Shaking up the market for fan-coil units

Anyone who has ever experienced unwanted noise problems with air-conditioning system based on fan-coil units and inadequate thermal performance and air distribution will welcome a new initiative by Trox UK.Air-conditioning systems based on chilled water and fan-coil units have been designed and installed in the UK for over 40 years. The techniques are well established, but problems frequently occur with installations. According to research carried out by Trox UK, the most common problems are thermal output, room air distribution and noise. In particular, the research found that 53% of 446 respondents in face-to-face interviews with members of its sales force have experienced problems with noise. Yet fan-coil units are very popular — for a variety of good reasons. It is relatively easy to design systems, and fan-coil units are popular and well established. Challenges One of the challenges in designing an air-conditioning system based on FCUs is the combining of grilles, diffusers and the FCUs themselves from different manufacturers using data for these individual components rather than for complete assemblies of grilles/diffusers and FCUs — unless expensive mock-up testing is carried out. Indeed, 79% of those surveyed said that for any major project, they would test equipment before specifying manufacturer. Single source Trox carried out this research from January to March this year to evaluate how readily the industry would accept its concept of a single-source ‘package’ for FCUs and grilles/diffusers based on FCUs made by Colt and Trox grilles and diffusers. The response, says sales director Terry Farthing, was overwhelming, with 91% saying that they would use the system approach for their next project. On the basis of the need to have performance as a certainty, Trox has invested £100 000 in two new test rooms to supplement an existing test room that is used for general project testing and development. The new rooms incorporate the latest in portable instrumentation for measuring air velocity, temperature and humidity. David Hughes, vice president of CIBSE formally opened the new facilities. As a consulting engineering, he is full of enthusiasm for this initiative. He says, ‘Most of our manufacturers do not have any test facilities. Labour costs elsewhere in the world can be 10% of those in the UK, so our future is in engineering and innovation. We need to provide clients with confidence and certainty that designs and equipment will work.’ Simple though the concept of single-source responsibility might seem, Terry Farthing believes that it represents ‘the biggest shake-up in the fan-coil industry for decades’. He declares an objective to achieve 20% market share in two years — in a market that is essentially level in volume. He regards the 91% of those interviewed saying that they would use the system approach for their next project as ‘a mandate to go forward in a very significant fashion.’ Reliable data Assent from the industry is represented by John Hinton, director of WSP. He says, ‘The importance of reliable performance data has always been key to minimising risks on projects. With the current industry variety in project procurement, reliable technical data is seen as being ever-more important across an increasing spectrum of interested parties.’ The main new laboratory is a room 5.5 by 6 m and 5 m high. It offers the ability to test virtually all room dimension requirements and accurately mimic on-site conditions. A raised floor allows ducting to be introduced in all areas. An adjustable ceiling allows a maximum slab height of 4.7 m, There are adjustable wall partition boards and one 5.48 m-high climate wall made from chilled-ceiling panels offering temperatures from 10 to 40°C to simulate glazing. The viewing wall is made from 10 mm-thick Perspex and enables tests to be observed without affecting conditions in the test chamber. The second new room is a chamber made from a coldroom-insulated walling system. It is a room within a room and will be used for research and development work. The facility is much in demand, with a programme of tests covering over 6000 FCUs. The prospect of value engineering is another benefit of the new facilities. Tests can be set up quickly to assess, for example, the cost effects of different sound levels and pressure drops — eliminating unnecessary costs and enabling consultants to offer the best-value solution. Guarantee The ultimate benefit to the end user, consultant and contractor is that Trox totally guarantees the system performance.

Related links:

• www.troxuk.co.uk