articmaster

[shogun7]

Does any one have any experience wit this technology, if so, what are your thoughts?
http://www.energycsi.com/articmaster/

[rbartlett]

In October 1996, the ArticMaster RMS was awarded "Best New Product" at the 1996 Northern California Plant Engineering and Maintenance Show. ArticMaster RMS is a product without competition

so it's been around for 8 yrs plus and no ones heard of it? must be a winner..


cheers

richard

[chemi-cool]

Does anyone know if this system work anywhere?

Is it possible to get some information from people who have used it?

Chemi

[Abe]

As Richard points out.......Its been around 8 years and no ones heard about it ???

wow

Says it all...........

[shogun7]

I appreciate all the comments, like its been around for 8 years or no one has heard of it, but does any one have any experience with it< Does it really do what they claim, any proof that it saves 20% energy. Does any one have hard tech data, do any engineers have any installed. etc I need some feedback from the field in regards to it Also any issues regarding any equipment failures and warranty problems from using this product

[Peter_1]

Abby, Dan, Prof, Gary and myself discussed this stuff on the old Fridgetech discussion board about 4 years ago.

And what were your final conclusions?
It seems that they again can change nature laws.

I don't believe it at all, they talking of some sort turbulence in the lines (can do the same with ripple fins) but turbulence is friction, ....

I think it's more hocus-pocus.

[chemi-cool]

Hi Peter.

Hocus - focus or not I don't know but they mention the vortex tube. http://www.exair.com/vortextube/vt_p...oup=vortextube
and this is a very good thing and works fine.

Chemi

[Peter_1]

I have here at home a Vortex tube and used it in the past to experiment with.
You need a lot of compressed air at high pressure to see effect.
If it works as a vortex, you also need some sort of orifice inside the vortex, so this gives a pressure drop whereby you come in a log/P in th evapour/liquid region. Perhaps this is why they say that there is an increase in turbulence due to the vapour forming in the liquid. But vapour gives less thermal conductance to the wall of the tubes.

And between receiver and expansion valve, there is in a normal system no special heat exchange which contributes to a better performance.

It all should happen between the Articmaster and the TEV??!!
There must be some sort of heat exchange, otherwise there is no gain in performance, at least... that's what I'm thinking.

I don't see it, perhaps Marc can clarify.
If I have some time, I will look around on your forum Marc, but honestly, I thought it wasn't excisting anymore.

Peter

[Dan]

Hi, Peter. I recall some threads that were discussed many years ago in Fridgetech. I don't think we focused particularly on the Articmaster (you have to love the spelling). We were able to come up with several dubious devices touting similar savings... XDS and Talon come to mind. Many of which used "vortex" or "turbo" either in their names or implied in their design. Others simply moved the Btu/hr around to more convenient areas such as schemes that inject liquid into the discharge gas to increase condenser efficiency. Looking at Articmaster's sole visual aid, I have the same questions as you have regarding what it is doing... is that the one that had an impeller at the bottom? No matter.

I believe that some of the group saw some possible advantages for a given application (such as a badly worn out condenser in the example of injecting liquid into the discharge gas) but pretty much the claims were hard to support from a theoretical stand point for most of the designs discussed.

[Prof Sporlan]

XDS and Talon come to mind. Many of which used "vortex" or "turbo" either in their names or implied in their design.

ArticMaster and Talon are one in the same, and their energy savings is reasoned on vortex technology. XDX is a series of different products altogether....

Abby, Dan, Prof, Gary and myself discussed this stuff on the old Fridgetech discussion board about 4 years ago.

Hey Marc, how about a link to that discussion for old times sake? That discussion no doubt is buried somewhere on your site. The Prof recalls trying to figure out how centrifugal forces could increase subcooling...

[Dan]

Evening Professor.

ArticMaster and Talon are one in the same, and their energy savings is reasoned on vortex technology. XDX is a series of different products altogether....

Thanks for the corrections. The professor has a finer memory than I. But doesn't XDX tout its effectiveness as a result of introducing a vortex or spiraling... or centrifugal flow throughout the evaporator to support its claims?

Hey Marc, how about a link to that discussion for old times sake? That discussion no doubt is buried somewhere on your site. The Prof recalls trying to figure out how centrifugal forces could increase subcooling...

Ahh. I am beginning to recall that you and Marc applied some interesting math that plumb eluded me then, as it no doubt would today.

[shogun7]

Professor all of your comments on this matter can be found www.eng-tips.com

Mechanical Engineers Area - HVAC/R engineering Forum
ClydeMule (Mechanical) 11/21/03 (posted 03/18/03) 41 replies
Artic Master RMS-

[Gary]

Wow. Has it been 4 years already? Time flies when you're getting old.

[Dan]

Gosh. I think it is safe to say that Articmaster was discussed, at least to some small degree.

[Prof Sporlan]

It would be nice if archived threads of hvac/r interest could be made available, and searched from this site. There are many such threads from the old Fridgetech discussions.

Professor all of your comments on this matter can be found www.eng-tips.com

Ahhhh!!! The Prof forgot about that discussion... and the fact that he received a star despite his math error

[Abe]

The secret link to our consultancy forum will hopefully remain a secret

Awww

So we cant join the big boys in the smoking room ???
Is this a secret cult group for the big guns???

Never mind............Ill go ride my bike instead !!!

[Dan]

The snowflake. Reminds me of a Dan Brown novel.... The O'Brien code. I'll be darned. Fun to look at after a few years. I learned from patient and inspired teachers in those discussions.

[belrose]

It seems that back in 2004 there were a few guys whoc couldn't get their heads around the Articmaster RMS system. At that time I, and a colleague, carried out several installations in Australia. We founbd the savings were indeed around the twnety per cent plus mark. Frankly our other company at the time was in desperate need of attention and we allowed the opportunity to pass.

Now some many years later, I've recently started the company back up again, and have distributors in Australia, the Philippines and a significantly growing joint venture in the UK.

This time round we've used electronic monitoring (usually the clients own people undertake the analysis) and we have secured considerable gains in efficiency.

Anyone interested in the results?

[Peter_1]

I'm interested of course but how far can we consider those figures neutral if you're a distributor of these products?

[Segei]

It seems that back in 2004 there were a few guys whoc couldn't get their heads around the Articmaster RMS system. At that time I, and a colleague, carried out several installations in Australia. We founbd the savings were indeed around the twnety per cent plus mark. Frankly our other company at the time was in desperate need of attention and we allowed the opportunity to pass.

Now some many years later, I've recently started the company back up again, and have distributors in Australia, the Philippines and a significantly growing joint venture in the UK.

This time round we've used electronic monitoring (usually the clients own people undertake the analysis) and we have secured considerable gains in efficiency.

Anyone interested in the results?

Can you give us more information? As far as I understand your product improves heat transfer coefficient. Show us the numbers: before, after. How did you get 20% energy savings? For now it looks like sale pitch.

[US Iceman]

If the product offers some benefits, why not post them here with some explanation and pictures of the device?

I'm sure someone here can figure it out and add some comments.

[belrose]

Firstly an apology for taking so long to get back to the three questions above. And now I have at least a small number of people interested I only want to ask for one thing . . . an open minded review of what I will post over the next few days.
Secondly . . . an upfront admission. Yes, this has a "Sales pitch" background but before everyone then turns to another thread I would like to emphasise that I try NOT to make claims that can't be supported by fact, rather I will rely on ACTUAL results, ones that have been audited back to the meter, and are verifiable against electronic measuring equipment.
In the coming days I will post separate outcomes we have achieved in a process cooling application, an air conditioning application and a freezer storage distribution depot. I also have a chart which compares the performance of the Articmaster against a compressor controller sold by Smartcool carried out under strict comparison in an Asian telephone exchange.
I have further data relating to a car showroom in Sydney, a shopping centre in Manila and other retail "boxes" in Asia.
For now please await further posts which will be completed in the next few days.

[belrose]

So let’s start by giving you an extract of a case study carried out on a process chiller. This installation was carried out in July 2009 in the UK at a company that uses thermoforming for its product manufacture. The thermoforming process needs significant cooling to support volume production rates. The equipment fitted was a single standard size Articmaster onto a TAE EVO 121 chiller which had a standard charge of 8.3kg of R407C, directly connected to the thermoforming production line.

All electronic monitoring was carried out using the clients equipment, labour and analysis team. The installer merely installed the Articmaster in accordance with the Manual.

The client and the installer were keen to ensure an “apples with apples” comparison, so a considerable number of factors were monitored both on the production line, with the chiller and the general environment. The chiller sits alongside the production line inside the manufacturing environment.

The table below sets out the clients results. Bear in mind that the Articmaster claims are actually "increases efficiency of the compressor by 20 per cent" so the overall result (when measured against the entire chiller energy demand is indeed impressive.


Production Rate (kg/hr) 630.2 625.0
Amp Draw (excl Pump) 15.52 12.36
Aggregate kW 133.10 20.03
Average kW/hr 9.985 8.45
Return Water Temperature oC 18.06 16.40
Delivered Water Temperature oC 14.78 12.02
Difference oC 3.28 4.38
Chiller Run Cycle Time 7.15 min 4.47 min

It seems I cannot post a chart so apologies for thos who would prefer a visual representation.

As you can see from the result, the energy usage dropped, the chiller run time reduced considerably (i.e. the amount of time taken to chill the reservoir of water from high to low temperature) and colder water was measured. Bear in mind these temperature are actually the exterior pipe temperatures as the client could not meaure actual water temperatures.

There were additonal advantages that were unexpected. Firstly the distribution of chiller run cycle times was both reduced (expected) but also "tightened", i.e. the standard deviation reduced considerably making for a much tighter control range of performance. Secondly, the chiller had required three separate and additonal fans to perform during high ambients, this need was absolutely eliminated. (By the way, the energy usage shown in the table as the before figure DOES NOT take into account the extra energy used by these fans.) Thirdly, and most importantly for the client, the chiller performance was so improved that subsequently they have been able to utilise the extra colling capacity to increase production rates.

Head and suction pressure was reduced.

This obviously a truncated version of the entire case study.

[belrose]

The p[ost above contains data which was supposed to be in tabular form. The first number is the "before" figure and the second the "after".

Monitoring was carried out over a week before and a week after, ensuring that the period included the same products and similar production rates.

[Segei]

So let’s start by giving you an extract of a case study carried out on a process chiller. This installation was carried out in July 2009 in the UK at a company that uses thermoforming for its product manufacture. The thermoforming process needs significant cooling to support volume production rates. The equipment fitted was a single standard size Articmaster onto a TAE EVO 121 chiller which had a standard charge of 8.3kg of R407C, directly connected to the thermoforming production line.

All electronic monitoring was carried out using the clients equipment, labour and analysis team. The installer merely installed the Articmaster in accordance with the Manual.

The client and the installer were keen to ensure an “apples with apples” comparison, so a considerable number of factors were monitored both on the production line, with the chiller and the general environment. The chiller sits alongside the production line inside the manufacturing environment.

The table below sets out the clients results. Bear in mind that the Articmaster claims are actually "increases efficiency of the compressor by 20 per cent" so the overall result (when measured against the entire chiller energy demand is indeed impressive.


Production Rate (kg/hr) 630.2 625.0
Amp Draw (excl Pump) 15.52 12.36
Aggregate kW 133.10 20.03
Average kW/hr 9.985 8.45
Return Water Temperature oC 18.06 16.40
Delivered Water Temperature oC 14.78 12.02
Difference oC 3.28 4.38
Chiller Run Cycle Time 7.15 min 4.47 min

It seems I cannot post a chart so apologies for thos who would prefer a visual representation.

As you can see from the result, the energy usage dropped, the chiller run time reduced considerably (i.e. the amount of time taken to chill the reservoir of water from high to low temperature) and colder water was measured. Bear in mind these temperature are actually the exterior pipe temperatures as the client could not meaure actual water temperatures.

There were additonal advantages that were unexpected. Firstly the distribution of chiller run cycle times was both reduced (expected) but also "tightened", i.e. the standard deviation reduced considerably making for a much tighter control range of performance. Secondly, the chiller had required three separate and additonal fans to perform during high ambients, this need was absolutely eliminated. (By the way, the energy usage shown in the table as the before figure DOES NOT take into account the extra energy used by these fans.) Thirdly, and most importantly for the client, the chiller performance was so improved that subsequently they have been able to utilise the extra colling capacity to increase production rates.


Head and suction pressure was reduced.

This obviously a truncated version of the entire case study.

What were head and suction pressures(before, after)?
Why were they reduced?

[Toosh]

HI All, I found this report on Articmaster
http://www.energyideas.org/documents...rticMaster.pdf

Norm

[belrose]

Again apologies for the long absence. Been growing our re-processing and re-balancing business using the Articmaster range of products. See greenercooling who have a web site in the UK.

I believe NASA tested the product and found the claims to be verified. I also know the Silicon Valley Power Corporation give money back for the fitting of the product, and there are guys in the Uk right now who are actively pursuing this with increasing awareness being given to them by some of the big boys in the refrigeration industry there.

From my understanding the case studies we have done here are the best documented anywhere in the world. They show energy efficiencies which have been audited right through to the Electricity Meter.
Launched at the Plant and Works 2010 show, for its first public outing by GreenerCooling Ltd

[Segei]

Again apologies for the long absence. Been growing our re-processing and re-balancing business using the Articmaster range of products. See greenercooling who have a web site in the UK.

I believe NASA tested the product and found the claims to be verified. I also know the Silicon Valley Power Corporation give money back for the fitting of the product, and there are guys in the Uk right now who are actively pursuing this with increasing awareness being given to them by some of the big boys in the refrigeration industry there.

From my understanding the case studies we have done here are the best documented anywhere in the world. They show energy efficiencies which have been audited right through to the Electricity Meter.
Launched at the Plant and Works 2010 show, for its first public outing by GreenerCooling Ltd

What about my simple questions that I asked you 5 months ago?