But if there’s a second constant around here, it’s excellence. And if there was a third, it was this guy…right up until the day he retired:
Joe Panfalone, Application Engineer extraordinaire, holding our bounty of product awards from 2013. He’s retired since, but he’s not…EVER…forgotten.
Another thing we don’t want to forget – in fact, I’m writing this as a reminder to YOU, dear reader, is that EXAIR products are up for ANOTHER four Plant Engineering Product of the Year Awards this year. If you haven’t familiarized yourself with this year’s entries yet, there are some VERY cool products to choose from, and I highly encourage you to check them out. (Disclaimer: I was an engineer BEFORE I came to EXAIR, and as such, I fully recognize the value that our esteemed colleagues bring to the table with THEIR entries, but I remain convinced that OURS are the clear winners here, as I’m sure you will too.)
Voting ends this Friday, January 8th 2016, so please hurry. We’re honored to have gotten the nod in four categories this year:
Automation and Controls: The competition is pretty stiff in this category…I’m sure you’ll recognize the names of some major players. But, considering the wide range of applications, the potential cost savings by regulating the use of compressed air, and the convenience afforded by the ETC Dual Cabinet Cooler Systems, it’s a real contender.
Environmental Health: With the ability to vacuum heavier tramp oils, thicker sludge, more viscous fluids, and “in the floor” cisterns, the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac makes fluid transfer and spill cleanup quick & easy. They’re in stock for 30, 55, or 110 gallon drums. If you want a drum dolly, additional vacuum tools, or even the drum itself, check out our Deluxe and Premium Kits. With all due respect to the other entries, it’s the clear winner in this category.
Compressed Air: This has been a long-awaited addition to our already broad selection of engineered air nozzles: the Back Blow Air Nozzles, available in two sizes, can handle blowing out pipe, tube, etc. with inside diameters from 7/8″ to 16″. You can get one installed on one of our Safety Air Guns, and they’re available with Chip Shields, and extension pipes up to 6 feet in length. This is the most innovative product being introduced in this category this year, for sure.
Fluid Handling: The patented design of the EXAIR No-Drip Atomizing Spray Nozzle offers a stand-alone nozzle capable of controlling liquid flow without requiring a liquid control solenoid. When the air supply pressure is shut off, so is the liquid flow…just like that.
This feature is available on any of our Atomizing Spray Nozzles. For safety, efficiency, cleanliness, it can’t be beat.
Remember, voting ends this Friday. I know there are some great products to choose from, but all of us at EXAIR would genuinely appreciate your vote for our products. Of course, if you ever have any questions about how these – or any of our Intelligent Compressed Air Products – can make life easier, give me a call.
EXAIR’s patented Model AW2030SS No-Drip Atomizing Spray Nozzle
If you follow our blog, Twitter, or Facebook pages, you may have seen us mentioning recent nominations for Plant Engineering Product of the Year Awards. 2015 will mark the 28th anniversary for this award, in which Plant Engineering readers select the most outstanding new products that help them do their jobs smarter, safer, more efficiently, and more productively.
Considering the pre-qualifiers for such an award, it makes sense that EXAIR products would show up, and show up repeatedly. This year our No-Drip Atomizing Spray Nozzles have been nominated as a finalist in the Fluid Handling category.
Products in this field are recognized to present improvement potential, allowing users to create a more innovative process. EXAIR No-Drip Atomizing Spray Nozzles do so by providing effortless integration of controlled liquid spraying.
Compressed air and pressurized (or non-pressurized) liquid are plumbed to the nozzle. When compressed air is flowing, liquid will flow as well. When compressed air flow stops, liquid flow stops. Immediately.
For an end user of this product, this means that a precise volume of a specific liquid can be sprayed in a given time (duty cycle), with complete control before, during, and after nozzle activation.
The key to adding this innovation rests in the proprietary, patented (#9,156,045) design of EXAIR’s No-Drip Atomizing Spray Nozzles. Our engineers have worked tirelessly to create a stand-alone nozzle capable of controlling liquid flow without requiring a liquid control solenoid.
The viability of these nozzles has been recognized by Plant Engineering as an innovative new product in 2015. If you agree and would like to cast a vote for EXAIR,please click here.
We thank you for your readership and, hopefully, for your support in this competition.
For 28 years, Plant Engineering magazine’s knowledgable readers have chosen outstanding new products that help them do their jobs smarter, safer, more efficiently and more productively. These products, which are newly released in manufacturing industries, are recognized with Plant Engineering’s Product of the Year Award. Many products categories are represented including, Compressed Air, Automation and Controls, Electric Motors and Drives, Environmental Health, and Fluid Handling among others. Four of the products we released in 2015 are finalists in four different categories. Voting is open now and goes on through January 8, 2016.
Here are the products up for the 2015 award:
High Lift Reversible Drum Vac:Nominated in the Environmental Health category, our new High Lift Reversible Drum Vac is ideal for the recovery of fluids like: coolant, hydraulic oils, sludge and chips, waste water, tramp oil and liquid spills. The High Lift Reversible Drum Vac has been engineered to recover liquids found within below grade sumps, wells, underground tanks, pits and drains with up to 15′ of lift. VOTE HERE
No Drip Liquid Air Nozzles: These patented atomizing spray nozzles, in the fluid handling category, have the added benefit of positively stopping liquid flow when compressed air is shut off. The nozzles are ideal where no post-spray drip is permissible. When the compressed air supply is shut off, the no-drip nozzle positively seals off the flow of liquid, eliminating the possibility of drips. Effective when using liquids up to 300 cP. VOTE HERE
Electronic Temperature Control for Dual Cabinet Cooler Systems: The Electronic Temperature Control (ETC) for dual-cabinet cooler systems installed on large or high heat-load enclosures keeps electrical units cool while minimizing compressed air use. Available in cooling capacities up to 5,600 BTU/hr., It permits just enough cooling for the electronics without going so cold as to waste compressed air. VOTE HERE
Back Blow Air Nozzle:These nozzles are designed to effectively blow debris and liquids from pipe or hose inside diameters, channels, bores, holes, internal threads, and other internal part features. An array of holes provides forceful 360-degree airflow to clear out coolant, chips, and light oils from machining processes. This nozzle prevents blowing chips further into a part, tube, or pipe and eliminates any safety hazard created by blowing debris out the far end of a pipe or tube. VOTE HERE
We appreciate all who are willing to vote for our products and are proud to continue bringing you the best products we can offer. Thank you for the support.
I had an application where a customer needed to have a room at 80% relative humidity (RH). They produced a nylon backing for carpet, and they needed the high RH to reduce the “stickiness” in the process. Currently he was at 40% RH in a room that was sized at 40ft long by 20ft wide by 20ft high (12.2m long X 6.1m wide X 6.1m high). He wondered if our Atomizing Nozzles could help him. I decided to put on my engineering hat to calculate the amount of water that he would need to increase the moisture content. Other markets that would require higher RH in their ambient air are wood working, dust control, laboratories, and High Voltage applications.
Relative humidity (RH) is the percentage of water vapor as compared to saturation at the same temperature. So, at 100% RH, the ambient air cannot hold any more water. With our atomizing nozzles, we can atomize the water droplets to a very small droplet to help increase the absorption rate into ambient air. This will increase the RH of a room, but I will have to determine what size and how many.
The equation that I use is as follows, Equation 1:
Imperial Units S.I. Units
H = V * RAC * (Wf – Wi) / (v * 7000) Imperial H = V * RAC * (Wf – Wi) / (v * 997.9) Metric
Where:
H – mass flow rate of water, Lbs/hr H – mass flow rate of water, Kg/hr
V – Volume of Section, ft^3 V – Volume of Section, m^3
RAC – Room Air Changes, No. per hour RAC – Room Air Changes, No. per hour
Wf – Final Water Content, Grains/lb of dry air Wf – Final Water Content, Grams/Kg of dry air
Wi – Initial Water Content, Grains/lb of dry air Wi – Initial Water Content, Grams/Kg of dry air
v – Specific Volume of Air, ft^3/lb v – Specific Volume of Air, m^3/Kg
The customer stated that the room is at 68 deg. F (20 deg C). The humidity sensor is +/- 5%; so, when the RH in the room gets to 75%, it will kick on their system. They also use a standard HVAC unit to heat and cool the room. From these factors, we can determine some of the variables above. With the water content, you can find a chart online to determine the amount of water vapor that is contained in air at a specific temperature and RH. At 68 deg. F (20 deg. C), I was able to find the following information:
Imperial Units S.I. Units
Wi = 43 Grains/lb of dry air at 40% RH Wi = 6.1 Grams/Kg of dry air at 40% RH
Wi = 80.5 Grains/lb of dry air at 75% RH Wi = 11.5 Grams/Kg of dry air at 75% RH
Wf = 85.5 Grains/lb of dry air at 80% RH Wf = 12.2 Grams/Kg of dry air at 80% RH
v = 13.35 ft^3/lb @ 68 deg. F, 1 atm v = 0.8334 M^3/Kg at 20 deg. C, 1 bar (absolute)
V = 40ft X 20ft X 20ft = 16,000 ft^3 V = 12.2m X 6.1m X 6.1m = 454 m^3
Another factor is the number of air changes in that room. With the HVAC system, it will turn on and off to heat and cool the air. Some fresh air is brought in during this cycle. With a typical system, the room air will change between 2 – 4 times an hour. So, RAC = 4/hour (worse case). (Other locations may have scrubber systems, continuous air flow systems, etc. and the RAC will be greater).
If we plug in the numbers that we have, we can determine how much water that we will need to spray into the air to increase the RH from 40% to 80%.
Now that we know the rate of water to put into the ambient air, we have to look at the set up. With the settling time of the water droplets and the location of the humidity sensor, we will have a lead/lag problem. To help in this situation, I would recommend to turn on the Atomizing Nozzles for 10 – 15 seconds, and wait 2 minutes to re-measure the RH. This will help to not over saturate the room. As for the location of the Atomizing Nozzles, you have to make sure that the spray does not contact any structure or other atomizing spray patterns. This will cause the water to condense and either coat a structure or create rain. To help with the entire system, I suggested our No Drip External Mix Wide Angle Flat Fan Pattern Atomizing Nozzle. This will eliminate a water valve at each Atomizing Nozzle. When the air pressure is turned off to stop spraying, the No Drip Atomizing Nozzle will seal and not allow any water to drip. To also help with consistent RH in the room, the EB2030SS was my choice. The spray range helps to cover the area especially with multiple units operating.
No Drip Atomizing Nozzle
To determine the number of Atomizing Nozzles, we want to look at the time determination with the controller and the intermittence of operation. With the RAC = 4/hour, the air in the room will change over every 15 minutes. We want to have a balance between the new air and the existing air. So, with the time measurement of 2 minutes off and 15 seconds on, we will have 6 humidity checks over 15 minutes. We can divide the amount of water to be injected into the room by 6 to cover that time span. Also, we have to factor in that we will not be running the Atomizing Nozzle for the continuous hour. We will have to adjust the amount for only running for 15 seconds. So, the intermittent factor will be 0.0042 (the 15 seconds portion of the hour).
In taking into consideration the flow rate required during operation time, we can calculate the amount of flow required for the Atomizing Nozzle as in Equation 2.
Imperial UnitsSI Units
Flow rate: Q = H / (D * T * f) Flow rate: Q = H / (D * T * f)
Mass Flow Rate: H = 29.1 lbs/hr Mass Flow Rate: H = 13.3 Kg/hr
Density of Water: D = 8.34 lbs/gal Density of Water: D = 1 Kg/L
Span division of time: T = 6 Span division of time: T=6
Intermittent Factor: f = 0.0042 Intermittent Factor: f = 0.0042
In the catalog, the model EB2030SS will flow 14.0 GPH (53.0 LPH) at 40 PSIG (2.8 Bar) water pressure. This would be in the compressed air pressure range of 50 PSIG (3.4 Bar) to 95 PSIG (6.5 Bar). If we divide these out, it will tell us how many atomizing nozzles that is needed to humidify the room.
Imperial: 138.5 GPH/14.0 GPH = 9.9 or 10 Atomizing Nozzles.
SI units: 527.8 LPH/53.0 LPH = 9.9 or 10 Atomizing Nozzles.
The last thing to determine is the amount of time that would be required to maintain the 80% RH when the controller calls for more humidification. At 75% RH, we can use Equation 1 to determine the amount required to reach 80%. As we plug in the initial Water Content, Wi, at 75% RH as 80.5 Grains/lb of dry air (11.5 Grams/Kg of dry air), we will get an H value of 3.42 lb/hr (1.55 Kg/hr). With each Atomizing Nozzle putting out 14.0 GPH (53.0 LPH) of water, we can determine the time to atomize the 3.42 lbs (1.53 Kg) of water during the operational time. The control will be much better as the air is changing with the new incoming air and the existing air. Thus, we have in Equation 3:
Imperial UnitsSI Units
Time (sec): T = 3600 * m/ (N * Qa * D) Time (sec): T = 3600 * m/ (N * Qa * D)
Mass of water: m = 3.42 lb Mass of water: m= 1.53 Kg
Density of Water: D = 8.34 lb/gal Density of Water: D = 1 Kg/L
T = 3600 * 3.42 lb / (10 * 14 GPH * 8.34 lb/gal) T = 3600 * 1.55 Kg / (10 * 53 LPH * 1 Kg/L)
T = 10.5 seconds T = 10.5 seconds
With some other humidification devices like steam generators, companies have to capitalize the system. With the Atomizing Nozzles, my customer was able to keep the cost down and control the RH at a high level for his manufacturing process. In turn, he was able to increase productivity and reduce downtime. If you need to increase the level of moisture in an area, you can always contact one of the Application Engineers at EXAIR for help.
John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com Twitter: @EXAIR_jb
Automation and Controls: The competition is pretty stiff in this category…I’m sure you’ll recognize the names of some major players. But, considering the wide range of applications, the potential cost savings by regulating the use of compressed air, and the convenience afforded by the ETC Dual Cabinet Cooler Systems, it’s a real contender.
Environmental Health: With the ability to vacuum heavier tramp oils, thicker sludge, more viscous fluids, and “in the floor” cisterns, the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac makes fluid transfer and spill cleanup quick & easy. They’re in stock for 30, 55, or 110 gallon drums. If you want a drum dolly, additional vacuum tools, or even the drum itself, check out our Deluxe and Premium Kits. With all due respect to the other entries, it’s the clear winner in this category.
: This has been a long-awaited addition to our already broad selection of engineered air nozzles: the Back Blow Air Nozzles, available in two sizes, can handle blowing out pipe, tube, etc. with inside diameters from 7/8″ to 16″. You can get one installed on one of our Safety Air Guns, and they’re available with Chip Shields, and extension pipes up to 6 feet in length. This is the most innovative product being introduced in this category this year, for sure.
: The patented design of the EXAIR No-Drip Atomizing Spray Nozzle offers a stand-alone nozzle capable of controlling liquid flow without requiring a liquid control solenoid. When the air supply pressure is shut off, so is the liquid flow…just like that.
