VEXO International collaborating with Loughborough University

VEXO International are excited to announce a collaboration with Loughborough University for a series of experimental testing on purpose-built test rigs and live building studies.

The initial wave of test scenarios involves the use of the VEXO Test Rig, designed and developed by VEXO’s in-house engineering and product development team in collaboration with students of Loughborough University.

The purpose-built test rig will enable students to perform tests such as:

Phase 1 - Product Performance Evaluation

• Water quality improvements with the patented VEXO X-POT® all in one side stream filter vs. traditional technologies

• Effectiveness of the VEXO X-POT® all in one side stream filter vs. traditional technologies

• Water quality improvements with the patented VEXO Y-MAG® magnetic strainer vs. traditional technologies
• Effectiveness of the VEXO Y-MAG® magnetic strainer vs. traditional technologies

Phase 2 - PREDICTOR: Improving Life-cycle Energy Performance of Heating and Cooling Systems

• Understand the effects of poor water quality on common pipework materials

• Understand the effects of high concentrations of dissolved oxygen on common pipework materials

• Understand the effects of sedimentation (Incl. magnetite) on common pipework materials
• Understand the effects of biological growth on common pipework materials

To mitigate climate change, the UK government has an ambitious target of reducing CO2 emissions by at least 80% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050. Buildings and the construction sector are responsible for 36% of global energy consumption and nearly 40% of total direct and indirect CO2 emissions, with 60% of the energy used for heating, hot water, and cooling. PREDICTOR will develop a decision support tool – deploying Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) – for predicting timely maintenance intervention in non-domestic buildings to ensure optimum operation and maintenance of closed-loop Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, which could save up to 30% of HVAC energy use. The project outcomes will be decision support for design, tools integrated with Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS), commissioning/maintenance guidance, interactive training and novel open-source system performance software.

This extensive PhD research backed by VEXO International is the first of its kind and will provide valuable data for engineers, industry and stakeholders with informed decision making, and will include the development of a global water treatment standard that is future-proofed, aligning with the introduction of zero-carbon technologies.

Test Rig Development & Build

VEXO International have worked with Loughborough University to develop the VEXO test rig for specific water quality tests, versatility/portability and reliable test results.

Function, Portability, Reliability

Initial design meetings indicated that the unit was to be constructed primarily of stainless steel to limit corrosion of the test rig thus increasing the life of the test rig and ensuring accuracy in test results. Initial meetings also identified the need for portability as the rig was to be used and stored in Loughborough University’s laboratories.

Several intelligent design decisions were implemented to ensure maximum portability and functionality and reliability:

• Stainless steel design – Limiting corrosion of the test rig, increasing test result accuracy and increasing the test rig's life.
• Castor wheels – The test rig features 8No. castor wheels with brakes to allow the rig to be positioned around the laboratories, without the need to lift or reassemble.
• Sectional design – The test rig has been designed to split into 2 sections, allowing for easy storage, movement through single width doorways and small corridors. Reconnection is achieved simply by connecting 3No. hasps, tightening 2No. securing bolts and reconnecting flange/union connections.
• Interchangeable technologies – The test rig has been designed to incorporate tests for various technologies, hence flange connections have been positioned to allow for quick and easy swap out.
• Interchangeable pipe section – The bypass in the centre of the test rig features a metre section of pipework that can be interchanged for various pipe materials to allow for water quality tests to be observed reliably.
• Test points – The test rig features 10+ test points to enable observation of the effects of water quality and other factors on pressure differential, pump power supply demand, temperature drop and more…
• Heating element – located on the bottom left of the test rig is a heating element to provide test scenarios at different temperature levels to simulate LTHW systems, including low carbon technology flow temperatures.
• VEXO Technology – The VEXO test rig features the X-POT all in one side stream filtration unit and the upcoming Y-Mag magnetic strainer and X-POT compliance pack. The unit will also feature VEXO’s industry-leading X-PO additive range including X-PO10 inhibitor, X-PO35 system cleansers and X-PO80 biocide.

Test Rig Build

VEXO International collaborated with Liberty Gas to construct and build the test rig. VEXO’s Trevor Harbut (National Sales Manager) and Cain Harbut (Design Engineer) met on-site with Liberty Gas’s Mark Page (Commercial Field Manager) and his team to discuss and plan the construction of the test rig.

Test Rig Delivery

After assembly, pressure testing and safety checks, VEXO International collected the assembled test rig from Liberty Gas in Portsmouth. VEXO’s Trevor Harbut, Cain Harbut and Darren Wilkinson (Managing Director) delivered the test rig to Loughborough University’s laboratories. The sectional design and castor wheels made navigation through the university corridors, service elevators and doorways simple. Allowing for location without the need for specialist equipment or on-site construction (COVID-19 Safety).

The test rig is now operational, ready for Amr Suliman (PhD Researcher), Dr Mahroo Eftekhari (MSc Course Director) and students from MSc Low Energy Building Services Engineering to begin extensively using the rig for their dissertations with support of the MSc students funded by VEXO.

VEXO International would like to extend their appreciation to all involved in the project design, development, build and use.

The results from the 3-year PhD and the ANN driven predictor model will be an industry first, providing valuable insight into the correlation between hydronic water quality and energy efficiency and lifecycle, which will allow a ‘cradle to grave’ commissioning and maintenance strategy to be deployed based on the system design and materials selected and an opportunity ‘globally’ for a best practice standard to be developed.

Live Building Study

VEXO International is funding the extended study of a student accommodation block’s heating system.

The live building study will enable students to perform tests such as:

• Water quality improvements with VEXO X-POT® all-in-one side stream filter on a live heating system
• Effectiveness of the VEXO X-POT® all-in-one side stream filter on a live heating system and correlation to increased energy efficiency
• Water quality and energy efficiency improvements with VEXO X-PO10® system inhibitor and X-PO35® system cleanser on a live heating system

This extensive research project backed by VEXO International will enable a deeper understanding of the effects of poor water quality within heating systems thus advancing our solutions and products to offer greater value and industry-leading technologies through our research-based approach.

A former university graduate Jonathan Cripps demonstrated a 3.5% increase in system performance over a 7 day period utilising X-POT® all-in-one side stream filtration technology. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the planned filter change was unable to take place and manual test data collection ceased, hence test data is unavailable to show the full potential of X-POT®.

VEXO International is funding a new study of the site with an emphasis on reliable data collection, routine X-POT® filter change schedules and X-PO® additive dosing plans to demonstrate the effects of X-POT® and X-PO® on a real-world live system.

VEXO has arranged the delivery and installation of the VEXO S-EMS™ smart energy monitoring system, a wireless energy monitoring/data logging solution to streamline data collection and display the data in our cloud network via 4G. Data can easily be read from the cloud network anywhere in the world, with data collection accuracy to the second.

VEXO’s powerful S-EMS™ energy monitoring system is data logging multiple data sources including:

• Boiler energy metering
• District energy metering
• Heating circuit 1 energy metering
• Heating circuit 2 energy metering
• Wireless room sensors (room temperature & relative humidity) located throughout the building
• X-POT pressure differential (High/low pressure - filter blockages)
• Boiler flow/return temperature sensors
• PHE flow/return temperature sensors
• District flow/return temperature sensors
• Heating circuit flow/return temperature sensors

Hevasure’s real-time monitoring technology is being used to continuously determine the prevailing conditions within the test rig and LTHW system. Variations in key parameters indicate when conditions are changing that could impact corrosion and loss of efficiency.

Hevasure’s patented monitoring system records:

• Dissolved oxygen levels
• pH
• Temperature
• Flow
• Conductivity
• Pressure
• Corrosion rates & crevice corrosion

VEXO S-EMS will be available to customers later this year.

VEXO International are working with students from Loughborough University to complete a long-term study of the site and demonstrate the effects of both the X-POT all in one side stream filter and X-PO additive. Research from this project will be published throughout and upon completion of the study.