ebm-papst Fans, Blowers and Technology

by Joe Landrette, Market Manager - Ventilation

Last year’s heavy snowstorms and Hurricane Sandy kept data center operators on their toes as they battled power outages and struggled to keep their cool – literally. These acts of nature got data center operators thinking more about ways to prevent data loss and overheating, long before the next storm hits.

1. Look to the cloud

At the Data Center World expo, from April 28 to May 2, a keynote panel featured two data center stories straight from the eye of Hurricane Sandy. For Alex Delgado, the global operations and data center manager for International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), cloud email prevented communication headaches, and a back-up facility prevented the company from losing a single order. Donna Manley, IT senior director at the University of Pennsylvania, also relied on the cloud, backing up documentation on Box.net in case servers went down. 

2. Plan for a crisis during the design phase

For Kevin Dickens, deputy director and senior projects engineer with Jacobs Facilities, Inc., Hurricane Sandy also pointed to a need for HVAC back-up. Data center operator zColo experienced issues with its generators during the storm and decided to shut down portions of the cooling system to avoid losing the entire operation. Temperatures inside the center climbed to above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, causing zColo staff to place fans around the center, open windows and shut down some equipment.

“I have wondered what it must have been like for zColo’s mechanical team when they were informed that in order to keep IT online, they would have to shed mechanical load,” says Dickens. “Did they have any idea how the space temperature would react and how fast? Could anyone quantify the near-term and long-term risks to the IT equipment?”

Dickens addresses his own questions by pointing out that the answers should be determined during computer room air conditioner (CRAC) unit design – not during crisis time.   I would expect that the age of the CRAC’s should be reviewed along with their efficiency.  This brings us to the third topic.

3. Consider your CRAC’s age

Another consideration when creating your crisis plan: How old is the CRAC? Over 70% of the 500,000 data centers around the world are greater than 7 years old.  An old and less-efficient CRAC will put a drain on your utility bill as well as eat at your UPS capacity when crisis hits. Replacing fans within the CRACs with direct-drive EC fans means less wear and tear and, therefore, increased reliability and a longer life span.  Other benefits include:

• 10 to 30 percent in energy efficiency gains.

• A return on investment within six to twelve months.

• Lowers the UPS requirements – increasing capacity for power outages.

ebm-papst offers the largest range of fan and blower sizes, along with some of the most efficient motor technology in the world.  We currently supply a range from small tubeaxial fans in blade server applications up to some of the largest fans used for data center building facilities cooling.  This proficient knowledge and product blend in IT, HVAC, and Data Center equipment position us to best address upgrades to existing cooling equipment as well as brand new cutting edge ‘green’ builds with alternative cooling methods.  

Have you recently experienced a data center crisis?  Share your story below. Interested in exploring data center cooling solutions?  Give us a call at 860-674-1515 or email sales@us.ebmpapst.com.

by Brian Ladegard, Director of Operations

As part of our GreenTech philosophy, not only is our goal to develop new products that are more efficient than the prior generation, but we follow this approach for our processes as well.  That is, our commitment to sustainable practices extends to our production processes for gains in terms of economy and ecology.  Case in point – we have just completed installation of a new Nordson ColorMax powder paint application system complete with their Automatic Feed System and new Encore spray guns.  As a result, we expect to see a significant increase in powder spray efficiency, less scrap powder, lower disposal charges, higher quality painted parts, and significantly faster color change times.

In our old booth, we typically got 60% of the sprayed powder on the parts and 40% became process scrap.  We were able to recycle one color with our older booth, but this didn’t work too well because our primary color kept changing all the time.  In the new Nordson ColorMax booth, we can now effectively recycle ALL colors through the use of dual cyclone technology.  This automatically feeds back (recycles) the 40% of powder that hits the parts and falls into the bottom of the booth – increasing our actual powder usage efficiency to about 95%. 
The other significant advantage for us is color change over time.  The entire booth and all feed hoses had to be fully cleaned (manually) to prevent mixing of colors between production runs.  Our new ColorMax booth has much of the cleaning cycle automated, so a typical color change time for the new booth should be reduced by up to 75% vs. the old booth.  The booth Canopy is a state of the art material that allows for easy blow offs during color changes.  This time regained is significant - as we typically change colors 2-3 times per day.
Finally, we also changed our actual paint application guns to the new Encore system.  These guns are new Low Velocity technology that allows for more even coating and better use of powder at lower air pressures – further reducing powder spray waste.  With the new Lower Velocity technology, we should also improve our painting finish quality for better parts on the “first pass” – with less defects and less rework and re-paints.

by Todd Cardillo, Market Manager - Industrial

The world’s population is getting older and living longer. Between 2000 and 2020, the number of people 65 and older is predicted to increase from 35 to 54 million. By 2050, that number will jump to 86 million! Life expectancy in the world’s top 29 counties is now 80+ years old. (U.S. Administration on Aging, U.S. Census Bureau)

To serve older patients, the need for medical equipment and supplies will continue to grow. Next-generation imaging technologies such as CT/PET scanners are expected to grow at double digit rates over the next five years.(Market Analysis, Radiation Oncology, MD Publishing, Oct. 2012) New robotic surgical equipment allows patients to benefit from shorter hospital stays and reduced recovery times.

Fans are the hidden yet essential ingredient within much of today’s advanced medical equipment. ebm-papst has supported ventilation solutions for the medical equipment industry for more than 25 years. ebm-papst fans and motors are used in an array of sophisticated equipment, from full-body imagers to smaller devices that improve patient comfort.  

There are different components within medical imaging systems that need to be cooled. The type of air mover that’s required depends on how much cooling is needed, how much room is available for the air mover, air pressure, noise level and temperature requirements among other criteria.

As one example, computerized tomography (CT) scanners include three complex systems: the gantry, the computer, and the operating console. These scanners usually have one or more air movers inside that may include axial fans, impellers, and centrifugal blowers. Several of our fans are used reduce the heat generated by G-forces created within the gantry during the imaging process.

On a much smaller scale, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines — which are used to treat people with obstructive sleep apnea — employ small fans that provide the high-pressure, low flow air stream required to help keep patients breathing continually at night.

Although the medical equipment market is growing rapidly, the testing and qualification required for new or modified equipment can take years. ebm-papst has a proven track record of working with medical equipment manufacturers to ensure that our fans are reliable, meet low noise requirements, are energy efficient, and perform consistently under stringent medical operating requirements.

What kinds of ventilation systems do you think could be included in new hospital equipment? What kinds of air-moving systems could be added to make patients more comfortable before, during and after a procedure? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

ebm-papst engineers tell it from ‘the pits’: part 2

Part 1

Hogan Eng and Bill Aston talk about the two FIRST Robotics Competition teams that ebm-papst supports in Farmington and Woodbury, CT. 

Q: This year's FIRST Robotics Competition, Ultimate Ascent, game requires robots to fling plastic disks (Frisbees) and climb a metal pyramid. How did your teams approach this challenge as students conceived, designed and built your robots? 

Team Beta teacher-mentor Mike Murphy in the wrench costume - Richard Murkland Digital Photos

Hogan Eng: To help Team Beta understand the pros and cons of alternative strategies, we begin by simulating several rounds of the game. Students acted out behaviors of robots that would have certain characteristics, such as a long shooting robot, a climb-only robot or a defense-only robot. After discussions on what strategies could work, we brainstormed what kinds of mechanisms could be built for each strategy. We then voted on what approach was best given the six week time frame allowed to build the robot and the resources available. Our team worked in sub-groups responsible for developing the robot’s drive train, shooter, climber, programming elements and pit design. Each sub-group was composed of two mentors and a mix of veteran and new students. This provided the best support for new students while training our veteran students to be future mentors. 

Bill Aston: ebm-papst employee Matt Crossman, an alumnus of Farmington’s 2nd Law Enforcers, determined the team’s strategy for this year’s game. The team focused the robot on being able to effectively score points by throwing the discs. The robot’s design also had to allow it to climb the pyramid.  

Q: What, and how, did ebm-papst contribute to each team's robots in terms of design, engineering and production support?

Hogan Eng: While at the team meetings, I volunteered my experiences with program management and engineering design reviews. I also mentored the team’s shooter sub-group. When each group had robot parts that needed more sophisticated fabrication, I would bring the sketches to John DeMarco who would draw the part in CAD and tweak the design for better strength, manufacturability and aesthetics. The CAD information was then sent to   Bruce Thibodeau for programming the parts.  Tom Shimeld cut parts on the company’s laser machine. ebm-papst employee Mike Warner bent the parts. Employees on our production floor helped insert and paint components. 

In the meantime, another employee from ebm-papst Inc., T.J. Berti has come to our weekend meetings to train our students in TIG welding, making them quite accomplished welders! 

Q: The 2nd Law Enforcers have been around since 1997, and Team Beta's been around since 2009. How have each team's students evolved over these periods? How have they grown support from their schools and in their communities? 

Hogan Eng: Team Beta started out as a group of 12 sophomores at Nonnewaug High School. As the team's success grew in the school and in the surrounding community, we have grown to about 30 students and a dozen mentors. We’re now attracting students from other areas to Nonnewaug High who are joining our robotics team. During the team’s fund raising events, we displayed the robots and the students invite the community to ask questions. The team created the Connecticut Tech Fest, where we invite companies, other robot teams, universities, clubs and branches of our armed forces do display any really interesting mechanisms, inventions and products to the community. To promote careers in science and technology, the team actively engages other students.

Group of 2nd Law Enforcers sitting on the floor - Richard Murkland Digital Photos

Bill Aston: When I started as a mentor ten years ago, Farmington High School only recognized The 2nd Law Enforcers as a club. Now they are a team, with the same benefits as the school’s sports teams. Every year the older members of the team pass down what type of CAD files and geometry that we need to effectively produce parts off of our equipment. ebm-papst internal mentors Matt Crossman, Dale Watson, and TJ Swistro help with trouble shooting and working parts through production. ebm-papst continues to provide materials, our shop equipment time and the resources of our people.

Q: Why do you continue to dedicate your expertise and support to these teams?

Hogan Eng: I really believe in the ideals of FIRST, which encourages students to go into technical fields where they can have the opportunity to improve their lives, our communities, the country and the world. FIRST Robotics believes that our young people have a much better chance of becoming an engineer and making something useful as opposed to becoming a pro athlete. I have loved science even as a child and have become successful as an engineer, so this is my way of giving back to the community, sharing and teaching what I know to students who may have the same kinds of interests.

Bill Aston: My focus has shifted slightly; most mentor expertise comes from Matt Crossman, who is an alumnus of Team 178 and now manages most of the team’s activities for me.

Q: What would you say is one major way the students' robots have evolved since you became involved with the FIRST Robotics Competition?

Hogan Eng: I originally helped start a different robotics team in Woodbury back in 1997. That program focused on a mechanical design challenge with some basic program writing to customize how the robot is controlled. Being an electrical engineer, I commented that there wasn't enough of an electrical component for the kids who may have more advanced interests in electronics. Well, 16 years later, I am amazed at the level of sophistication of the robots and the skills of the students in C++ programming of gyros, accelerometers, visual image recognition, target tracking and more! As the technical world gets more complicated, these students have risen to the challenge. FIRST Robotics has provided an accelerated path to lead them there.

Q: Tell us about one moment or experience associated with CT FIRST that is either your favorite and/or one you know you will never forget.

Hogan Eng: It was 2009, our team’s rookie year. We had built a beautiful robot and headed to our first competition in Hartford. We won the Rookie All Stars award for our presence as a unified team, our robot design, and how well the students presented to the judges. Other teams thought we were a veteran team! We were thrilled. We realized this is not all about building a robot. It’s really about what the team had achieved over the six weeks in technical, organizational, interpersonal, and social and communication skills. We had formed a tightly knit group that was more like a family.

Bill Aston: One of my first years I showed a sophomore female student how to use an ordinary drill. She ended up being a leader in the engineering/build department of the team by the time she was a senior. 

For additional information about CT FIRST programs, visit ctfirst.org. For additional information about FIRST, visit usfirst.org.

ebm-papst engineers tell it from ‘the pits’: Part 1

ebm-papst believes that experience-based learning is the best way to get our kids excited about science and technology…and have a blast along the way. Every year, our company and its employees devote time, resources and expertise to turning this belief into reality.
 
Along with like-minded organizations including United Technologies, General Dynamics-Electric Boat, Northeast Utilities and our state’s leading universities, we support high-school level FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams as they conceive, design, build, program and test robots that compete regionally and nationally.
 
FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” This year’s FIRST Robotics Competition Connecticut Regional, sponsored by UTC, was held March 29 and 30 at the Connecticut Convention Center.  

To get ready for the competition, ebm-papst manager Hogan Eng devoted nights and weekends to helping Woodbury’s FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Team 2836, Team Beta at Nonnewaug High School.

 

Photo of Team Beta with Hogan Eng getting ready for battle - David Everett Photography

Meanwhile, manager Bill Aston mentored Farmington High School’s FRC Team 178, the 2^nd Law Enforcers.

2nd Law Enforcers team members wheeling their 'bot onto the field - Richard Murkland Digital Photos

Hogan and Bill’s involvement with the two FRC Teams is backed by employees Matt Crossman, Dale Watson, TJ Swistro, John DMarco, Bruce Thibodeau, Tom Shimeld and Mike Warner who each contribute their engineering and manufacturing expertise to the two teams’ robots.
 
Together, ebm-papst’s engineering and manufacturing experts help students on the two teams master science and technology concepts while gaining valuable career and life skills that are carrying them to higher education and STEM-based careers.
 So how did the two teams fare at the CT Regional?

• FRC Team 2836, Team Beta, received the Excellence in Engineering Award sponsored by Delphi

• Rebecca DiSarro, a member of Team Beta, was named Connecticut’s finalist for the FIRST Dean’s List.

• FRC Team 178, the 2nd Law Enforcers, received the CT Regional Competition’s Engineering Inspiration Award.

• Tim Barron, lead mentor for Team 178, received the Woodie Flowers Finalist Award for Connecticut.

Stay tuned for our next blog, where we catch up with Hogan, Bill and the ebm-papst team as they talk in depth about this year’s competition, the game, Team Beta and the 2nd Law Enforcers.

The fifteenth "Product of the Year" was presented on March 14, 2013, and ebm-papst achieved first place with the high-performance DV6300 diagonal compact fan.

Readers of Elektronik and elektroniknet.de chose the DV6300 as the 2013 Product of the Year in the category "Electrical Engineering" from among 111 nominated products. The award recognises the most innovative and ground-breaking products in the industry. Peter Metzger, Manager of Business Development and Marketing for ebm-papst St. Georgen GmbH & Co. KG, accepted the distinction at the awards ceremony in Munich: "We are gratified to receive this recognition from the readers of Elektronik. The DV6300 demonstrates how we are setting new standards in state-of-the-art development and production methods."

The winning product from ebm-papst has an electronically controlled S-Force motor with additional options such as temperature regulation, active motor cooling and filter monitoring with signal output for filter change. The diagonal compact fan is ideal for applications with strict requirements regarding air performance with high backpressure, limited installation space and a low operating noise level.

 

by Lou Moffa, Market Manager - Refrigeration

Take a walk outdoors in any suburban area and it is difficult to avoid the sounds created by the mechanical inventions in our modern society.  The drone of an aircraft passing overhead, the rush of vehicles from a busy street or the buzz of a lawnmower in the neighbor's yard create a measurable soundtrack to our daily activities.  Most of us are pleasantly surprised by just how quiet it becomes when these sounds suddenly stop and we are exposed to the underlying level of quiet that is present.  We cannot eliminate these noises entirely, but by applying our GreenTech philosophy of continuous design improvement during our product development, ebm-papst can again help engineers create air moving systems that are found outdoors that we can comfortably live with. 

In congested cities, with living spaces adjacent to supermarkets and small industry, the need for quiet operation is not just desired, it is mandatory by local codes.   Fans that are used to move large amounts of air to cool our mechanical equipment or keep our refrigeration systems running are necessary components in the systems that are placed on rooftops and the outside of our buildings.  Engineers and designers work very hard to meet the strict guidelines that are put in place to limit noise but these restrictions can negatively affect their final designs.

To lower noise in these applications, there are standard "fixes" that the designer can call upon to help meet the required noise and performance levels.  With axial fans, the common fix is to reduce the motor RPM and increase the number of fans to handle the air performance needs and or increase the blade size.  These solutions can lead to a reduction in system performance, add components increase the system footprint and increase energy consumption.   Not an appealing solution with today's high electrical costs, small installation areas and increased refrigeration costs.  Even worse, in many cases, these changes are not always effective and further fixes must be done on site where additional changes are even more costly. 

AxiTop from ebm-papst, a leader in air moving technology, offers a groundbreaking solution.  We have combined our high efficiency AC and EC axial fans with a passive diffuser assembled in one complete package to help simplify installations.  Our optimized AxiTop design has been shown to reduce noise lower energy consumption when installed in typical applications.  Integration of this assembly is simple.  The fan and diffuser are delivered as a complete assembly that can easily be integrated into an existing design using our standard square wall plate.  Or custom wall plates are available so that the AxiTop fan assembly can be integrated seamlessly into your air handling system.  

AxiTop is currently available worldwide in 800 and 910mm diameter axial fans.  These popular sizes are perfectly suited for use on rooftop condensers, fluid coolers, and agricultural ventilation applications.

If you need a real solution to meet applications with low noise requirements and at the same time reduce total cost of ownership and simplify your design, our AxiTop product line provides an answer! 

Please visit us at booth #2967 at the upcoming AHR Expo in Dallas, TX, to see the AxiTop units on display and for a complete overview of this exciting new product. Or contact us at sales@us.ebmpapst.com to review the benefits of using AxiTop. 

by Todd Cardillo, Market Manager - Alternative Energy

President Obama had everyone on their toes last month regarding the Fiscal Cliff, which also included the review of the Production Tax Credit (PTC). In an apparent last minute effort, the president said White House and Senate negotiators have agreed to “extend tax credits for clean-energy companies that are creating jobs and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

The PTC has been a major driver of wind power development over the past decade. It provides a 2.2 cent per kilowatt-hour tax credit for the first ten years of electricity production from utility-scale turbines; however, Congress has repeatedly gone back and forth between expiring and extending the PTC.

Preserving the tax credit is a major triumph for the wind power industry. Critics have argued that the industry is now mature enough to survive without the tax benefit, however, wind producing companies still feel it is important for US infrastructure, and would agree that phasing it out over the next few years would be a much better solution.

Wind companies pushed for a two-year extension, arguing that anything less would provide little certainty to investors in wind projects, but the industry later backed off and supported the extension for just one year. On a positive note, the qualification process was changed in their favor as well. The one year extension now pertains to projects “started” before December 31st, 2013, rather than like in the past, when the project needed to be “producing power” before the projected deadline.

Many projects had been put on hold in 2012 because wind developers knew the PTC was due to expire. The uncertainty caused wind developers to delay their projects, reduce their employees, and even close their doors because of lack of business. Now that the PTC has been extended, companies are dusting off their components, and pushing to get everything back up and running as quick as possible.

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) estimates that the PTC extension has protected ~37,000 jobs within this industry, however, we still need to be concerned with the jobs that have been already lost in 2012. In some aspects, the damage has been done, and introduces another important question “Is a one year extension enough”?