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HVAC B Y R O B G O O D F E L L O W I n May of 2012, The Barnes Foundation unveiled its new campus in Philadel- phia, Pennsylvania. In rooms reflective of the intimate layout and unique character of the original galleries, the campus experience includes galleries, classrooms, garden, interior light court, audito- rium, library, restaurant, coffee bar, gift shop and offices. Designers had several goals when planning the campus, and mitigating environmental conditions was paramount. Building systems needed to protect one of the world's finest collections of art protect from harmful airborne particles, chemicals and gases. ELECTRONIC AIR CLEANING Outdoor air in Philadelphia, like all other metropolitan areas, contains vehicle emis- sions, which are composed of an abundance of ultrafine particles and gaseous and vola- tile compounds. A minimum of MERV 15 filtration is necessary to remove UFP particles from the air. Electronic polarized- media air cleaners, provided by Dynamic Air Quality Solutions, were selected that are capable of exceeding MERV 15. Their active-field mechanisms give them the ability to capture ul- trafine particles and adsorbed gas phase contaminants from the outdoor air. ACTIVATED CARBON Specifically for chemicals and gas phase contaminants, acti- vated carbon works through a process called adsorption — the deposition of a gas on solid. An activated carbon matrix system was selected that features a ceramic honeycomb matrix. The matrix design offers unrestricted air channels that provide path- ways for air to flow with low- pressure resistance. Because the carbon and ceramic are baked for long periods at extremely high temperatures, they are tightly bound together, eliminating dust shedding and the need for down- stream post filters. The activated carbon matrix modules were engineered to meet specific performance requirements including static pressure drop, maximum face velocity, residence time and target contaminants including Ozone, Xylene, Sulfur Monox- ide, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Sulfide, Chlorine, Chlorine Dioxide and other acid gases and odors. SUSTAINABLE DESIGN Both systems offer very low static pressure resistance rela- tive to conventional filtration methods. Low static resistance saves energy by reducing the fan horsepower required to move air through the central HVAC system. For example, a polarized-media electronic air cleaner consumes three times less energy than a MERV 14 cartridge filter with pre-filters. And activated carbon matrix systems offer up to 60 percent lower pressure drop than tradi- tional pellet systems, which can reduce blower horsepower re- quirements by up to 50 percent. For the Barnes Foundation, these results are expected to translate into savings of hun- dreds of thousands of kilowatt hours per year. The air cleaning systems used will also reduce other ongoing operating costs. The se- lected air cleaners hold up to 10 times more dust than standard cartridge and bag filters. This high-dust loading means much longer maintenance cycles, where change-out intervals are measured in years instead of months, meaning no quarterly pre-filter change-outs and no nine-month final filter replace- ments. Likewise, properly ro- tated carbon matrix systems use 100 percent of the media, unlike pellet-based systems, which typically break through after about 66 percent utilization, meaning longer service inter- vals. Carbon matrix modules are also easier to use and maintain because they do not require vacuum trucks, pellet handling or confined space entry that is associated with pellet media. These attributes free up a lot of time for maintenance person- nel to concentrate on other things. And less media changes means less material usage, fewer disposal costs and a smaller environmental footprint for the building. At the Barnes, energy mod- eling was used for the building in a variety of ways to support LEED Platinum certification. The museum was designed to exceed the performance of the ASHRAE 90.1 energy standard by 43 percent. In addition to the filtration system, other strategies that contributed to these savings included ventila- tion-air heat recovery, demand- control ventilation, rooftop solar panels and optimization of the thermal properties of the envelope, such as overhangs and other shading devices that help control heat gain. RESULTS A year and a half after the open- ing, the filtration systems were evaluated to see how the service life was comparing to projec- tions. Based on static pressure, the polarized-media air cleaners were on track to last over three years, as planned. An activated carbon module was also analyzed to deter- mine how much carbon had been used. The core sample indicated higher than normal levels of acetic acid, a sub- stance potentially harmful to artwork. Using Google Earth, it was determined the acetic acid was likely attributable to an unforeseen circumstance. A Whole Foods Market was located nearby. Whole Foods offers a large selection of fresh produce. Unsold produce goes into the dumpsters behind the store, and decomposing produce off gases acetic acid. Fortunately, the analysis identi- fied the threat and a recom- mended carbon service interval was established to ensure the system is capable of handling it. CHECK OR CIRCLE #139 Rob Goodfellow is vice president of marketing at Dynamic Air Quality Solutions. Visit www. DynamicAQS.com/commercial for more information. Protecting fi ne art collections / p r o d u c t s i n p r a c t i c e /products in practice Above: The Dynamic V8 Air Cleaning System provides MERV 13-15+ performance without ionizing or ozone generation. Right: Dynamic Activated Carbon Matrix material was developed by MeadWestVaco, using its patented Versacomb composites and extrusion technologies to increase carbon utilization. Barnes Foundation pays special attention to indoor air quality HVACPproducts.com HVAC & Plumbing Product News \ Summer 2014 22 F d H A P 0 6 1 4 - 0 1 - 2 8 . i n d d 2 2 FdHAP0614-01-28.indd 22 7 / 2 / 1 4 1 0 : 5 8 A M 7/2/14 10:58 AM