ASHRAE Addresses the Role of HVAC&R Systems in Infectious Disease Transmission

As health and school officials deal with a second wave of the swine flu, or H1N1 virus, new information is available on the health consequences of exposure to such airborne infectious diseases and the implications on the design, installation and operation of HVAC&R systems.

"While the long-standing public health view is that influenza transmission occurs through direct contact or large droplets, newer data suggests it also occurs through the airborne route, meaning HVAC&R systems may contribute far more to transmission of the disease and, potentially, to reduction of that same transmission risk," said Gordon Holness, president of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineering (ASHRAE) that developed the guidance.

The swine flue has spread to nearly 170 countries, resulting in 1,154 deaths and some 160,000 illnesses since the first reported case in the spring of 2009. With a better understanding of ventilation's effect on the transmission of disease, future incidents on the H1N1 virus may now be easier to prevent, according to Holness. He mentions several technical solutions that are available to assist in avoiding transmission, such as: dilution ventilation, airflow strategies, room pressurization, personalized ventilation, source control, filtration and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation.

ASHRAE's Airborne Infectious Diseases Position Document addresses the impact of ventilation on disease transmission, and can be read at www.ashrae.org/positiondocuments.

Marspec offers state of the art, energy recovery ventilation manufactured by Building Performance Equipment, Inc. To find out more about this technology, please visit: http://marspec.com/indoor_air_quality.html.

Source:

ASHRAE Press Release
August 31, 2009
Contact: Jodi Dunlop
Public Relations
jdunlop@ashrae.org

Marspec Provides Plastic Lined Pipe for New Auto Assembly Plant

Marspec Technical Products was chosen to provide a Crane-Resistoflex Teflon lined piping system for a new auto assembly plant under construction in Mississippi. The project engineers specified Crane-Resistoflex in part due to its reputation for long service life and advanced manufacturing techniques employed by the North Carolina based company.

Marspec provided drawing takeoff and bill of material generation as well as complete spool fabrication services. All piping components were shipped according to the contractors demanding schedule. Marspec was even able to suggest ways to reduce the overall cost of the project while maintaining the environmental integrity demanded by the facility owner.

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Marspec Technical Products has been selected by the National Carbon Capture Research Center to provide an advanced boiler, several heat exchangers and vessels for the Wilsonville, Alabama facility. This joint project of the Department of Energy and Southern Company is seeking efficient, economical ways to capture and sequester carbon emissions produced during the combustion of coal.

Quoting from a Southern Company press release:

The National Carbon Capture Center plans to conduct testing on both pre-combustion and post-combustion carbon capture technologies. Existing facilities at the PSDF will be modified to conduct the pre-combustion CO2 capture component of the NCCC project. New facilities to conduct post-combustion testing and evaluation will be on the site of Plant Gaston, a coal-fueled generating plant adjacent to the PSDF that is operated by Southern Company subsidiary Alabama Power.

Once fully operational in 2010, the National Carbon Capture Center will bring together science and innovation in technology development, along with real-world testing capability, to play a leading role in the effort to achieve cost-effective and reliable capture of carbon dioxide from coal-based power generation.

Marspec is excited to be part of this cutting edge research effort.