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Navigating Health and Comfort in Airports

In the expansive world of modern travel, airports serve as dynamic hubs connecting people across the globe. However, amid the seamless connectivity and operational efficiency, there exists a nuanced concern—the potential health implications associated with prolonged stays in these bustling environments. From temporary discomforts to potential long-term health risks, both passengers and airport employees may encounter various challenges unique to airport spaces.  

Although the COVID-19 pandemic brought concerns about the impact of the built environment on health out of the proverbial “back room,” experts have been mulling over solutions to these problems for decades. Airports are of particularly high concern as they act as something of a mini city. Jet fuel, exhaust, and other chemicals have a large environmental impact on the outdoor air quality, while carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), like formaldehyde, can greatly impact the health and indoor air quality (IAQ) of airport occupants.  Continue reading “Navigating Health and Comfort in Airports”

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Understanding Air Velocity Sensors

Dwyer Instruments offers a multitude of sensors for monitoring air velocity in HVAC systems. Some of this instrumentation has a simple construction (Pitot tubes, for example) while others are more complex, such as hot-wire anemometers.

The initial term and first “hot-wire anemometer” was developed back in 1914 by Louie Vesso King. He is also accredited for King’s Law, which mathematically describes heat transfer in air flows using a heated wire. As the air moves over the wire, it causes a loss of temperature in the wire and removes some of the wire’s heat energy. Continue reading “Understanding Air Velocity Sensors”

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Monitoring Solutions for Semiconductor HEPA/ULPA Rooms

Semiconductor Fab with HEPA/ULPA Room Highlighted

A semiconductor transistor is a part with specific electronic properties that allow it to serve as a component in microchips and modern electronics like phones, laptops, and more. As these components are small and require precise manufacturing methods, there are facilities dedicated to their manufacture.

These facilities consist of several levels including air handlers and scrubbers for exhaust, HEPA room, fab cleanroom, and subfab areas. The control of differential pressure within the facility is essential for the safety of both equipment and personnel.

Semiconductor Fab with HEPA/ULPA Room Highlighted
Semiconductor Fab HEPA/ULPA Room

The HEPA/ULPA rooms are found in the space above a semiconductor cleanroom. This area has filtration equipment that removes particulates from the outside environment. A HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter and/or an ULPA (ultra low particulate air) filter is used to trap small contaminants and prevent them from entering the fab cleanroom area. The fab cleanroom has to be free of particulates, as it is where semiconductor devices such as microscopic transistors are manufactured. Something as small as a molecule from a fragrance can destroy one of these transistors, making proper filtration an essential part of the semiconductor fabrication process.  Continue reading “Monitoring Solutions for Semiconductor HEPA/ULPA Rooms”

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Series IDPT: Built for Compliance

The HVACR industry is evolving to create more energy efficient and sustainable ways to cool our homes and commercial buildings using eco-friendly refrigerants that are less damaging to the environment, but significantly more flammable than their predecessors. The UL standard 60335 aims to balance these greener refrigerants while still maintaining occupancy safety as it applies to “packaged air conditioners and heat pumps; partial units; liquid chillers and hydronic fan coil units; hot water heat pumps; dehumidifiers; supplemental heaters and equipment with flammable refrigerants1.”

With this standard there are significant regulations put onto the plastics used in air handlers to meet certain burn and smoke criteria, as tested and approved by the UL Yellowcard. Some air handling equipment manufacturers are attempting to meet this specification for pressure transmitters and sensors by mounting pressure transmitters that are typically made of plastic in a metal enclosure or mounting them outside of the plenum spaces.  Continue reading “Series IDPT: Built for Compliance”

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Airports Use Dwyer Building Automation System Products

Tapping your foot anxiously, you glance at your airline ticket and the terminal noted on it. The flight will be boarding in a few minutes. As you look around, there are several other people waiting for this flight; it seems the plane is fully booked. You close your eyes and breathe in deeply, calming your nerves. The air seems fresh, not stagnant, despite the large number of people around you. There are no empty seats in the area, so you carefully find a window to lean against as you watch the airplanes of other terminals and wait for your own.

Airports must provide a controlled environment for their visitors, while allowing scheduled maintenance within a building that is operational 24/7. Additionally, they must offer a high level of security for their passengers, all while simultaneously moving those travelers and their luggage rapidly through the building, in a finite amount of time.

Generally, airports are large complex buildings divided into numerous areas, with a number of smaller units located within them. Building automation systems (BAS) are used within airports to monitor and control sensors for things like filters, temperature, air flow, and building energy usage.

Airport automation, put simply, is needed to help ensure safety for world travelers and efficiency for those who make it possible. When an airport’s BAS is functioning properly, travelers can focus on the tasks at hand while everything runs in the background to keep them safe. Continue reading “Airports Use Dwyer Building Automation System Products”