AHR Expo 2006 Heats Up Chicago’s Winter

The AHR Expo returns to Chicago's McCormick Place for the first time in three years, from Jan. 23 through 25, bringing more than 1,800 exhibitors from 31 countries. In conjunction with the ASHRAE 2006 Winter Meeting, the expo promises thousands of new and upgraded products. This year's show will feature educational sessions on SEER 13, sustainable building initiatives and much more.

By Scott Siddens, Senior Editor January 1, 2006

The AHR Expo returns to Chicago’s McCormick Place for the first time in three years, from Jan. 23 through 25, bringing more than 1,800 exhibitors from 31 countries. In conjunction with the ASHRAE 2006 Winter Meeting, the expo promises thousands of new and upgraded products. This year’s show will feature educational sessions on SEER 13, sustainable building initiatives and much more.

Data-logging system converts signals from any type of sensor and offers +/-0.25% full-scale accuracy over ranges of zero-20 mA and zero-20 volts DC. With 12-volt sensor excitation power and programmable warm-up times, the system also accepts external power and has 512K of memory. (HOBO FlexSmart by Onset) RS#1

Fluid cooler combines the function of a cooling tower with a heat exchanger. Built to handle 100 to 650 tons of fluid, from water to glycols, quench oils and plating solutions, the cooler also protects against fluid contamination and fouling and scaling. (MH Fluid Cooler by Marley) RS#2

Shaft-grounding brush protects bearings from electrical damage. Available in standard sizes to fit motors ranging from 1 to 1,500 hp, with sizes for shaft diameters greater than 6 in. (AEGIS SGR by Electro Static) RS#3

Air doors and curtains are intended to protect the workplace from dust, pollen, flying insects, wind and extreme temperature conditions. Additionally, the doors and curtains control energy costs by minimizing the heating and conditioned air loss through open areas. (by Mars Air Systems) RS#4

Tube heaters are available in 21 different models, with heating capacities from 40,000 to 250,000 BTUh. Available in both natural and propane gas models, the heaters are suited for high-air-change environments and mounting heights of 12 ft. or more. (LTU Series by Space-Ray) RS#5

Access doors prevent ductwork from imploding or exploding in the event of excess pressure, and open automatically when operating system pressure is one in. w.g. above normal. The doors also feature a non-mechanical latch. (by AJ Manufacturing) RS#6

Water treatment system is chemical-free and controls lime, scale and corrosion while eliminating bleed requirements. The system also reduces the need for bio-control treatment in cooling tower applications. (Environmentalist/Zero-Bleed 2000 by Magnatech) RS#7

Differential pressure sensors monitor clean, dry gas/air pressures in VAV control systems, filters and building pressurization systems. The sensors operate on a 5-volt DC power supply and provide a linear, amplified output of 0.25 to 4.0 volts DC. Operating temperature range is -10°C to 60°C. (P992 and P993 by Kavlico) RS#8

Supports and pipe hangers feature an easy-to-close clamp with hinged design that eliminates the need to disassemble the clamp prior to installation. It allows an installer to close the clamp with one hand. (Caddy by Erico) RS#9

Humidity alert meter features a user-settable alarm that notifies both audibly and visually when adverse conditions occur. It includes a remote probe that can clip onto the meter or extend on an 18-in. cable. The user can take measurements behind walls or in ducts and other hard-to-reach areas. An LCD screen displays humidity, temperature and dew point. (445815 by Extech) RS#10

Field equipment controllers are BACnet compatible devices that use standard master-slave/token-passing communications, state-based control techniques, continuous loop tuning and pulse modulated adaptive control. The combination is said to reduce energy use and lower installed costs. (Metasys by Johnson Controls) RS#11

Modular AC system comes in five capacities from 7,000 to 18,000 BTU/h and is available in 115, 208, 230 and 277 volts. The unit comes equipped with a wall sleeve, room cabinet, outdoor air louver and four major functional components: cooling chassis, fan and motorboard assembly, heating section and control system. (Ultramate by Comitale National) RS#12

Low-noise chillers can be supplied in systems up to 500 tons and still take into consideration the chiller C.O.P. in both part-load and full-load valves. The screw compressor and cast aluminum sickle-shaped fans have high-efficiency external rotor motors to further reduce noise. (by Petra Engineering) RS#13

Air-conditioning control modulates system capacity by varying refrigerant flow with suction pressure, which changes with the temperature of air crossing the evaporator coil. The control also permits multiple-evaporator zoning with a single condensing unit, even for oddly-shaped areas with widely-differing loads. (APR Control by Rawal) RS#14

Power roof exhauster is impact-, weather-, corrosion- and UV-resistant, and comes clad in polymeric housing. (BCRD-E by Twin City) RS#15

High-efficiency boilers offer thermal and combustion efficiencies of up to 86% for oil and 83% for gas. Available in 15 sizes, the gross output ratings range from 931 to 4,622 MBh and can be used in either water or steam systems with light oil, gas or gas/light oil. (28HE by Smith Boilers) RS#16

Boilers feature a rugged, four-pass design and a gasket-free heat exchanger with bronze heaters and fittings to prevent rust and corrosion. Copper finned tube walls are formed as one for maximum heat transfer. Ranging from 500 to 2,000 MBh, the boilers come clad in stainless steel. (Futera II & III by RBI) RS#17

Mechanical coupling system features a wedge-shaped groove that provides high-pressure ratings of up to 350 psi for 14- to 24-in. piping systems. The system also features a two-piece housing security with two bolts for easy assembly. (Advanced Groove by Victaulic) RS#18

Gas ignition and temperature controller for boilers, water heaters and furnaces features a three-digit LED display. The duty-matched components communicate for access to set points, actual temperatures, set-up parameters and system status and diagnostics. (System One by Fenwal Controls) RS#19

Temperature and humidity transmitter offers a wide measurement range and high-humidity measurement accuracy. With selectable outputs and a range from -40°C to 85°C, the transmitter is suited to building automation applications in a factory or plant. (by Shinyei) RS#20

Water-tube gas-fired boilers feature metal-fiber burner technology, air-fuel ratio control and a PID controller to provide a 4:1 turndown ratio. Hot water or steam models are available in four inputs: 2,100, 2,400, 2,700 and 3,000 MBh. (by Bryan Steam) RS#21

Heat-exchanger coils feature all-aluminum, brazed construction and flat-tube microchannel that allows for tight tube spacing, and therefore, increased thermal performance. The coils are for applications that require maximum cleaning without clogging. (by Heatcraft) RS#22

Self-adaptive boilers are tolerant to changing conditions and equipped with a low-noise blower, unique air inlet and low-velocity burner for quiet operation. The units are suitable for schools, hospitals, large apartments and office buildings, with a footprint of less than 29 sq. in. (KN by HydroTherm) RS#23

Maintenance software continually collects, analyzes and monitors data from refrigeration equipment and systems, and subsequently notifies retailers or third-party providers when in-store equipment service is required. (by Emerson Climate Technologies) RS#24

Intelligent floor-tile system is said to eliminate wasted HVAC energy and hot spots in mission-critical data centers. The tiles save 15% to 30% of HVAC energy using site-specific CFD modeling and customized, non-disruptive installation of pre-engineered components. Modular scalable design can grow with a data center. (by Degree Controls) RS#25

18-pulse drive is designed specifically for HVAC equipment requiring low total harmonic distortion. Embedded in the drive are communications for BAS protocols, and the user has the ability to manage the drive via a PC for uploading, downloading, monitoring and graphing of the drive parameters. (E7 by Yaskawa) RS#26

Gas-absorption heat pumps provide cooling and heating from a single unit operating on natural gas or propane. Peak heating efficiency of higher than 135% is possible. Minimal electricity is required vs. traditional electrical systems, by using a single gas burner that produces both hot and chilled water simultaneously. An extremely low fuel consumption in the heating mode is possible due to the recovery of energy from the air, water or ground. (by Robur Corp.) RS#27