FCUs feature automatic power-factor correction
Advanced Air’s latest range of fan-coil units include ECM motors that can be selected to give a leading current characteristic to provide a level of power-factor correction. Most buildings have an inductive or lagging current characteristic, which can be partly offset by the fan-coil units to reduce energy use and improve the power factor of the building.
Motors in these fan-coil units are supplied with a smart card to provide constant air volume from the fan regardless of downstream pressure. Air volume can thus be reset in the factory or in situ via the BMS.
Presetting the air volume means that no commissioning work is required at the fan-coil unit itself, and a simple air balance at the diffuser is all that is required.
The fan deck comprises one or two horizontally mounted fans, depending on the cooling required. The motors are much larger than conventional units (250 W compared to 75 W), so they can be run at slow speed to achieve very low noise levels — down to NR25 in some applications.
The reduction in the number of fans and motors compared to conventional units reduces both first cost and whole-life costs.