connection is made through multi-use splitter with screw fixing connectors. The level of protection from water is IP67 therefore suitable for bad weather. One of the greatest strengths of these products is represented by the testing at the factory. The test with the simulation of the system in operation, limits the problems during the phase of installation and commissioning since the package is a straight forward plug and play solution. The same test is subjected to each cable eliminating therefore the possibility of error in the wiring phase and ensuring fast and safe cabling. A single cable With Easy-Lan there is no need of extra cables. Each element is identified with the socket to...

Designed specifically to offer affordable easy to install heat recovery to the residential refurbishment market, the Lo-Carbon Tempra   was the UK’s first single room heat recovery unit that can be retrofitted through a 100mm diameter hole in the wall. This allows inefficient extract fans to be easily replaced with a discreet, low energy, continuously running alternative that offers up to 84% heat recovery . Single room heat recovery makes heat recovery more accessible and affordable for existing homes and so offers huge potential carbon reductions for both private and social housing.” The innovative design of the unit enables standard bathroom, kitchen, toilet or utility room fans to be easily changed for a Tempra without the need to make the hole any larger, saving substantially on installation time and cost. Now available with two different spigot sizes the Tempra can be fitted through wall depths of up to 320mm, or up to 460mm. Central to the Tempra’s compact footprint...

Integrating, communicating, controlling. The networking of building technology system is a good way to increase convenience, safety and security while cutting energy consumption and optimising operations in new plants as well as with retrofitting or renovation. Modbus solutions from Belimo permit cost-efficient and easy-to-manage integration of HVAC air/water final controlling elements and of sensors. Actuators for Modbus The interface installed in the Modbus actuators enables the direct connection of HVAC final controlling elements to Modbus RTU. In addition to such communications parameters as address, baud rate and transmission format, other actuator parameters such as running time or scaling can also be set with the Service tool ZTH-GEN . One sensor can also be connected to each Modbus actuator. This can be a passive or active sensor or a switching contact. This makes conventional sensors communications-capable in a very simple fashion. Gateway MP to Modbus The ...

Compressed air humidifiers are the ideal humidification solution whenever a compressed air supply is available, as is the case in many industrial applications, even if humidification systems are often fitted with a dedicated compressor. The humidifier essentially consists of a cabinet fitted with electronic controller that, using two independent connection pipe networks, supplies the spray nozzles with compressed air and water at the ideal pressure for instant operating conditions. The units can be installed inside an AHU or directly in the room where humidity needs to be controlled. The greatest advantage of these atomisers is the minute dimensions of the droplets produced and their thorough mixing in the compressor air that, due to its speed, distributes the aerosol in the room and consequently allows quick absorption. These units can therefore be readily used for direct cooling in rooms, and are ideal for the textile industry, wood and paper processing, and storerooms, wh...

The " infrared universale " series is a range of instruments for controlling the temperature, pressure and humidity values in the air-conditioning, refrigeration and heating units. They can however also be used in other contexts, as the voltage or current inputs can support various different types of sensors. In addition, the PT100 probes or thermocouples have an operating range up to 800 °C and can comfortably manage common oven or furnace temperature control processes. The wide range of models can satisfy all requirements: The models are divided into two families :  the first with temperature only inputs, and consequently suitable for temperature control in HVAC/R and/or generic applications that require a thermostat in the range –50T150 °C; the second with universal inputs (NTC, NTC-HT, PTC, PT1000, PT100, TC J/K, voltage and current). The following sensors can be connected to the “ temperature only ” models: • NTC with range –50T90 °C • NTC-HT with r...

The humiFog can be used in the following configurations: Single zone for applications in AHUs, the pump operates at variable pressure with flow control, for precise and continuous modulation of humidification capacity. Multizone for applications in AHUs and in rooms, in which a pumping unit (master) supplies multiple distribution systems (up to 6). Water pressure is kept constant (70 bars), capacity is modulated in steps. The multizone configuration rationalizes the use of the humiFog pumping unit as, despite the lower precision due to stepped modulation (±5% against the ±2% guaranteed by the single zone solution), it can manage multiple zones at the same time, without having to install a pumping unit for each AHU or industrial environment. Direct humidification into rooms: humiFog multizones is the ideal system, as by keeping water pressure high (70 bars), each nozzle generates a cone of very fine droplets (average diameter 10 to 15 µm) that evaporate completely in ...

Steam generator humidifiers use an external energy source, electricity or gas, to take water to boiling point, thus producing steam. The choice of the type of energy depends on availability, cost and the investment necessary. The humidifier can use mains water; a solution that minimizes the cost of the system but which requires periodical maintenance in order to remove the mineral salts that accumulate or, more simply, to replace the cylinders (humidifiers with electrode technology) so as to minimize system shutdown periods and maintenance costs. The steam produced by boiling is easily injected inside the air handling unit, requiring a small space for complete absorption. The space required can be reduced using latest generation products such as the ultimateSAM, fitted with nozzles that evenly distribute "dry" steam only. Alternatively, humidification can be applied directly in the environment with steam distributors fitted with fans, a simple method often used in existi...

PlantVisorPRO is the Carel monitoring and supervision system that allows complete control and optimisation  of refrigeration and air conditioning systems. It offers an intuitive and customisable interface for the display and configuration of the system. PlantVisorPRO guarantees remote access to all devices connected to it via the LAN or MODEM connection. The system is available as a complete all-in-one solution: the product integrates all field connections, digital inputs and output relays. Energy Saving:  Optimisation and monitoring of system performance: specific functions for the increase in installation efficiency and for the analysis of energy consumption trends. Floating Suction Pressure Control: Automated modification of the refrigeration unit set point depending on the cooling requests from the refrigerated counters it serves. Dew Point Broadcast:  Propagation of the information relative to room temperature and humidity in order to calculate the dew ...

The structure and modularity of the pGD family displays always ensure the right solution for different requirements in therms of performance, cost and appearance. The new pGD Touch range had been designed for high level applications that require touchscreen technology combined with an elegant design and extensive connectivity possibilities. The pGD1-pGDe series is focused on applications that require a good compromise between performance, competitiveness and appearance.  The pLD series (programmable LED display) is ideal for applications where the main requirements of the user interface are reduction in costs and the space required for installation. The th-Tune series room terminals have been designed as simplified and intuitive interfaces, particularly suitable for end users. Design and technology The pGD Touch series interfaces represent the most high-tech Carel product offering in this area. The TFT full touchscreen display with 65000 colors and WVGA r...

Integrated communication between chillers and fan coils is an increasingly important requirement for manufacturers of these air-conditioning units . Carel has taken up the challenge of joining and combining these two different elements, offering its customers a solution that is easy to manage, ensures increased indoor comfort and considerable energy saving. e-dronic is a system of user interfaces, I/O boards and accessories for managing and controlling chiller/fan coil systems. e-dronic is compatible with the already established pCO platform, and exploits its advantages in terms of flexibility. Hardware architecture Zone Broadcast Zone broadcast is the typical solution for single offices and small shops that require a limited number of fan coils per zone, and where the zones do not necessarily need to communicate with one another or with a centralised supervisory system. The communication protocol used is based on a broadcast approach, therefore all the slave units follow c...

Carel offers increasingly advanced solutions in the field of parametric controllers for HVAC/R applications. Specific commitment is dedicated to universal controllers , which provide the user with a powerful and flexible instrument that can easily be configured. Starting from extremely simple control strategies the user can, by modifying just a few parameters, adopt control algorithms that are much more sophisticated and innovative, for example PID with AutoTuning. The comtool software can be used to configure the parameters on the controllers directly from a personal computer. Simple installation is also an important factor, both as regards assembly and wiring, using standard templates and quick connectors. Finally, all universal controllers can interface with Carel supervisory systems and open supervisory systems.

compactSteam is the Carel proposal for the humidification of prestigious residential environments,  professional offices or small and medium retail premises. compactSteam is an immersed electrode humidifier , with following main features: elegant and discrete design, ideal for installation in any environment; built-in steam distributor, with adjustable louvers and very silent operation; large graphic LCD for straightforward understanding; market-leading functionality, safety and user friendliness; models from 1.6 to 5.4 kg/h; electrical and water connections can be completely concealed from view, and drain water temperature never exceeds 60°C. In addition, if no humidification is required for more than 3 consecutive days, the water is automatically drained for maximum hygiene. A version without built-in distributor is also available, for steam distribution in the duct, as well as a remote blower, which allows steam to be distributed in a different room from wher...

ChillBooster is made up of a pumping station and a water distribution and atomisation system: an electrical panel for ON/OFF control of capacity; a pump power supply solenoid valve; inlet water pressure switch; an impeller pump with incorporated pressure adjustment valve calibrated at 10 bars; outlet pressure gauge; high temperature protection heating valve; drain solenoid valve for unit shutdown; modular stainless steel manifolds with 20 mm diameter; atomiser nozzles; distribution system drain solenoid valves, at line end; corrugated steel flexible connection hoses; metal compression fittings; UV system for cleaning and disinfecting water inside the cabinet (optional). The pumping station is available in two versions: stainless steel version for demineralised water (recommended), or version for normal water with brass pump. Supply and top-up water ChillBooster can operate with untreated drinking water and with demineralised water. Following the evaporati...

Carel supplies a complete range of products that make use of the principles of evaporative cooling and all its advantages. The standard composition of these products is: - cabinet, containing the pump for pressurising the water, an inverter and an electronic controller for modulating the production of atomised water instant by instant; - atomiser nozzles, able to atomise the water into very fine water droplets (in the order of a few hundredths of a millimetre), extending the heat exchange surfaces. - distribution system, composed of stainless steel manifolds, atomiser nozzles and drain valves, in order to guarantee emptying. Advantages - energy saving: combines adiabatic humidification and evaporative cooling in a single global solution for energy saving within the AHU. - pressure loss management: optiMist guarantees real energy savings, assuring a very low pressure drop at the fans (30 Pa); -controlled atomisation: in order to completely exploit the potential of...