Wednesday 16 March 2011

SEMINAR OF INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND FILTRATION TECHNOLOGY

  • DATE : 24th MARCH 2011 (THURSDAY)
  • TIME : 8.00AM - 5.30 PM
  • VENUE : UNIKL MFI (PERDANA HALL)
  • COMPULSORY FOR STUDENT ACIR SEMESTER 4,5,6,7
So, come on and let's join us to grab more information based on this seminar!


Tuesday 15 March 2011

ASHRAE Student Zone Design Competition 2011

The project for the ASHRAE 2011 Student Design Competition’s project is The Drake Well Museum located in Titusville, Pennsylvania, the site where Edwin L. Drake drilled the world's first oil well in 1859 and launched the modern petroleum industry.

The 20,000 ft2 (1858 m2) Drake Well Museum consists of the following spaces:

  • Research Center (2,725 ft2 / 253 m2) consisting of collections storage, collections work room, library, darkroom, research room and restroom.
  • Education Center (1,500 ft2/139 m2) consisting of an education room for school groups, storage, media/distance learning work area and restroom.
  • Administrative Offices (1,700 ft2/158 m2) which includes the Director's office, conference room, records storage, copy, open offices and a staff lounge.
  • Changing Exhibits Gallery (680 ft2/63 m2)
  • Main Exhibit Gallery (4,700 ft2/437 m2)
  • Auditorium (2,000 ft2/185 m2 )
  • Visitor Services (500 ft2/46 m2)
  • Entrance Lobby (1,700 ft2/158 m2)

In October of 2009, the Drake Well Museum was closed to the public to undergo and extensive renovation. In addition to the HVAC System, the building envelope is being improved for both increased energy efficiency and, to provide a vapor barrier to allow the exhibit and collections spaces to be able to maintain a minimum 45% relative humidity throughout the year. Prior to the renovation, the museum's HVAC system consisted of four (4) constant volume air handling units with hot water perimeter radiation. Hydronic, hot water was produced from natural gas fired, cast iron, sectional boiler, while chilled water was provided by a single, water cooled centrifugal chiller. A unique feature of the chilled water system was that condenser water for heat rejection was drawn from Oil Creek, a high quality, cold water trout stream that borders the property. Condenser water pumped from the stream, through the chiller and then discharged to a series of surface ponds which drain back to the stream. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) indicated that it would not renew the permit for this application after the renovation was completed.

Teams may compete in up to three categories; HVAC System Design, HVAC System Selection or Integrated Sustainable Building Design (ISBD includes Architectural, HVAC, & other Building Services design disciplines).

HVAC Systems Design – For students who have attended 1-2 HVAC courses. Focuses on 'right-sizing' HVAC equipment and systems to provide an energy-efficient design for the facility. Students are required to determine heating and cooling loads, and design an HVAC system for the museum while demonstrating compliance with ASHRAE Standards 55-2004, 62.1-2007 and 90.1- 2007.

HVAC Systems Selection – For students at schools completing a dedicated HVAC or building environmental systems curriculum. The project encourages students with a solid HVAC base to use life-cycle cost process to select the building HVAC system(s) as well as incorporate the sustainability process promoted by ASHRAE by integrating ASHRAE Standard 189.1-2009 - Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings, and the US Green Building Council's LEED™ Rating System (or equivalent in the home country of international students.)

Integrated Sustainable Building Design – For a multidisciplinary team to include students in engineering, architecture, technology, and other allied fields. Graduate students may also participate on teams in this category only. Teams are asked to design their own building for the program described in the effort to approach a sustainable or “net zero” energy building. Students will be asked to document select LEED credits (or an equivalent energy rating system in their home country) to measure how their design meets the sustainability goals. The emphasis in ISBD is on whole-building design, integrating architectural, and construction, mechanical, electrical and other technical disciplines in an integrated approach throughout the design process.

Sunday 28 February 2010

24th ASHRAE Malaysia Chapter Annual Dinner

On Friday, 23rd of October 2009; the 24th Annual Dinner of ASHRAE Malaysia Chapter was held at the Grand Ballroom of Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel, Petaling Jaya. The event was attended by members of ASHRAE Malaysia Chapter from different backgrounds. A number of 5 students from the ASHRAE-UniKL MFI Student Branch were given the opportunity to attend this grand event. They were Mohd Azrul Hafis Azmir, Mohd Nazrin Nahar, Izdihar Zahirah Ibrahim, Mohd Haniff Abdullah, and Kisogana Rathanasamy.

The purposes of the dinner were to held a ‘breaking the ice’ session between other student branches and introduce students to peoples from the industry, thus, gaining valuable knowledge and experience from them.

The dinner started with a mini exhibition at 5.30 pm. Upon arrival, guests were given a souvenir from the participating sponsors of the dinner. At around 7.30 pm, members and guests of the evening were seated at their reserved tables, followed by a welcoming speech by the organizing chairman, Mr Chan Jian Wen.

At around 7.50 pm, dinner is served to all guests. While having their dinner, guests were entertained by special shows throughout the evening, followed by speech from the President of ASHRAE Malaysia Chapter, Ir. Philip Khew Siew Lian.

Next, the installation of the 2009/2010 Board of Governors & Committee Chair for ASHRAE Malaysia Chapter was carried out, followed by an award presentation.

Before the night ends, a Lucky Draw was conducted and winners were given special prizes.

Overall, the dinner was successful. This is the first involvement of ASHRAE-UniKL MFI Student Branch into such event, and all attending members gained lots of knowledge and experience while building their network with other student branches and peoples in the industry, since its official establishments in June 2008.

A Friendly Visit by a Neighboring Student Branch

On Wednesday, 30th September 2009; a group of students from the ASHRAE-UM Student Branch, University Malaya visited the Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigerating (HVACR) Department of Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysia France Institute.

The purposes of the visit were to allow both students branch members the opportunity to exchange information, thus, building and strengthen the network between both branches for future collaboration.

Upon arrival, they were greeted by the HVACR Department Section Head and lecturers, Mr Ng Wen Bin, Mr Zakaria Jusoh and Mr Azli Mohsin, with the presence of ASHRAE-UniKL MFI Student Branch members. A brief presentation on UniKL MFI was carried out by Mr Ng, followed by Mr Zakaria.

After quick refreshments, they were divided into 2 groups, and each group were headed by representatives from ASHRAE-UniKL MFI Student Branch before taken for a tour around the campus. The tour includes visits to the HVACR workshops. There, students were briefed on the functions of each workshop by other representatives, each specialized in their own field of work.

Overall, it was an excellent exposure for these students especially those interested to venture in the HVACR industry. By attending this visit, students were able gain in-depth knowledge and information on UniKL MFI HVACR Department and courses that it offers. At the end of the tour, souvenirs were given to students and photo session was held before the visit ends. The visit is the first collaboration between ASHRAE–UniKL MFI Student Branch with the ASHRAE-UM Student Branch, since its official establishment in June 2008.

Monday 7 September 2009

CIDB Green Card Registration



Sunday, 16th of August 2009 - the 1-day CIDB Safety and Health Induction Course for Construction Personnel was conducted for all lecturers, staffs and ACIR students from the HVACR Department. Organized by the ASHRAE-UniKL MFI Student Branch, with the help of Mr Mohd Zaki Mohamed from the HVACR department, the event was held at Showroom 2, UniKL MFI. A total of 43 participants comprising of ACIR students, lecturers and staffs attended the induction course. It is a part of an integrated program that involves the registration and accreditation of construction personnel to enhance safety levels at construction sites.

The purposes of the induction course were to ensure that construction personnel aware the importance of a safe and healthy working place and to provide basic knowledge on safety and health at construction work site. The course is held also to inform construction personnel on the legal requirements related to safety and health

The event was scheduled at 8.30 am. However, all participants were asked to show up at 8.00 am to take their seatings, while waiting for the arrival of Mr Rahlan Ali from Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB). Joining the program were Mr Ng Wen Bin, Section Head of the HVACR Department, Mr Azrul Abdullah, Mr Marzuke Abdullah and Ms Hasnidazuwana Dauad, also from HVACR Department.

At 8.30 am, the program started with an introduction to CIDB. Here, students were briefed on the functions of the agency in the construction industry, followed by a corporate video presentation about CIDB.

Around 9.15 am, students were briefed on the benefit of the CIDB Green Card. The green card will be issued to participants of the program, which also serves as proof of registration with CIDB under the category of construction personnel. All construction personnel who have been registered with CIDB, and issued the green card are automatically covered by a special insurance scheme that insures the construction personnel against death and accidents. This insurance scheme is the result of CIDBs continuous efforts towards improving construction workers welfare as well as providing security for them and their loved ones. Since the launch of the scheme, construction personnel have enjoyed a 24 hour worldwide coverage which is not limited to accidents at work sites alone.

The program continues with the briefing of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). A 30 minutes break was given to all participants to freshen up.

At 10.45 am, the presentation continued with the OSHA briefing. OSHA's mission is to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. In Malaysia, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. December 1, 1992 marked a new era in the promotion of Occupational Safety and Health in Malaysia. On this day the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) was launched, after careful preparation and commitment from all parties to improve the safety and health of workers at the workplace in Malaysia. In the words of the Minister of Human Resources, Malaysia, NIOSH would be a "critical catalyst" in the promotion of occupational safety and health that would also serve as the "backbone" to create a "self-regulating occupational safety and health culture" in Malaysia.

At 12.30 pm, participants were invited to have lunch at the cafeteria. Lunch was provided to all participants courtesy of the HVACR Department.

At 2.00 pm, the presentation continues with the history of NIOSH. NIOSH was established on 24 June 1992 as a Company Limited by Guarantee, under the Malaysian Companies Act, 1965. As a company, NIOSH is expected to operate efficiently and with minimal administrative bureaucracy. The NIOSH Board of Directors comprises of 15 Board members, ten of which are appointed by the Government while the remaining are elected by NIOSH members during the Annual General Meeting (AGM). This makes NIOSH different from similar institutions in other countries. NIOSH was set up with a RM1 million Launching Grant from the Government and a further RM50 million Endowment Fund (RM40 million from the Social Security Organization (SOCSO) of Malaysia and a further RM 10 million from the Malaysian Government), which will be invested, and the return of investment will be used to partly finance the operation of NIOSH.

Another short break was given to participants at 3.30 pm.

At 4.00 pm, Mr Rahlan continued his presentation with a video presentation called the ‘Construction Kung Fu’, which shows the ‘Dos and Don’ts at a construction site. It was interesting to see how negligence of safety can cause horrible accidents and injuries, which eventually leads to death at construction site.

A short Q & A session were held for participants to ask anything related to CIDB. The program ends at 5.00 pm.

Overall, the event ended successfully. This is the first time ASHRAE-UniKL MFI Student Branch handled such program in UniKL MFI.

3rd Inter-ACIR Futsal Tournament 2009




Wednesday, 12th of August 2009 - the 3rd Inter-ACIR Futsal Tournament was planned for all ACIR students. Organized annually by the ASHRAE-UniKL MFI Student Branch, the tournament was held at Sports Planet Kajang, Selangor. A total of 8 teams comprising of ACIR students, lecturers and staffs participated in the tournament. Team is represented by 8 players, which consist of 5 starting players and 3 reserves each. Each team was required to pay a sum of RM88 for entry fee. Teams taking part in the tournament were FC RSVP (semester 3.2), T (semester 4), Kira OK (semester 3.1 and 5.1), Adikku Pandai Mengaji (semester 5.1 and 6), Paddle Pop (semester 5.1, 6 and ex-ACIR students), Mond-Dock FC (semester 5.2), TeamBang FC (semester 7) and Staff (lectures and staffs).

The purposes of the tournament were to bridge the gap between seniors and juniors of ACIR in order to promote unity and co-operation among all ACIR students, through sports. This is also a good way to nurture mutual respect between ACIR students, lecturers and staffs and to promote a healthy lifestyle among ACIR students.

The event was scheduled at 8.30 pm. Before the starting of the matches, each team were briefed on the rules and regulations of the tournament by Mohd Shamsir Mohd Shif from the organizing committee, led by Program Coordinator, Kisogana Rathanasamy. Each team were sponsored with a 3 litre bottled mineral water and given receipts as proof of payment for the entry fee charged on each teams.

Teams were divided into 2 groups, A and B. Group A consist of Kira OK, Paddle Pop, Adikku Pandai Mengaji and T. Group B consists of FC RSVP, TeamBang FC, Mond-Dock FC and Staff. Each group and semi-final matches were given 10 minutes (5 minutes for each half), while for the 3rd and 4th placement and final matches were given 14 minutes (7 minutes for each half).

During the semi-final matches, due to fatigue and injuries, Staff decided to forfeit the game, which gave an automatic win to Paddle Pop. In another semi-final match, Kira OK beat TeamBang FC 5-1 to advance to final. The final match was between Paddle Pop and Kira OK for the cup, which saw Kira OK march to victory with a 6-2 win.

At the end of the tournament, prize giving ceremony was conducted and hampers were given to all participated teams. The final results of the tournaments were Kira OK (Gold), Paddle Pop (Silver) and Teambang FC (Bronze).

As the winner of the tournament, Kira OK brought home hampers, medals and the Inter-ACIR Futsal Tournament Cup. The event ended at 12.15 am.

Overall, the event ended successfully despite minor technical problems. This is the 3rd year ASHRAE- UniKL MFI Student Branch handled such event.

ACIR Gathering Dinner 2009

Saturday, 1st of August 2009 - A gathering dinner was planned for all graduated ACIR students. Organized by the ACIR Alumni (ACIRA) with the co-operation of ASHRAE-UniKL MFI Student Branch, the dinner was held at Danau Golf Club, located inside Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi. A number of 41 ex-ACIR students from different batches, including lecturers and staffs were present at the dinner.

The purposes of the dinner were to bring together all the graduated ACIR students into an event and promote networking between ex-ACIR students with fellow lectures, staffs and ACIR students of the HVACR department. This is the moment for them to do a ‘catching up’ with fellow lectures, staffs and their juniors.

Upon arrival, all guests were greeted and accompanied to the registration counter to register their names into the guest list. Each guest was given a number for the Lucky Draw contest later that night. Then, each of them was accompanied into the dining room where they were seated according to the guest seating list.

At around 8.30 pm, the event started with a welcoming speech by Wan Mohd Fathurrahman Che Wan Azizan, the MC of the night, followed by a short speech from Mr Ng Wen Bin, the Section Head of HVACR Department to congratulate the organizing committee on the success of such event.

Next, a representative from the ASHRAE-UniKL MFI Student Branch, Mohd Azrul Hafis Azmir, gave a short briefing of the society and its plans throughout the semester. In order for the society to run its programs, it needs funding, and call to donate to the society’s cause follows afterwards. A donation box was provided by the organizing committee at the gift counter.

Soon after his speech, an award ceremony for the IFFI certificates recipients were held in honor of ACIR students who excelled in their IFFI exam papers during their studies. They are Ahmad Farid Mohd Shahbudin, Ahmad Nuruddin Zaini, Amad Al-Ibrahim Mohd Yusof, Mohd Takrimi Ismail, Nik Mohd Hakimin Nik Kamaruddin, Nor Firdaus Yunus and Siti Muzahidah Abdullah from the 4th ACIR batch. The awards were presented by their former mentor, Mr Aloysius De Cruz.

At 9.00 pm, dinner was served to all guests. This is the opportunity for all of them to catch up among themselves while enjoying their dinner, and for ACIR students who attended the dinner, to ask their senior’s opinions and advises before going into the industry.

At 10.00 pm, a Lucky Draw contest was conducted right after dinner. Mystery gifts were given to all guests who won the Lucky Draw contest.

Before concluding the night, a representative from the organizing committee, Zikriah Zakaria gave a speech to thank the entire guest for the success of the event. Gifts were presented to Mr Ng Wen Bin and Mr Aloysius De Cruz as tokens of appreciation. A photography session was held soon afterwards. The dinner ended at 10.30 pm.

Overall, the event ended successfully despite minor glitches. This is the first ASHRAE-UniKL MFI Student Branch co-operation with the ACIR Alumni since its official establishments in June 2008.