Page 37 - Climate Control News Magazine April 2019

Products & Services Showcase
Biomimicry profiling reduces CO2 consumption
LEFT: Ziehl-Abegg applies
findings from bionic research into humpback whales, owls and trees, in the new centrifugal fan Zabluefin.
have been optimised through the applica- tion of Biomimicry.
Developers at Ziehl-Abegg also drew in- spiration from Professor Claus Mattheck
who isknownasthetreewhisperer.
He is a pioneer in the science of biomechanics.
Trees are a prime example of optimum strength with minimum use of materials.
The five blades of the centrifugal fan merge into both the cover and back plate in exactly the same way as trees grow upwards: at a slight ra- dius to the ground. This is scarcely visible with the naked eye, because the curves which mimic a tree are minimal. Nevertheless, these bionic approaches in the blade transition provide the same strength as heavy wings – enabling the use of materials to be significantly reduced.
Less material consumption in production also means a lower carbon footprint.
ABOVE: Tree expert Professor Claus Mattheck explains how trees grow and how it has been applied to Ziehl-Abegg’s new fan.
FAN MANUFACTURER ZIEHL- ABEGG has used Biomimicry to further develop the latest generation of itscentrifugalfans.
Ziehl-Abegg is already at more than 70 per cent peak efficiency with its centrifugal fans, but has optimised performance even more.
The new centrifugal impeller possesses fea- tures of three completely different approaches to Biomimicry: from both aerodynamics (ornitholo- gy) and hydrodynamics (marine biology) and bio- mechanics (trees). Savings in material content and improved aerodynamics halved CO2 emis- sions associated with manufacturing, whilst maintaining the same ventilation performance.
Modern injection moulding tools, each cost- ing more than half a million euros, enable the company to implement the geometries which
A new reality for engineering and construction
BENTLEY SYSTEMS AND Microsoft have cre- ated a mixed reality for the architecture, engi- neering and construction (AEC) industry with the introduction of a new App known as SYN- CHRO XR.
Bentley demonstrated how with SYNCHRO XR for HoloLens 2, users can interact collabora- tively with digital construction models using in- tuitive gestures to plan, visualize, and experi- ence construction sequencing.
“PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS CAN GAIN INSIGHTS THROUGH IMMERSIVE VISUALISATION.”
Project digital twin data is visualized with the HoloLens 2 via Bentley’s connected data en- vironment, powered by Microsoft Azure. With the mixed reality solution, construction manag- ers, project schedulers, owner operators, and other project stakeholders can gain insights through immersive visualization into planned work, construction progress, potential site risks, and safety requirements. Additionally, users can interact with the model together and collabora-
tively experience 4D objects in space and time, as opposed to traditional interaction with a 2D screen depicting 3D objects.
Noah Eckhouse, senior vice president, project delivery for Bentley Systems, said instead of us- ing a 2D screen with a mouse and keyboard, the user can now walk around the model with their body and reach out and grab digital objects that appear to co-occupy physical reality.
“This is a powerful way to review work that is
completed and to prepare for upcoming work at the jobsite,” he said.
Menno de Jonge, director of digital construction for the Royal BAM Group, is using the App on the construction site for a large museum project in the city of Rotterdam. “Using this technology, we can easily visualize the construction schedule. Then, we can see if we are behind in schedule, we can flag any potential problems or issues, look into the problems, and get back on track,” he said. ✺
SYNCHRO XR can bring the benefits of mixed reality to any construction site.
CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS
APRIL 2019
37