Displays in CTAC's Innovation Center include:
Compressed Air Systems
This display includes several types of end-use air nozzles and guns, ultra-sonic leak detection equipment, three types of piping systems, a pressure amplifier, and an automatic condensate draining system.
Hands-on demonstrations of air nozzles and guns display air flow, pressure drop, and pressure differentials between efficient and inefficient nozzles and guns. Sonic leak detection pinpoints leaks in pipes. The display demonstrates to industrial customers the cost effectiveness of operating an efficient compressed air system and the expense of operating an inefficient system.
Plastic Injection Molding Machines: 30-Ton Hydraulic and 45-Ton All-Electric
These molding machines are demonstrated using their own chiller and cooling tower. The ozone generator keeps the cooling tower free of contaminants. The machines are controlled by an energy management system to increase energy efficiency.
Variable-Speed Screw Air Compressor
This working display demonstrates the energy efficiencies associated with a variable-speed screw compressor. Normal screw compressors operate at fixed speeds. In contrast, the variable speed screw compressor accurately varies the compressor's operating speed to reduce its capacity and its power consumption, so it uses only as much power as is needed to meet current air pressure demand. You get the air pressure you need more efficiently and economically.
Industrial Skylights
See how you can dramatically reduce your daytime lighting energy usage by installing energy-efficient specular reflective skylights. Specular reflective skylights produce as much as 10 times more light than traditional skylights. Learn how to achieve energy-free lighting savings by visiting our center.
Daylighting Controls
Daylighting control systems allow the user to control lighting levels based on available natural ambient light. The system switches lighting circuits on and off to maintain exact, pre-determined light levels. Using daylight effectively can reduce electricity usage for lighting.
In addition to energy savings, electric light dimming switches offer two other advantages over conventional lighting systems. First, conventional lighting systems are typically designed to over-illuminate rooms to account for the 30% drop in lighting output over time. Electric light dimming systems automatically compensate for this reduced output to give a constant light level over time. Second, daylighting controls can be adjusted to give the desired light level for any space. Thus, when floor plans are changed, it is easy to adjust the light levels to meet the lighting needs of each area.
High-Volume, Low-Speed (HVLS) Fan
Due to their size and unique airfoil blade design, HVLS fans provide more air movement for more space. For example, a single 20-foot diameter fan (the type installed in CTAC's Industrial Technology Center) can move a column of air over 25 times as large as that of a standard 48-inch ceiling fan moving at the same speed. The 20-foot fan can created an air column that covers 15,000 to 20,000 square feet of floor space. The HVLS fan eliminates the need to install multiple smaller fans or have an array of personal fans throughout a facility, providing greater air movement with less energy use.
Professional Wet Cleaning Demonstration Center
Come visit our new 850-square-foot "Wet Cleaning" Demonstration Center, which also features day-lighting and energy-efficient high-bay lighting techniques.
Here you can view demonstrations of wet cleaning, the water-based garment-cleaning technology that is an energy-efficient and environmentally compliant alternative to the chemical-based dry cleaning equipment currently in use.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has required all dry cleaners using perchloroethylene (perc) to phase out the chemical by the year 2020, since perc is known to cause adverse health effects and is a toxic air and groundwater contaminate.
While several non-perc garment-cleaning methods are available, about 90% of dry cleaners use perc during the cleaning process, and it's estimated that about 2,100 dry cleaners in Southern California will need to comply with the phase-out.
The AQMD's governing board set aside $2 million in grants for cleaners converting from dry cleaning to wet cleaning and other non-toxic cleaning technologies. Wet cleaning can produce a 20% to 48% decrease in electricity use, resulting in up to $850 savings on energy bills per year.
Refrigeration Demonstration Center
The Refrigeration Demonstration Center (RDC) contains 500 square feet of space that will support training education on energy efficient refrigeration technology. The Refrigeration Demonstration Center showcases energy efficient measures such as:
- Refrigeration Fan Control
- Electronically Commutated Motors
- Impact Doors for Walk-in Boxes
- Energy Efficient Refrigeration Lighting
- Energy Efficient Refrigerated Cases
- Energy Efficient Lighting
Carrier Demonstration/Trainer Unit
This is a heat pump with all of its components exposed on a vertical board. It is metered for volts, amps, and watts, and has temperature and pressure gauges to determine proper values. The unit illustrates how heat pumps run and operate. It can also demonstrate how important maintenance is for proper operation of an A/C unit.
200 Ton Chiller
The 200 ton chiller in this display has been cut away to show all its major components such as the evaporator, condenser and compressor. The display is used to support Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) seminars and workshops. It is also used to explain the refrigeration cycle, and to show the actual size of some of the equipment.
5 Ton Package Unit
This package air conditioning unit display is ultra high efficient, with a SEER rating of 14.2 & EER rating of 12.0. It uses environmentally friendly R410A refrigerant, has a high performance commercial grade belt drive blower, and has an economizer section for additional energy savings.
Electric Motors and Drives
The electric motors and drives exhibit features the latest energy-efficient technologies to help you conserve energy through the proper use of motors and drives. The exhibit demonstrates the "Fan Law" using centrifugal fans coupled to electric motors and controlled by either "throttling" a damper or controlling air flow by use of a variable speed drive. The various energy meters display energy usage, flow and rpm.
High Bay Induction Fluorescent Lighting System
A high-bay induction fluorescent lighting system can be a direct replacement for HID and T5HO applications to mention a few. The features of induction fluorescent include:
- Up to 100,000 hour system life
- Up to 58% energy savings over standard HID fixtures
- Instant on, instant restrike
- 90% maintained light output
- Operating temperatures of minus 35 degrees C and plus 105 degrees C
- High lumen > 80 lumens per watt and up to 90 CRI; and
- Each fixture contains multiple lamps enabling the system to work on an energy management system and is ideal for demand response applications
New Technologies
Automated SASH Positioning System
The Automatic Sash Positioning System (ASPS) involves the use of a sash actuator which lowers the sash (a sash is an adjustable barrier used to contain fumes in the hood area of a lab bench) to a minimum whenever no one is actively working in the fume hood area of a lab bench. By so doing, the exhaust and makeup air to the hood is greatly reduced in conjunction with a Variable Air Volume (VAV) system.
Thermal Energy Storage
This outdoor display demonstrates how to save daytime air conditioning costs by shifting energy usage to a later period to take advantage of cheaper time-based rates. The system connects to a conventional air conditioning system and uses it to make ice at night when energy demand is lower. The system then circulates chilled refrigerant during the day using only a small pump and the air conditioners fan for necessary cooling.