What's new with CITY MULTI

This month we will showcase our latest developments surrounding our commercial Lossnay products including superior efficiency and our new modern look Lossnay wall controller.

We will also be reviewing Downer Auckland as this editions case study, which is a 2 stage project nearing completion. The installation is immaculate, so we also investigate this further in our quality install section.

We hope you find the information published informative, and please remember to send us your quality install photos so we can show the industry your workmanship.

Regards
Christopher Green
Divisional Manager
City Multi and Applied Products

Downer Stage II

Main Mechanical Contractor - Heatwave Mechanical Services
Sub-Contractor - Carson Electrical

The second stage of Downer’s head office building will soon be completed and will double the office space available to Downer staff in Wiri, Auckland.

The contractor has demonstrated a high level of expertise in this quality installation, carrying on our theme of showcasing the very best workmanship on VRF projects nationwide. Cleary the refrigerant piping route has been carefully thought out and the use of “Saddle-Up Pipe Insulation Saddles” from Refspecs makes for a tidy and practical bracketing option. Not only do these saddles look sharp but there is no need to cut and glue insulation on either side of the traditional pipe brackets meaning reduced labour costs.

The high quality level of workmanship carries on throughout this project with the installation of mainly ducted and one way cassette type indoor units for a clever use of the limited outdoor unit space.

With the level of planning and care taken throughout the project it was no surprise that BDT commissioning was carried out without significant problem and in record time.

Downer Building Case Study

Located in Wiri, Auckland, the Downer Head Office building was completed in two stages – with Stage 1 commencing in 2011, and Stage 2 currently nearing completion.

Lossnay’s total heat exchange ventilation systems utilise a permeable core to maximize the heat recovery potential offering both sensible and latent heat exchange, as well as offering higher energy transfer than solid core heat exchangers.

The RVX range offers increased efficiency and optimises control and integration options compared to previous models:

• Increased energy savings by the adoption of high efficiency DC fan motors
  
  *Comparison between Fan speed 4 of RVX and Extra-High of RX5
• Improved air volume range. The RXV is equipped with 4 primary fan speed settings -
  25,50,75, and 100%, allowing much finer air volume control.
  
• Increased Air volume control by CO² Sensor -
  Staging the 4 fan speeds based on a 0-10Vdc signal from a third party CO² sensor, the RVX Lossnay offers simple integration to ensure optimal fresh air volumes are provided based on the CO² level incurred due to occupancy levels .This has the added benefit of reducing the fresh air load on the heating systems during periods of low occupancy.

New modern look backlit LCD Lossnay wall controller

Hybrid City Multi (HVRF) is our latest advancement in VRF technology and we are pleased to announce that the first system has now been sold into a Hamilton Primary School. Since HVRF was last showcased in the City Multi newsletter the product line-up has undergone some significant changes. This month’s product spotlight will recap on the benefits of using HVRF, and demonstrate the expanded range that is now available.

We hope you find the information published informative, and please remember to send us your quality install photos so we can show the industry your workmanship.

Regards
Christopher Green
National Sales Manager
City Multi and Applied Products

Another example of high quality installation, (following on in the theme in our last City Multi Newsletter) is demonstrated by Beattie Air in an incredibly tidy install at OPUS House. Beattie Air is one of few companies nationwide that install refrigeration ball valves on every single BC port as standard practise. This gives them the ability to make a fit out change, or maintain indoor units without having to shut the system down, and re-pressure test and evacuate the entire system. A small additional cost up front can save days of downtime at a later date.

(BC controller piping to the indoor comes with refrigeration ball valves).

When installing the main pipework between the outdoor unit and the branch controller, Beattie Air installers colour code their pipework with electrical tape once it is insulated. This is due to our PURY-P550, 500, and 650YLM-A outdoor units all sharing common size high and low pressure pipe sizes.

(Colour coded pipe work so the installers can identify the high and low pressure pipes)

We are incredibly pleased to see that Beattie Air has contributed to our quality installation section within our newsletter. Good Job!

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

• No refrigerant anywhere near the occupied spaces
• Milder air off conditions compared with VRF
• Faster defrosts; as it utilises the water within the loop to defrost
• Faster return to heating mode after defrosting; as there is still sufficient heat in the water loop.
• Faster installation due to segregation between refrigerant and water sides allowing independent pressure testing, and evacuation on the refrigerant side.
• No refrigerant noise at the indoors as the water is isolated by the flow control valve during thermos-off and when the unit is switched off.
• Utilising the same system architecture as our VRF City Multi, this still gives the flexibility of spare ports and for the contractor to fit isolation ball valves for future connections / maintenance to avoid completely shutting the system down.

EXPANDED HVRF RANGE

Hybrid City Multi now utilises the common R2 series outdoors of our standard VRF range:
- PURY-P YLM-A - Standard COP range
- PURY-EP YLM-A - High COP range c/w flat tube aluminium fin and tube heat exchangers

The outdoors used for Hybrid City Multi installations are now available in 7 sizes ranging from nominal cooling 22.4kW >> 56kW and PURY-EP200 >> EP500YLM-A

Japan has also confirmed that their intentions are to develop this outdoor range overtime right up the PURY-P900YLM-A series. BS coating can also be applied during factory assembly to offer additional protection where outdoors are within close proximity to the sea.

Hybrid Branch Controllers are now available in two sizes – an 8 port and a 16 port. Slave BC controllers have now also been added to the range also in 8 and 16 port arrangements. This gives you the flexibility to have up to 2 x master and 2 x slave HBC’s per outdoor system giving even greater installation flexibility up to a maximum of 50 indoor units per outdoor.

The Hybrid indoor range now has 3 sizes of cassettes available. We are constantly asked when the mid static duct range will be expanded, and when a hi-wall option will be developed. Both of these requests are currently in development and we hope to make these available to you very soon.

Hybrid City Multi is an incredible product and is priced very competitively against our standard VRF system. We look forward to providing you with updates on the first system sold into a Hamilton primary school.

GUF units provide the benefits of a Lossnay unit, but have an added DX coil to provide space air conditioning as well. This makes the GUF perfect for applications that require large volumes of balanced supply and exhaust air, but also require space air conditioning.

We have also added in a new section to our newsletter, looking at excellent examples of how VRF should be installed. We encourage you to send installation photos through to your City Multi Sales Engineer where you feel excellent workmanship has been shown, and it may just end up in the next edition of our newsletter.

Thank you for taking the time to read the information we are providing. It’s great to see such high reader rates each month.

Regards
Christopher Green
National Sales Manager
City Multi and Applied Products

The installation is immaculate, showcasing some of the tidiest branch controller (BC) pipe work that BDT staff have witnessed. AMT installers have taken the time to label all BC’s with BECA consultants AC reference, pipe sizes, and length of pipe to the indoor unit. All refrigerant pipes are also labelled every few meters with the port number. This makes calculating additional refrigerant charges and commissioning these systems an absolute breeze.

(Perfectly installed BC controller with AC reference, pipe size, and pipe lengths to the indoor)

All the pipe work is well supported and carefully laid out on cable trays before heading down its own path towards the indoor unit.

(All main runs of refrigerant pipework from the BC are supported on cable tray)

This is an impressive standard of installation that has become the norm for AMT installers that we now witness across all of their sites. In our opinion, it’s a shame that this will soon be hidden by a suspended ceiling, but it will certainly make any future fit out changes very simple to complete.

The GUF OA Processing Unit creates an optimal indoor environment while providing substantial energy savings. Combining forced air ventilation, heat recovery, heating and cooling, and air purification, this total air conditioning system keeps indoor air fresh, contaminant-free and comfortable all year round. Inside the OA Processing Unit is the unique Lossnay core, a heat-exchange unit that transfers heat efficiently, cutting ventilation load by as much as 70%.

Along with Lossnay ventilation capabilities, the GUF OA Processing Unit is a unique combination of two functions in one: able to function as the main air conditioner when the load is light, and adding supplemental air conditioning when the load is heavy. Integrating ventilation and air conditioning in one saves space and minimises installation expense.

The air temperature in any room can be adjusted to the desired temperature of the occupants via the GUF OA Processing Unit, which can be used as the indoor unit of the City Multi air conditioning system. The heat recovery function maximises efficiency and saves energy, benefiting the environment while helping companies cut costs. It also reduces the refrigerant load and lowers the amount of horsepower required by the outdoor unit.

Mitsubishi Electric GUF OA Processing Units are available in two sizes:

A remarkable product unique to Mitsubishi Electric, this special combination of functionality and performance contained within a single unit ensures ample comfort, a healthier indoor environment, and energy savings.

GHD in Wellington were employed to design the HVAC systems for this new state of the art training facility. Not only did they specify the use of Mitsubishi Electric VRF systems for ultimate energy efficiency and comfort but they also specified Lossnay Ventilation units and a GUF total heat recovery ventilation and air conditioning unit.

The project called for two Mitsubishi Electric Heat Recovery VRF systems with a total heating capacity of 144.5kW’s. A combination of medium and high static ducted and compact cassette indoor units have been utilised throughout the space. There are also three LGH-100RX5 Lossnay units that have been installed to provide energy recovery ventilation with the icing on the cake for this installation being the GUF-100RD3 unit that not only provides both energy recovery ventilation but also air conditioning.

The GUF-100RD3 unit has been tasked with recovering waste energy from the bathroom area, and transferring the recovered energy into fresh air that is destined for a training space, administrative offices and a foyer. In addition to the Lossnay type heat exchanger housed within the GUF unit, it also utilises a DX refrigerant coil which is coupled to one of the Heat Recovery VRF systems.

The tempered fresh air from the GUF unit is supplied directly to a ducted unit within the training space and a cassette unit within an administrative office. This tempered air is also used directly in two small offices and the foyer space. This set-up has allowed for a wall controller to be mounted within the space to ensure that the spaces served by the unit are always kept at a constant comfortable room temperature.

The total system used in this project is controlled by the famous Mitsubishi Electric AG-150 Central Controller with scheduling and monitoring functions via Bacnet BMS.

The initial feedback that has been received by Whiteout Building Services, the mechanical contractor for the project has been nothing but positive, especially as the ambient conditions on the base can often be less then comfortable.

Contractor – Whiteout Building Services Wanganui
Consultant – GHD Wellington

Looking back on last year’s City Multi Newsletter reader rates we were pleased to see that on average 75% of you were taking the time to read through the information we presented. Based on this, we have decided to continue with this newsletter every 2 months throughout 2015.

This month the newsletter focuses on Commercial LOSSNAY which is widely used throughout commercial buildings as an energy efficient heat recovery ventilation solution. We will also be showcasing our new Controller Manual for interfaces and adaptors.

We hope you find this information informative, and please remember we are always open to suggestions about content that you wish to learn more about.

Regards
Christopher Green
National Sales Manager
City Multi and Applied Products

It was evident to the Service Department that there was a misunderstanding of what controllers were available, so they felt it was best to write a manual that showcased the full range available, but also provide technical information to allow our customers and consultants to select the best control solution for your application.

The manual goes into a great level of detail about what functions are available and also the common wiring diagrams for the interfaces and adaptors to ensure you wire the correct remote operations such as on / off, fault, run etc.

Since the initial circulation of this manual, the general consensus is that the calls coming through our Technical Service Department have decreased and customers are referring to the manual when requesting further information.

These manuals are available from your local sales engineers / representatives.

The principle behind LOSSNAY HRV is simple and effective. Try blowing into a rolled up piece of paper, the warmth of your breath will travel through the paper onto your hands. This simple principle simulates the exact results that occur between extracting air from a tempered space and by passing it with cold fresh air from outside.

The LOSSNAY heat recovery core has been constructed by laying multiple layers of specially treated paper in a cross-flow pattern. This patterned core along with the adhesive makes the LOSSNAY core surprisingly strong. In fact some of the original cores installed in Japan are still in operation today, showing how a specially treated core can stand the test of time.

Both the outside air being introduced to the LOSSNAY unit and the exhaust air from the air conditioned space are filtered to ensure that not only is the fresh air clean, but also for the protection of the LOSSNAY core itself.

LOSSNAY has been particularly popular in the South Island and has been specified by many consultants and contractors, but we have also witnessed an increase in sales throughout the North Island over the past 2 years.

Every buildings ventilation requirements are different, which makes LOSSNAY an ideal ventilation solution. For example, employees work different hours based on their workload. LOSSNAY units carefully zoned throughout an office floor, allow ventilation to be introduced to areas where people are working by interlocking it with the air conditioning unit. This means that a large centralised fresh air plant does not have to be running throughout an entire building to suit the needs of only a handful of individuals.

LOSSNAY can also provide an unbalanced airflow whereby it can supply more fresh air via the supply air fan than it exhausts through the return air fan. This is commonly applied to commercial buildings where there is a consistent bathroom extract system running, so the systems is not being negatively pressurised.

CO2 or occupancy sensors can also be hard wired to the LOSSNAY unit if interlocking with the air conditioning is not ideal. These types of sensors can be used to turn the LOSSNAY unit ON or OFF, or even increase the airflow from low to high based occupancy.

These types of features along with incredibly low running costs make LOSSNAY an incredibly effective, but efficient fresh air solution for your next residential or commercial project.

LOSSNAY Range:

All data in the above table is based on high fan speed. Extra high fan speed is also available by setting a dip switch in the LOSSNAY unit.

As a result Mitsubishi Electric have developed a new range of outdoors:
Y Series: PUHY-P YKB
Y Series High COP : PUHY-EP YLM-A
R2 Series: PURY-P YLM-A
R2 Series High COP: PURY-EP YLM-A

The standard COP P400 and P450 condenser sets will now be a twinned module arrangement in order to meet the new MEPS standard. However, if a single module is still desired, this can be achieved by selecting a P400 or P450 from the High COP “EP” range.

The new YKB and YLM condenser utilise exactly the same M-Net communication protocol that our past series have always used. This means the new series are completely compatible with existing systems, for example an old R410A City Multi condenser can simply be replaced with a new YKB or YLM outdoor. This new series is simply an outdoor unit change in order to increase system COP and therefore does not affect the existing BC or indoor unit line-ups.
One of the most noticeable changes to the YKB / YLM outdoors is the condenser fan cowl shape. This has been designed to improve aerodynamic performance, reducing noise levels associated with the condenser fan.

High COP Outdoor “EP” developments :

One of the greatest technological advantages of the high COP EP-YLM range for both Y and R2 series is the full aluminium flat tube heat exchanger.

These aluminium flat tube heat exchangers have an increased surface area that is in direct contact between the refrigerant and the air, offering an incredible increase in performance of the heat exchanger. Compared with the traditional round copper tube, the flat tube heat exchangers have a 30% increase in rows due to the lower profile aluminium extrusion.

Close examination of the aluminium extrusion cross section also demonstrates the internal rifling down the length of the tube. This, along with an optimized refrigeration circuit through the outdoor unit heat exchanger, has led to improved heat exchange efficiency.

Finally, a higher efficiency compressor has been developed to assist with increased COP. While there is a small gain at full load, the main increase in efficiency is at part load performance where the system spends most of its time once spaces are approaching temperature or simultaneous heating and cooling operation is being carried out.

While most thought that the processes were already good, it was noted that the installation instructions and requirements were not always making it to the people that needed it most - the installers. This prompted BDT to develop a site based installation manual which we’ve labelled the City Multi Installation and Pre-Commissioning Booklet.

The information in the booklet has been sourced from a combination of recognised documents including Mitsubishi Electric data books, installation manuals, service handbooks and industry best practises and guidelines. The City Multi Installation and Pre-Commissioning booklet is designed to be taken onsite during the installation of any City Multi product. It covers detailed information on installation requirements and expectations to ensure every system is installed using best practice.

This heavily reduces the chance of problems occurring during or after the installation process. It clarifies 15 essential parts of the installation process, everything from the piping procedure through to dip switch selections. It even comes with check lists allowing the installer to self-review during the installation process. These same forms are used as pre-commissioning documents and must be sent to BDT prior to commissioning to validate the product warranty. Once BDT receives the competed check list we save them against the job so all of the important commissioning information can be reviewed or requested at any time in the future. Some installers have even been using these forms in the O and M manual.

The City Multi Installation and Pre-Commissioning booklet is now being supplied with every City Multi system sold through BDT. If you have not received your copy or have misplaced it, please do not hesitate to contact your local City Multi rep to get a new one. We are constantly improving this book every time we do a new print run, so we welcome any feedback you feel you would like included or modified.

Ultimately, it’s just another example of BDT continuously developing and improving the service we provide for all of the products we sell.

BDT prides itself on the longevity of our products due to 16 years’ experience selling City Multi VRF solutions into diverse applications throughout NZ. This includes over 2000 systems (or 110MW) of City Multi installed in New Zealand to date!.

This new product line up is based on 30 years of product development since Mitsubishi Electric developed their first City Multi VRF system in 1984. We are incredibly excited by these new product developments and hope that you will find these useful for upcoming design work.

HYBRID VRF (HVRF):

Developed solely by Mitsubishi Electric, Hybrid VRF (HVRF) is a world first air conditioning technology. This breakthrough system combines the benefits of our R2 series heat recovery VRF and water based air conditioning technologies.

At the heart of the system is a Hybrid Branch Controller (HBC) which is connected to the outdoor unit via the traditional refrigerant pipework (using 2 pipe as per our standard VRF). Energy is exchanged from the refrigerant to water through a series of plate heat exchangers, and is circulated throughout the building via 2 inverted pumps located in the BC controller.

A pair of insulated composite plastic water pipes delivers either hot or cold water from the HBC to each fan coil unit depending on the mode of operation. Mitsubishi Electric has developed a new range of indoor units for the HVRF that replaces the DX refrigerant coil with a new water coil. All the standard local wall controllers, central controllers, and BMS interface options are available with HVRF.

The biggest advantage of HVRF in NZ is the minimal amount of refrigerant in the system. The water between the HBC and the indoor units removes the risk of an entire system charge of refrigerant being dumped into a small space. Critical concentration levels of refrigerant in small spaces is a major concern with refrigerant based systems, and Hybrid VRF is Mitsubishi Electric’s permanent solution to overcome these concerns. No other brand has come up with an acceptable solution whereby there is no risk!

HVRF also has many other great features including:

Milder Air Off Temperatures:
Milder air off temperatures are achieved due to a stable water medium between the HBC and the indoor units, and the increased airflow the new water FCU’s deliver.

Faster Defrosts:
Faster defrosts are achieved as the outdoor can utilise the heat within the water loop between the HBC and indoors. As a result, defrosts can be up to 50% faster than our standard VRF system, and can be as short as 5-6 minutes. There is still sufficient heat left in the water loop after defrost that the indoors can immediately return to heating operation.

Longer Periods of Operation:
Longer periods of operation are achieved due the following:

1. Faster defrosting (as mentioned above);
2. No need to stop for oil recovery modes like 3 pipe VRF/VRV systems due to our advanced oil trapping in the ODU (this feature also applied to our standard VRF);
3. The direction of refrigerant is always the same regardless of what mode the outdoor is running in (this feature also applied to our standard VRF). Therefore there is no downtime like a 3 pipe system which needs to stop operation to change the outdoor main mode.

No Refrigerant Noise at Indoor Units:
Due to the water coil in the HVRF indoor units, there is no need for an LEV. Water flow rate is controlled by a flow control valve for each indoor unit in the HBC to meet a target split in both heating and cooling. During thermo-off, the valve closes 100% ensuring no flow or noise.

Fit Out Flexibility:
As the City Multi system architecture of the HVRF and VRF is the same, a centrally mounted HBC or BC controller allows the greatest flexibility when it comes to fit out changes. We still highly recommend that ball vales are fitted to all used or unused ports to allow a single unit to be isolated for maintenance, or an additional unit to be added should a change occur. Meanwhile the rest of the system can continue to operate as per usual resulting in no downtime.

Faster Installs:
Due to the segregation between the refrigerant and water circuits, the refrigeration pipe work can be completed between ODU and HBC and pressure testing and evacuation can be carried out. Meanwhile the indoors can be hung and interconnecting water pipes can be run back to the HBC. This method can save significant time especially at the critical end of the project when time is running out!

Hybrid City Multi is available right now and we will have an increasing line up of outdoors, HBC’s, and indoor unit varieties available in January 2015. We are incredibly excited with this new development from Mitsubishi Electric, and look forward to helping you incorporate this world first technology into your upcoming projects.

NEW OUTDOOR CONDENSERS:

On the 1st April 2014 a new MEPS standard was introduced to place minimum energy efficiencies on VRF systems up to 65kW. This standard is classified as Annual Energy Efficiency (AEER or ACOP) which includes 2000 hours of standby power per year.

As a result Mitsubishi Electric have developed a new range of outdoors:

• Y Series : PUHY-P YKB
• Y Series High COP : PUHY-EP YLM-A
• R2 Series : PURY-P YLM-A
• R2 Series High COP : PURY-EP YLM-A

One of the greatest technological advantages of the high COP EP-YLM range for both Y and R2 series is the full aluminium flat tube heat exchanger

These aluminium flat tube heat exchangers have an increased surface area that is in direct contact between the refrigerant and the air, offering an incredible increase in performance of the heat exchanger.

Further details of the new YKB / YLM outdoors will be showcased in upcoming editions of the City Multi Newsletter.

LATEST CONTROL SOLUTIONS:

The Mitsubishi Electric controllers have seen some major changes over the past few months including:

• Simplified Wall Controller PAC-YT52CRA-J including vane control (for hi-walls or cassettes);
• New Smart Local Wall Controller PAR-U02MEDA including full touch screen backlit LED, occupancy sensor, and humidity sensor;
• New AE200E Touch Screen Central Controller which can control up to 200 indoor units and has advanced energy management;
• New advanced HVAC Controller used in conjunction with PLC’s to write logic for controlling external equipment such as ventilation fans, after hour switches etc.

These new controllers, along with other new product will be showcased in more detail in upcoming editions of the City Multi Newsletter. In the meantime, please ask your local Sales Engineer to run you through more information and answer any questions you may have.