23 Mar 2017
It is estimated that there are some 47,000 chillers of 250kW and above in the UK, each chiller serving air handling plant. These are suffering daily from the chiller coils being contaminated with airborne debris where just 1mm of dirt will reduce efficiency by 21%.
RABScreen of Newbury, however, has the answer to this problem with its high quality air intake screens. These screens are easily fitted to the outside of dry air coolers, chillers, air handling units, condensers, compressors, cooling towers and generator intakes to protect the equipment from incoming debris. This saves money by extending the life of disposable filters, saves as much as 30% of input energy on chiller coils and saves labour by reducing cleaning and chemical use. As a result, the typical return on investment of fitting Rabscreen air intake screens is less than six months.
There are a wealth of applications for the RABScreen air intake screens with air moving equipment fitted across industry, in food processing factories, hospitals, hotels and retail, and in schools, colleges and universities.
Manufactured in the USA by the leading company Permatron, the RABScreen BHA air intake screen is an engineered mesh using polyester and polypropylene. Polyester is negatively charged and polypropylene is positively charged which means that any air movement excites the mesh to create an electrostatic charge. The static charge attracts the incoming debris which is held in place on the mesh until removed by vacuum, brush or washing.
RABScreen has much experience over several years of fitting the air intake screens and has developed a variety of fixing methods to suit different situations and applications. The standard RABScreen fitment air intake screen is edged with a 32mm vinyl border. This border is punched and fitted with 9.5mm stainless steel grommets at 300mm centres to create an easy to fit external filter screen. This can then be fitted with studs, bolts, or self tapping screws. Alternative methods of fixing are by magnetic strip and drop tab fittings which can secure to any steel surface; using a lightweight profile to make a rigid frame to match typically a chiller coil face; and a wrap-around technique, usually for stand-alone air conditioning units, where the filter screen is wrapped around the unit and secured with Permatron bungee cords.
The RABScreen air intake screens can be made to any size and shape to suit the application. The largest single screen ever made was for the Bodleian library in Oxford where a 22m x 2.5m screen was supplied.
The RABScreen air intake screens are made of a black high abrasion (BHA) specification comprising a single layer of 9 x 9, 1000 denier multi polymer coated polyester mesh. Highly durable, rot and weather resistant and UV protected, the air intake screens are UL classified for flammability and come with a ten-year UK warranty covering the media, grommets, vinyl border and stitching. The media has ripstop corners that will not tear. Prices of the air intake screens start from as little as £100 per sq.metre.
Further information on RABScreen air intake screens is available on 01635 248633 by emailing info@rabscreen.com or by visiting the company’s website at www.rabscreen.com
