Project

Improving Air Quality, Efficiency & Building Security

Illinois Wesleyan University

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The Challenge


The air-handling unit serving the nursing school failed in the fall of 2017. Fixing it was cost-prohibitive, and the university was forced to rent a temporary unit to maintain air conditioning. Another problem with the failed system was the lack of a return fan, which led to over-pressurization in the building — keeping doors from latching and creating security issues.

 

KEDbluestone Solution


Our design created a new steel-frame structure for the roof of the three-story building, where we placed a custom 17,000 cfm air-handler designed to fit the same footprint as the previous unit. It ties into the existing ductwork to feed the distribution system. A variable-volume unit, the new air-handler modulates supply-and-return air flow to keep the building at optimal pressure. We also upgraded the building’s temperature controls, converting them from pneumatic to direct digital control (DDC).

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