ICC-ES And UL Launch Dual PMG Listing Programme

ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) have established a dual PMG listing programme for plumbing, mechanical, and fuel gas (PMG) products. The purpose of the programme is to provide code officials and construction professionals with a reliable means to verify that PMG products to comply with applicable codes and standards. Manufacturers of PMG products who take advantage of this alliance are said to benefit from the combined strengths of ICC-ES and UL.

The programme will provide a scheme for the testing, inspection, certification, and listing of PMG products, with independent listings covering both code compliance and compliance with applicable technical standards. It provides ready acceptance of products by authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), due to the high recognition of the ICC-ES and UL marks, and the ability to leverage the strength of the two brands. There is a choice in service providers to show compliance through listing to both the International Plumbing Code (IPC) and the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC).

The programme also provides acceptance of products nationally and internationally, wherever the IPC or the UPC codes have been adopted. Additionally, products evaluated to the National Plumbing Code of Canada (NPCC) are suitable for installation in Canada. The International Code Council (ICC), the parent organisation of ICC-ES, publishes the International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, which to date have been adopted in 47 states at either the state or local jurisdiction level and countries including Mexico, Jamaica, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

The programme also provides a demonstration of product compliance to the new low-lead requirements in the California Health and Safety Code, and demonstration of product compliance to the US EPA WatersenseSM requirements (as applicable). The programme is said to provide an easier way of doing business, through one point of contact for both ICC-ES and UL listings. It offers wider exposure for PMG products, through the network of ICC-ES and UL customers, media channels, and corporate partnerships, and allows the use of both the trusted ICC-ES PMG Mark and the UL Plumbing Mark.

Code officials, will also benefit from the dual PMG listing programme, through: the added assurance that PMG products meet the rigorous testing and evaluation requirements of both ICC-ES and UL; simultaneous posting of approved products on the websites of both ICC-ES and UL; and access to UL's code correlation database. This database directly connects the listings with specific code sections, to assist AHJs in the acceptance of certified products, and allow designers and installers to readily find code-complying products.

The ICC, the parent company of ICC-ES, publishes the International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, which have been adopted in 47 states at either the state or local level. Between them, ICC and ICC-ES have on staff a full range of PMG product experts, and professional engineers with product evaluation experience.

ICC and ICC-ES offer a full range of resources, from code books and electronic media, to specialised training and certification services. There is also a dual PMG listing programme with UL that will ease the approval of PMG products for use in the field. UL's drinking water and plumbing product certification programme is fully accredited in the US and Canada and is recognised by the US EPA as well as all states and cities in the US that have adopted their own water product certification requirements.

Metra-Sum Monitors Delivery Of All Liquids

Titan Enterprises has introduced the Metra-Sum combined flow sensor and battery-powered six-digit flow totaliser. The Metra-Sum flow sensor is suitable for monitoring the delivery or dispense of any liquid, including viscous oils and non-conducting solvents.

Built from corrosion-resistant polyethersulphone, the unit has excellent accuracy for inventory control and stock accounting for valuable fluid use, at flows up to four litres a minute. Electronic outputs and alarms are optionally available.

Available soon will be PVDF-bodied corrosion-resistant mini-turbines for ultra-low power or battery applications and measuring liquid flows of up to 15 litres a minute; a new low-cost IP65 onsite flow display; and the latest sensor for wide flow-range non-obstructive metering, in pipes from 12mm down to 1mm diameter.

Webinar To Show Benefits Of Axstream Software

Softinway will host the free webinar 'Improving Axial Turbine Flow Path Efficiency Between Overhauls: Strategy for 2010' on 17 December. This webinar is dedicated to power station and airline engineers that want to improve the efficiency of turbomachinery during overhauls. At the presentation, the Softinway team will showcase the Axstream software suite and its ability to define optimal overhaul intervals, replace components without sacrificing efficiency and minimise retrofitting costs.

The contents for the steam-turbine section of the webinar will include: life cycle, typical deterioration factors, steam-turbine HP cylinder simulation in Axstream with estimation of deterioration factors, investigation of efficiency changing and investigation of erosion of the last stage. The contents for the aircraft-engine section will include: typical performance-deterioration mechanisms, engine performance simulation, investigation of aero-engine efficiency, fuel consumption and on-wing life.

The contents for the steam-turbine retrofitting section will include: comparison of redesign and retrofitting methods and the benefits of retrofitting. After the presentation, turbomachinery design experts from Softinway will be available for a question-and-answer session.

Carbon Trust Funding Helps Astrum Halve Power Bill

Steel-component manufacturer Astrum will slash electricity use at its foundry by more than half and save more than GBP80,000 a year thanks to a GBP400,000 interest-free loan from the Carbon Trust. The loan is the largest sum awarded so far from the Carbon Trust's GBP100m Big Business Refit - a drive to provide small and medium businesses with zero-cost capital to invest in new high-performance energy-efficient equipment.

Astrum, which makes steel components for tanks and heavy-duty earth-moving vehicles, will use the money to replace its ageing air compressors. The new equipment will halve the company's energy use, increase productivity and will reduce its carbon emissions by more than 600 tonnes a year. Since the Big Business Refit launched in September 2009, more than 800 UK businesses have received GBP30m in total to scrap their old energy-guzzling equipment. The Carbon Trust has now announced it will increase the maximum level for its zero-interest unsecured loans to GBP500,000 following unprecedented interest in high-value loans in the last three months.

Mike Hutchinson, operations director at Astrum, said: 'Our compressed-air system is critical to the performance of our plant and the quality of the products we produce. 'The loan will pay for itself within four years through energy savings and has provided a cost-effective and hassle-free way for us to upgrade crucial equipment. Astrum identified the savings opportunity for the new system and compressor-efficiency specialist Air Energy Management developed a bespoke system to 'switch off' air-compressor drive motors where possible.

The system has reduced the demand on compressed air and replaced old and large air compressors with two more efficient smaller Compair compressors. Also funded by the loan have been: low-pressure drop piping from Teseo Air Systems; variable-speed compressors; and a leak-detection programme.

The entire system will reduce Astrum's energy demand by 1,255,000kWh per annum once the project is completed in early 2010. Sean Connolly, managing director of Teseo UK, said: 'Our aluminium pipe sections are leak-free, lightweight and, due to higher flow rates of a smooth-profiled aluminium tube (typically 30 per cent higher than steel), have a very low pressure drop across the system, making them a more efficient compressed-air delivery system than other offerings on the market.

'This provides a cost-saving from day one. Colin Mander, managing director of Compair UK, said: 'At Compair, reducing compressor cost-of-ownership is our primary goal. 'The two variable-speed compressors supplied are configured to match air supply to plant demand, so Astrum is assured of maximum energy performance at all times. 'In addition, both machines are supplied with our Assure extended warranty as standard.

SICK UK Publishes Food-Processing Sensor Guide

SICK UK's 'Efficient Automation for Food and Beverage Production' guide features sensors that have a positive effect on operating safety, availability and economic efficiency of facilities. The 72-page guide describes the best sensor or scanner for differing applications.

It addresses hygiene design issues and resisting clean-in-place and sterilise-in-place regimes; hygiene legislation and certification; temperature; and environmental and ingress protection. Further sections cover the extensive support services provided by SICK for food and beverage manufacturers and a comprehensive overview of SICK sensor products.

Rockwell Publication Discusses HVAC Benefits

A white paper from Rockwell Automation details how facility managers and owners can reduce energy consumption and maximise savings with HVAC control upgrade technology. The paper outlines a new option to help convert constant-volume HVAC systems to variable-air-volume (VAV) control, while avoiding the cost and complexity associated with changing mechanical or building automation-control systems.

The white paper, 'Leveraging the Power of Intelligent Motor Control to Maximize HVAC System Efficiency', describes the technology behind this upgrade option, outlines the cost-saving benefits and breaks down a food manufacturer's payback as an example. By adjusting fan speeds, the upgrade option helps facility managers reduce energy consumption and building owners reap payback in a relatively short time - often less than a year.

The upgrade option helps building owners avoid redesign and capital investments associated with new systems. Designed as a self-contained unit for easy installation, the integrated control solution is said to deliver more energy savings at a fraction of the cost of a traditional hardware retrofit. The unit includes temperature and carbon-dioxide sensors, a microcontroller, a high-performance variable-frequency drive and a touch-screen operator interface.

Rather than cycling between constant speed and off, HVAC fans controlled by the variable-frequency drive automatically adjust in response to heating or cooling needs. Jenalea Howell, market analyst, IMS Research, said: 'HVAC systems typically constitute a large amount of a building's operating costs, so it makes business sense to upgrade HVAC systems as efficiently as possible, without being forced to reconfigure an existing system.

Emerson To Update Power-Plant Instrumentation

Emerson Process Management has been awarded a contract to update the instrumentation and controls on units 5 and 6 of the lignite-fired Belchatow Power Plant in Poland. The project will see Emerson serving as the main automation contractor, responsible for modernising the instrumentation, control and electrical subsystems.

Emerson will perform engineering and management services that include the installation of its Plantweb digital plant architecture with the Ovation expert control system. Using open Wirelesshart products, Emerson's Smart Wireless network will connect over 110 Rosemount wireless temperature transmitters that will monitor boiler temperatures on each unit. The complete retrofit project will enable the units to reach 320,000 hours of operation.

The project will contribute to emissions reductions from the two units, with CO2 and NOx both falling below 200mg/m3. Emerson will design, install and commission the digital automation system and perform various services on the units' electrical subsystems, such as the generator, transformers, feeder ducts and switchgear.

Emerson's Ovation system will monitor and control each unit's boiler and balance of plant processes and equipment, as well as the 0.4 and 6kV electrical switchgear and unit power output. In addition, it will interface with each unit's turbine control and thermal-protection systems. The Ovation system will oversee automatic boiler/unit start-up/shutdown and automatic unit operation within the full range of load changes.