Q-PAC Fan Array Testing Laboratory Receives AMCA 270 Lab Accreditation

Q-PAC’s airflow tunnel testing laboratory has earned AMCA accreditation for fan array testing under AMCA 270 and AMCA 210/ASHRAE 51. AMCA 270 is the industry standard for testing multiple fans operating together, and the Q-PAC laboratory in Elkton, Florida is the first to be an operational facility delivering on this functionality.

The accreditation enables Q-PAC to conduct controlled, repeatable airflow and performance testing for fans and fan array configurations at a scale representative of real HVAC applications. The resulting detailed performance data will be used to validate designs, optimize fan array configurations and support customer-specific equipment-development and application decisions.

The accredited laboratory can evaluate airflow from 2,000 to 70,000 CFM at up to positive or negative 12 inches water column static pressure. Its 12-foot-by-12-foot plenum accommodates both individual fans and larger fan array configurations, and was designed to exceed AMCA 270 requirements to support testing of multiple fans arranged together and establish reliable performance data for Q-PAC’s Multimotor Plenum Fan platform.

The laboratory captures and automatically logs key performance data, including airflow, static and total pressure, fan speed, input power, temperature and environmental conditions. Q-PAC’s custom tunnel-control software, automatically executes the test plan while still allowing manual control, and handles data collection and analysis — integrating PLC, LabVIEW, custom fan controls, automated dampers, and automated cone closures to improve consistency and minimize operator variation. This information allows Q-PAC to generate detailed and unique fan performance curves, compare configurations and assess the effects of changes to fan quantity, speed and controls before equipment reaches the field.