Titus HVAC AHR Expo - Day 2 Coverage

We return with coverage of day two at AHR Expo 2013. Tuesday was filled with award presentations, educational sessions, networking, training facility tours and showcasing our latest products with the HVAC community.

We kicked off the day by proudly accepting the AHR Expo Green Innovation Award for Solar Plexicon. It was a proud moment as Titus HVAC’s Rob Copeland accepted the award on behalf of the entire Titus team.  

Our dedication to innovation has led to some truly exciting launches at AHR Expo 2013, including the LSC Terminal Unit that provides an alternative solution to addressing ASHRAE 62.1 ventilation requirements. The Low Profile Series (LSC) is a fan powered terminal unit that features a sensible cooling coil and is designed to work as part of a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS).

In addition to sharing the latest products, we attended educational sessions to learn about the latest trends affecting the industry. We entered a full room during Retro-Commissioning for Existing Facilities, presented by National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB).

The session began by highlighting the importance of the topic. Nearly 66 percent of buildings were constructed between 1960-1999 – stressing why retro-commissioning is important as there is less new construction occurring today.

The NEBB presenter shared that all forms of building commissioning share the same goals, including developing a building that meets the unique needs of its owners and occupants while operating as efficiently as possible, in addition to providing a safe, comfortable work environment.

According to the presentation, building performance is dependent upon ‘four legs of a stool,’ including design, construction, commission and operation. Unfortunately, the ‘stool’ becomes unbalanced as most buildings are not operated properly after turned over to the owners, and because construction is driven by schedule and costs, not performance.

The presenter shared that retro-commissioning process should include an initial site review, pre-site investigation, thorough plan and a post analysis to be effective in optimizing building systems, so that comfort and costs (energy, maintenance and reliability) are optimal for occupants and owners. Some tips include:

• Find the cause and fix it instead of reacting to symptoms

• Document any temporary measure taken and change them back as soon as the issue is resolved

• Measure performance often, includes energy and comfort

• Collect data consistently, such as utility bill or submeter data

• Compare data to baselines, including last year’s data and national database (Energy Star)

Along with attending education sessions at the show, it is fitting that we had the opportunity to highlight our new training center and 2013 training schedule during AHR Expo. Our new facility and classes will provide engineers with training resources and CEU credits.

The Titus HVAC training schedule contains a mix of free webinars, as well as Consulting Engineer Seminars, both of which give engineers the option to earn CEU credits. As a focal point for the classes, instructors will use the Titus Research Laboratory, dubbed “The Comfort Zone” to enhance the learning experience with hands on demonstrations.

We wrapped up the day by sharing the new Comfort Zone with members of the trade media, who were eager to see how we will foster training interactivity with the use of touch screen technology and live demonstrations of the latest innovations in air management.

Check out photos of the tour and other show highlights on our Twitter (@TitusHVAC) and Facebook pages to keep abreast of all things HVAC at AHR Expo 2013.

Titus HVAC Live Coverage of #AHRExpo 2013 Begins!

We had a great first day at AHR Expo 2013. The crowd was eager to see the latest in HVACR technology. Titus booth visitors were excited to learn more about the newest Titus HVAC advancements in air distribution. The new Titus chilled beam displacement ventilation unit, Temperature and Ambience Optimizer (TAO), captivated visitors and kept conversations rolling between attendees and members of the Titus team.

Booth guests also had the opportunity to experience the new Titus HVAC Augmented Reality App that unlocks hidden content in printed Titus HVAC documentation. The free Titus AR app allows smartphones or tablets to recognize images in Titus HVAC literature and printed documents and augments it with hidden content like video, animation, GPS and drawings.

For example, users can snap a picture of a piece of literature with the incorporated Titus AR logo and view video of how to use engineering tables or watch smoke videos of specific diffusers in print catalogs.

In addition to sharing the most recent product advancements at AHR Expo, we spent much of the day soaking in the latest trends, thoughts and direction of the HVAC industry during several AHR Expo educational sessions.

We started off AHR Expo by attending, “Our Changing Industry and Connection Communities for BAS,” presented by AutomatedBuildings.com. Jim Sinopoli from SmartBuildings and Ken Sinclair of AutomatedBuildings.com discussed the latest HVACR trends since AHR Expo 2012.

Sinclair kicked off the session by stating, “Cloud computing will replace the personal computer as the ‘device’ of choice by 2014.” He went on to explain that it has never been clearer that the true convergence and ‘anywhere’ collaboration that we all seek will be found in the cloud, not on individual devices.

The trend is that personal devices will be powered from the cloud, including commercial and residential HVAC systems in the near future.

He went on to share how he sees the future of HVAC as becoming more open and less proprietary – meaning the industry will grow faster as a community than it could in a segmented state. Sinclair envisions shared applications and open standard drivers that together will help propel the industry forward.

Jim Sinopoli built on Sinclair’s presentation by sharing how he sees a future of smarter grid communities with increased software applications to better manage buildings.

For example, he sees a boost in software programs such as fault detection, energy management, mobile applications, alarms, asset management, and preventative maintenance, among many others to help optimize building operations.

He explained that new buildings are increasingly becoming more complicated as training and education for operating these complex structures lags behind.

Sinopoli believes that the training and education community need to catch up or connected buildings will lack their ‘smart’ benefits such as solar panels, geothermal sources, wind turbines, electrical switchable glass, exterior shading system, sun tracking systems, energy dashboards and many others.

This wraps up our first day of AHR Expo 2013 coverage. Continue to stay tuned on our blog and make sure you are following us on Twitter (@TitusHVAC) and Facebook for live updates, photos and coverage direct from the show!

Titus HVAC’s Live Coverage Agenda for #AHRExpo 2013

AHR Expo is less than a week away! We are busy prepping and finalizing our attendance at the show in Dallas during these last few days. As you know, we will be covering educational sessions and events live from the show floor. Below, you’ll find the sessions we plan on attending each day. If you can’t attend, this is the perfect way for you to stay abreast of the breaking technologies and trends in HVACR at AHR Expo 2013.

            Monday, January 28, 2013 Sessions:

Our Changing Industry and Connection Communities for BAS, presented by AutomatedBuildings.com

·     Jim Sinopoli from Smart Buildings and Ken Sinclair of AutomatedBuildings.com will discuss the latest HVACR trends since AHR Expo 2012.

Retro-Commissioning for Existing Facilities, presented by National Environmental Balancing Bureau

·     This session will cover the optimization of HVAC Systems, electrical system evaluation and improvement, system performance and operations evaluations, and operator instruction and training.

Optimize Energy Savings with the use of Variable Ventilation Systems, presented by LonMarkInternational

·     LonMark and Engenuity Systems will share ways to achieve optimum performance and energy savings with ventilation systems – ranging from restaurants to large institutions.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013 Sessions:

Basics of HVAC Noise Control, presented by ASHRAE

·     Members of ASHRAE will address three common issues to improve acumen for sound and vibration, along with explaining the physics of sound to help optimize acoustic and energy performance.

Buildings Industry Leadership Organizations Expert Panel Discuss the Future of HVAC, presented by LonMark International

·     Experts from key industry associations, including LonMark International, BACnet, CABA, EnOcean Alliance, OpenADR Alliance and ClimateTalk Alliance will share challenges facing the building automation market today, how the industry can address the latest trends and what’s next for the future of open systems.

Stay tuned, January 28-30! Make sure you are following us on Twitter (@TitusHVAC), Facebook, and Google+ for the latest coverage of AHR Expo 2013.

Titus HVAC to Attend #AHRExpo in Dallas

AHR Expo is upon us and we are incredibly excited to be hosting the world’s largest HVACR event right in our home state of Texas. More than 1,800 HVACR manufacturers are getting ready to descend on our great state, right in our backyard, Dallas.

January 28-30, industry pros will be gathering to discuss the latest in HVACR technology, networking with partners, and meeting to share successes to help drive the industry forward.

We will be exhibiting our latest innovations in HVAC, including 2013 AHR Expo Innovation Award Winners: SolarPlexicon and EOS. Both have the unique ability to heat and cool using one displacement ventilation unit, all while reducing costs and easing design and installation challenges.

In addition to our award-wining product lines, we’ll be showcasing new groundbreaking products set to debut at the show. Be sure to stop by booth 1833 to view our featured products and say “hello” to the Titus HVAC team!

If you can’t attend the show this year, be sure to follow along on Twitter (@TitusHVAC), Facebook and Google+. We’ll be sharing live updates from the floor and education sessions, along with posting videos and photos direct from the show floor. Also, don’t forget to follow our blog for more AHR Expo live coverage.

See you in the “Big D!”

Q&A: How Do I Determine Vertical Throw For a Grille When Catalogs Only Show Horizontal Throw?

Vertical throw for supply grilles is not usually required since grilles mounted in a ceiling are not a normal application. But it sometimes happens and diffusers can be set to throw vertically.

The method of obtaining throw data is as follows.

1. Determine the flow rate in CFM and the jet velocity from the published horizontal throw data pages.

2. Refer to the engineering section of the Titus catalog; page B24. Find the sections entitled Estimating Downward Vertical Projection.

3. Using the table below, find the vertical line representing your flow ate in CFM.

4. Follow the vertical line to the jet velocity curve that corresponds to core velocity listed in the published data.

5. Project a horizontal line from where the vertical flow rate line intersects the velocity curve to the column on the right hand side of the figure.

6. Select the appropriate temperature differential (delta T) column and read that vertical distance.

Example: Using the published data from the data page above, determine a vertical projection of a 36 x 18 grille supplied with 2500 cfm at a delta T of 20 degrees.The core velocity at the top of the data page for that grille size and volume is 600fpm.

Using the procedure described above and Figure 24, we can estimate vertical projection for a grille supplied with 2500cfm and a core velocity of 600 fpm to be nearly 12 feet with a 20 degree delta T.

Additionally, the table is also useful for comparing isothermal throw to differential throw when only the isothermal data is available, by simply reading across the vertical projection columns on the right.

For example, when an isothermal vertical throw of 25 feet is known, simply read across the column to determine a vertical throw of 15 feet for vertical throw when the delta T is 20 degrees.


Mark Costello - GRD Product Manager

Q&A: I Need Performance For an Oversize Grille But I Can’t Find a Duct Area That Matches - How Do I Calculate Performance?

1. Divide the duct area by two or more until you finda comparable duct area, and then multiply the throw by 1.4, this is a common constant for the adjustment in total air mass that is used for extrapolating throw performance. This conversion factor is also used in all of the linear diffuser conversion charts. 

2. A good rule of thumb on sound is to increase the sound data by 3 NC to obtain a cumulative value.


Mark Costello - GRD Product Manager

Q&A: How Do I Calculate Performance Data For Grille Sizes That Are Not Published in a Catalog?

Most manufacturers have a selection software program that can help solve this problem. 

The Titus selection software program TEAMS is available as a free download from the Titus website.  TEAMS contains many grille sizes not published in the catalog, and allows the user to input air volume (CFM) in increments other than those published.

If software like TEAMS is not available, the following method should be used.

1. Determine the nominal duct area in square inches by multiplying the nominal length and width of the desired grille size in inches.

 E.g. 64 x 10 = 640 square inches

2. Convert the duct area from square inches to square feet by dividing the total square inches by 144 and rounding to a 2-place decimal.

E.g. 640 square inches / 144 = 4.44 square feet

3. Locate a published grille size in the catalog for which the nominal duct size is approximately the same. The nominal duct area in square feet is the column directly to the right of the listed nominal duct sizes.

E.g. 4.44 square feet approximates to the 4.50 square feet shown for a 36 x 18 supply grille, and is less than is less than a difference of 2%. Duct leakage often accounts for more of a discrepancy than 2% in terms of performance.   

4. Locate the nearest approximate desired volume listed for the approximated grille size.

E.g. A desired volume of 2300 CFM falls approximately midway between the listed volumes of 2110 and 2532, therefore the median throw and NC values between the values for 2110 and 2532 should be used.

The median value of NC 23 and 28 is 25 after rounding to an integer value.

The median values of the 0 degree deflection values 39-59-84 and 47-65-93, are 43-62-88.



Mark Costello - GRD Product Manager