The induction beam is an induction terminal that has been updated for today’s buildings and applied in the ceiling plane. Designers, architects and commercial building owners can learn more about the modern applications of a system that first brought air conditioning to urban skyscrapers more than 60 years ago in Carrier’s latest white paper, Induction Beams: Engineered Comfort for Today’s Buildings. The paper, available free on Carrier.com, explores the induction beam system as a viable solution when selecting the correct HVAC components for a building, and evaluates its benefits for modern buildings compared to the traditional variable air volume (VAV) system and the Europeanstyle chilled beam system, a relative newcomer to the U.S. market.
A wide range of solutions are possible when planning a building’s HVAC system, and creating a great system often begins with the right terminal products to condition the occupied zones of the building, according to Carrier sources. When the right terminals are properly matched with central equipment to provide HVAC, along with efficient air and water distribution out to the zones, occupants and owners alike are presented with superior comfort and lower energy usage intensity.
When skyscrapers began to take over urban cityscapes more than 60 years ago, a new HVAC system was needed. To satisfy this demand, Dr. Willis Carrier invented the perimeter induction terminal to overcome the radical new parameters necessary to provide conditioned air to an entire skyscraper. Today, Carrier offers induction beams, an update on the original design with far greater benefits. Nozzle designs are now much quieter and higher capacity all-way blow terminals make for simpler layouts, keep costs down and make the integration with dropped ceilings less of a challenge.
Furthermore, the introduction of an integrated drain pan provides peace of mind and eliminates risk of condensation in the space when latent loads fluctuate. As an added benefit, the integrated drain pan on the Carrier ActivAIR induction beam allows the specifying professional to design the system for use with chilled water that is below the dew point of the room. The ability to use colder water means greater cooling capacity can be produced by each induction beam unit, while reducing chilled water distribution piping size and pump size.
“Our induction beams are an evolution of the system that Willis Carrier developed to provide air conditioning to the world’s earliest urban skyscrapers,” says Greg Alcorn, vice president, commercial sales and marketing, Carrier. “This white paper examines that evolution and identifies the features and advantages induction beams provide, proving that they are a sound offering that should be evaluated when planning building construction.”
Alcorn adds, “Building on our legacy of innovation and training, Carrier’s white papers focus on issues that are shaping the industry. There is a continual and growing demand for high performance systems that can provide sustainable energy benefits that contribute to earning Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) points, and induction beam systems are one way to achieve this.”
To obtain a copy of the Carrier induction beam white paper or learn more about Carrier induction beam systems, visit commercial.carrier.com.