ASHRAE Journal - May 2012 - 6

industry news

(Left) Kevin Marr, managing director of Carel Australia, explains the benefits of using indirect evaporative cooling for data centers. (Right) Giuseppe Librizzi described ALP’s new In-Safe System Active, one of the company’s product lines offering advanced technology ductwork and new antimicrobial modular structures.

In Italy, Business Goes On
MILAN—In spite of Italy’s prolonged economic slump, it was busi- help reduce proliferation of pathogens in the air coming from the ness as usual at Mostra Convegno Expocomfort, the biennial trade ductwork by more than 77%. A second action is performed by all fair that is one of Europe’s most important industry events. The 2012 elements that constitute the room such as wall panels, door strucedition, March 27 to 30, featured more than 2,100 exhibits covering tural profiles, filtering ceiling placed above the operating table, 325,000 m2 (nearly 3.5 million ft2) of exhibit space. “It is a long and diffusers—everything treated with ALPactive antimicrobial. walk,” said one of the 155,000 visitors at the end of CAREL, an Italian supplier of control systems and day one before he descended into the metro station, adiabatic cooling equipment, exhibited its evaporahalf-dozen exhibitor bags draped from his shoulders tive cooling solutions that provide additional “free and a company-branded soccer ball under his arm. cooling” for air-side economizer designs, suitable Twelve halls dedicated to air conditioning, heating, for such applications as data centers. CAREL says renewables, heat pumps, refrigeration, plumbing using their humiFog multizone direct and indirect and tools line each side of a 1 km long walkway, a adiabatic cooling system located inside air-handling distance equivalent to 11 American football fields. equipment can save up to 98% of energy compared to According to Italian trade associations, key traditional mechanical cooling. A further advantage indicators fell in all industry sectors in 2011. of the adiabatic cooling system is that it can be used as But not all is doom and gloom. Many companies an ultralow energy humidifier to increase the humidreported a rise in demand from foreign markets, ity level to maintain acceptable limits in data centers. where 1.5% growth is projected for 2012. “Again CAREL also exhibited optiMist, a single prodthis year at MCE, Italian companies have shown MCE occupied 24 halls con- uct that provides evaporative cooling in summer that the HVAC, plumbing and sanitary fittings sec- nected by a walkway that and precise air humidity control in winter, saving tor is innovative, productive and able to compete stretched the length of eleven energy in the management of air-handling units. in international markets,” said Sandro Bonomi, American football fields. Visi- optiMist features a water inlet circuit, a volumetpresident of ANIMA, the Italian Federation of tors totaled 155,000. Add ric pump and two solenoid valves to distribute Mechanical and Engineering Industries. Foreign exhibitor and service person- pressurized water. An electronic controller calvisitors increased 4%, a signal that the Italian nel, and MCE becomes a sea culates the flow-rate of atomized water required companies are turning their focus to exports of humanity. to meet the evaporative cooling or humidity during the country’s sustained economic slump. demand, and signals the required pump speed Among the Italian companies showing products for the domestic to an inverter, ensuring linear modulation of water atomizaand foreign markets was ALP. The company displayed the In-Safe tion and avoiding waste. Evaporative cooling occurs due to the System Active, said to be the first antimicrobial modular system for spontaneous evaporation of the water droplets produced. “Our operating theatres, surgical suites, laboratories, clean rooms and products that have been successful over the last few years have safe rooms. The system generates a 3-modal antimicrobial action. two things in common: on one hand, they are aimed to anticipate One takes place inside the ductwork; ALPactive antimicrobial can customer needs, and on the other they’re part of a wider plan,
6 ASHRAE Journal ashrae.org May 2012

ASHRAE Journal - May 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - May 2012