AzteQ specialises in the design, supply, installation and support of heat rejection solutions. We do this professionally and successfully for all of our clients.

AzteQ can help ensure the correct equipment is used for the application and provide a cost effective solution to your specification.

Customer hotline 01442 561000

News and posts

Before and after is not just about weight loss…

What is happening to the performance of your dry air coolers? The same could be asked of your air cooled condensers or chillers.

So, you’ve noticed a significant drop in performance / COP drift. The ambient air temperature is now much higher in the summer compared to the original design conditions. Has direct water spray onto coils caused scaling and damage? Even if you spray for a short period, scaling is unavoidable. This could also be non-compliant with safety requirements.

You can’t call Ghostbusters. So, what about Safe Adiabatic Pre-cooling of the coils. JACIR calls it a BoostCooler.

Adiabatic cooling is a combination of a dry cooler and an adiabatic pre-cooling section: this pre-cooling section lowers the ambient air temperature by evaporating water, which is passed over humidifying Media, especially designed for this purpose. During adiabatic operation, the BoostCooler system uses water evaporation to reduce the cold water temperature to a much lower temperature.

This retrofit (for most dry air cooling or condensing equipment of this type) will have a serious and positive impact on your equipment’s performance.

We are all operating in a tough economic climate where industrial companies are facing a severe shortage of raw materials. The scale of this shortage is now affecting supply chains, and in particular ventilation equipment and associated electronic components. Summer is just around the corner, so now is probably the time to review your cooling or condensing requirements and pre-empt any potential delivery issues.

 

Cooling Towers - a problem is a solution in disguise


A cooling tower is ergonomic heat rejection equipment used for cooling water. It works on the principle of evaporative cooling; the conversion of liquid water into vapor using thermal energy in the air. Imagine the effect of perspiration evaporating and cooling the skin surface.


In a cooling tower, a small amount of the water to be cooled is evaporated into a moving air flow to provide quantifiable cooling to the remainder of the water. So warm dry air is changed to cool moist air. This means, we can cool the water to a much lower temperature, using relatively simple but well designed technology.


So what problems are associated with cooling towers? Well, there has certainly been one main and well documented issue relating to cooling towers. The Philadelphia Legionnaires' disease outbreak in 1976. This was the first occasion in which a cluster of a particular type of pneumonia was determined to be caused by the Legionella pneumophila bacteria. It was found in a hotel’s cooling tower, forming part of the cooling system. Since then, the prevention of Legionella is now very much addressed by water treatment and users incorporating a documented maintenance regime for every installation in the UK. The prevention of Legionella is also incorporated within heating systems.


However, there can be other issues which may cause concern for users. The quality of the water and the nett effect caused by organic fouling, microbiological deposits and foam potential. These are normally addressed by water treatment. Organic fouling is normally caused by the local environment and the cooling tower selection plays a crucial role in substantially reducing or preventing this with the choice of heat transfer fill.


Furthermore, as with any mechanical equipment, prevention is better than cure. So, without putting preventative measures in place to avoid issues like corrosion, the safety and efficiency of the entire cooling process can be affected. The choice of materials and any coatings is crucial to avoiding corrosion. Some stainless steels also have different mechanical properties which can also substantially reduce the occasional risk of leakage.


When designing a cooling tower, manufacturers are well aware of noise pollution. Utilising the latest fan technology with proper aerodynamic design including optimised blade profiles can provide the same or better performance but now with lower noise levels. Vibration can also cause problems, but with the correct design of anti-vibration mounts these can be nigh on removed.


Evaporative cooling technology is firmly entrenched in HVAC and process engineering applications and will continue to be so. The only way to prolong performance and increase the lifespan of cooling towers is by ensuring that their design considers the local environment and of course, that they are regularly maintained.

 

How do adiabatic coolers and condensers comply with HSE ACOP L8

Adiabatic coolers and condensers utilises a combination of a dry cooler/condenser and an adiabatic pre-cooling section. When cooling in dry mode is no longer effective, the pre-cooling section lowers the ambient air temperature by evaporating water, which passes through humidifying pad media, specially designed for this purpose. This precooled air then passes over and through the tube coils and cools/condenses. 

The water in the media, which has not been evaporated is collected and recycled back to the water make-up system, without the need for water treatment. The water saving is then significant and is delivered with no risk of Legionella.

Compliance with HSE ACOP L8:

Legionella is transmitted in aerosols which have to be drawn deep into a person’s respiratory system. By their very design, JACIR adiabatic coolers and condensers do not produce an aerosol. However, evaporative systems must be included in the water system risk assessment and included in a Legionella monitoring and control system as described in L8.

Because Legionella flourishes in stagnant water, L8 recommends that water does not remain static for more than 24 hours. The control system for this range incorporates a self-drain timer to automatically empty the unit daily. Each unit is also designed with a sloping basin to ensure complete drainage. In assessing risk, it is important to take account of the water system as a whole. Systems incorporating any coolers/condensers of this type should be designed to avoid dead legs, be flushed regularly and drained or purged from the system when not in use for a predetermined length of time.  Checking that drain cycles are operating correctly should be included in the monitoring and control scheme.

The range meets the inspection and maintenance requirements by utilising vertical H shape tube coils and providing full access through a central door. 
 
This document should be read in conjunction with statutory requirements (including HSE ACOP L8 and HSG 274) relating to risk of Legionnaires’ disease in cooling/condensing and heating systems as well as the instruction manual supplied.

Individuals nominated to be the person responsible for the control of legionellosis within an organisation’s premises need to be suitably trained, familiar with any cooling/condensing and heating systems and fully understand their responsibilities with respect to Legionnaires’ disease.

 

What is an adiabatic cooler or condenser?

Adiabatic coolers and condensers provide extensive cost savings by utilising a hybrid platform in the design. Each version is a combination of a dry cooler/condenser with an adiabatic pre-cooling section. When operating in dry mode is no longer effective, the pre-cooling section lowers the ambient air temperature by evaporating water, which passes through humidifying pad media, specially designed for this purpose. This precooled air then passes over the tube coils for either water cooling or ammonia condensing applications.

The water in the pad media, which has not been evaporated is collected and recycled back to the water make-up system, without the need for water treatment. The water saving is significant compared to traditional evaporative cooling equipment and is delivered with no risk of Legionella.

For periodic inspection and any maintenance purposes, JACIR has designed both models to meet these requirements by utilising vertical H shape tube coils and providing full access through a central door.

 

What is a cooling tower and how does it work?

You might often see cooling towers on the roof of a building or forming part of an industrial process plant and wondered what on earth they are and how they work. Although it’s not quite up there with eternal questions such as is there a God, are we alone, or is there life after death, hopefully this short article will provide the answers.

A cooling tower is an ergonomically designed item of heat rejection equipment used for cooling water. It works on the principle of evaporative cooling. Now bear with us here, this is the technical bit. Evaporative cooling is the conversion of liquid water into vapor using thermal energy in the air. If you did Physics as school, this is a change of phase. Imagine the effect of perspiration evaporating and cooling the skin surface. In a cooling tower, a small amount of the water to be cooled is evaporated into a moving air flow to provide quantifiable cooling to the remainder of the water. So warm dry air is changed to cool moist air. This means, using a cooling tower, we can cool the water to a much lower temperature.

The cooling is effected via an air/water heat exchange surface (known as packing or infill). In an “open circuit” cooling tower, this air flow is in direct contact with the water and allows the heat transfer process to take place and the temperature of the water to be reduced. 
It uses fan technology to draw air in through the packing, which provides a large surface area for the evaporation of water into the air. Water is sprayed at the top of the packing so it can directionally fall counterflow, into the heat exchange surface and continually keep the surface wet. 

The cooled water leaves at the bottom of the packing and is collected in the basin, a bit like rain in a box and recirculated through the cooling process. It has applications within the HVAC industry. For instance, office blocks, shopping malls, hospitals, university campus and data centres. It is also widely used for industrial applications within agro-food, sugar, distillery and petrochemical sectors. And there we have it.

 

How do you design a cooling tower?

Here we take a quick look at the factors you need to consider in design.

1. Heat transfer duty. We take the water temperature inlet/outlet requirements, the water flow rate (or heat load) and the local design wet bulb temperature. Just to add to the mix, the wet bulb temperature is the lowest temperature a portion of air can acquire by evaporative cooling only. We calculate this using a psychrometric chart, thank goodness.
2. We also look at the water quality. This helps us choose the materials of construction and the infill (or packing) heat transfer surface. Most applications use mains water as a source. Contaminated water can have a ruinous effect on tower materials and thermal performance.
3. This brings us neatly on to the environment. We look for things like saline or smog environments. Some external installations may be subject to air pollution such as poplar fibres, pollens or leaves, which could affect the performance.
4. Sound is always a consideration. Outside of acoustic attenuation or barriers, modern towers can now be supplied with EC fan motors. Reducing sound levels generally mean reducing tower performance which means selecting a larger unit to compensate.
5. The proposed location of the tower. This includes minimum clearances as well as space and height limitations, existing installations, future expansions, surrounding structures, prevailing winds, and possible air recirculation.

And that’s about it!

 

AzteQ now appears on the datacentre.me website

Offering a whole host of global data centre-related events, news, information, updates & a FREE industry directory, DATACENTRE.ME is, quite simply, the definitive information source for everyone who's anyone in the world of Data Centres today.

 

Pop Screens for JACIR Adiabatic Coolers and Condensers

The JACIR range of adiabatic coolers and condensers utilises a combination of a dry cooler/condenser and an adiabatic pre-cooling section. When operating in dry mode is no longer effective, the pre-cooling section lowers the ambient air temperature by evaporating water, which passes through humidifying pad media, specially designed for this purpose. This precooled air then passes over the tube coils for either water cooling or ammonia condensing applications.

The design and the choice of materials provides excellent performance and longevity both in urban zones and industrial environments. However, some external installations may be subject to air pollution such as poplar fibres, pollens or leaves, which could get trapped in the media; affecting performance.

For this type of environment, JACIR can include a POP SCREEN filter to protect the installation. This comprises of an aluminium frame reinforced with stainless steel, to support a thin glass fibre mesh.

 

Dry air coolers successfully supplied and commissioned

AzteQ Environmental has successfully completed the supply and commissioning of three V bank dry air coolers at a prestigious building in Finsbury Square, London. The nine storey building transformation has a dynamic shared atrium space, a communal roof-terrace and has been designed for creative, media and technology occupiers.

The dry air coolers form an integral part of the air conditioning system and have been supplied with anti-vibration mounts, a control system and EC Fans.

 

An Adiabatic Facade

Jacir has successfully completed the supply of its first adiabatic façade, to a site in Paris. Because the building was designed with a green vegetalised roof, it made an allowance for any rooftop equipment impractical. Jacir’s designers therefore developed a new, innovative system which has been directly installed into the fabric of the building.

Jacir’s adiabatic coolers utilise humidification pads used to pre-cool the inlet air before reaching the finned coils. They operate in dry mode approx. 95 % of the year, do not require water treatment and are provided with full accessibility for any inspection/maintenance.

 

Heavy Duty Water Cooling Towers successfully delivered

Jacir has successfully completed the delivery of 4 RXC towers to a pulp & paper plant in Germany.

The RXC towers are part of the X-STREAM range and are specifically designed for heavy duty water; with a very low fouling factor (handling water up to 400 ppm suspended solids) and a high mechanical resistance for applications including sugar, paper, steel, and cacao.

They are supplied with centrifugal fans for low noise emission and are designed with a highly simplified access for cleaning and maintenance.

 

State of the art Cooling Towers using EC centrifugal fan technology

AzteQ Environmental is now supplying JACIR DTC open circuit cooling towers, utilising state of the art technology for the UK market. The towers incorporate Electronically Commutated (EC) centrifugal fans. EC technology is an intelligent way of controlling and operating such fans, leading to a significant reduction in energy and noise levels compared to conventional methods.

The pioneering design offers easy maintenance by allowing total and immediate access to all of the internals.

Features:

  • Ergonomic design for easy maintenance
  • EC technology
  • Ultra-Silent and maximum energy efficiency
  • Direct drive EC fans for no mechanical maintenance
  • Plug & Play

 

Ammonia Condensers for Industrial Refrigeration 

JACIR has launched an exciting and technically efficient range of ONYX adiabatic condensers. The condensers provide extensive cost savings using a hybrid platform in their design. Each condenser is a combination of a dry condenser and an adiabatic pre-cooling section. When cooling in dry mode is no longer effective the pre-cooling section lowers the ambient air temperature by evaporating water, which passes through humidifying pad media, specially designed for this purpose. This precooled air then passes through the tube coils and condenses the ammonia. Therefore, the ammonia condensing temperature is lower than ambient air temperature. For more information please email info@azteqenv.com

 

AzteQ Environmental celebrates 15 years supplying the HVAC and industrial cooling industries.

AzteQ Environmental has enjoyed continued success for the past 15 years, suppling heat rejection equipment to the HVAC and Industrial Cooling industries. To date, it has been involved with many prestigious projects across the UK and even in these difficult and challenging times, the Company is continuing to grow its position in the marketplace.


Managing Director, Colm Roche puts this down to a number of dynamics. “I believe we try and treat each of our clients with the same level of importance and consideration, regardless of the size of the project. Our service level is our reputation and we want to maintain and improve upon this, on an ongoing basis.” Colm adds; “Furthermore, we have a very exciting range of products available, from fantastic partners and introducing cutting edge equipment such as the JACIR Hybrid Ammonia Condensers can only enhance our achievements”.


Colm and his team recently celebrated this milestone at a local hostelry, whilst socially distancing, of course!

 

SafeContractor Accreditation

In October 2018, AzteQ again achieved SafeContractor accreditation with Alcumus. This scheme is designed to review and audit AzteQ's Health & Safety policies, procedures and documentation. Now that the audit process has been completed AzteQ can use the SafeContractor certificate as a means of demonstrating it's level of Health & Safety compliance.  

 

ISO 9001:2015 

In June 2018, AzteQ successfully transitioned to ISO 9001:2015

ISO 9001:2015 provides AzteQ with the latest set process management systems in order to ensure a common sense approach to our business activities to consistently achieve customer satisfaction. AzteQ's environmental management system provides a systematic way to discover and control the effects the company has on the environment and verifies compliance with current legislation.

   

Safecontractor Accreditation

In 2012, AzteQ achieved safecontractor accreditation. The safecontractor scheme is designed to review and audit the health and safety policies, procedures and documentation of contractors.

Safecontractor qualified auditors take into consideration industry sector and business size, providing tailored safety audits to help identify whether there is suitable and sufficient health and safety compliance within the business.

Now that the auditing process has been successfully completed, AzteQ can use the safecontractor certificate as a means of demonstrating its level of health and safety compliance

 

ISO 9001 : 2008 Accreditation

In 2011, AzteQ achieved ISO 9001 accreditation; the international standard for quality management systems (QMS).

This standard provides AzteQ with set process management systems in order to ensure a common sense approach to our business activities to consistently achieve customer satisfaction.