ebm-papst Fans, Blowers and Technology

By Joe Giacona, Market Manager - Transportation

Our nation's public transit (bus and rail) industry is constantly seeking new ways to minimize the environmental impacts of moving people who are escaping gridlock on the roadways. Fuel and operational efficiency and safety are key in a world where taking the bus or train can help save the planet, preserve our budgets and save our sanity.

To help public transit companies meet increasing demand, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) welcomes innovative manufacturers and suppliers to their once-every-three years trade event. This year's APTA Expo, held October 13-15 in Houston, hosted about 800 exhibitors (up from 750 in 2011), including transit companies from Canada, Mexico and South America. The tools and products now available to those who design, build and maintain our bus, shuttle bus and rail systems are truly making a difference in how owners, operators, and transit agencies are achieving better efficiencies across the board

According to a recent APTA news release, this year public transit initiatives prevailed at the ballot box. 71 percent of voters believe in public transportation, and they are willing to invest in the bus, shuttle and rail systems that make their communities desirable places to live. Mass transit will become more and more of a necessity to link city and suburban dwellers in ways that reduce our energy outlay and grow our economy. The industry is leveraging both their market expertise and their predictions on future needs to promote adequate government funding that will build our future public transit infrastructure.

Because top original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) attend this event – as well as companies that sell HVAC systems to them – the APTA Expo offered a prime opportunity for us to demonstrate how ebm-papst transportation products are meeting their environmental, operational and safety goals. For bus manufacturers, the shift to alternate propulsion designs (CNG fuel, hybrid, and full electric modes) will continue. Rail systems will continue to upgrade and expand as automobile commutes grow longer and highways become even more congested.

Shows like the APTA Expo give ebm-papst an opportunity to understand how manufacturers and their components suppliers are helping buses and trains operate more efficiently, and how we can help them best meet their needs.  The ultimate goal is to keep public transit customers safe and comfortable while supporting reliability, efficiency and safety of the bus and rail systems that move them.

About Joe Giacona
Joe Giacona knows that HVACR components within transportation systems must deliver performance and reliability over the long haul. As Market Manager – Transportation at ebm-papst, Joe’s 30+ years of diverse experience in HVACR help him recommend the best ebm-papst products to heat and cool customers’ buses, trains, trucks and other vehicles across North America. Joe actively supports the company’s market development, forecasting, field sales coordination and customer relations. He holds a B.S. in physics from Brockport State College and a B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Buffalo. In his free time, Joe enjoys cooking for his family, do-it-yourself projects, keeping his 1960 Corvette Roadster in peak form, and making wine from New York and California grapes.

By Joe Giacona, Market Manager - Transportation

It is interesting how advances in technology have forced their way into just about every aspect of our world and drive improvements in efficiency that benefit us all.

Mass transit in North America provides a great example of this. The term “mass transit” (i.e. public transportation) is typically characterized by modes of travel such as buses, subways and trains – generally in greater metropolitan areas.

Most people don’t realize how many advances have taken place in mass transit over the past 5-10 years, and how these vital improvements have directly benefitted the environment by proportionately reducing energy consumption.

Gone are the colossal smoke billows of yesteryear – replaced by clean diesel burning engines, alternative fuels (such as CNG), hybrid electric powered vehicles, state-of-the-art HVAC systems and controls.

As technology advances, ridership has increased significantly. Since 2004, the population has grown 7% and  passenger transit miles have increased by 15%, all while highway travel has not significantly increased. This comparison exemplifies the important role mass transit plays in reducing the nation’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

The combination of reduction in private passenger vehicle travel, reduced automobile congestion, and  decrease in accrued vehicle mileage is directly related  to the accessibility  of mass transit which conserves over 4 billion gallons of gasoline and 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Calculator, it would require 7.2 million acres of new pine or fir forests per year to match the annual carbon dioxide reductions provided by public transportation. Priced at $3.60 per gallon, the annual conservation of 4 billion gallons of gasoline saves the U.S. consumer $14.4 billion per year (Source: APTA 2013 Fact Book).

Technological advances have been the impetus for state-of-the-art HVAC systems and controls in transit and rail vehicles. ebm-papst fans play a leading role in providing comfort to millions of people on thousands of transit vehicles every day. ebm-papst brushless EC fans are considered the “gold standard” by many HVAC and bus manufacturers worldwide. By delivering better air flow and higher efficiencies than brushed alternatives, ebm-papst has earned this brand recognition. Our fans provide energy and fuel savings in all modes of operation. ebm-papst EC motor technology also allows manufacturers to take further steps to reduce power consumption by offering variable speed capability; this automatically ties fan speed to actual cooling/heating demand.. The unparalleled reliability and performance of ebm-papst fan technology, combined with operational efficiency, provide end-users unmatched value and comfort.

To learn more, visit the transportation section of our Market Solutions Tool or contact " title="Joe Giacona" target="_self">Joe Giacona at ebm-papst Inc.

About Joe Giacona
Joe Giacona knows that HVACR components within transportation systems must deliver performance and reliability over the long haul. As market manager – transportation at ebm-papst, Joe’s 30+ years of diverse experience in HVACR help him recommend the best ebm-papst products to heat and cool customers’ buses, trains, trucks and other vehicles across North America. Joe actively supports the company’s market development, forecasting, field sales coordination and customer relations. He holds a B.S. in physics from Brockport State College and a B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Buffalo. In his free time, Joe enjoys cooking for his family, do-it-yourself projects, keeping his 1960 Corvette Roadster in peak form, and making wine from New York and California grapes.

By Joe Giacona, Market Manager - Transportation

Sometimes we come across a bit of information that leads to a discovery about something we have long taken for granted. This new learning allows us a better understanding of how things function in a world that’s increasingly driven by technology.

A routine supermarket visit to purchase fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy items can yield one of those “ah hah” moments, especially when you look deeper. Take fruits and vegetables. There is such a wide selection - especially those that are on the shelf in the off-season! Where did they come from? California, Peru, New Zealand? How did they arrive at the peak of freshness? These are intriguing questions that offer “food” for thought.

In my years of experience within the transport refrigeration market, I appreciate the know-how, the people, products and technology that allows the movement of fresh food over long distances through what we call the food chain. This chain begins at the source, the point at where the food is picked and ends at your local grocery store. No matter what the cargo, the ‘chain’ of temperature control must remain unbroken over hundreds or thousands of miles to assure quality, maximize freshness and deliver value.

For the most part, refrigerated cargo is transported in either an ocean-going container or an over-the-road trailer/truck body with an integrated refrigeration or “Reefer” unit. These state-of-the-art machines are capable of maintaining precise temperature control throughout their interiors. They’re super-efficient because they balance temperature, air flow, and reliability.

On the surface, you’d think that temperature control is the most important – and you would be right. Almost. With sophisticated microprocessor controls, reefer units are designed to control cargo temperatures to within +/- ½ degree of set-point for extended periods of time over a wide variety of ambient conditions. However, temperature control cannot happen without precise air flow that moves air efficiently and effectively in every nook and cranny of the trailer to preserve those delicate fruits and leafy veggies we love. To protect the supermarket’s investment in its precious produce, the whole system must perform reliably over years of service.

Since the whole process is powered by some form of renewable energy or fossil fuel, it also must operate at maximum efficiency.

Our fans provide the critical ventilation that boosts the food-preserving performance of commercial transport units’ temperature controls. Designed to survive climate extremes and road shock, they allow precise delivery of air reliably and efficiently. Our food transport customers depend upon ebm-papst fans’ ability to meet their containers’ and trucks aerodynamic, electrical, and operational requirements day after day, month after month, year after year without fail.

The next time you purchase those delicious Chilean grapes or Mexican mangos in January, remember the combination of transport components and controls it took to deliver them across the food chain and unblemished to your table. Now that’s food for thought!

Read part 2 of this blog series: What's that fan doing in my food chain? Part 2

About Joe Giacona
Joe Giacona knows that HVACR components within transportation systems must deliver performance and reliability over the long haul. As market manager – transportation at ebm-papst, Joe’s 30+ years of diverse experience in HVACR help him recommend the best ebm-papst products to heat and cool customers’ buses, trains, trucks and other vehicles across North America. Joe actively supports the company’s market development, forecasting, field sales coordination and customer relations. He holds a B.S. in physics from Brockport State College and a B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Buffalo. In his free time, Joe enjoys cooking for his family, do-it-yourself projects, keeping his 1960 Corvette Roadster in peak form, and making wine from New York and California grapes.

Welcome, Joe Giacona!
ebm-papst Inc. is pleased to welcome Joe Giacona as market manager – transportation

Joe brings with him 30+ years’ experience in the HVACR industry.  He has held progressively responsible positions in engineering, advanced manufacturing, product management, marketing, sales and customer relationship management. He received a B.S. in physics from Brockport State College and a B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Buffalo.

In his market management role, Joe is responsible for market development, forecasting, field sales coordination and customer relations for the ebm-papst fans, motors and blowers that heat, cool and ventilate buses, trains, trucks and other transportation vehicles across North America.

Joe believes that HVACR components within transportation systems must deliver performance and reliability over the long haul. “The highly engineered and durable brushless electronically-commutated (EC) air movers that ebm-papst offers are well positioned to meet current and future demands of this industry.“

Joe’s already hard at work helping our transportation customers match their requirements with engineered, air moving solutions that are tailored to their specific applications.

Joe can be reached at Joe.Giacona@us.ebmpapst.com.