ASHRAE Journal - July 2010 - 58

Sustainable Products Capabilities Advertising Section

Taco Introduces the LOFlo™ Mixing Block System, A LoadMatch®-Based Radiant/Chilled Beam Heating-Cooling System
Radiant cooling has come to North America and the first of what is expected to be a sizeable wave of installations are now under way. European radiant/chilled beam cooling systems have advanced considerably in design, efficiency and comfort delivery during the past several decades, and the North American market is ready to follow suit on employing this advanced hydronic system solution in new building construction and in building retrofits. Taco, Inc. a leader in advanced hydronics and systems, is ready to tap into this new market with its recently introduced radiant cooling-heating dedicated product, the LOFlo™ Mixing Block (LMB). The LOFlo Radiant Mixing Block has been designed to work with Taco’s highly successful LoadMatch® single pipe system along with activepassive chilled beams and a 100-percent dedicated outside air system (DOAS) to supply latent cooling. This system, the Taco LOFlo Mixing Block System will provide building owners and operators with an injection pumping system that will be more energy efficient, lower first costs, eliminate balancing problems, simplify commissioning, reduce call-backs and maximize occupant comfort throughout the building space. Combining the LMB with the LoadMatch system creates a single pipe distribution system which promises a new standard in energy efficiency and comfort. The Taco LMB The LMB consists of a variable speed injection circulator, a constant (or variable) speed zone circulator, and common bridge piping. It has only four piping connections, which greatly reduces installation time and space needed. System designers can choose from a variety of sizes and capacities for the injection and zone circulators. The LMB can be used in both heating and cooling systems to significantly reduce system water flow. It can be used with radiant panels (ceiling, wall or floor) and with chilled beams. The LMB can significantly reduce the flow in a hydronic system by varying the supply water temperature and temperature difference or Delta T to a terminal unit in a variety of HVAC systems. Use of the Taco LMB eliminates redundant components, significantly reduces waste and overall energy use, and lowers first costs. The LMB also provides precise control of supply water to the terminal (e.g., chilled beam) and precise control of room temperatures. LOFlo Mixing Block System The LOFlo Mixing Block System is a single pipe, low temperature water system. The system circulates chilled water and small kV LoadMatch circulators mix the water to the desired temperature at the point of use. LoadMatch eliminates control valves and most balancing valves and greatly reduces the amount of pipe needed (50-67%). The system delivers heating and cooling energy to a variety of terminal units, including chilled ceiling panels, active and passive chilled beams, fan coils and heat pumps – all in the same piping distribution loop despite each of the terminal units requiring different temperatures. In addition to reducing the amount of pipe needed, use of the LOFlo Mixing System will reduce flow rate and head loss along with pump energy, making the system more energy efficient. Because the system is self-balancing, weeks of balancing the water flow by the balancing contractor and commissioning agent is eliminated. Probably the biggest advantage of the system is its ability to provide guaranteed flow. So confident is Taco about the system’s ability to provide the required flow that this guarantee can be provided in writing, if desired or necessary. The Case for Advanced Hydronics Hydronic systems use approximately half the horsepower and half the materials to move heating and cooling energy around a building compared to air systems. In contrast, Taco’s LOFlo radiant cooling system uses only one-third of the energy and materials to move heating and cooling energy around a building compared to air systems. Low flow radiant convective cooling eliminates condensation problems by decoupling latent and sensible cooling. A radiant cooling system uses only 1 to 2 changes of (outside) air flow per hour compared to 8 to 12 air changes per hour for an all-air system. As a result there is a substantial reduction in the transport energy or horsepower to move BTUs around a building. This savings can approach one-quarter of the total HVAC energy in a building over a VAV system. Incorporating Taco’s LoFlo injection pumping system can further reduce energy consumption by up to one-third of total HVAC energy. Taco’s LOFlo Mixing Block System promises to be one of the most efficient HVAC systems to become available to the North American market. The result of thinking outside the box, it imaginatively and efficiently combines hydronic heating and cooling energy transport with injection radiant heating and cooling energy delivery in the conditioned space for unmatched indoor comfort. For more information, visit www.taco-hvac.com/loflo.

ASHRAE Journal

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July 2010

ASHRAE Journal - July 2010

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