July 30, 2024

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Time Is Running Out: Volunteers Sought to Update AMCA Damper Test Standard 500-D

Aug. 2 is the deadline to volunteer to serve on an Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International technical committee tasked with reviewing and updating ANSI/AMCA Standard 500-D, Laboratory Methods of Testing Dampers for Rating.

ANSI/AMCA Standard 500-D establishes uniform laboratory methods for evaluating the performance of dampers in terms of air leakage, pressure drop, dynamic closure, operational torque, and more.

Both committee and non-voting members are sought. A committee member is someone directly or materially affected by the subject of a standard. A non-voting member receives all materials (agendas, minutes, committee drafts, etc.) distributed to committee members and may join conference calls but cannot vote.

Committee members will be expected to participate in review, drafting, and the resolution of any and all comments until the revised standard is approved. Most, possibly all, meetings will be conducted virtually using Microsoft Teams.

If you are interested in serving on the technical committee for ANSI/AMCA Standard 500-D, click here and complete and submit the form by the close of business on Aug. 2.

For more information, contact AMCA Director of Publications and Standards Joe Brooks, PE, at [email protected].

AMCA Updates Fan Sound-Testing Standard 300

Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International Inc. announces the publication of ANSI/AMCA Standard 300-24, Reverberation Room Methods of Sound Testing of Fans.

Superseding ANSI/AMCA Standard 300-14, ANSI/AMCA Standard 300-24 establishes methods of determining the sound-power levels of fans of all types and sizes. It is limited to the determination of airborne-sound emission for the setup specified in the standard; neither measurement of vibration nor determination of sensitivity of airborne-sound emission to vibration effects is covered.

ANSI/AMCA Standard 300-24 includes a number of substantial changes and numerous minor changes, including:

  • The requirement that new test data be recorded in one-third octave bands.
  • The removal of references to the use of weighting filters.
  • Revised formulas for calculating end reflections aligning with ANSI/AMCA Standard 320-23, Laboratory Method of Sound Testing of Fans Using Sound Intensity.
  • Clarification of requirements for Type E installations (whole-fan test, total discharge, inlet, and cabinet).
  • The changing of the reference-sound-source calibration to the method found in AHRI 250, Performance and Calibration of Reference Sound Sources.
  • The expansion and clarification of the section (7.1) on background-sound corrections.
  • The retitling of Annex B to “Room Qualification: Discrete Frequency” and the clarification of the test procedure within.
  • The addition of an informative annex (D) describing an alternate and simpler procedure for discrete-frequency room qualification.
  • Clarification of the definition of reverberation room.

ANSI/AMCA Standard 300-24 is available in printed and PDF formats. To obtain a copy, click here.

For more information about ANSI/AMCA Standard 300-24, 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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Mark Your Calendars: AMCA Fan-Applications-Engineering Online Technical Seminars Set to Return

Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International announces back-to-back presentations of “Fan and Blower Applications Engineering I: Foundations” and “Fan and Blower Applications Engineering II: Troubleshooting and Efficiency,” the first two installments in a planned three-part series of online technical seminars taught by Ron Wroblewski, PE, president, Productive Energy Solutions, and William (Bill) Howarth, president, Ventilation & Fan Consulting Service International LLC, this fall.

A combination of live virtual instruction and self-paced online learning, the seminars will be held as follows:

  • “Fan and Blower Applications Engineering I: Foundations”—Fridays, Sept. 13 (9 a.m. to noon CDT), Sept. 20 (9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. CDT), Sept. 27 (9 a.m. to 11 a.m. CDT), and Oct. 4 (9 a.m. to noon CDT).
  • “Fan and Blower Applications Engineering II: Troubleshooting and Efficiency”—Fridays, Oct. 11, Oct. 18, Oct. 25, and Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to noon CDT.

For each seminar, students who complete all program requirements will receive 18 professional-development-hour (PDH) credits.

Fan and Blower Applications Engineering I: Foundations

“Fan and Blower Applications Engineering I: 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, “Fan and Blower Applications Engineering I: Foundations” 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 to enroll in “Fan and Blower Applications Engineering I: Foundations” is $699 USD for AMCA members ($599 USD if company registers more than one person), $999 USD for non-members ($874 USD if company registers more than one person), and $349 USD for students (proof of enrollment required).

Class size is limited to 35 students.

To register for “Fan and Blower Applications Engineering I: Foundations,” click here. For more information and also to register, click here.

Fan and Blower Applications Engineering II: Troubleshooting and Efficiency

“Fan and Blower Applications Engineering II: Troubleshooting and Efficiency” is comprised of the following modules:

  • Selecting and Specifying the Best Fan for an Application
  • Diagnosing and Identifying Sources of Fan Problems
  • Psychrometrics for Fan Systems
  • Fan-System Troubleshooting
  • Heat Recovery in Industrial and Commercial Fan Systems
  • Bearings in Fan Systems
  • Balance Quality and Vibration
  • Intro to FEI
  • Calculating FEI
  • System Effect in Fan Systems
  • Belts and Couplings
  • VFDs in Fan Systems

In addition to course-specific workbooks and notes, students will receive digital copies of ANSI/AMCA standards 99, Standards Handbook, and 204, Balance Quality and Vibration Levels for Fans, and AMCA Publication 202, Troubleshooting.

The cost to enroll in “Fan and Blower Applications Engineering II: Troubleshooting and Efficiency” is $899 USD for AMCA members ($799 USD if company registers more than one person), $1,199 USD for non-members ($1,099 USD if company registers more than one person), and $399 USD for students (proof of enrollment required).

Class size is limited to 35 students.

To register for “Fan and Blower Applications Engineering II: Troubleshooting and Efficiency,” click here. For more information and also to register, click here.

Coming Soon

The upcoming presentations of “Fan and Blower Applications Engineering I: Foundations” and “Fan and Blower Applications Engineering II: Troubleshooting and Efficiency” are expected to be followed by the launch of “Fan and Blower Applications Engineering III: Verification and Optimization” during the winter.

For more information, contact Scott Arnold, senior manager, industry engagement and content, AMCA International, at [email protected].

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2023 Edition of AMCA inmotion Receives Two PRNEWS Honors

The 2023 edition of AMCA inmotion magazine recently was named a recipient of honorable mentions in the Annual Publication or Brochure and External Publication or Report categories of the 2024 PRNEWS Nonprofit Awards.

In business for more than 75 years, PRNEWS is a “daily intellectual hub” focused on honing and growing public-relations (PR) and marketing professionals’ skills in social media, crisis management, media relations, digital PR, measurement, internal and external communications, corporate social responsibility, and diversity, equity, and inclusion through its flagship newsletter, online content, events, webinars, and awards programs. Its Nonprofit Awards “honor the most talented communicators that work hard to make the world a better place via nonprofit initiatives.”

Edited by AMCA Senior Manager of Industry Engagement and Content Scott Arnold and art-directed by Chicago-based freelance designer, illustrator, and photographer Bonnie James, the 2023 edition of AMCA inmotion features contributions from:

  • Michael Ivanovich, senior director, global affairs, AMCA, with the article “Dawn of a New Era: The Regulation of Commercial and Industrial Fans and Blowers.”
  • Christian Taber, BEMP, HBDP, CEM, principal engineer, codes and standards, Big Ass Fans, with the article “U.S. Regulations for Air-Circulating Fans.”
  • Andy Ross, senior mechanical engineer, Mars Air Systems, with the article “Maintaining Indoor-Air Quality with Air Curtains.”
  • John Sofra, director of sales, North America, Kinetics Noise Control Inc., with the article “Mitigating Environmental Noise from the Operation of Mechanical Equipment.”
  • Michael J. Bulzomi, product manager, commercial dampers, Greenheck, with the article “Selecting Ceiling Radiation Dampers.”

“This year’s Nonprofit Award winners show the critical impact that communications has on so many important issues facing the world today,” PRNEWS said in an announcement.

These are the second and third honors the 2023 edition of AMCA inmotion has received—in April, the 2023 edition of AMCA inmotion was named a winner of a Bronze “Stevie” in the Other Publication - Association or Non-Profit category of The 22nd Annual American Business Awards—and the 17th and 18th honors AMCA inmotion has received since 2019.

The 2023 edition of AMCA inmotion was distributed with the November 2023 issue of ASHRAE Journal. It is available for free downloading on the ASHRAE, High Performing Buildings, and AMCA websites.

The 2024 edition of AMCA inmotion will be published in November.

For more information about AMCA inmotion, contact Scott Arnold at [email protected].

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AMCA, Women in HVACR Renew Partnership

Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International and Women in HVACR (WHVACR) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) whereby they agree to collaborate to empower and support women in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) and aid workforce development to bring more women into the industry.

Founded in 2002, WHVACR is dedicated to providing career-advancement opportunities—networking, mentoring, education—for women in the HVACR industry. It counts manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, consultants, service providers, and contractors among its more than 1,200 members, who include men.

Per the MoU, the parties will meet regularly to discuss growth, opportunities, mentoring, education, and connection between the organizations; provide opportunities to present on each other’s webinars and at each other’s membership meetings; contribute content for each other’s newsletters; and more.

Mechanical equipment contains moving parts, which cause friction. The friction releases energy in the form of vibrations, which radiate noise. The noise can negatively impact nearby residents, not to mention building occupants. Credit: Michael Vi/Shutterstock

Mitigating Environmental Noise from the Operation of Mechanical Equipment

A product of “large-scale developments such as growing mechanization, mobility, and particularly urbanization,” environmental noise, or noise pollution—defined as “unwanted or harmful outdoor sound created by human activity”—is a growing concern around the globe. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), noise is among the top environmental threats to physical and mental health and well-being, causing hearing problems, sleep disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and annoyance. Among the primary sources of environmental noise—alongside road, rail, and air traffic; construction; and industrial activity—are buildings, namely the mechanical equipment used to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air within. Whether to comply with local ordinances or simply be a “good neighbor,” building owners and operators have several options for keeping mechanical-system noise in check.

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