What is HMX AMBIATOR?

HMX is a trade mark registered by HMX Systems Pvt. Ltd., - an A.T.E group company. HMX AMBIATOR is a low carbon, energy efficient and   eco-friendly alternative to air conditioning systems.

This low-cost and low energy-intensive alternative to normal air-conditioning works on the principle of cooling ambient air in two stages: indirect evaporative cooling and evaporative cooling. At neither stage are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used.

Each cubic foot a minute (CFM) of air cooled by Ambiator consumes about 60% less energy, compared to conventional air-conditioning systems.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) certified this claim by recording the power consumed by Ambiator technology over a one-year period.

Since the product consumes less energy, it also emits less carbon dioxide into the air. While a conventional air-conditioning unit of 1 TR capacity used for a small office will emit 1 kg of carbon dioxide per hour, a comparable Ambiator will emit only 0.4 kg CO2 per hour.

A further benefit of Ambiator is that it does not recirculate air, but sucks in fresh air continuously from outside the building. This contributes to a healthier working environment with minimum increase in carbon dioxide levels. Conventional air-conditioning systems only introduce up to 10% fresh air. As a result, carbon dioxide levels inside a building can go up to 1,000 parts per million (ppm).

HMX has developed an innovative cross flow heat exchanger to effect sensible cooling of air (patent pending).  Ambiator is a product built around this heat exchanger.

AMBIATOR operates on the principle of two stage “indirect direct evaporative air conditioning”.  

First stage: Sensible heat-exchanger - indirect evaporative cooling module
Ambient air is sucked through a 20 micron filter pump across a heat recuperator consisting of a cross flow heat exchanger (patent pending). In this stage, sensible cooling (the term used in the HVAC industry to mean reducing the temperature of air) is achieved without adding moisture.

Second stage: Adiabatic heat-exchanger - evaporative cooling module
The pre-cooled air passes through an evaporative cooling module, where limited quantities of water help cool the air further.

AMBIATOR is a 100% fresh air system. AMBIATOR requires water as the other resource. It does not require steam, waste heat or any other energy source

Regular air conditioning systems use ozone depleting CFC's. Ambiator does not use any CFC's as it does not use any compressor for cooling air. AMBIATOR uses ambient air and water to effect cooling of air. TERI has done a comprehensive evaluation of these.

Regular air conditioners recycle the room air. A good installation typically has about 5 to 10% fresh air injected into the room. Thus, at best, in an air conditioned room, the occupants get only about 5 to 10% fresh air. In several cases of air conditioner installations, the occupants suffer from lack of adequate fresh air.

In the case of Ambiator, 100% of the air pumped into the room is fresh. AMBIATOR continuously sucks in fresh air, filters the air of any impurities, and cools the same. This cool air is distributed into the room. Thus with Ambiator the problem of IAQ is eliminated.

Evaporative coolers (also called swamp, desert, or air coolers) are devices that cool air through the simple evaporation of water. They differ from refrigeration or absorption air conditioning, which use vapor-compression or absorption refrigeration cycles. In the United States, evaporative coolers are often called swamp coolers due to the humid air conditions produced. The name sump cooler is also used.

Air washers and wet cooling towers utilize the same principles as evaporative coolers, but are optimized for purposes other than air cooling. It is an apparatus to wash particulates and soluble impurities from air by passing the air stream through a liquid bath or spray. It is also a device for cooling and cleaning air in which the entering warm, moist air is cooled below its dew point by refrigerated water so that although the air leaves close to saturation with water, it has less moisture per unit volume than when it entered.

AMBIATOR is an IDEC (indirect-direct evaporative air conditioning) machine which is quite different from single stage evaporative cooler and air washer.

AMBIATOR can provide superior cooling and ventilation consuming up to 60% less energy than conventional mechanical vapor compression AC.

The wet bulb temperature has the greatest significance on the applicability of AMBIATOR.  High wet bulb would result in high machine outlet temperatures.  However, enhanced air movement can provide thermal comfort to a larger extent. Evaporative cooling systems can be successfully applied in hot and dry areas. Hybrid systems (under development) can provide thermal comfort in humid ambient conditions.

There is no maximum ambient temperature limit for application of AMBIATOR except that the wet bulb temperature has the greatest significance on the applicability of AMBIATOR.  High wet bulb would result in high machine outlet temperatures which may not allow maintaining the space temperatures within the acceptable temperatures for thermal comfort.

The AMBIATOR works on the principle of IDEC system of evaporative air conditioning. As the water is added to the supply air in the second stage, the RH of supply air increases compared to Ambient air RH. But remember that the temperature has also dropped. It is the combination of temperature and humidity that creates human comfort, and “evaporative air conditioners” are used so widely around the world because they can create comfortable conditions. Furthermore, comfort is also improved by increasing air velocity in hot conditions and evaporative air conditioners create sufficient air movement to minimize the effects of humidity

For good results outdoor humidity should not exceed about 60% at the hottest part of the day. And don’t forget that the humidity is lowest when the temperature is highest during a normal 24 hour cycle, and your humidity may be a lot lower than you think when the temperature is extreme. That is when you want maximum cooling and that is when your evaporative air conditioner will function best.

The wet bulb temperature has the greatest significance on the applicability of AMBIATOR. During the periods of high humidity conditions, the second stage adiabatic heat exchanger need not be taken on line. Instead the situation can be handled by providing a cooling coil of Dx /Chilled water type to dehumidify and cool the supply air.

No.  AMBIATOR offers solution with non condensing humidity. It is the condensation of moisture which affects the electronic devises in the room. In the environments that are suitable to install AMBIATOR, the room RH levels are generally below 70%. Since the computers or electronic devises emit thermal radiation and being at surface temperature above the dew point, the chances of condensation of moisture are not there.

In the environments that are suitable to install AMBIATOR, the room RH levels are generally below 70%. As the surface temperatures of interiors components such as Gypsum board, POP, etc., are at the room temperatures which is above the dew point temperature, the use of AMBIATOR does not affect the MOC of interior components.

We have installations where AMBIATORs have run for over 8 years without any impact on the interior decoration.

Monsoon affects the performance of AMBIATOR. Higher wet bulb temperature means higher moisture in air – hence it affects the performance.  However, the good aspect is that DB also tends to be lower in monsoon; hence the cooling load is lower.

The efficiency of sensible heat exchanger is influenced by the Wet bulb depression (WBD). It is expected that the efficiency of AMBIATOR goes down in the periods with much lower WBD

No. AMBIATOR is not the machine to be used for controlling or maintaining the room humidity conditions. It will be costlier if the AMBIATOR is used for such a purpose.

In coastal areas AMBIATOR can be effectively used to in spot cooling applications, ventilation of factory spaces & large halls etc. However, comfort conditioning of offices will be difficult

We all go to beaches … don’t we? The Rh is over 90% there.  Monsoon in Mumbai, humidity is over 80%... does any thing happen to us.  The key issue is fresh air. We are talking of fresh air with relatively higher humidity

Evaporative air conditioners are excellent for health. They provide basic moisture that the human body needs; they remove unhealthy pollution from the indoor environment; they supply 100% fresh, filtered air into your building that is NEVER  re-circulated; they remove static electricity; they have proved to be successful in reducing the effects of illnesses such as asthma. In fact, evaporative air conditioning is much healthier than conventional air conditioning.

Evaporative air conditioners are excellent for health. They provide basic moisture that the human body needs; they remove unhealthy pollution from the indoor environment; they supply 100% fresh, filtered air into your building that is NEVER  re-circulated; they remove static electricity; they have proved to be successful in reducing the effects of illnesses such as asthma. In fact, Evaporative Air Conditioning is much healthier than conventional air conditioning.

In a demonstration case study supported by the Indo-German Energy Efficiency project-a joint initiative of Government of India and Germany and implanted by Tata Energy Research Institute, Bangalore centre, the AMBIATOR was approved as an “Energy Saving Product” for comfort air conditioning applications.

The case studies results are based on close monitoring of the installation at site over a period, and hence the saving potential and other parameters are those actually realized. As per the published case study DCS 001, the benefits of using AMBIATOR in comparison to conventional system are,

Depending upon the end application of conditioned air and customers choice, AMBIATOR is supplied with intake filters of 5, 10, 20 microns with 90% filtration efficiency. As the system is 100% fresh air once through type, no return air and filtration is envisaged in AMBIATOR

In general the guide lines for power and water requirement for using AMBIATOR are as below.

There is no off line water cleaning system in AMBIATOR. However, on line water treatment system is provided to for disinfection of water.

Yes, but difficult. As the AMBIATOR is 100% fresh air system, the air quantities required to handle the Room sensible heat loads can be 30 to 50 % higher than that used in a conventional air conditioning system. Hence the duct sizes are larger. In general it may be difficult to retrofit AMBIATOR in an existing arrangement. Case to case evaluation is needed

When the AMBIATOR system is used for closed spaces, return exhaust air system along with properly designed ducting arrangement is required to realize the full benefits of AMBIATOR usage.

In case of conventional AC, the capacity is rated in terms of “TR” which indicates its heat removal capacity (1TR= 12000 Btu/hr) and the dehumidified air quantity of AHU is decided based on ADP and required room temperature.

Whereas, in the case of AMBIATOR, its capacity is rated in terms of “CFM”. Capacity of AMBIATOR is decided considering the room heat load, ambient & room conditions, field experience of similar operating installations such as cfm per square feet of floor area or number of air changes needed to provide desired comfort conditions. Thus selection of AMBIATOR capacity needs elaborate analysis in comparison to AC system.

Treated water limiting hardness and TDS to less than 400 PPM is required to avoid scale formation in heat exchangers. The scale formation and fouling of this equipment can deteriorate their thermal efficiency and may result in unsatisfactory temperatures in conditioned spaces. As explained elsewhere in this document scales are one of the items that promote conduciveness for bacterial growth. Besides, presence of scales increases maintenance frequency and increases maintenance costs. Hence to realize the full benefits of AMBIATOR it is necessary to use treated water.

Only a precision AC controls both temp & Rh. (Heats, cools, humidifies and dehumidifies) where as regular AC controls only temperature – does not control Rh.  Rh is a default control
In AMBIATOR we do not dehumidify air.  However, we can plot a spread of temperature and control within the range.  Rh would be default function as in the case of A.C.

Depending upon the size of an AMBIATOR, the delivery period of an AMBIATOR varies from 4 to 8 weeks from the date of receipt of clear P.O. with advance payment.

No special foundation & foundation bolts are needed for installation of AMBIATOR. However, concrete pedestal of about 150 mm high is recommended.

Installation & commissioning period depends upon the size and scope of the order. Typically 10 to 15 days are required.

With the implementation of recommended maintenance practices, the life of many parts of AMBIATOR can be 15 years. However, parts such as heat exchangers may require replacement as and when their fouled condition reaches a stage where it’s no longer possible to clean it further.

Annual maintenance contract (AMC) services can be offered. Typical maintenance cost of AMBIATOR would be like any other comparable capital equipment in the industry.  

It is difficult to provide a figure for capital cost of AMBIATOR system on SFT basis. Success of evaporative air conditioning system largely depends upon the proper design of room air exhaust system. In closed spaces, there is a need to provide exhaust air ducting which can add to capital cost. Where as in large halls with good number of widows/ ventilation openings, there is no need for exhaust air ducting

Besides, for certain geographical humid locations with the need for having controlled room temperatures through out the year may necessitate introduction of cooling coils with DX or Chilled water system. This again adds to the capital cost.

Thus depending on the applications, the capital cost of AMBIATOR system can be lower or higher than the conventional AC system.

The cooled air from the AMBIATOR travels through distribution duct network and picks up, duct heat gain due to frictional losses and room sensible heat of the conditioned spaces resulting in reduction in its Relative Humidity (RH)  

Following parts of AMBIATOR need routine maintenance.

1) Suction strainers of pumps.
2) Cleaning of heat exchangers
3) Air pre filters
4) Water tank.

Critical spares for operation are belts, filters, spare pump.

How often is it required to drain out water from the AMBIATOR?

AMBIATOR has automatic water drain arrangement: If system is not operating for 24 hours, it is programmed to automatically   drain out water. This avoids algae formation or mosquito menace and creation of foul smell, on its restart.

No chemical is recommended to be added to the circulating water in AMBIATOR.

Generally, once in 15 days is adequate.