The two large vaneaxial supply fans (70,000 cfm & 125 Hp each, 8.6 in.w.c. design static pressure) in the main air handler at the UF Veterinary Medicine build- ing had been problematic for several years, due to both the age of the fans and the logistics of keeping the AHU off-line to make repairs. The solution was to retrofit a FANWALL in place of the vaneaxial fans. A FANWALL retrofit, with its “building block” assembly style and customizable dimensions, permitted easy assembly into the supply fan plenum, and was built in two sections matching the existing internal dimensions of the air handler.
During a low-occupancy period for the building, one fan was kept in operation while the other fan was taken off-line and replaced with a FANWALL array. Once the new FANWALL array was installed and operational, the opposite vaneaxial fan was replaced in the same manner. While no reduction in connected load was made, the owner reports that they are now getting air to areas that previously had never received sufficient cooling, and the change to FANWALL has eliminated extended/expensive repair outages.
