Rep Login  

New Employee Spotlight – Michele Curtis

New Employee Spotlight - Michele Curtis New Employee Spotlight - Michele Curtis

We are pleased to welcome Michele Curtis as the newest member of the Wessels team, joining our inventory department at the start of September. Michele brings a strong educational background from Ivy Tech, where she studied business and mathematics, along with several years of managerial experience in manufacturing at a snack company. Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor activities, weekend road trips, and fishing with her husband, as well as spending time with her granddaughter and watching football and baseball. An interesting note about Michele is that she is left-handed. Her colleagues, who share an office with her, appreciate her positive demeanor and ability to uplift the workplace atmosphere.

Michele fast facts:

Favorite color: Purple
Favorite food: Mexican
Dislikes: Rude and unkind people

Michele Curtis
Inventory Control
Ext. 1043
Email: [email protected]

Full width regal divider
Materials Surcharge and Affected Lead Times

Materials Surcharge and Affected Lead Times

New Materials Surcharge – Effective 1/4/2022

Due to continued supply chain delays and the inflation of steel, rubber, and plastics, the following surcharges will be added to all future orders. We are working towards issuing a new pricebook within the next few weeks to compensate for these changes. While we anticipate it is only a temporary change, a materials surcharge will be applied to all orders beginning Jan 4, 2022 and will continue until further notice. Please also be aware that lead times may be affected by material availability.

Impacted product percentage breakdown:

• 10% – Carbon Steel Tanks, GMP’s, Replacement Bladders, Glass-Lined Tanks, Misc.
• 15% – Stainless Steel Tanks or Components

Surcharge will be shown as a separate line item on your order acknowledgements.

Wessels Company greatly appreciates your continued business and support through these unprecedented times. Rest assured, our team is dedicated to delivering competitive pricing and quality products. If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact your Customer Service Representative.

January Employee Spotlight

January Employee Spotlight

Wessels Company is pleased to introduce John Paul as Director of Sales. John brings over 11 years of professional sales experience. As a manufacturer’s representative, he’s overseen product launches, training, recruiting and sales team development. John is an avid golfer and a diehard Michigan Wolverines fan and, like Wessels originally, hails from the Detroit metro area. He enjoys spending time with friends and family and being outdoors, especially to walk his dogs. Please join us in welcoming John to the Wessels Company family.


John Paul Fast Facts:

Favorite color:  Blue
Favorite food: Mexican
Likes: Spending time with family, watching sports
and walking his dogs

Interesting fact: he is highly competitive

John Paul
Director of Sales
e-mail: [email protected]
phone: 317-888-9800 Ext. 1064

Going Green with Plate Heat Exchangers

Going Green with Plate Heat Exchangers

Download the Full White Paper “Going Green with Wessels Plate Heat Exchangers”

Purpose:

Illustrate how to design liquid to liquid plate heat exchangers to save money by reducing energy costs and carbon footprint at the same time. Also present a means for determining the operating costs of a plate heat exchanger. This is a road map for designing heat exchangers to do their part in reducing harmful emissions.

History:

And A Changing Future

Plate heat exchangers are used for the transfer of heat or cold into or out of a commercial building. They have a very efficient design transferring 100% of the energy from one fluid to the other. They are a vital component for providing economical chilled water for air conditioning to residential and office buildings, hospitals, and especially data centers where they help to speed up and reduce the cost of millions of high-speed data transactions. Plate heat exchangers are also utilized for ground and air source heat pumps and large city or college district heating/cooling systems that save energy and reduce cost along with their carbon footprint.

For too many years, most HVAC projects have been driven by “lowest installed cost” instead of future savings.

For too many years, most HVAC projects have been driven by “lowest installed cost” instead of future savings. That is especially true in heat exchanger design. The size and cost of a plate heat exchanger is driven by its heat transfer coefficient, which is the rate of the transfer of heat from one liquid to another. The heat transfer coefficient is increased significantly by making the corrugations on the plates more resistant to flow causing a more turbulent flow pattern. This reduces the size and cost of the heat exchanger, but the energy cost increases due to the greater pump horsepower required to overcome this increased resistance.

In heat exchanger design, if not specified, the heat transfer engineer will use a maximum pressure drop of 10 psi to yield the highest heat transfer coefficient and lowest Installed cost heat exchanger possible. This direction is short sighted! To go green, we must think about future long-term benefits.

Details:

Crunching the Numbers

To first determine the operating cost of an HVAC plate heat exchanger based on the water flow and pressure drop through the heat exchanger:

 

1)      Calculate the Horsepower (HP) required to move the fluid through the heat exchanger:

HP = GPM X FT X SG / 3960

Where: GPM = water flow in Gallons Per Minute through the heat exchanger

FT = head loss in Feet through the heat exchanger

SG = Specific Gravity of the fluid (1.0 for water)

3960 = 33,000 ft-lb/min over 8.33 lb/gallon

2)      Calculate the Motor Horsepower (MHP) required:

MHP = HP / (e1 X e2) = Motor Horsepower

Where: HP = horsepower

E1 = motor efficiency. Assume 0.95

E2 = pump efficiency. Assume 0.80

3)      Calculate the Kilowatt usage of the heat exchanger based on flow and pressure drop:

Where: KW = 0.745 X MHP = KiloWatts = Energy consumption

KW = (GPM X FT X SG) / 3960 / ((e1 X e2) X 0.745

KW = GPM X FT /3881

Note: This is the power required to move water through the heat exchanger only.

It does not include other system effects.

4)      Calculate the annual operating cost of the heat exchanger:

Where: AOC = Annual Operating Costs = $ / year

If utility cost = $0.10 / kwh and there are 6000 hours per year of operation the
Annual Operating Cost of the heat exchanger becomes:

AOC = GPM X FT / (3881 X $0.10 kwh X 6000 hours/year)

AOC = GPM X FT X $0.15 = $ / year

Visit westank.com/heat-exchangers to learn more about product lines and sizing.

Calculate:

Leading by Example

A typical application is to cool 2000 gpm of water from 55 ⁰F to 45 ⁰F using 2000 gpm of water at 43 ⁰F on the other side. This requires a total heat transfer of 10,000,000 btu/hr.

Using a 23 ft (Approximately 10 psi) of pressure drop, Wessels sizing software calculates the following:

 

AWP83 with 315 plates and 3892 square feet of surface area at a cost of $52,000

 

The Annual Operating Cost = (2,000 gpm)( 20 ft )($0.15) = $6,000/yr

 

Using a 12 ft (Approximately 5 psi) of pressure drop, Wessels sizing software calculates the following:

 

AWP83 with 341 plates and 4216 square feet of surface area at a cost of $57,000

 

    The Annual Operating Cost = (2,000 gpm)( 10 ft )($0.15) = $3,000/yr

 

Final Thoughts:

Going Green Means Saving Green

In the previous example, the old idea of using a maximum pressure drop of 10 psi results in a slightly lower installed cost of $52,000 versus $57,000.

However, if your goal is to be more energy efficient and save money in the long term, then taking the 5 psi selection that operates at $3,000/yr versus the $6,000/yr of the
10 psi selection cuts the energy consumption and annual operating cost in half. Doing a very simple pay back calculation, the larger heat exchanger’s energy efficiency results in a 1.7-year return.

To be energy conscious with heat energy and an eye to the future, the conscientious engineer should always specify lower pressure drops through heat exchangers to save energy, reduce carbon emissions, and make a greener future for everyone.

All Wessels plate and frame heat exchangers are AHRI certified Standard 400 to guarantee efficient performance

Download the Full White Paper “Going Green with Wessels Plate Heat Exchangers”

Downloading Drawings: BIM vs CAD

Downloading Drawings: BIM vs CAD

Wessels Company makes it easy to download a huge catalog of BIM and CAD files, which can be imported into software to generate product drawings and 3D models, but what’s the difference between Revit (.RFA), .STEP and .SAT files?

In the case of Revit, .RFA’s are Building Information Models (BIM) specifically compatible with Autodesk’s Revit software package. Revit is used by architects, engineers, and contractors to collaboratively design buildings using a shared resource pipeline from start to finish.

Computer Aided Design (CAD) files like .STEP and .SAT, on the other hand, are compatible with many more design programs. Wessels engineers primarily use Solidworks CAD software to design products. These .STEP and .SAT CAD files can be imported into other software packages such as AutoCAD, Inventor, Civil 3D and MicroStation, so they are commonly used to exchange 3D data across multiple software platforms.

Whether you use BIM or CAD files, it’s easy to import Wessels product files into your computer program of choice. From there, you can generate drawings, simulations, animations and more for use to build your system.

Wessels Company has expanded its offering of product BIM and CAD files on the new e-commerce website WesselsVessels.com. Simply navigate to a specific product and click the link of the desired file format at the bottom, to begin downloading.

Something missing? Contact [email protected] for help finding a file or to request downloading a family of files.

What is NSF/ANSI Standard 61?

What is NSF/ANSI Standard 61?

NSF the Organization

The National Sanitation Foundation was originally founded in 1944 as an organization dedicated to standardizing sanitation and food safety regarding soda fountains and luncheonette equipment. Today, NSF International has grown to become an accredited, independent third-party certification body that tests and certifies a wide range of products to verify they meet certain public health and safety standards. NSF is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop American National Standards and uses a ballot system similar to ANSI to revise and maintain those standards. Products that meet these requirements bear the NSF mark.

NSF Standards

NSF/ANSI Standard 61 pertains to products in contact with potable or drinking water in the United States. This is a performance-based standard that evaluates the amount of contaminants that leach from the products into drinking water, rather than setting prescriptive limits on content. These products include butyl bladders, pipes, gaskets, hoses, faucets, water fountains, filters, valves lubricants, coatings, adhesives and more.

The National Sanitation Foundation’s standards help keep potable water in safe, drinkable conditions for the public. The NSF/ANSI Standard 61 certification signals that a product is safe to be installed in a potable water system for public use or consumption and is verified by a 3rd party.

NSF Certification and Compliance

A product must undergo independent, 3rd party verification to be NSF certified. Regular on-site inspections and audits of materials, facilities, and product testing must be conducted to ensure rigorous adherence to NSF standards over time. Products that are NSF compliant adhere to the same strict standards but are not subject to the same independent testing. Wessels is proud to use parts that comply with NSF/ANSI Standard 61 in our relevant products.

Related Products

Domestic hot water tanks
Full-Flow
TTA-Rx Antimicrobial

Wessels Launches New E-Commerce Site

Wessels Launches New E-Commerce Site

March 2021

Contact: Rebecca Bennett- Marketing Coordinator
[email protected]
317-888-9800

For Immediate Release

Wessels Company Introduces New Website

Greenwood, IN – Wessels Company has unveiled a brand-new e-commerce website called WesselsVessels.com. At the time of launch, users can browse through an interactive version of the Wessels product catalog, as well as download brochures, submittals, manuals and 3D models like SAT’s, STEP’s, and Revits.

In the coming weeks, rolling updates to WesselsVessels.com will include new products, add-to-cart quote requests, and special pricing for select customers. Eventually, new customers will also have the option to create accounts to unlock purchasing directly through the website.

Wessels Company’s corporate website, westank.com, will continue to be operational as the central place to get the latest news, information, press releases, and more. Wessels looks forward to promoting the new e-commerce site to make ordering a more streamlined, user-friendly experience.

###

New! WVA-MAX Air & Dirt Separator

New! WVA-MAX Air & Dirt Separator

Maximum Performance, Maximum Value

Wessels has launched the new WVA-MAX Air & Dirt Separator with patented coalescing media. Air & dirt separators eliminate entrained air and separate debris associated with start-up and maintenance of any hydronic system. Extend the life of your HVAC system by improving heat transfer, saving energy, reducing pump cycles, and protecting components with the new WVA-MAX for maximum protection backed by 5 year warranty.
U.S. Patent No. 10,708,538

WVA-MAX Complete Package Includes:

  • Increased flow rate performance
  • Patented removable coalescing media
  • ASME certification
  • WesMag® Magnetic filtration
  • Extended 5 year warranty

Visit the WVA Product page to learn more about Wessels Air & Dirt Separators, high velocity, Air only and Dirt only separators, as well as the industry leading integration of WesMag® Magnetic Filtration for removal of ferrous particulate.
WVA Air & Dirt Separator Product Resources

Lead Times (est.)

  • 2 Weeks: WVA-2-MAX thru WVA-6-MAX
  • 3 Weeks: WVA-8-MAX thru WVA-12-MAX
  • 4 Weeks: WVA-14-MAX thru WVA-36-MAX (Consult Factory)
Download WVA-MAX Submittal