Installation Manual PLEASE READ AND SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS Build September 2005 MacroAir Technologies 2005, Installation Manual, Page: 1
Corporate Offices MacroAir Technologies LLC 1120 Lincoln Street Colton, CA 92324 Toll Free (866) MOVEAIR (866-668-3247) Fax (909) 825-2589 Email info@macroair-ca.com Copyright 2005 MacroAir Technologies LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another language without the prior written consent of MacroAir Technologies LLC. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. MacroAir Technologies shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material. MacroAir, HVLS, WhisperFoil, Wickerbill, Maxair and Airvolution are property of MacroAir Technologies LLC. The copyrights to all photos and illustrations within this documents are property of MacroAir Technologies LLC. MacroAir Technologies 2005, Installation Manual, Page: 2
Contents Page 1 Safety Issues 2 Positioning 2.1 Horizontal Positioning 2.2 Vertical Positioning 3 General Mounting Considerations 3.1 Weight 3.2 Torque 3.3 Safety Cable 3.4 Clearance, Guy Cables 3.5 Guards 4 Typical Mounting Methods 5 Final Assembly 6 Electrical 5.1 Checking Strength and Clearance 6.1 Control Options 6.2 Wiring 6.2.1 General Considerations 6.2.2 Grounding 6.2.3 Motor Wiring 6.3 Electrical Code Compliance 7 Cleaning And User Maintenance 4 4 4 5 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 9 10 10 11 12 MacroAir Technologies 2005, Installation Manual, Page: 3
1 Safety Issues PLEASE MAKE SURE POWER IS OFF BEFORE INSTALLATION BEGINS It is important that an HVLS fan not be positioned where a person could actually come in contact with it. This means that a fan should never be mounted lower than 10ft. above the floor. Similarly, if there is a mezzanine section in the facility it is important that a fan not be placed so close to the mezzanine, that a person on an upper tier could reach out and contact the fan. Wherever there is a potential for a forklift to elevate something into the fan, or people working with long materials inadvertently poking something up into it, the floor directly below the fan should be painted in such a way (i.e. a large crosshatched circle) so as to alert workers to the fan above. In such cases, the fan may have to be guarded. Section 3.5 of this manual discusses guarding. It is essential that fans located where they could get hit by wind be very well restrained with guy cables. This is because a running fan will react violently to wind. The blades may crash into things you would think would be entirely out of reach. Fire safety must be considered in situations where fans will be left running when nobody is present i.e. at night or on weekends. Obviously, fanning a fire is not a good thing. Furthermore, fans could delay fire sprinkler nozzles from being activated by rising hot air. Even where the fans are turned off nights and weekends, care must be taken so that fan blades cannot block fire sprinkler nozzles. Never work on a fan without first locking the disconnect switch in the "off" position. 2 Positioning * 2.1 Horizontal Positioning The way these fans spread air flow over such a large area is that the down-flowing air column, upon reaching the floor, turns into a horizontal "floor jet" radiating out in all directions. Under ideal conditions a 20 ft dia. overhead fan can serve up to 20,000 sq. ft. of floor space. Ideal conditions are: a fairly symmetrical area, very little obstruction on the floor, and walls at the boundary of the area. (The walls help turn the floor jet upward, thereby enabling the fan to entrain circular air currents similar to convection currents that take advantage of inertia.) Obstructions on the floor, such as partitions or machinery, tend to block the floor jet, reducing the "reach" of the fan. The ideal center to center spacing, therefore, will vary depending on the amount and size of these floor obstructions, as well as the nature of the operations being conducted in the affected area and the construction of the building (i.e. beams, etc.). In a manufacturing environment where there are many work stations each of which must get good air movement and the nature of the work is such that windiness is not acceptable, the solution is fans on close centers, running slowly. For example, 20 ft. Whisperfoil blade fans on about 60 ft. centers, running at about 40 rpm, might be appropriate. *Note: This document uses a 20 foot fan as an example to explain proper positioning and installation procedures. Larger and smaller fans should follow similar mounting procedures. MacroAir Technologies 2005, Installation Manual, Page: 4
Conversely, in a warehouse where workers are moving around a lot and a little windiness here and there is not a problem, 24 ft. fans on 150 ft. centers might suffice. In dairies, where milk production is dependant on avoiding heat stress in the animals during hot weather, our fans are often mounted on 60 ft. centers. In applications where there are fire sprinklers, care must be taken not to interfere with their correct operation. Consult the factory in these situations. 2.2 Vertical Positioning In many applications physical limitations overhead cranes, low ceilings, etc. dictate vertical positioning. Where there is some latitude, here are the primary points to consider: From a strictly performance point of view, 20 to 30 feet is the optimum height range for a 20 ft. fan, but we have seen fans mounted as low as 10 ft. and as high as 50 ft. working well. (HVLS fans should never be lower than 10 ft. above the floor) Whenever possible, avoid mounting fans directly below lights or skylights, to avoid a strobe effect. A fan must not be so close to the ceiling that it is starved of air; it should be no less than 15% of its diameter from the ceiling. If the ceiling is pitched the blades can come closer on one side so long as there is ample open area on the other side. If possible, fans should be high enough to be beyond the reach of forklifts and any long materials that workers might be handling. (Alternatively, the fan can be guarded. See the section on guards below.) Conversely, where fans are used to cool people working in just one part of a very large building with a very high ceiling (e.g. an aircraft hanger), lower mounted fans may be in order. In such an extreme case high mounted fans would be drawing off a huge reservoir of hot air, while lower mounted fans would re-circulate cooler air, leaving the hot air undisturbed. Note: Contrary to some people's expectations, high mounted fans do not normally exacerbate conditions in warm weather. Although a wave of hot air may be felt when the fan is started, the overall effect of mixing the warm air into the mainstream is usually un-measurable in a few minutes. This is because the volume of warm air is typically small, and the temperature differential is small also. It is, of course, beneficial to have some means of actual air exchange i.e. an exhaust fan or roof vent so that accumulated hot air will be replaced by outside ambient air. MacroAir Technologies 2005, Installation Manual, Page: 5
3 General Mounting Considerations 3.1 Weight A standard 20 ft. fan weighs about 250 lbs. In applications where the rotor is inverted to blow upward (very unusual) there is an additional down force of 100 lbs. due to fan thrust. 3.2 Torque The maximum torque (twisting force) that must be handled by the mounting system occurs at start-up. For a 20 ft. MacroAir fan this starting torque is potentially 300 ft. lbs. maximum. We say potentially because with the standard electrical controls supplied, this maximum is never even approached because the controls employ soft-start technology. This prevents full torque from being applied at startup. But there is always the possibility of a failure of the soft start. It is important that the mount be adequate to withstand 300 ft. lbs. 3.3 Safety Cable Figure 1 Because of the obvious risks of a falling fan, whatever mounting method is used to suspend the fan, it should always be backed up with a safety cable. Safety cable, along with all required hardware, is supplied with every fan. An HVLS fan should never be run without a properly installed safety cable. Refer to fig.1 for proper installation of the safety cable. 3.4 Clearance and Guy Cables In some cases space considerations dictate that blades swing close to beams, columns, lights, etc. Anything less than three feet can be considered close clearance because these fans have the potential to move around quite a bit. Note: A fan may sway either because of imbalance (even a slight imbalance can get it going) or because it is reacting to wind. Indoors, the wind may be nothing more than gusts the fan itself is generating. Outdoors, or in any building where it can get hit with real wind, a running fan will sway if not Figure 2 properly restrained. It is important to try to avoid close clearance. Where clearance turns out to be a real problem, bear in mind that both longer down extensions and shorter blades are available from the factory. In any case, since the standard mounting is free swiveling, we strongly recommend that all fans be guyed as shown in fig.2. If close clearance is involved, the fan must be guyed. Where the fan frame is bolted directly to a rigid beam, it may not require guying. MacroAir Technologies 2005, Installation Manual, Page: 6
3.5 Guards Wherever there is potential for someone or something to get into the fan, the fan must be guarded. Generally it is simplest to build a guard totally independent of the fan, constructed of angle-iron and steel mesh (screen). The mesh size required will depend both on the type of things that might get poked into the fan, as well as on the distance the screen is from the fan blades. A fan within reach of children, for instance, needs a screen constructed of ½ mesh or smaller, or far enough away so they can't reach the blades. In most industrial settings a 2" x 2" x 11 Ga. "weldmesh" 1/8" dia. wire welded on 2" centers makes a suitable and easy to construct screen. Where there is any potential for a fork lift to get into the guard-either running into it, or elevating material up into it the guard must be strong and have sufficient clearance so that no part of the guard can be pushed into the fan. We recommend a 2" x 2" x 3/16" angle-iron frame with a minimum clearance of 18" all around, welded or bolted to structural beams and/or columns, or to concrete walls or floor. 4 Typical Mounting Methods The standard mounting hardware that comes with a MacroAir fan has a one foot extension or drop, and a clamp designed for use on a steel I-beam without modification to the beam (fig.3). Since beams are often sloped so the roof can shed water, and not all roofs slope the same, the mount is free-swiveling. This allows the fan to find its own level position no matter what the slope. Figure 3 Note: If the beam is level it is sometimes OK to bolt directly to it e.g. If head room is a problem as long as there is adequate breathing room above the fan. But, be advised that sometimes a fan that would run with almost no sway when hung from our free swiveling mount will sway radically when bolted directly to a light-weight beam of the type often found in steel buildings. This is because a slight imbalance can, at a certain r.p.m., excite the natural frequency of the beam in torsion, thereby amplifying the sway. Also, without the free swiveling mount, more noise is telgraphed back to the building structure. MacroAir Technologies 2005, Installation Manual, Page: 7
For buildings with Glulam beams instead of steel, an additional set of brackets is required. Thru bolts or lag screws are used to secure the brackets to the Glulam (fig.4). Figure 4 5 Final Assembly The only assembly required is attaching the blades and the safety links. This is usually done after the motor/hub assembly has been mounted and the guy cables have been installed. The blades should slide on easily, but if not, a little finesse works better than force. Refer to fig.5 to make sure you are installing the blades facing the right way. (The blades only fit one way, but they almost fit the wrong way too.) Figure 5 Fig.6 shows how to install the safety links and bolts. Also, please check to make sure the factory installed safety clips are in fact, installed. Hint: Sequence of operations is usually: 1. Mount the hub/motor assembly, 2. Attach the safety cable, 3. Run the conduit and do the wiring, 4. Install the guy cables, 5. Install the blades and safety links. Figure 6 5.1 Checking Strength and Clearance If there is any doubt in your mind as to the ability of the building structure to which you are mounting to handle the weight of the fan, test it by adding temporary weight. Assuming you do this before attaching the blades, you should add at least two hundred pounds. Position a lift of some sort directly below and close to the fan so that if the structure is inadequate it will become obvious before you ve done serious damage to the building. After making sure safety cables are installed, an easy way to test the mounting s ability to handle the torque is to insert a 4ft. or 5ft. long 2x4 in the motor frame MacroAir Technologies 2005, Installation Manual, Page: 8
and try to twist it as shown shown in fig.7. If the fan is hanging from an extension you will have to use one hand on the 2x4 and the other on the motor frame so as to create a torque without exerting a big side load. The mount should withstand a 100 lb. force applied 3ft. from the center Figure 7 of the fan. Lastly, if there is any potential for a clearance problem, before you start the fan for the first time, rotate it one time by hand to find the position and blade of least clearance. Grasp the blade and shake it vigorously both up and down and in and out, make sure there is no chance of it hitting obstructions, whether due to blade deflection or movement of the fan as a whole. 6 Electrical 6.1 Control Options MacroAir HVLS fans are driven by standard three-phase, dual input voltage (240/480 volt) motors. Standard single fan control panels available from MacroAir include; a Variable Frequency Drive *, a control switch, a lockable disconnect switch and an enclosure. They are available for single-phase inputs of 115 or 230 volts, and for three-phase inputs of 240 or 480 volts. The VFDs in these control panels are pre-programmed for proper normal operation of the fan. The factory can assist you in configuring them to receive special inputs i.e. if you want the fans to be controlled from a remote location, or want them go on and off at certain times, change speed at certain temperatures, interface with a fire sprinkler system, etc. Important Note: Use of MacroAir controls is required to get the full benefit of the MacroAir warranty. See warranty section for more information. Instructions for mounting and wiring the Control Panel are supplied with the Control Panel. *A variable frequency drive is an electronic device that allows you to vary the speed of an AC motor. It normally supplies overload protection for the motor, and a variety of control options such as soft-start capability. 6.2 Wiring 6.2.1 General Considerations VFD s can induce voltage spikes that can be harmful to motors. They can also create electrical noise and RF (radio frequency) that can interfere with low voltage control wiring of machines, computers networking lines, radios, etc. There are a variety of filters, reactors, isolators, etc. that can deal with these types of problems. However most of these problems can be avoided by observing the following guide lines: Never allow the conduit run between the MCP and the fan to exceed 50 ft. on 480V, or 100 ft. on 230V. Excessively long runs between the MCP (Motor Control Panel) and the fan can amplify the voltage spikes created by the VFD. MacroAir Technologies 2005, Installation Manual, Page: 9
Never use larger wire than code requires. Excessively large wire can also amplify the voltage spikes. Put the wires to each fan in separate grounded metallic conduit. Do not bundle them together with the power wires going into the control panel, or with wires going to other fans. Use a section of flex conduit between the building structure and the fan to accommodate fan movement. Be sure to pull 4 wires; you need 3 for power, and 1 for ground. Alternatively, you can use 4-conductor shielded cable. When using shielded cable, ground one only to avoid ground loops that can negate the ground effect. Separate fan wires (cable or conduit) from other wires running parallel (especially low voltage control wires) by at least 6 inches. 6.2.2 Grounding Always run a separate ground wire from the fan motor. Do not rely on the motor being grounded through the fan mount or the conduit. The ground wire from the motor should be grounded at the same place as the ground from the VFD. That may be the control panel if it is mounted to a well grounded steel beam or column. If not, the ground wires from the motor and the VFD can be connected together, along with a wire grounding the control panel itself, and a single wire run all the way back to the power panel. 6.2.3 Motor Wiring The wiring diagrams in fig.8, fig.9, fig.10 & fig.11 are for motors supplied in the United States. For CE rated motors (usually for use outside the U.S.), refer to fig.12 and fig.13. It is essential that you wire the motor correctly for the voltage you are using. And while you re at it, make sure we ve sent you the right VFD for the voltage you have. A mistake here could ruin the motor, the VFD, or both! As noted previously it is important to run a separate ground wire from the motor. It should be grounded to the same place as the ground wire from the VFD. If the control panel is attached to a steel beam or column, then grounding to the control panel is OK. If the panel is attached to a non-conductor i.e. wood or dry-wall, you will have to extend the ground wires back to the power panel. MacroAir Technologies 2005, Installation Manual, Page: 10
Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13 The proper direction of rotation is indicated by fig.14. If upon initial start-up the fan is going the wrong way, shut down and turn off the disconnect switch. Simply switching any two of the three power wires going to the fan motor will reverse the direction of rotation. This can be done at the motor, or at the control panel. Figure 14 6.3 Electrical Code Compliance All installation wiring should conform to the National Electric Code (NEC), ANSI/NFPA 70-1999 and to all local codes. While we believe that using MacroAir s controls and following our instructions will result in an installation that meets those requirements, we cannot guarantee it. Code compliance is ultimately the installer s and/or end user s responsibility. MacroAir Technologies 2005, Installation Manual, Page: 11
7 Cleaning And User Maintenance WARNING! Before servicing the fan or the control panel, make sure all power is removed and safely locked out to avoid risk of injury. Control Panel Occasional cleaning may be advisable, especially when the panel is located in a dusty or dirty environment. A can of compressed air, as typically used for computer cleaning, works well to blow off any buildup of foreign material from the VFD or cooling fan. Power unit The power unit is lubed for life; no maintenance is required. Blades Dirt on the blades will reduce airfoil efficiency. Clean the blades whenever they are visibly dirty. Use a detergent if necessary. Mounting hardware Check mounting clamps yearly to make sure they have not loosened. At the same time, check the guy wires to make sure they are not loose or frayed. Note: Loose guy wires are more likely to break than tight ones. A broken guy wire is not good because it will fall into the fan. If a guy wire is loose, carefully check to make sure it is not damaged, and re-tighten it. www.macro-air.com MacroAir Technologies 2005, Installation Manual, Page: 12