X-Stream » X-Stream Technology »
The X-Stream blade technology employed by our X-Stream range has arisen from 3 years of continuous study by Midtherm Engineering Ltd in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University.
We have applied the resulting technological advances in passive stack ventilation to our X-Stream range of ventilators and gone even further by developing and improving this technology within a roof mounted ventilation stack. The resulting X-Stream terminal has essentialy become a passive-active ventilation unit.
The overall performance of the X-Stream™ airflow blade peaks at the precise X-Stream™ blade angle. Comparison of the X-stream™ blade technology with that of a bench marked standard 45 degree louvre blade shows a 45% increase in occupant comfort level, and 42% reduction in trailing edge stall pressure. It is clear from the results that the reduction in trailing edge stall is proportional to the increase in occupant comfort levels.
This means that the system has been designed to remove stale air naturally at calculated levels of extraction, with a positive input of fresh clean air being provided by a low powered fan and further boost inputs via other means such as automatic openable windows or thermally broken acoustic wall ventilators.
In this way, the X-Stream still offers a natural means of ventilation prior to any mechanical boost input fans being utilised.
The patented X-Stream technology ensure the X-Stream range of light commercial terminals go much further than any other naturally ventilated passive systems available today, in that they incorporate a VLP (very low powered, 12v DC) solar input ventilation fan unit, or LP (Low powered, EC 24v DC) mains connected fan unit. The installed fans provide an additional incoming mechanical fresh air supply at variable set rates of input air supplies; and these are only activated when internal comfort levels demand it.
The installation of a mechanical fan within a natural ventilation system is common within the industry; however the fan control within our system is paramount to the overall design. The X-Stream fan reacts immediately to the internal room condition and is designed for operation in a proactive manner as opposed to other on/off reactive fan systems. The X-Stream Solar or X-Stream EC system will begin to work at much lower operating speeds long before the room temperature or C0² concentrations reach their critical point.
Triggering an AC fan on and off uses considerable power and slows reaction time, especially in reducing any heat build up and CO² levels within the space to an acceptable level once it has already reached the critical point. Fans operated merely in an on/off fashion or even 2 or 3 point switching operation will increase the overall consumption of electricity by as much as 50% therefore having a substantial effect on a buildings carbon footprint.
