CHICAGO — After the McCormick Place closed its doors at the conclusion of opening day of the 2003 Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo), Carrier Corporation opened its doors at the nearby Four Seasons Hotel to host a gathering for its customers.

The company managed to squeeze in plenty of activity within a three-hour time frame, including business announcements, educational grants, honors, and product displays.

Carrier North America Commercial President Todd Bluedorn (left) and AK Coatings Vice President Mike Adams announced that Carrier and AK Coatings have teamed up to produce antimicrobial air-handling systems.

A-OK With AK

First to the podium was Carrier North America Commercial President Todd Bluedorn, who announced a new corporate relationship with AK Coatings (Middletown, Ohio). Steel with coatings containing AgION™ — a silver ion-based compound de-signed to suppress the growth of bacteria, molds, mildew, fungi, and other microbes — will be used in the production of Carrier’s top air-handling unit line.

Bluedorn noted the company’s 39M Aero™ air-handling units and Racan-Carrier custom air-handling systems will be available with the antimicrobial-coated steel. He said production of the new units will begin immediately, with the first antimicrobial-coated 39M Aero units to be produced next month.

“Recently, public awareness about mold, mildew, and other microbes has increased, particularly in the education and healthcare sectors, as the general public has learned that heat and humidity allow these elements to infiltrate their buildings,” said Bluedorn. “We’re proud to offer the AgION antimicrobial compound on our air-handling units to our customers.”

Giving Back

John Mandyck, Carrier’s vice president of Government and International Relations, stepped up to the microphone to present Chicago Public Schools (CPS) with a $10,000 “Spirit of Innovation Award” grant.

“We do this both to commemorate Dr. Willis H. Carrier’s invention of modern air conditioning 100 years ago and to further our longstanding commitment to education,” said Mandyck.

CPS said it may use the grant to improve the learning environment and promote studies in the HVAC field. Temperature Equipment Corporation (TEC), a distributor of Carrier equipment since 1935, both nominated CPS for the award and has offered a contribution of lab equipment for use in HVAC studies in CPS’ vocational programs.

“We are extremely grateful for the generosity of the Carrier Corporation and TEC. A donation like this will have a significant impact on our students’ opportunities for future growth,” said Arne Duncan, CPS chief executive officer.

Carrier said it will continue to present “Spirit of Innovation” grants to qualified educational institutions nationwide to renovate learning spaces devoted to HVAC classes, promote indoor air quality in curriculum, acquire equipment for technical trade instructional purposes, procure instructional materials and equipment, air condition or improve indoor air quality in areas of an educational institution that will benefit students and instructors; or establish HVAC trade apprenticeships.

William S. Bodinus (right) and his wife Evelyn watch a video presentation honoring Bodinus for his leadership and contributions to the HVAC industry. Bodinus received the Willis Carrier Lifetime Achievement Award from Carrier Corp.

Bodinus Honored

What captured the crowd’s attention was the next presentation, the “Willis Carrier Lifetime Achievement Award,” which was given to William S. Bodinus, P.E., ASHRAE Fellow and Life Member. Skip Mungo, president of TEC of Chicago, gladly made the presentation, in recognition of Bodinus’ “significant leadership and contributions to the HVAC industry.”

“Bill Bodinus has spent his life educating and advancing the industry,” said Mungo. “It is with great honor that I present him with this first Willis Carrier Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Bodinus received his unique glass award amid a loud round of applause. He and his wife, Evelyn, were also treated with a video presentation of his life.

In honor of Bodinus’ commitment to furthering the HVAC profession, TEC named its training center the William S. Bodinus Refrigeration Lab.

“Bill Bodinus is a living legend in the HVAC industry,” said Bluedorn. “Through his numerous contributions, wisdom and experience, we can all still learn from him, and we wish him continued good health and prosperity in this business for as long as he wants to contribute.”

Carrier said it designed its Centurion units to fit most rooftop applications, regardless of whether they require electric cooling and gas heating (the 48HG, pictured above) or electric cooling and heating (the 50HG unit).

New Products

The remainder of the evening customers and invited guests had the opportunity to learn about the latest in Carrier products. There were plenty of exhibits in the Grand Ballroom, including:

  • Aero 39M custom air handling units — The company said these units “redefine the science of air distribution, providing an unprecedented number of features and flexibility, off the shelf – without custom pricing or custom lead times.” The units are now configured to handle either indoor (39MN) or outdoor (39MW) applications, as well as indoor energy recovery.

  • Aquasnap chiller — With its low applied cost, low operating costs, and quiet operation, the Aquasnap (30RA) chiller “shakes up conventional thinking about chiller design and technology,” said the company. It features a compact, all-in-one hydronic package design. The chiller’s pump, tank, and piping are pre-built into each unit. It is designed to install quickly and easily, whether on the ground or on the roof.

  • The Aquazone 50RHC/50RVC — It’s the latest addition to the company’s family of water source heat pump products, now available in 1.5- to 5-ton units. System designers will find the flexibility of the new 50RHC (horizontal) and the 50RVC (vertical) standard-efficiency units “ideal for new construction, retrofits, and boiler/tower installations,” said David Sabatino, Carrier’s Water Source Heat Pump product manager. With an energy efficiency ratio (EER) of 12.0 to 12.3, Sabatino said the ASHRAE 90.1-compliant product “is a sound equipment investment with a low life-cycle cost.”

  • CarrierOne™ — The Web-based system is designed to “break down the walls between different building system protocols,” explained Carrier Controls Product business manager, Mark Tozzi. He said that with CarrierOne, owners and property managers can manage the equipment that monitors and controls interacting building systems — such as HVAC, energy management, lighting, security, and fire safety — using one Internet browser interface, regardless of whether the systems operate on BACnet, LonWorks, or other standard open protocols.

  • Centurion 12.5 to 25-ton rooftop product family — Carrier said the Centurion line is the result of three years of market research with input from customer and sales channel focus groups. Available in 12.5-, 15-, 18-, 20-, and 25-ton capacities, each Centurion (48/50 HG) rooftop unit can provide energy savings up to 20 percent higher than ASHRAE 90.1 Standard requirements, according to Ron Woodcock, Carrier North America Commercial Rooftop Product Line business manager. He said building owners, managers, and occupants can benefit from independent, dual- or triple-refrigerant circuits with thermal expansion valves (TXVs).

    Publication date: 02/24/2003