Oct. 31, 2023

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Hot Off the Press: 2023 Edition of AMCA inmotion Is Here

Set for distribution with the November issue of ASHRAE Journal this week is the 2023 (21st) edition of Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International’s award-winning magazine, AMCA inmotion.

A play on artist James Montgomery Flagg’s iconic 1917 “I Want You” Army recruitment poster, the cover of the 2023 edition of AMCA inmotion teases AMCA International Senior Director, Global Affairs Michael Ivanovich’s article “Dawn of a New Era: The Regulation of Commercial and Industrial Fans and Blowers.” In a long-anticipated but no less monumental development, regulation has come to the U.S. market for commercial and industrial fans and blowers in the form of a test procedure—soon to be followed by an energy standard—published by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and an efficiency regulation approved by the California Energy Commission (CEC). The journey to this point has been long and, at times, arduous. Involved every step of the way has been AMCA International, which has worked collaboratively with the DOE, the CEC, and various industry stakeholders to ensure the rules are equitable and any unintended consequences are minimized. Ivanovich takes a look at where the federal test procedure and energy standard and the California efficiency regulation stand and where they likely are headed.

Separately, in the article “U.S. Regulations for Air-Circulating Fans,” Christian Taber, BEMP, HBDP, CEM, principal engineer, codes and standards, Big Ass Fans, examines the federal test procedure’s coverage of air-circulating fans that are not ceiling fans, along with an updated federal test procedure for ceiling fans, with a focus on large-diameter ceiling fans, or, as they also are known, high-volume, low-speed fans.

During the spring and summer of 2023, as the sky in cities across North America turned an eerie orange from smoke from wildfires raging out of control in eastern and western Canada, local health officials issued air-quality alerts and encouraged people to stay inside, renewing public interest in indoor-air quality (IAQ) sparked by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic three years earlier and prompting building owners and managers to take a hard look at the conditions inside their facilities. Andy Ross, senior mechanical engineer, Mars Air Systems, discusses results of studies of an air curtain’s effectiveness in preventing airborne particulates from entering a building and of an ultraviolet-lamp-equipped air curtain’s ability to disinfect air in the article “Maintaining Indoor-Air Quality with Air Curtains.”

From air pollution, we go to noise pollution, specifically that resulting from the operation of mechanical equipment. In the article “Mitigating Environmental Noise from the Operation of Mechanical Equipment,” John Sofra, director of sales, North America, Kinetics Noise Control Inc., discusses means of curbing noise from the operation of ventilation fans, air-cooled chillers, and induced-draft cooling towers, namely ventilation silencers (also known as acoustic duct silencers), fixed-blade acoustic louvers, double-walled barriers and enclosure panels, noise-control pergolas/stacks, and sound absorbers.

Lastly, Michael J. Bulzomi, product manager, commercial dampers, Greenheck, clarifies confusion surrounding the choice of ceiling radiation damper for a given application in the article “Selecting Ceiling Radiation Dampers.”

All of the content for the 2023 edition of AMCA inmotion was written by members of the AMCA International staff or employees of AMCA International member companies. Scott Arnold, senior manager of industry engagement and content for AMCA International, served as editor in chief.

The 2023 edition of AMCA inmotion will be polybagged with the November issue of ASHRAE Journal and mailed to readers in the United States, Canada, Asia, and Europe; e-mailed to all ASHRAE Journal digital and High Performing Buildings (HPB) subscribers; and made available for viewing on the AMCA International and ASHRAE websites on Nov. 1.

In recent years, AMCA inmotion has made the leap to nationally and internationally recognized publication. To date, the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 editions have collected a total of 15 honors for editorial and design excellence, sharing the awards stage with campaigns from the likes of ESPN, Delta Air Lines, WWE, Mastercard, LinkedIn, Anheuser-Busch, and Aflac.

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Q&A With Incoming AMCA President Mike Wolf, PE

By SCOTT ARNOLD, AMCA International

This week, Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International will bring to a close one association year and usher in another with its 2023 Annual Meeting in Barcelona, Spain. At the conclusion of that meeting, Mike Wolf, PE, director of regulatory business development, Greenheck, will assume the mantle of 2023-2024 president of the not-for-profit association of manufacturers of fans, dampers, louvers, air curtains, and other air-system components for commercial HVAC, industrial-process, and power-generation applications.

Wolf brings to the role more than 37 years of HVAC-industry experience, all with Greenheck, the Schofield, Wis.-based supplier of air-movement, air-control, and air-distribution equipment used in commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings. With a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he started his career as an application and then product-development engineer before transitioning to various engineering-, product-, sales-, and general-management and director roles. In his current position, he is involved in the development of standards and regulations related to indoor-air quality and energy. In addition to AMCA International, he works closely with ASHRAE; the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI); the Home Ventilating Institute (HVI); the International Code Council (ICC); the International Organization for Standardization (ISO); the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); and the California Energy Commission (CEC).

AMCA inmotion e-News recently caught up with Wolf to discuss his goals for his presidency, new U.S. regulations for commercial and industrial fans and blowers, and the importance of product certification.

Congratulations on your impending presidency, Mike. What are you aiming to accomplish during your term?

One of my goals is to renew both members’ and the industry’s focus on the AMCA Certified Ratings Program (CRP). The CRP has been the gold standard for third-party verification of air-movement-and-control-product performance since AMCA’s founding in 1917. Early in my career, I recall (Greenheck co-founder) Bob Greenheck saying, prior to the CRP, the guy with the best fan performance was the one with the fastest printing press, as some manufacturers would take liberty with performance data and ratings to give them an edge over competitors. The AMCA CRP creates a level playing field and consistent way of presenting data. It gives architects, engineers, and building owners confidence and assurance products will perform as designed and as advertised.

How will your industry experience serve you in your role as AMCA International president?

I was introduced to AMCA in 1986 as a young engineer designing and testing fans. Greenheck was early to adopt a policy that all new fans be enrolled in the AMCA CRP for air and sound performance. In the early ‘90’s, Greenheck was expanding its product offerings to include dampers, and I was asked to lead the design-engineering and testing program for those products. My first task was to register Greenheck’s labs with AMCA for damper testing. This led to our dampers being listed for pressure drop and leakage in AMCA’s CRP.

In the ‘90s, building codes were incorporating requirements for active fire- and smoke-control systems. This created a need for damper-performance requirements beyond pressure drop and leakage. I was tagged to chair AMCA and UL committees developing test standards and certification programs for life-safety dampers.

As my career evolved, I took on additional responsibilities for product management, sales management, and general management. These new roles with Greenheck gave me the opportunity to expand my AMCA participation beyond technical committees to involvement in AMCA marketing committees and related statistical programs. My current assignment has me working directly on code and regulatory issues impacting Greenheck’s diverse array of products. As a result, I’m very active in AMCA advocacy efforts as well as related activities with like-minded trade associations such as AHRI and HVI. I look forward to sharing my diverse career experience to grow AMCA’s value proposition to HVAC engineers, contractors, code officials, and government regulators while creating a streamlined and efficient certification process that maximizes value to AMCA’s manufacturer members.

Regulation of the performance of commercial and industrial fans and blowers sold in the United States is here in the form of a test procedure and, soon, an energy standard published by the DOE and an efficiency regulation approved by the CEC. How significant is this development, and what does it mean for various stakeholders?

Our U.S. fan members are hyper-focused on the DOE and CEC regulations. The good news is the regulations are based on AMCA test standards and the AMCA-developed fan-energy-index (FEI) metric. The bad news concerns confusion and frustration stemming from conflicts and inconsistencies between the DOE and CEC regulations. Over time, DOE requirements will pre-empt state requirements and the U.S. will standardize on the DOE requirements. Until then, manufacturers are left to deal with DOE requirements and CEC requirements that are not fully aligned (for more on the DOE and CEC rules, see “Dawn of a New Era: The Regulation of Commercial and Industrial Fans and Blowers” in the 2023 edition of AMCA inmotion magazine).

As the saying goes, the devil is in the details. For both the federal and state regulations, there still is a lot of work needed to nail down data-submittal and verification-labeling requirements. AMCA staff and members are working with the DOE and the CEC to incorporate database and labeling requirements into the AMCA CRP. Aligning AMCA’s CRP with federal and state regulations will reduce the burden on AMCA members and create more consistency for customers.

In the face of government regulation, what is the role of trade-association product certification?

I’ve been in meetings where government officials have said: “Look, if there’s an industry certification program out there that aligns with what our government regulations are and there’s a high level of rigor around that program, it’s going to give us a high level of confidence that the manufacturers and the products that are participating in that program are complying with the federal regulation. If there’s a manufacturer who’s not participating in that program, we’re probably going to question that manufacturer before we start questioning and looking at manufacturers who are participating in the very rigorous and robust certification program.”

Over time, the AMCA CRP will continue to bring value to members by incorporating a path for meeting DOE and CEC certification and compliance requirements. It will continue to be specified and bring value to HVAC engineers and their customers because of the greater rigor around compliance and enforcement than the DOE and CEC programs. The AMCA CRP includes mandatory random testing of products every three years, while the DOE and CEC programs have no mandatory check-test requirement. The DOE and CEC compliance and enforcement are like an IRS tax audit—that is, the audits are random as time and budgets allow. Mandatory check testing coupled with zero tolerance on fan power data will ensure the AMCA CRP continues to be the gold standard for HVAC engineers and contractors to specify and purchase.

By participating in the AMCA Certified Ratings Program, you’re going to be sending a message to not only the government but the rest of the industry that you’re going above and beyond government minimums.

Any final thoughts?

AMCA has a long and proud history of providing value to members and the markets they serve by adapting to ongoing changes in the market. Early in AMCA’s history, the CRP established standards for the performance of fans, dampers, and louvers that gave design engineers data they needed to ensure their HVAC systems would perform as designed. During the ‘90s, AMCA was instrumental in working with UL to develop standards and certification programs for fans and dampers used in fire- and life-safety systems. At the same time, AMCA was active in working with Miami-Dade County and other hurricane-prone regions to develop louver performance standards for structural integrity and wind-driven-rain requirements. As AMCA expanded internationally, requirements in the Middle East led to the development of a standard and certification for sand louvers. In the early 2000s, AMCA developed standards and certification requirements for high-plume dilution blowers used to ventilate everything from high-school chemistry classrooms to biosafety labs. Most recently, AMCA introduced standards and certification programs for large-diameter ceiling fans.

Today, the HVAC market is reacting to new demands for certified ratings programs that provide accurate, reliable carbon-footprint data and data that ensures healthy and safe indoor air for building occupants. At the same time, government regulations require AMCA to adapt existing programs so they can serve as the basis of future regulations and design specifications. I look forward to helping lead development of new AMCA certified ratings programs to meet new demands in the market while increasing participation in and the rigor of existing certified ratings programs to ensure alignment with evolving government regulations.

About the Author

Scott Arnold is senior manager, industry engagement and content, for AMCA International and editor in chief of AMCA inmotion magazine and AMCA inmotion e-News.

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AMCA Fan-Applications-Engineering Online Technical Seminar Returning Nov. 17

November will see the return of “Fan Applications Engineering Foundations,” the popular Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International online technical seminar taught by Ron Wroblewski, PE, president, Productive Energy Solutions, and William (Bill) Howarth, president, Ventilation & Fan Consulting Service International LLC.

A combination of live virtual instruction and self-paced online learning, the Fall 2023 edition of “Fan Applications Engineering Foundations” will be held Fridays, Nov. 17, Dec. 1, Dec. 8, and Dec. 15, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. CDT. Students who complete all program requirements will receive 18 professional-development-hour (PDH) credits.

“Fan Applications Engineering Foundations” is comprised of the following modules:

• Fan and System Curves
• Pressure Considerations in Fan Systems
• Fan Affinity Laws Simplified
• Motors
• Centrifugal- and Axial-Fan Characteristics
• Losses in Elbows and Ducts
• Fan-System Controls
• Pressure Losses and Duct Systems
• System Effect in Fan Systems
• Power and Compressibility of Fans
• Fan Affinity Laws Advanced
• Certified Ratings and Fan Selection

In addition to course-specific workbooks and notes, students will receive a digital copy of the AMCA Fan Application Manual, which consists of AMCA publications 200, Air Systems; 201, Fans and Systems; 202, Troubleshooting; and 203, Field Performance Measurement of Fan Systems.

The cost is $650 USD for AMCA members, $950 USD for non-members, and $350 USD for students (proof of enrollment required). Multiple attendees from the same company are eligible for a discount. For more information, contact Scott Arnold, senior manager, industry engagement and content, at [email protected].

Class size is limited to 50 students.

To register, click here.

For more information about the seminar and also to register, click here.

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New Test Standard: AMCA 270 for Fan Arrays Published

Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International announces the publication of a new standard, ANSI/AMCA Standard 270-23, Laboratory Methods of Aerodynamic Testing Fan Arrays for Rating.

An adjunct to ANSI/AMCA Standard 210/ASHRAE Standard 51, Laboratory Methods of Testing Fans for Certified Aerodynamic Performance Rating, ANSI/AMCA Standard 270-23 clarifies and makes consistent and complete industry methods of testing and reporting the aerodynamic performance and fan electrical power (FEP) of fan arrays. It is limited to fans with direct-drive transmissions, including:

• Optional calculation of fan shaft power based on motor calibration and measurement of the electrical input power of individual fans or an overall fan array.
• Optional partitions between fans.
• Optional appurtenances or design features affecting aerodynamic performance.
• Optional speed controllers serving individual fans, groups of fans, or all fans of an array.

Informative annexes provide guidance on the use of ANSI/AMCA Standard 270-23 and the calculation of fan-array performance from tests.

The cost of ANSI/AMCA Standard 270-23 is $90 in printed or PDF format and $122 in both printed and PDF formats. To purchase, click here.

For more information about ANSI/AMCA Standard 270-23, contact Director of Publications and Standards Joe Brooks, PE, at [email protected] or Senior Manager, Publications and Standards Shruti Kohli-Bhargava at [email protected].

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Tornadoes, Hurricanes, and Wind: What’s New in ASCE/SEI 7

By AMANDA HICKMAN, The Hickman Group

Published by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), ASCE 7, Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, provides loading provisions used in general structural design. It prescribes design loads for all hazards, including dead, live, soil, flood, tsunami, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, seismic, wind, and fire, and explains how to evaluate combinations of loads. It long has been an integral part of the International Building Code (IBC), referenced in chapters 15 (“Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures”), 16 (“Structural Design”), 17 (“Special Inspections and Tests”), 18 (“Soils and Foundations”), 19 (“Concrete”), 22 (“Steel”), 23 (“Wood”), 24 (“Glass and Glazing”), and 25 (“Gypsum Board, Gypsum Panel Products and Plaster”).

The 2022 edition, ASCE/SEI 7-22, contains significantly revised wind-load and speed maps that greatly impact building design and construction. This article explains those changes.

With ASCE/SEI 7-22, environmental-hazard data now are provided in digital format. Data are easily accessible through ASCE 7 Hazard Tool and approved equivalent sources.

Wind Maps

Among the more significant changes with the 2022 edition of ASCE 7 are revised wind maps, mainly for hurricane-prone regions. Created using improved hurricane modeling, the maps show:

• Decreases along the North Atlantic coast.
• Minor adjustments in the Carolinas and Virginia.
• Increases along the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend areas.
• Slight decreases along the coastal areas of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
• Increases along the coastal areas of Texas.

ASCE/SEI 7-22 introduces revised risk-category definitions better aligned with the risk levels associated with different structure types. A broader range of factors, including occupancy type, consequences of failure, and societal impact, are now considered, ensuring appropriate design requirements for different structures. Flood hazards are now tied to risk-category designation. Maps created for each risk category were adopted for the 2021 IBC.

Table C26.5-2 in ASCE/SEI 7-22 provides an approximate relationship between wind speed and hurricane category. Wind-caused damage to components, cladding, roof coverings, and wall elements frequently observed in hurricane events poses risk to the interior of buildings in the form of water intrusion and high wind pressures. A rapid increase in roof and wall wind pressures can create windborne debris, which can cause catastrophic damage to unprotected windows. ASCE/SEI 7-22 Chapter 30 provides guidance for determining wind pressures on component and cladding elements and identifies areas of roofs and walls where the highest wind pressures occur at building-geometry changes.

Flood Loads

Climate change has given rise to more frequent and more severe flooding in the United States. Chapter 5 of ASCE/SEI 7-22 includes hazard provisions for 500-year floods, compared with the previous design criteria for 100-year floods. Section 1612 of the 2021 IBC directs users to ASCE/SEI 7-22 Chapter 5 for flood-load design and construction.

Components and Cladding

ASCE/SEI 7-22 contains many updates addressing components and cladding, which experience higher wind pressure than the rest of a building. Provisions were made simpler through reduction of the number of steps needed in the process of loading. The number of three-roof zones was reduced from five back to three, further simplifying the process.

Tornado Loads

For the first time, ASCE/SEI 7 includes a chapter (32) dedicated to tornado loads. Tornadoes are classified using the Enhanced Fujita scale based on the severity of the damage they cause. An EF0 tornado has estimated wind speeds of 65 to 85 mph and causes minor damage, while an EF1 tornado has estimated wind speeds of 86 to 110 mph and causes moderate damage, an EF2 tornado has estimated wind speeds of 111 to 135 mph and causes considerable damage, an EF3 tornado has estimated wind speeds of 136 to 165 mph and causes severe damage, an EF4 tornado has estimated wind speeds of 166 to 200 mph and causes devastating damage, and an EF5 tornado has estimated wind speeds greater than 200 mph and causes incredible damage.

ASCE/SEI 7-22 covers tornadoes of up to EF2 intensity (wind speeds of 60 to 138 mph) and buildings in risk categories III (representing a substantial hazard to human life in the event of a failure) and IV (essential).

In ASCE/SEI 7-22, design methods for main wind-force-resisting systems (MWFRS) and components and cladding (C&C) were modified, with numerous changes to the factors and parameters used for calculations made. With those changes, there are specifications for envelope classification, enclosure classification, and openings. It is important to recognize that wind loads still must be calculated following the requirements in Chapter 30. Chapter 32 is required for Risk Category III and IV buildings only.

Tornado speeds for building appurtenances, such as rooftop equipment and rooftop solar panels, should be the same as those for the building. This reduces to a level consistent with reliability goals of the standard the potential for failure and any associated risk of dislodgement from the building.

Conclusion

The changes made in ASCE/SEI 7-22 address emerging needs and incorporate the latest research findings to improve the safety and performance of structures. By understanding and implementing the revised provisions, professionals can design structures that are more resilient.

ASCE/SEI 7-22 can be purchased as a two-volume set of soft-cover books or as a PDF e-book here.

About the Author

Amanda Hickman serves as president and consultant for The Hickman Group, an independent code-consulting firm based in Plantation, Fla. With 17 years of experience in the development and revision of codes and standards, she creates, oversees, and administers programs to advance clients’ objectives throughout the United States, maintaining relationships with numerous regulatory agencies, associations, state code bodies, and other stakeholder groups and serving on numerous committees.

Photograph courtesy of Greenheck Fan Corp.

Editor’s note: With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicting a “moderate COVID-19 wave” in the fall and winter of 2023-2024, Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International is sharing from its archives the following article from the award-winning 2021 edition of AMCA inmotion magazine published at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic but undoubtedly still relevant.

AMCA COVID-19 Guidance for Large-Diameter Ceiling Fans

By MICHAEL IVANOVICH, AARON GUNZNER, and SCOTT ARNOLD, AMCA International

Numerous studies of airflow and performance characteristics of circulating fans have been undertaken. Relatively few, however, are focused on aerosol transmission of airborne pathogens in large industrial spaces, a shortage all the more noticeable during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To contribute to and improve the body of COVID-19-prompted guidance for the operation of circulating fans, Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International commissioned numerical-simulation studies of airborne-particle and aerosol transmission with large-diameter (greater than 2.1 m [7 ft]) ceiling fans. The focus of the studies was warehouses in the United States, in which LDCF commonly are used for comfort cooling and destratification. The results, however, are applicable to many other manufacturing/industrial facilities.

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