Specifically designed to cope with increased demand for a total system engineering approach to fan coil units,plenum boxes and grilles and diffusers,this state of the art facility is something which the industry has been crying out for and is sure to make a difference to the standard of applications which we will see in the future.

The new rooms represent a massive increase in fan coil system testing capacity for the company and complement existing facilities to offer flexibility for even the most unusual air handling requirements.More than doubling current testing capabilities,Trox Design Bureau is now able to undertake up to three tests simultaneously.

This latest initiative is meeting industry demand head-on;John Hinton,director of WSP,has been among the first to express interest in the new facilities:“The importance of reliable performance data has always been key to minimising risks on projects.With the current industry variety in project procurement,reliable technical data is seen as being ever increasingly important across an increasing spectrum of interested parties.

“One traditional application of fan coils – the commercial office sector,has always had a wide and varied range of equipment for selection,it goes without saying that guaranteed performance data, backed up with extensive test bed facilities,such as those offered by Trox,will help provide surety in meeting project design criteria.”

Currently the company has a programme of tests covering in excess of 6,000 fan coil units.It can very quickly develop a test that replicates the building area on which the consultant requires investigative work to be undertaken.Typically,a Trox Design Bureau test requires the technical team to create a ‘real room’ scenario.A mock-up is built,incorporating project-specific fan coil units, grilles,ductwork,and ceiling.Tests are then carried out on the whole system for noise and thermal capacity i.e.heating and cooling,and air distribution - in other words looking at the whole ‘comfort envelope’.

The new laboratories will enable Trox to ‘value engineer’,quickly setting up a test that achieves the optimum selection,between both the fan coil unit,and the grilles and diffusers,thus eliminating unnecessary costs and enabling consultants to offer the best value solution for any building services application.Furthermore,when testing is undertaken in this way,Trox totally guarantees the system performance.

Mick Holland,Trox UK’s Laboratory Manager,explains:“Our test facilities give us the opportunity to prove the complete design works,and iron out any niggling problems that may arise before the system arrives on site.This gives the professional design team confidence that the system will work effectively once it is installed on site,and ensures that there are no delays to the project with all the potential costs associated with them.

“Trox supplies both the FCU and grilles, so we provide single point responsibility.In other words the buck stops with Trox.We can prove that we can provide total solutions for a space that meet all the criteria laid down in the product specification.And,because we can verify every aspect of the design,we can offer guarantees of system performance based on test results.

“Where there is a demanding situation,we have a vested interest in finding the solution to it.But we don’t just test it – we also optimise it,and solve any issues that may arise.This can be done cheaply in a test cell rather than doing it on site where the cost and aggravation associated with that can be tremendous.”

The main new laboratory – a 5.5m by 6m by 5m high room –offers the ability to test virtually all room dimension requirements and accurately mimic actual on-site conditions.It incorporates a raised floor to allow ducting to be introduced in all areas,an adjustable ceiling allowing maximum slab height of 4.7m,adjustable wall partition boards and one 5.48m high ‘climate wall’ made from chilled ceiling panels offering a temperature range of 10 deg C to 40 deg C to simulate glazing.The viewing wall is made from 10mm thick Perspex,and enables Trox to observe running tests without influencing conditions inside the test chamber.

The second new room is a chamber made from a cold room insulated walling system.It is effectively a ‘room within a room’,and will be used for cutting-edge research and development work.

Trox invested £100,000 in two new test rooms.They supplement an existing 9m by 6m by 3.65m high test room,which the company uses for general project testing and development.Further investment has been made in the very latest portable instrumentation for velocity, temperature and humidity measurement.

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